Hi all, I’m getting real close to start on wiring and would like to get a nice and clean connection look. I saw some socket type connection for combined hot end, thermistor and fans and they look very nice and clean.
Is this type of connection safe to use? Found this on amazon not sure if this is the correct socket type… Would appreciate any feedback thx
I use these same exact connectors for all of my steppers, endstops, and thermistors. I have not tested them for hotend or heated build plates. Also before you buy make sure you have the right crimper, I’m sure you could use pliers to crimp the wires but that would be a lot of extra work.
I prefer keyed and/or latching connectors where possible (Molex KK or one of the JST models or whatnot), and don’t trust these for more than about 2A of current (AFIK documented rating is 3A, I don’t believe it especially on generics. You can only reasonably jam 22GA wires into the housings anyway, and even that is sometimes touchy), but I’ve happily used a ton of those. The fans cables in the last printer refit I did were made with one of the cheap Hilitchi dupont kits on Amazon.
Make sure to get a suitable crimper, trying to hack those things with normal pliers isn’t worth the frustration.
Look into Molex MicroFit connectors. A little bulkier but they are locking and have a higher amp rating. They also provide a more professional looking end result. The same crimping tool used for the Hiltchi terminals will work with the Molex Microfit terminals as well.
Thanks @Kyle1 I think the molex microfit is exactly what I’ve been looking for I saw type a machine and printrbot uses this kind of connection just don’t know what it is.
Is the male and female pins need to be specific for molex microfit? Thx
@Robert_D_Attile I have an Engineer PA-20 crimping tool that I’m pretty fond of for connectors in that size range. IIRC on duponts the 1.6mm die is good for the contact crimp, and the 1.9 for the insulation crimp.
The “6-pin PCI Express Power” connectors like you find on video cards and such are 6-circuit “Standard .093 Pin and Socket Connectors.” Molex, TE,and Amphenol all make them, as do a wide selection of random Chinese companies with injection molding and sheet-metal stamping equipment.
That family should be usable for basically any connection in a 3D printer, they’re a little bulky for the low-current stuff, but they’re very inexpensive, widely available, keyed, will tolerate ridiculous amounts of current, come in ends that will crimp to 14-30ga wire, and the housings and headers are available in 1-15 circuit sizes.
I found Matt Millman’s overview of connectors & tools quite useful (see link below). @Paul_Eberhart , I use the Engineer PA-09 and works quite well, especially with MicroFits. As you may be aware of, it’s PA-20’s little sister, with dies from 1.0 to 1.9. For this kind of connectors, choosing the 09 or the 20 is IMO simply a matter of price/availability. @Step_Cia , MicroFit housings are male or female, and connectors are either male or female and “small” (for 26-30 AWG) or “big” (for 20-24 AWG). The difference is in the wire section only, you can mate a “small” male with a “big” female, because the connecting section is identical. Also, the male housing looks what I’d call female and vice versa (not the connectors) so all this may be a bit confusing at first, “on paper”, but it really makes sense once you work with them (mostly, at least). I used a mix of “Dupont” style and MicroFits on a wire assembly in my Delta’s effector, and the 0.1in connectors had some failures after some months, even though they were ziptied and taped. The heater cartridge, with MicroFit, worked perfectly… so now I’m replacing all the 0.1in everywhere but the RAMPS.
FWIW, E3D is using a new style of thermistor (the same old type, encapsulated in a cartridge) and they wire it with a (female) MicroFit. http://tech.mattmillman.com/info/crimpconnectors/
Hah good read thought I knew what to look for went to Fry’s and got even morr confused… Didn’t see “microfit” but saw molex kk. And the terminal options… 0_0
Shopping for electromechanical things (connectors, motors, fans, tactile switches, etc.) is one of the darker arts. A huge variety of hard-to-contextualize data.
I bought that box highlighted up top. The pins are cheaply made but can do the job.
Molex c-grid is keyed and latching with 0.1" / 2.54mm centers, and in some combinations compatible with DuPont connectors, you lose the keying and latching. Micro-Fit 3.0 is 3mm spacing, better current handling up to 5A. The pins are very hard to eject after insertion though. Even with practice, it can be hit or miss.