Electrical Connectors Information

Electrical Connectors Information

Electrical connectors are devices that join electrical circuits together. Most connectors are removable or temporary, but some can be permanent. Connectors make electronic products easier to assemble and manufacture. They also ease circuit repairs and allow flexibility in design and modification. They are used extensively on circuits for communications, computers, industrial machinery, and consumer electronics.

Electrical Connector

Most connectors are composed of two main parts: housing and terminals.

Housing is the case or structure used to hold the terminals, stabilize the connection, and protect the contacts from shorting and/or from various environmental hazards. Housing is normally made up of some type of molded plastic, but can be made out of any type of insulator material (e.g. ceramics).

Terminal pins in a connector provide the electrical conduction that makes the connection. They are nearly always made up of some type of metal, but any material that conducts electricity can be used (e.g. carbon or silicon).