allow informed decisions about various options and tradeoffs. The connectors shown in Figure 1,
for example, are low-profile, surface-mount (SMT), two-position connectors designed for use in
PCB-based LED strings, lighting controls, and other applications that can benefit from an easy
poke-in wire termination to the PCB. The connector speeds assembly and routine maintenance
of lighting systems through an application-specific design.
Figure 1. Connectors specifically designed for LED applications can lower design and assembly
costs.
Connector Basics
For our purposes, the basic connector consists of a housing and contacts used to create a
separable electromechanical interface. The interface can be used for wire-to-wire, board-to-
board, and wire-to-device/board connections. From a practical perspective, a connector is a
system in which all the elements combine to make the connector work in its intended
application. As shown in Figure 2, these physical elements can be segregated into:
Housing design and material
Contact design and material
Contact plating system
