Newbie Question About Connectors

[tobyw_1969]

This isn't strictly a picaxe question, but just about connectors.

I've been tinkering with electronics for a while now, but one of the things which still frustrates me is connecting stuff together. Particularly when you have stranded wire which you want to fit into a breadboard. I have found loads of excellent books / websites which cover how to do almost anything - except basic connections! I currently screw the ends of battery wires into some terminal blocks, and then screw some jumper wires into the other side to make it easier to insert into bread board - but this seems so clunky, and the stranded side breaks quickly anyway..

So I was wondering - is there a part I can buy which would easily turn a stranded wire-end into a solid metal pin which can be easily inserted into a breadboard?

I have been looking through the catalogue at rapidonline.co.uk

http://www.rapidonline.com/Cables-Connectors/Connectors-Multipole/PCB-Interconnect

but there are so many different connectors and I can't work out what they all do or what size they are from the pictures and sheets..

Does anyone have any advice on what the most useful different connectors are to have when using breadboard? What do you all use the most?

 

[BeanieBots]

I make my own little adapters.
eg 3.5mm power socket with flying leads.
SIL IDC headers (for breadboard side) to 9 way D (PC side) for serial comms.
etc, etc.

 

[cactusface]

breadboard connection

Hi Toby,
I find Pin headers very useful, for this, also the odd Vero pin poked in here and there helps. You may still have to solder to them but they tend to stay in better then bare wire!

Techsupplies sell these as PCB header plugs. I am building a pic experimenters thingyy? using lots, you can also get socket strips, and you can poke bare solid wire in to these, see the attached images. You can even use the socket strips to make very good or special IC sockets.

Hope this might give you an idea or two.
Regards
Cactusface

Sorry but it seems my JPG images are not valid, well that's a new one, there not too big, same size I usually use. Will try again if needed......

 

[MartinM57]

...yeah - I tried to attach a completely valid .jpg and the forum wouldn't play ball

 

[manuka]

Toby: Just don't use stranded wire directly onto breadboards! Aside from the hassles you've found, conductive "whisker" strands may linger & spoil your day with shorts. Solid wire abounds cheaply, & in a wide colour range too, although twin solid soft drawn "bell wire" is usually the most available. Try a hardware store.

When assorted flying leads are needed, soldering to small gold plated header pins works well, & heat shrink around the joint makes them quite professional. You can even fit a label under clear heatshrink of course too. See => www.picaxe.orconhosting.net.nz/picaxeduo.jpg

For quick lash ups consider the small pin terminated jumpers shown => www.picaxe.orconhosting.net.nz/jumpers.jpg

 

[eclectic]

Another possible source of ideas?

http://www.picaxeforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=9655&highlight=connect*+wire*

e

 

[tobyw_1969]

Thanks for the replies. Loads of ideas!

How do you use a vero pin? Can you crimp the wire into it, or do you have to solder? I was really hoping there would be an easy way to crimp one end of a stranded wire into something which would have a solid pin on the other end...

If not I will try to solder to a header pin. I like the heatshrink idea a lot... would make a good permanent solution.

 

[hippy]

I just lightly twist the end of the stranded wire, tin it ( place some solder on it ), then cut the tip so it's nice and tidy and use that. Or solder it to a short length of solid wire.

 

[BeanieBots]

If you can get hold of them, crimp type D-type pins can be used as removeable single wire connections to vero-board.

Use the male pin like a vero-pin. Push up through the board and solder in place. Then crimp a wire onto the female pin. The female part will now push nicely onto the male. The slight reduction in pin length due to the vero-board thickness is not a problem.

 

[cactusface]

More Breadboard pins..

Hi Folks,
Well here's the images, I could'ent upload last night. one shows my Pic test-bed board build, lots of headers and socket strips used here. The other shows Vero pins (these are the square double ended wire wrapping pins) with flexible multi stranded wire solder on, and sleeving to hold it all together, in this case it's a simple battery clip connector on the other end.
regards
Cactusface

 

[tobyw_1969]

There's loads of great tips here, pun unintended. I am off to invest in some different pins and sockets at rapidonline. Thanks

 

[DTB Radio]

Not sure about the UK, but here in the US, I just use 4-wire basic telephone cable. The vast majority availabel at hardware stores, Radio Shack, etc, is solid, and makes perfect jumpers. I also use bits of wire from CAT5 network cable. Its just as good as telephone wire, and you might be able to snag a short bit of cable for free from a local supplier, if you ask nicely. A piece of network cable 12 inches long will give you a bunch of nice jumper-making material.

 

[manuka]

DTB Radio: YMMV, but over the years I've found phone & Cat 5 wires are just a tad too thin for breadboards. They tend to make erratic contact, and also may break if stripped or bent too eagerly.