USB-A receptacle spring pins? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: ferrix
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2013, 08:47:33 pm
content: I have flat trays of USB standard A male/"plug" devices with pins exposed (no metal shield) like so:https://www.yubico.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/YubiKeys-in-tray.jpgand I want to create a cheap fast pogo-pin-like connector on the end of a cable in order to press it down briefly onto each device for programming. In the manufacturer's factory, they have a hugely expensive bed-of-nails surface that can lower onto a whole tray and zap them all at once.... My needs are much more humble. But I want to be able to touch the contacts quickly without having to remove each device from the tray and plug it in to a USB receptacle.So my best idea so far is to create a plug using the same spring pins that are normally found in USB A female/"receptacle" connectors. For the life of me I can't figure out what the pins are called and how to search for them. 100% of the things I find are already-constructed receptacles (the 4-pins mounted in a plastic form surrounded by a metal shield). What I'd really like instead is a handful of the actual loose copper pins. I could graduate up to real pogo pins, but that leads to a nest of other issues I'd like to avoid.Can someone who is not a total noob tell me what these bastards are called and how to get like a bag of them?ETA: An illustration of the parts I want:=P

author: ferrix
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2013, 09:35:39 pm
content: Meh... I just destroyed one to get at the pinshttps://webapi.bumpserver.com/v1/data/7be6863f-0995-431d-b93e-7687546d4c16I'd still like to know what these buggers are called and how to get em.

author: Short Circuit
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2013, 04:43:59 am
content: pogo probes?Not the same, but you could build a probing adapter for your purposes using these.editGuess I overlooked you remarks regarding real pogo pinsAnyway, for bare USB2 contacts, nobody is stopping you from ripping USB2 sockets apart. A bit of work, but that is usually of little concern for test and programming fixtures.Alternatively, RF spring clips might give some implementation ideas;http://www.harwin.com/catalogue/featured/rfi_spring_contacts.html

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2013, 06:08:42 am
content: Rip apart the old centronix connectors. . The males should have these.Otherwise try keystone.Now, you gave me an idea. Take a usb plug, peel away the metal. Glue the white plastic bit on the inside of one leg of a plastic or wooden clothespin .if you layout your pcb so the 4 pads are at the edge , you can use the clothespin to hold the pins down !Or, you leave the usb connector intact and simply make two slots in the board. You can then slide the connector over the edge contacts.. Hmmm even better !

author: fcb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2013, 10:40:27 am
content: Bourns 70 series :http://www.bourns.com/ProductLine.aspx?name=modular_contactsFarnell also sell these:http://uk.farnell.com/battery-contacts-modularI've been using Coda brand pins for years on test/programming jigs - they are lovely people to deal with:http://www.coda-systems.co.uk/catalog/index.html

author: ferrix
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2013, 02:50:34 pm
content: Thanks!Here's what I ended up doing meanwhile:https://webapi.bumpserver.com/v1/data/7be6863f-0995-431d-b93e-7687546d4c16