Re: pins, cables
- From: John Fields <jfields@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 10 Nov 2007 12:14:34 -0600
On 09 Nov 2007 21:19:36 -0500, Allan Adler
<ara@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I have various devices that have exposed pins or holes for pins. I'd
like to examine the states of these pins/holes by connecting wires
between them and a solderless breadboard. Typical examples include
pins on MIDI ports, D15 game ports, D25 printer ports, etc. If I get
anywhere doing that, I'll also want to try connect some ports to other
ports by cables, maybe of my own design. I can't assume that the precise
cables I need will be readily available, so I need convenient ways to make
a lot of different kinds of cables. I also need to keep this cheap, but
I don't do ebay.
What can I use for examining individual pins/holes (e.g. a "single pin plug",
if that exists)? How can I develop the capability of cheaply and conveniently
making lots of different kinds of cables, or remaking them? Where can
I get this stuff dirt cheap? I keep an eye out for discarded electronics,
but I rarely see the kinds of cables I'm interested in. The only exception
was a printer cable that was discarded with its printer.
---
In the US, pins and sockets are generally described as having mating
diameters equivalent to AWG sizes. That is pins (male contacts) and
sockets (female contacts) of like gauges will mate properly.
Pins and sockets are available loose from any of the major connector
manufacturers and can be had as crimp-type or solder-type.
Crimp types are much more convenient to use and, with the proper
choice of contact and crimp tool, can produce connections superior
to those available using solder.
Another advantage to using crimp contacts is that after the contacts
have been crimped onto the wires, they're just poked into the right
locations in the connector inserts, eliminating the need to solder
at the connector.
Single wires can easily be prepared for probing a connector by
crimping on the proper sex contact on one end, and then terminating
the other end with whatever you need: banana plug, alligator clip,
mini-hook, etc.
It's a good idea to use a little shrink tubing over the crimped area
of the contact in order to give the wire a little strain relief.
I suggest you go to Digi-Key's site, find loose pins and crimp tools
from various manufacturers and then go to their sites for a more
detailed view of what's out there. (What's out there is HUGE!)
You're in for a surprise when you find what good crimp tools cost!
--
JF
.
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