What are your favourite wire to board connectors?

[T3sl4co1l]

I've pliers-crimped pins before, but because I don't trust them, I also solder the joint.

FYI, crimped joints aren't supposed to be soldered -- can make fatigue and corrosion worse!

Tim

[george graves]

FYI, crimped joints aren't supposed to be soldered -- can make fatigue and corrosion worse!

Tim

I follow this rule, but I don't know the reasoning behind it.  Anyone care to enlighten me?  Any tests that show why?

[tautech]

FYI, crimped joints aren't supposed to be soldered -- can make fatigue and corrosion worse!

Tim

I follow this rule, but I don't know the reasoning behind it.  Anyone care to enlighten me?  Any tests that show why?

With the correct match of cable, crimp terminal and crimp die the formed joint is a compression weld!
This is not achievable without correct component selection, die setting and trial for the right result.

[mikeselectricstuff]

FYI, crimped joints aren't supposed to be soldered -- can make fatigue and corrosion worse!

Tim

I follow this rule, but I don't know the reasoning behind it.  Anyone care to enlighten me?  Any tests that show why?

solder can flow up between the strands of stranded wire, making it like solid core transmitting stresses into the contact when the wire moves.
It's also much easier to make a bad soldered joint than a bad crimp (with the right tool). If done badly solder can flow onto the contact surface, or part of the surface designed to be springy.
Comperently soldering a bad crimp is probably an improvement on the bad crimp, but counterproductive on a good one
 

[ConKbot]

FYI, crimped joints aren't supposed to be soldered -- can make fatigue and corrosion worse!

Tim

I follow this rule, but I don't know the reasoning behind it.  Anyone care to enlighten me?  Any tests that show why?

solder can flow up between the strands of stranded wire, making it like solid core transmitting stresses into the contact when the wire moves.
It's also much easier to make a bad soldered joint than a bad crimp (with the right tool, and contacts for the wire size you have). If done badly solder can flow onto the contact surface, or part of the surface designed to be springy.
Comperently soldering a bad crimp is probably an improvement on the bad crimp, but counterproductive on a good one

Fixed that.  I dont know how many bad TE 'CPC' crimps Ive seen with a tyco tool because people just grab whatever male/female contact they can find.  24-20 AWG contact and 28 AWG wire? "Ahh I'll just put it in the  28 awg slot and crimp it anyway." 

[suicidaleggroll]

I've pliers-crimped pins before, but because I don't trust them, I also solder the joint.

Same here.  If I have the correct crimper available I use that, if not I do the best I can with pliers, then I solder it to make sure it won't fall out, and then heatshrink for strain relief if the connector type allows it.

As far as the original question goes, Molex KK is typically my go-to.

[Smokey]

Has no one said DSUBs yet?

Not so great for power since the combo power dsubs are kind of expensive, but great for signal stuff.  Especially with a high density DSub you get a lot of connections in a small connector, great mating action, locking, IDC or solder cup or crimp pin options, they are available everywhere for pretty cheap depending on the size.  Plus you can get off the shelf cables of all lengths if you really really don't want to make your own.

Everyone loves a DSub!

[Smokey]

I guess I'll throw in a power connector too.

CPC!

http://www.te.com/catalog/minf/en/645

[Alex30]

Before everyone starts buying crimpers I would see how you go just using needle nose pliers. I have a crimper but I often just grab my pliers because they're closer and I can do the job just as good provided it's just thin wire (not too thin, not too thick).

..and you don't care too much about long-term reliability.

Crimping is all about achieving an airtight compression of wire and contact. Using a totally wrong tool is unlikely to achieve this

This is true, but for home projects not such a big issue provided the terminals are accessible for maintenance. As posted previously good crimpers cost quite a bit of money, so for the hobbyist going for the needle nose pliers is worth a try imo.

[ConKbot]

Before everyone starts buying crimpers I would see how you go just using needle nose pliers. I have a crimper but I often just grab my pliers because they're closer and I can do the job just as good provided it's just thin wire (not too thin, not too thick).

..and you don't care too much about long-term reliability.

Crimping is all about achieving an airtight compression of wire and contact. Using a totally wrong tool is unlikely to achieve this

This is true, but for home projects not such a big issue provided the terminals are accessible for maintenance. As posted previously good crimpers cost quite a bit of money, so for the hobbyist going for the needle nose pliers is worth a try imo.

It depends on how one values their time.    I have done my share of plier or shitty stripper/lug crimper/wire cutter crimped 1/4" spades, and about 80% of them pull off eventually. 

For insulated crimp on spade/ring terminals, the TE ratcheting crimpers (especially with PIDG series lugs) are great. 
http://www.alliedelec.com/search/productdetail.aspx?sku=70089831&mkwid=oPlqAWeX&pcrid=48651000259&gclid=CJHLyN_n28ACFScV7Aod4QMATA
They arent $500, but for $140, I crimp a terminal onto the stripped wire, which takes all of 5 seconds, instead of taking a pair of plies to a terminal, spending ~20 seconds fiddling with it until I'm satisfied its "adequate"   then when I try to take the terminal off, I have to carefully make sure I tug only at the terminal and put 0 force on the wire, because if I do, its going to just yank the wire out, and then I have to go dig the pliers back out to try and separate the terminals with next to nothing to hold onto now, etc...

With a lug meant for 18 awg wire, and some cheap and nasty zipcord type 18 awg wire, generally the wire breaks before it slides out of the terminal. 

[Alex30]

Yes that can be the case. But I find that certain size wires are easier to crimp with pliers than others. Anyway I was just suggesting it for the hobbyists who want to save a bit of money

[rx8pilot]

For a super tight design I recently finished, there was not nearly enough room for any of the connectors I have seen mentioned here. For power connections, I had been using Phoenix and Molex products with all the special crimpers without any issues - except for size. The solution I found is an interesting spring terminal that has the wire flat (parallel) to the PCB. Push-in 18-22ga stranded or solid and good for 6A (rated) per pin. I have been using 20x7ga stranded for a critical power delivery system with good results. It needs a special tool to release the wires - essentially a flat piece of sheet metal. The only thing slightly smaller is soldering the wire directly to PCB.

No crimping, pins, or soldering. They have been much easier, but not if you need to regularly connect/disconnect.

AVX: 009276008021106
Mouser: 581-009276008021106
http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=009276008021106virtualkey58120000virtualkey581-009276008021106

SMT mounted but can be hand soldered if the pads are lengthened a little.

[mikeselectricstuff]

Wago do something similar, with a convenient button release.
http://uk.farnell.com/wago/2060-402-998-404/terminal-strip-smt-r-a-2way/dp/2102477

[rx8pilot]

I like those even more - good for higher current and does not need a special tool.
Thanks for the tip!