Electronics > Manufacturing & Assembly

PCB wire strain relief

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Mikey:
(This was origianlly posted in "Electronics » Projects, Designs, and Technical Stuf", but this category might be more suited for it?)

Hello, I am working on a new end-stop switch for my 3D printer (heavily modified reprap prusa), and the first version I made had 3 pin through hole headers, but I would like to get rid of those and solder the wires directly onto the board instead to keep it smaller and more clean to look at, and also have less things sticking out from it to make it as small as possible.

I attached a picture of my current idea, but it might not be all pcb houses that are able to make those inner slots in the pcb to loop the 3 wire ribbon cable through.

Anyone here got an idea to what good alternatives there are?

EDIT: this is my first pcb, so be gentle ;)

PedroDiogo:
Normally the pads are quite fragile and can very easily be lifted from the board if you pull the wires by accident. Why not use the through hole pads? You already have slots to pass the wires so the dimensions will be virtually the same.

The slots are a good idea. I think most PCB manufacturers wont have any problems with them. You could also use 3 separate holes, one for each wire if you want to have them separate and secure.

Mikey:

--- Quote from: PedroDiogo on August 26, 2012, 04:30:20 pm ---Normally the pads are quite fragile and can very easily be lifted from the board if you pull the wires by accident. Why not use the through hole pads? You already have slots to pass the wires so the dimensions will be virtually the same.

The slots are a good idea. I think most PCB manufacturers wont have any problems with them. You could also use 3 separate holes, one for each wire if you want to have them separate and secure.

--- End quote ---

I chose the pads to keep it all on one side. This pcb will be screwed onto a clamp that will hold it to the printer, and that clamp will be right behind where the wires would go through. So if I could keep it all on one side of the board, that problem would be gone, and I don't think the more fragile pads will be a problem, that is why I wanted some strain relief on the cable. :)

3 seperate holes are also a good idea, but I would then have to split the to allow them to go through the holes. And I would like it to come out from the board still joined, but if they cant/wont make the slots, then I  might have to do the seperate holes anyways.

Mikey:
Just got reply from iTead, they can make this :)

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