Table of Contents
Advertisement
Caring for Connectors
Making Connections
Making Connections
Making good connections is easy if a few simple principles are kept in
mind:
• Aall connectors must be undamaged, clean, and within mechanical
specification.
• The connectors must be precisely aligned with one another and in flat
physical contact at all points on the mating plane surfaces.
• The connection must not be too tight or too loose.
• Lateral or horizontal (bending) force must not be applied to the
connection, nor should any connection ever be twisted.
Align Connectors Carefully
Careful alignment of the connectors is critical in making a good
connection, both to avoid damaging connectors and devices and to assure
accurate measurements.
As you bring one connector up to the other and as you make the actual
connection, be alert for any sign that the two connectors are not aligned
perfectly. If you suspect that misalignment has occurred, stop and begin
again.
Alignment is especially important in the case of sexed connectors, such
as precision 3.5mm and SMA connectors, to avoid bending or breaking
the contact pins. The center pin on the male connector must slip
concentrically into the contact fingers of the female connector. This
requires great care in aligning the two connectors before and as they are
mated.
When they have been aligned, the center conductors must be pushed
straight together, not twisted or screwed together, and only the connector
nut (not the device itself) should then be rotated to make the connection.
(slight resistance is generally felt as the center conductors mate).
68
Appendix A
Hide quick links:
Advertisement
Table of Contents
