What connectors are people using to hook up easily I removable hot end electronics?
Mine were initially hardwired, but I’ve given them the snip and plan on putting a 6 pin connector (or more pins with some left unused) so I can easily remove it later - I’m also very sloppy at soldering so I need something simple and light but not necessarily small (was thinking molex but that’s only 4 pins) - what do you guys use?
I use a block connector like you use in cars
Actually, an RJ-45 would be easy for me as I have a crimp tool for them and a heap of connectors.
If I were to wire up my heatsink fan through 2 pins, thermistor through 2 pins and share the heater cartridge over the remaining 4 pins, would it likely fail? How does anyone find an answer to a question like this?
A terminal block like this? (Cut down of course)
@Jarred_Baines yes a lot easier then soldering connectors as my soldering is average
I worry about the power through an RJ-45, but my concerns may be misplaced. I use a HDD-style molex connector for my heater+thermistor and a 6-pin molex for my stepper and fan. Just what I had lying around,
I have some high current R/C connectors awaiting an excuse to be installed.
@Phil_Hord keep in mind cat-6 supports power over Ethernet!
You can get molecule in lots of pin sizes. I was using 10 pin version. Frankly I like
Them best, as long as you own a crimper.
The other thing I really like are plug gable terminal blocks. You screw down the leads and they block plugs into a board or another block.
@Robert_Hirsch could you link to a picture of one of these pluggable terminal blocks? Sounds good!
Gonna a sec
I have a home automation system that i run 18V through using fone line.
Phone line is rated to 28volts (I think). It’s the current that may be a problem for phone line.
Here is an example. Search around digikey to find mates and other sizes
http://www.on-shore.com/sites/default/files/manuals/OSTTJXX31530.pdf
Make sure you use multiple pins of the RJ45 connector for the hotend’s heater, as each pin is rated for just 0.5A.
The pictured terminal strips are not made to be used with bare braided wire - there are special types with an insert that protects the wire. For the “common” type of terminal, you’ll need to use crimp sleeves on the wire ends.
Personally, i use 2.54mm pin headers and matching, um, connectors for my hotend and all throughout the printer.
On my older printers I used DB9 connectors. They’re available everywhere, can handle high power, and have plenty of pins for stepper, thermistor, heater. Not the smallest, but was convenient to have everything in one connector. Nowadays I use micro-molex, available from Digi-Key online.
Even if the wire in the cat cable is rated for the current, the connector probably isn’t.
@Mike_Miller POE is 48V and typically low current. Wire gauges are rated in current, iirc. I also worry a bit about high current heater noise (PWM) inducing crosstalk in the thermistor measurement. I do use a common connector, but I have separate wire pairs, heavy ones on the heater, lighter ones on the thermistor.
I use a PSU molex connector.
@Nigel_Dickinson molex has some connectors with more pins