Welcome to another post in a new series - Only Connect - by Nick
Locke, of Nicab
Ltd, who has over 15 years experience in the electronics
manufacturing industry specialising in interconnection cable assembly.A post related to a "Neat trick" that resolves a problem or is a handy tip on product design.
In a previous blog post I discussed using colour and encouraged you to be brave on designing for the maximum visual impact.
Today I am going to encourage you to throw away the rule book and think about using connectors for the wrong propose.
It's ok I'm not going to suggest that you use DC connectors for Mains applications but I am going to get you to think about using connectors for purposes other than they were designed for.
Here is a great example; I was working with a client who had a problem - that they needed to reduce the footprint of their product. The only problem is they were using serial DB connectors for the interface. The solution? Use USB connectors for the serial connections!Yes that's right a USB connector can take 5V which is ample for most applications, and it's small. Just because it's a USB connector it does not mean that you can only use it for USB purposes.
Another great connector is the RJ series. For example, a RJ45 gives you 8 connections and a RJ48 will give you a full 10 connections.
What I am saying is that you don't have to use the connectors for their original purposes. Try this the next time you have to design a new product.
By adopting these type of freely available connectors you not only reduce the interconnection size but you also enable your products to not rely on one manufacture for their parts to be available.
So there you have it throw our the rule book and let loose your creative imagination for solving those interconnection issues that have been giving you trouble for far too long!
Previous Only Connect entries:
* Only Connect: Proud of the Made In UK mark
* Only Connect: Handy Design Tips #1 - Colour
* Only Connect: Better promoting the value of UK manufacturing
* Only Connect: Easy ways to go green
* Product packaging (Going Green II)
* Only Connect: The Nicab Top Ten connectors
* Only Connect: Handy Design Tips #2 - Problems & Opportunities
* Only Connect: Kudos for Connector.com
Comments (3)
This sounds like asking for Murphy:
One should make connections as foolproof as reasonably possible.
I have experienced several cases where a wrong RJ cable was plugged in. Not all equipment survived the voltage on a telephone line (up to 120 Volts) or POE. Connecting a DC power supply over an ethernet transformer is also not a good idea.
Wim
Posted by Wim Ton | September 21, 2010 12:04 PM
Posted on September 21, 2010 12:04
Using USB for RS232 sounds like a recipe for disaster. Anyone who plugs a normal USB peripheral into what looks like a USB port may find they have magic smoke issuing forth. With RS232 TX often idling at -12V, all sorts of excitement could ensue!
Martin
Posted by Martin Thompson | September 29, 2010 3:55 PM
Posted on September 29, 2010 15:55
These comments are all fair and no one is suggesting that low voltage connectors are used for high voltage applications.
It is also true that in the hands of someone less well informed the cable could be plugged into the wrong port which can cause major problems.
The general point is that as long as you use the connectors within the parameters of their design you can use it for a number of purposes. For example you can buy off the shelf RJ45 to Serial converts. There is noting stopping someone plugging the RJ45 into a POE Port which would do damage to the adapter but my point is the RJ45 port is being used for a serial application.
Similarly in the military world rugged curricular harsh environment connectors are often used for USB Applications, we have seen this used many times.
I am glad that this has provoked a lively discussion, and it is really for the design engineers to make the informed decision on what is acceptable and best for them.
My aim is to get people thinking creatively to solve design problems in an appropriate and safe way.
Posted by Nick | January 12, 2011 3:23 PM
Posted on January 12, 2011 15:23