Anyone recognise this connector? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: danie1
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 23, 2021, 01:28:21 pm
content: Hi,I'm trying to make an add-on board for my coffee machine that can toggle the buttons and read the status LEDs and there's a perfect header on the control panel that I'd like intercept but I'm having trouble working out what part the socket is. Picture attachedIt looks pretty similar to Molex's spotonhttps://www.molex.com/molex/products/family/spotonbut the key is different and they don't do spoton in a 7 position variant. I browsed through digikey and lcsc looking for likely options but I'm coming up blank.If all else fails I can just solder a wire on but I was hoping to be able to sell the board as a kit and being able to directly plug into an existing socket seems like a great user experience if I can work out what connector this is.Thanks!

author: cheater
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 23, 2021, 03:57:54 pm
content: In case it helps you to search for it, on Mouser it would be classified as a board-to-board connector.

author: ElektroHS
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 23, 2021, 08:26:44 pm
content: It looks like Molex SlimStack Board-to-Board or some Mezzanine e.g. from Panasonic, Hirose etcIt's hard to understand pitch from the photo

author: danie1
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 23, 2021, 09:16:02 pm
content: Quote from: ElektroHS on March 23, 2021, 08:26:44 pmYea, once I started looking I realized I should have measured it while I had it out of the machine. I'll take it out again tomorrow after I have my morning coffee and see if knowing the pitch helps.

author: fordem
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 24, 2021, 01:11:07 pm
content: Quote from: danie1 on March 23, 2021, 01:28:21 pmThis reminds me of a discussion I overheard between my daughter and a friend - he had just bought a fancy new "smart" washer/dryer combo with all the "whizbang" features, including internet connectivity - she listened to him, and then said - so you put your clothes in the washer and start it, and it'll tell you when the wash is finished - he says yes - her next questions was, can you put the clothes in the dryer remotely too?He got quite upset...Back to your coffee machine - why? You still have to put a cup, put coffee, maybe put water - and when it's done brewing, you have to take the coffee out of it - you HAVE to be infront of the machine to use it.

author: danie1
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 24, 2021, 01:47:06 pm
content: It's mostly a monitoring / optimization thing.The process of making a good espresso is:1. Weigh the beans (w)2. Grind the beans at (f) fineness3. Tamp with (T) pressure4. Extract (c) grams of coffee while timing (t) the extractionBroadly speakingthe extraction should be c=w*2the time should be t=c*1.5If t actual !~= t desired, adjust f or T.So what my doo-daad will do is:a) store w, the exact weight of the beans so you can vary by +/- a few grams and not worryb) record f, so you can put the grinder back to the same setting next time you use these beansc) start the extraction, weighing the coffee and tracking the timed) stop the extraction at the right weighte) advise if the extraction was too fast or too slowf) record all this for next time with the same beans, trends over time, tasting notes, etc.It's basically replacing me watching the scales and counting seconds in my head and inconsistently writing notes on some paper near the machine.People already buy scales with built in timers for this purpose or auto-dosing comes as standard on some £2000+ machines.It's 100% not necessary; I've got no illusions that this is a killer product every coffee drinker needs. But it seemed like a fun project. In terms of selling kits, I mean more or less at cost to other obsessive nutters like me who I know want such a thing because other people have hacked it together with arduino breadboards on reddit and other places.

author: danie1
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 24, 2021, 03:46:52 pm
content: I took a better photo next to a ruler and added measurements.The closest I've found so far is from Hirose - they are the only one's I've found with the key going left/right at the bottom of the socket but they didn't have the plastic bar down the middle.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 24, 2021, 05:56:54 pm
content: It does look a lot like a typical Molex connector indeed... but I can't find it either.

author: phil from seattle
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 24, 2021, 08:12:52 pm
content: All the automation I want from my coffee maker is to turn it on in the morning before I get up. Oh, yeah, they've been doing that for 50 years...

author: danie1
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 24, 2021, 08:48:43 pm
content: Quote from: phil from seattle on March 24, 2021, 08:12:52 pmWell that's certainly an option and I've enjoyed many a simple filter coffee by the pint over the years.But if you go down the rabbit hole of the espresso HOBBY, digging into the finer details and experimentation is a lot of fun. And since I also enjoy electronics, programming and closed loop feedback why not merge all those things even if the benefit is maaaaarginal at best?

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 24, 2021, 10:02:49 pm
content: Might be worth unsoldering to see if there is a maker's mark on the underside

author: danie1
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2021, 12:14:34 am
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on March 24, 2021, 10:02:49 pmYea, if all else fails I'll dig out the heatgun and do this but I haven't had great success with not burning plastic connectors in the process before so I was hoping to avoid it if possible.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2021, 12:19:28 am
content: Well, if you can't find out what it is, you may as well unsolder it, and not even try to reuse it. Just look for a 2-row, 1mm pitch connector that would match the footprint, and replace the old one. Now you can have a well known pair. Just a thought.

author: tonyh88
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2021, 12:20:32 am
content: looks like molex ClikMate maybe :https://www.molex.com/molex/products/family/clikmate_wiretoboard_connectors

author: tonyh88
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2021, 12:23:09 am
content: mmm nevermind they look like ClikMate but are not the same

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2021, 10:58:07 am
content: Quote from: danie1 on March 25, 2021, 12:14:34 amI'd use braid, easy to melt connectors with hot air.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2021, 11:19:36 am
content: I'd check the websites from JST and JAE as well.It looks like a JST SHLD series but yours is a 14 pin version and JST only lists 20 pins or more. But it could be a special order.

author: viperidae
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2021, 08:22:23 pm
content: You should use RFC 2324 as the communication protocol, as is standard for network connected coffee pots.

author: JetSerge
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 03, 2025, 05:18:49 pm
content: If you find this post via Google search and want to mod your Breville Bambino Plus, here are the right search terms for the connectors/parts:SHLD-14Y for the connector itself.SHC-14AB for the PCB port.SHC-14AWB for the 90-degree PCB port.SHLD-T for the crimp terminals.They are made by DLL Connectors, and you can find the datasheets online, as well as some alibaba and ebay listings. Not the easiest part to source, but it's doable.I was looking for this connector to adapt Tate Mazer's shotStopper project for BBP.