How to assemble this connector?

[iXod]

Whenever I see a slot like this in a connector terminal I think insulation displacement. I presume there's a special tool to assemble these to the wire, but is there a reliable method that doesn't require buying the tool? Need to assemble one 3-pin of this type.

Thanks.

[charlespax]

Contact goes in the housing. Then you press the correct wire into the contact. The contact will cut through the casing and into the copper. There are clips on the housing that will keep the wire in place. The key here is to use the correct wire. You'll want to know if you should use solid core or stranded wire. How many strands? What gauge range? What wire casing diameter range?

For a tool I just use the flat back side of a razor blade or screw driver tip. The tool matters very little compared to using the correct wire specified for that connector.

[CJay]

Contact goes in the housing. Then you press the correct wire into the contact. The contact will cut through the casing and into the copper. There are clips on the housing that will keep the wire in place. The key here is to use the correct wire. You'll want to know if you should use solid core or stranded wire. How many strands? What gauge range? What wire casing diameter range?

For a tool I just use the flat back side of a razor blade or screw driver tip. The tool matters very little compared to using the correct wire specified for that connector.

yes. Works nicely but he may need to clamp the connector body in something solid just to keep it stable and prevent the screwdriver making holes in him if it slips (been there done that)

I used to keep a few broken screwdrivers so I could file or grind slots in them for jobs like this and also for 'odd' security screws.

[iXod]

Yikes! Connectors came from surplus house. No idea wire size/composition required. So maybe light solder job to be sure?

I've had bad experience soldering these in the past. Even the best solder job I could do leaves fillets and such around the wire/terminal interface that interferes with the terminal's fit in the connector body.

Well, now I know. Thanks peeps.

Cheers.

[Brumby]

I'd avoid soldering if at all possible.  Do it the way it was designed to be done.  There is a heck of a lot of IDC connections in the world where reliability is important.  Proper specifications would be nice, but...

If it was me - I'd go for a wire with a solid conductor that won't pass between the two prongs of the connector without spreading them - just a little (not too far or they'll splay outwards).  This will put pressure between the connector and the conductor, maintaining a good contact.  Alternatively, a stranded wire where the bunch of strands needs to be flattened a bit to fit between the prongs.

Either way, the insulation of the wire needs to big enough to get caught on the barbs on the connector body - but not so big that they spill out past the slight rectangular depression you can just see below the barbs, otherwise the insulation will get pushed away from the connector body and the barbs won't engage properly.

[Monkeh]

What pitch is the connector?

Unless I miss my guess, that's an MTA156 (.156" pitch) connector for 20AWG.