I'm doing some work with some servo's, NeoPxels, Arduino, LED, etc. I'd like to attach quick connects to some of my soldered boards so I can easily disconnect the components for travel/storage/testing etc. Also it would be great to be able to put "jumper wire" ends on my wires for quick breadboarding and testing with my arduino. What I've done currently is to pull male header pins out of the track they come in and solder them to the end of my stranded wires so I could easily plug them into the Arduino. This is a problem though because it leaves a fair amount of bare wire and a blob of solder (of varying size) near the end of every wire. This is a surefire plan for short circuits or crossed wires.
So there are two things I'd like to have: 1) "jumper ends" on my individual wires. 2) The ability to "bundle" some of them together when appropriate like the 3-wire connector on a servo. I'm hoping that I can use the same tool for my jumper ends as I would in the bundled ones by just using the male connector with no housing.
I'm looking for the proper names of these things; I've seen "dupont connector", "Mini-PV", and also recently "d-sub". If someone could give me the proper terms to search for that would be helpful.
Additionally I need to know what tools I need to apply them. Some sort of crimper I'm sure. Suggestions on a quality and inexpensive one would be helpful.
Oh and finally is there a standard recommended wire gauge for hobby electronics of this type? Either due to convention or ease of finding tools/crimpers that work on the wire gauge? I currently have a bunch of 22 gauge wire but that's not for any particular reason.
So my "shopping list" would be these things; plus anything you tell me I need that I'm unaware of:
- Crimper tool
- Male ends
- Male end housing
- Female ends
- Female end housing