Is it just me or do we need to set a standard for 3D printer controller board connectors or at least have the plugs sold with the boards? I realize that some board sellers send some connectors, but not all of them do.
What do you mean? Most of the non current carrying connectors are JST-XHP, and the power connectors (such as for the power supply, bed, and hot end) are typically terminals blocks or plugable terminal blocks.
Hmmm…maybe the Rambo board is an oddball then. @SeeMe_Support and @UltiMachine , is the Rambo board an oddball and everyone else uses JST-XHP like Spice was suggesting?
@NathanielStenzel I can guarantee stepper motors for the most part come with JST connectors of some variant (all the ones I have are XHP). Though, i have seen boards with Dupont connectors instead, but i usually avoid such boards as they have no orientation clips, meaning if something requires a specific polarity, you could potentially damage it by accidentally plugging it in the wrong way. Such is the case of the postage stamp stepper drivers, which use those connectors.
@_Spice perhaps you know what connector is in the MKS Base 1.6 boards?
I think it may be JST-XHP, but I have not managed to confirm it yet.
Power connectors are some pretty typical terminal blocks, supposedly by a company called Phoenix Contact (though, the actual source is questionable). All others are definitely JST-XHP, except for the EXP plugs, which i am unsure, but are pretty much what you see on any other board for screens and other addon devices (such as wifi modules). Specifically, steppers are XHP-4, fans and thermistors are XHP-2, and endstops are XHP-3.
@_Spice thanks very much. Now I know I can get a JST-XHP 2-5 kit to take care of my connection needs. I guess the Rambo board was made with special stuff just to make it harder for cables to come loose. I guess not so much on all the others like the MKS Base 1.6 that I just got.
You will also need a proper terminal crimper if you plan to make cables. You can find some on Amazon for relatively cheap, or also Greenlee/Paladin Tools makes some good ones (model number PA1176 should be the correct one).
Every controller I’ve seen uses 0.1” pitch (generally compatible with JST or DuPont connectors) for most connections and 0.25” pitch screw terminals for everything else. A few have 0.25” connectors for steppers. What does your Rambo board have?
Come to think of it, there HAS been an attempt to make standard ribbon cable interfaces. EG a ribbon that works with any extruder setup so you only need one flex cable to the hot end etc. Not available in commercial boards to my knowledge though.
The socket for the Rambo connectors will take Dupont plugs but the Rambo plugs clip in. The Rambo plugs have some fins on them to make sure you plug them the right direction. Sorry for not knowing the actual name. I would have sent a picture but I do not know how to do screen capture on my Android tablet. @Ryan_Carlyle
@NathanielStenzel Got it, that’s fairly common type of Molex plug I think.
@_Spice by the way, one of the first things I had to do when initially installing my kit was to replace the stepper motor plugs with the ones that the Rambo board took so they probably were JST-XHP connectors originally.
@Ryan_Carlyle this is from the bill of material for the Rambo board itself. Dit seems you are right about it being Molex. I do not like having to guess about what connector type I need. Sadly, plugs did not come with the MKS Base 1.6 board that I got from Biqu. I do not know if the majority of the board sellers ship boards with matching plugs or not.
4P POSITIVE LATCH;6;;;;WIRE-BOARD CONNECTOR RECEPTACLE, 4POS, 2.54MM ;Molex;50-57-9404;;;
3P POSITIVE LATCH;3;;;;WIRE-BOARD CONNECTOR RECEPTACLE, 3POS, 2.54MM ;Molex;50-57-9403;;;
2P POSITIVE LATCH;3;;;;WIRE-BOARD CONNECTOR RECEPTACLE, 2POS, 2.54MM ;Molex;50-57-9402;;;
This is one of the things I really appreciated about genuine Smoothieboards; they come with a nice connector set.
@Ryan_Carlyle
Duet supplies a full complement of Wurth connectors with tons of spare contacts for inveterate crimp-mistake makers like me. Importantly they are polarized but also accept Dupont at 0.100 pin pitch. I like Wurth marginally better than the Molex equivalent. I have also implemented an 18 pin ribbon (26 ga) to the direct drive effector. All 24 volt so the IR loss in trivial. The ribbon spirals around the filament thereby distributing the bending stress. Has been in almost daily use for about 18 months with zero problem. I have an interconnect board at the delta top plate ( where the Duet board is mounted ) to branch the ribbon IDC to the discrete Duet Wurth connectors.
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@Robert_Bilbrey Nice!