Pluggable terminal block compatibility with other parts/vendors

[AnasMalas]

CONTEXT:
Hello! If every time a part went out of stock and I needed to update the PCB, I updated the revision number... I would be on rev 1.4912 at the very least 

The latest culprit: Pluggable terminal blocks... I need 6 A in a pitch smaller than 3.5 mm (3 and 4 pos), or a good two level connector (4 pos would work for all). Ive been on digikey for so dang long and its always a plug being available but not its mating header, or vice versa. I can only order from digikey and it's throwing me for a loop... This is a one-off board so I wont buy a crimper, and normal headers are a bit more error prone and this board is supposed to stay in service for a while after I hand it off.

QUESTION:
Now, given that they look very similar, would a plug from a vendor and a header from another mate well, or will it go  ? have you tried this before?

[jc101]

I have used those types of connectors interchangeably without a problem.  The only thing I really check is deep inside the socket around the pin, there can be a square or circular plastic element. 

From the data sheet on the Wurth part you can see it uses circular, as do Pheonix.  A few other manufactures use square, which means the plugs do go all the way in.  They still work, but are not just as snug a fit.

[Leo Bodnar]

Wurth usually pride themselves as manufacturers of "compatible" products.  I'd expect they connectors to mate with Phoenix or whatever they look like.
Leo

[wizard69]

Not to be a contrarian here but I really don't like mix and match.    I once ended up having to debug a stepper drive issue, far from home and chased it down to a Pheonix like connector not making good contact.   That literally took hours as of course the issue was intermittent, possibly mechanical and just not obvious.   Just because something is compatible doesn't imply original manufacture reliable.

If your compatible plug doesn't fit 100% I'd explain to the customer that you have a temporary solution in place due to availability issues.    Just put the ideal socket on the mother board and the second choice wire connector where it can be easily replaced.

CONTEXT:
Hello! If every time a part went out of stock and I needed to update the PCB, I updated the revision number... I would be on rev 1.4912 at the very least 

The latest culprit: Pluggable terminal blocks... I need 6 A in a pitch smaller than 3.5 mm (3 and 4 pos), or a good two level connector (4 pos would work for all). Ive been on digikey for so dang long and its always a plug being available but not its mating header, or vice versa. I can only order from digikey and it's throwing me for a loop... This is a one-off board so I wont buy a crimper, and normal headers are a bit more error prone and this board is supposed to stay in service for a while after I hand it off.

QUESTION:
Now, given that they look very similar, would a plug from a vendor and a header from another mate well, or will it go  ? have you tried this before?

(Attachment Link)

[AnasMalas]

While I did find multiple connectors that have what looks like an identical design from the datasheet drawing, each was rated for a different current (Within the same standard), so that seemed iffy!

In the end I did find a matching connector set in 2.5 mm pitch, with the only disadvantage being that it protrudes beyond the PCB by a couple of mm. I looked at the pitfalls of have the header protrude beyond the edge, and non applied to my project 

[SL4P]

What happened to the original part manufacturer?
Did they stop making the part, or just the local reseller stopped selling them ?

With a reputable brand, their sales info will say if a product is EOL, or should not be used in new designs…. from there, you identify a new manufacturer, and order at least enough of the old parts for two production cycles - so you have a chance to re-source or re-design as needed.

[AnasMalas]

What happened to the original part manufacturer?

This is a one-off board, and for many connectors on Digikey in particular, the mating parts are just out of stock with a longer lead time than I'm willing to wait for.

For example, I really like this connector (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/weidm%C3%BCller/1277860000/4010244) but while they have 2000 of it in different color options, its mating header has no lead time and is just "available to order" 

I love how multiple people here think im going into production or have a "real" client, makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside . Thanks for the advice, will act on it when I design something for production eventually.

[ajb]

While I did find multiple connectors that have what looks like an identical design from the datasheet drawing, each was rated for a different current (Within the same standard), so that seemed iffy!

ehhh, in many cases, these kinds of ratings don't really reflect the ultimate capabilities of the part itself.  This becomes pretty clear in cases like this where all of these parts have the same basic geometry, same or similar materials, etc, but substantially different ratings.  One manufacturer that claims a 10A rating probably isn't using some special contact alloy or some secret sauce fine detail on the shape of their contacts that makes their parts materially better than the manufacturer that only claims a 5A rating--if they were the brochures would crow about those things.  More likely, the manufacturer with the higher rating chose to rate the part under different temperature or environmental or age conditions or something, or just chose to claim a rating that would be easier for them to get past a regulatory body.  Or they may have been dealing with different regulations entirely , for example it's not unusual to see parts like this with different ratings under UL vs VDE standards--so the rating of the connector depends on the regulations that cover the device it's getting built into.  If you were a really big customer you might even be able to go to that manufacturer with the 5A parts and, if you wave a big enough PO in front of their face, get them to recertify that part at a higher rating for you, possibly under a more narrow range of operating conditions.

Of course you would never design a product to exceed the manufacturer's stated and certified ratings, even if an apparently identical part from another manufacturer has a much higher rating than the one you pick.  But it's useful to understand that behind those ratings isn't just a bunch of engineering about how 'how much current until it melts/catches fire' but a lot of 'how much current and under what environmental/usage conditions can we convince which regulatory body it will NEVER melt or catch fire'.