A picoMAX® PCB connector contact system is a replacement for pluggable PCB terminals with screw connections. Said Cory Thiel, product manager—Interconnect, “With picoMax, we stacked the termination of wire and connection to the pin all under one spring. Electrically, this design drastically shortens the current path, and lowers the total resistance per through connection for higher signal integrity. Mechanically, it reduces space consumption by about 30% and improves mass distribution.”
A new contact design results in a connector that aligns wire termination and connection to the header pin under one spring element.
An advance on Wago’s cage clamp design, the new system combines wire connection and spring-loaded female connectors in one element, creating a connection system with a purely conducting unit and a spring-loaded unit.
High alloyed CrNi spring steel is used in two ways: the spring presses the connected conductor against the contact bridge and simultaneously exerts pressure on the contact pin when mating the header to the female connector. The design permits use of electrolytic copper in the contract bridge, replacing more expensive copper-alloys typically used in socket contacts. This reduces material length and cross-section.
A CrNi spring steel presses the connected conductor against the contact bridge and simultaneously exerts pressure on the contact pin when mating the header to the female connector.
The configuration saves material, minimizes installation height and ensures a strong connection that withstands high vibration and accelerations up to 16 g, which is about four times higher than a race car moving around a steep curve. Because of the compact design, the female connector can be almost entirely inserted into the header, bringing its mass closer to the PCB.
The new clamp is based on the CAGE CLAMP®S termination system and is suitable for all types of conductors. Termination is easy, solid, and ferruled conductors can be pushed in directly, while stranded conductors can be inserted with push-button operation.
This new connector design suits applications with a large number of connection points.
Initial applications are broad, particularly any PBC application with a large number of connection points. So, commercial and industrial electronic devices, panel meters, signal conditioners, and controllers for building or industrial automation are suitable.
The picoMax is a family of connections, so you can choose from a number of physical configurations including wire-to board, board-to-wire, wire-to-wire, and through-panel.
WAGO
www.wago.us
::Design World::
Filed Under: Connectors (electrical) • crimp technologies, ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL
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