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STEP

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Printed Circuit Board Connectors

 Eliminating Long Term Vibration Problems

A typical heavy duty application uses either a straight

extended pin connector or a connector with pins that

are bent 90° to the axis of the connector. At the point

the connector mates with the board, there is a mechani-

cal attachment for the connector to the pc board which

is independent of the solder. The engaging end of the

connector normally goes through an opening in the box

that houses the pc board. The connector is then attached

to the box during which time a seal is used to prevent

moisture intrusion into the box.

Another design pitfall is stress on the soldered terminal

on the connector. To avoid these concerns, an allowance

must be made to assure that stress between the pc board

and connector does not interfere with the seal perfor-

mance. There are a variety of methods that can be used

to create a successful design. These methods include

having the pc board loose in the box and then pot the

box with a flexible sealant after the sealing flange is at-

tached to the box. Another possibility would be to reflow

the solder after the board and connector are mounted

in the box. There are several good approaches to solving

these problems and providing a trouble free installation.

Consult a Deutsch representative for assistance specific to

your application.

A critical concern when applying connectors to printed circuit boards is the long term durability as it relates to temperature

cycling and vibration. All of the components including the design of the box, the pc board, the connector, and the seal

must work together to account for temperature cycling and vibration. The main concern is to not have the pc board flex in

service.