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RE: Grove Connectors?

Workshopshed — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 09:19:28 GMT

"CPC is owned by Farnell, they share the same warehouse too I believe.. just a more limited range, tailored for consumers/hobbyists."

Definately aimed more at the hobby/consumer but a different (and smaller) product range with a large overlap. I often find when looking for Project14 prizes that I can get things from CPC or Element14 that I can't get from Farnell. For example the Kitroniks/Microbit robot I bought for my daughter and the drill from my latest win.

RE: Grove Connectors?

neilk — Fri, 19 Apr 2019 09:15:19 GMT

Definitely!!!!!!!!!

Grove Connectors?

Workshopshed — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 20:10:54 GMT

I was wondering about using the Grove shield and cabling but adding my own items at the other end. Obviously, I can cut off the connectors and add my own but it might be nice to use sockets instead.

Does anyone know what part numbers I'd need for a grove compatible header on my stripboard or PCB?

RE: Grove Connectors?

beacon_dave — Fri, 19 Apr 2019 08:54:54 GMT

"Non 2.54mm(100mil aka 0.1inch) based pitches have always been the bain of hobbyists and prototypers because they don't easily plug into standard bread and perfboards."

The 1950's 'D-type' connector 2.74mm / 2.84mm pitch springs to mind... often resulting in IDC D-type to 2 row header cables for prototyping purposes.

RE: Grove Connectors?

beacon_dave — Fri, 19 Apr 2019 08:41:40 GMT

"CPC is owned by Farnell, they share the same warehouse too I believe.. just a more limited range, tailored for consumers/hobbyists."

I think CPC operate out of two main warehouses - there's the one in Fulwood (north of Preston) and another at Darwen south of Blackburn.

Just to confuse things further there is also OneCall http://onecall.farnell.com (which I use) which merges the CPC and Farnell product ranges together but often results in duplications in the search results with different order codes and prices for the same part. The deliveries are still shipped separately in Farnell and CPC branded boxes.

CPC carry stock that Farnell often doesn't e.g. the Grove PCB connectors and vice versa but there is a significant overlap in stock.

If I recall correctly, Farnell is business account holders only, whereas CPC is business and consumer.

RE: Grove Connectors?

COMPACT — Fri, 19 Apr 2019 05:11:57 GMT

G'Day Shabaz,

If you've seen my past projects I always make my own custom cable harnesses and PCBs. It improves neatness markedly.

The biggest hurdle I've found with crimping your own cable harnesses is the price of authentic crimping tools. They can be very expensive, very very expensive.

As for wire stripping, there's been a huge influx of easy to use wire thermal strippers such as that from Patco, Teledyne, Hakko and Weller. Being thermal there's no risk of nicking any wires.

If on a budget I reckon you could kludge your own using SMD tweezers.

And for some odd reason the number of strip and cut machines have also multiplied. There's even an e14 community video of building your own one.

Non 2.54mm(100mil aka 0.1inch) based pitches have always been the bain of hobbyists and prototypers because they don't easily plug into standard bread and perfboards.

The invention of 100mil pitch DIP IC and connector packaging was fantastic, establishing itself in concrete in the 1960's and still being used today.

....and Farnell is owned by Avnet according to the companies press releases.

CPC also uses the same web engine as e14 but attached to different databases.

It seems that CPC has different vendor distribution arrangements to e14 being local to the UK and Irish markets.

RE: Grove Connectors?

shabaz — Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:00:42 GMT

I've not seen the crimp pins available on their own, but I have a suggestion why maybe they may not be popular for the hobbyist Grove range:

it's a brave hobbyist to want to crimp them, since anything below 2mm pitch ends up needing around 1 mm or finer precision with the stripping and crimping.

The pre-made cables are cheap.. I don't use Grove, but I keep some pre-made JST PH, which is the same pitch, since it's not fun crimping those for the same reason.

Then there's the ones like JST SH or Molex PicoBlade where it's silly sizes (like 1.25mm pitch or so) and I've no hope of crimping those. Farnell/Newark have pre-crimped wires for PicoBlade, and some JST.

2.54mm and higher is much easier to self-crimp (still time-consuming, so if I can avoid that I do, with some pre-made cables if I get lucky with the length).

Where I do have to manually assemble, are RF cables. Not because I'm being cheap - it's way more expensive and difficult to self-crimp - but just because some requirements are just not available and I cannot use extenders or splices. Sometimes I've had to spend an entire day just to make one cable... : (

I need to make three particular cables, and I've been planning them for weeks, because it will take me hours...

CPC is owned by Farnell, they share the same warehouse too I believe.. just a more limited range, tailored for consumers/hobbyists.

RE: Grove Connectors?

COMPACT — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 23:37:32 GMT

That's just the PCB connector, how about the inline connector and crimp pins?

How about links for the standard Element14 site - I just checked the UK, USA and Australian regions but can't find any listings.

Do you know how CPC fits into the corporate structure of Avnet?

It seems only to service the UK and Ireland.

RE: Grove Connectors?

beacon_dave — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 23:03:43 GMT

"and hopefully with this information element14 will as well."

cpc.farnell.com list them (but not the SMT versions):

https://cpc.farnell.com/seeed-studio/110990030/grove-connector-4p-2mm-10pk/dp/MK00368

https://cpc.farnell.com/seeed-studio/110990037/grove-connector-4p-2mm-90-degree/dp/MK00369

RE: Grove Connectors?

COMPACT — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 22:01:08 GMT

The most probable connector is the NSTech 1125 Series.

The connectors are available from Seedstudios and hopefully with this information element14 will as well.

RE: Many thanks

danzima — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 19:10:03 GMT

Thanks Andy! I'm going to work with Phil from our UK team to get the right gear to everyone.

RE: Many thanks

Workshopshed — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 15:09:45 GMT

I thought I'd check....

There are:

Two different standards for frequencies (50Hz and 60Hz), and in Japan they have both

Eight different standards for voltages with some countries supporting multiple ones

100 V

110 V

115 V

120 V

127 V

220 V

230 V

240 V

Complete list: Plug, socket & voltage by country - World Standards

And 15 different standards for plugs, although several of those are related to having an earth or not.

Plug & socket types - World Standards

The South African one looks a bit like the old standard from the UK. You sometimes see that in theatres for lighting connectors.

RE: Many thanks

Workshopshed — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 10:18:26 GMT

Thanks Daniel, message sent.

Many thanks

Workshopshed — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 19:21:57 GMT

A heavy box arrived from the US today.

RE: Many thanks

danzima — Wed, 13 Sep 2017 21:58:56 GMT

Hi folks!

Mindi and I are so sorry about the mistake with the voltages. She and I are both not technical people, and we just didn't think about it!

Gerrit, check your inbox as I think we have a solution. And sorry again for the delay!

Andy and everyone else - we can definitely arrange to get you a shipping label to return any wrong voltage equipment to us and we'll get the right stuff sent to you! Please message me to get that process going.

RE: Many thanks

gpolder — Wed, 13 Sep 2017 10:33:01 GMT

in the mean time I got in touch with danzima.

They are working on a solution.

RE: Many thanks

jasonwier92 — Thu, 07 Sep 2017 10:22:41 GMT

Yes, just got the last piece yesterday. I'd say it was pieces coming now and then, always wondering what's in the box this time.

RE: Many thanks

gpolder — Wed, 06 Sep 2017 07:30:21 GMT

Hi jasonwier92, just curious whether you already got all the items promised?

RE: Many thanks

gpolder — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 17:15:37 GMT

you are right, it should indeed be a digital iron. As it isn't send already I just asked for a 240v version.

RE: Many thanks

Workshopshed — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 13:24:40 GMT

The top 3 should have a digital iron the wes51 is analogue. But equally at 120v it would be useless to you.

I'm a little surprised that the Dremel is not auto-ranging.

RE: Many thanks

gpolder — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 17:29:25 GMT

Andy Clark (Workshopshed) wrote:

It's not quite what I was expecting as there's a Weller WES51 rather than the soldering tool kit.

Maybe you got mine?

I today also received a heavy box, containing:

They must have overlooked that Europe has a different power outlet voltage.

The Dremel, heat gun and the soldering iron within the tool kit are all 120v, so useless for me.

The heat shrink is indeed useful, and I think my grand-kids will like the smurfs.

RE: Many thanks

gpolder — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 13:49:28 GMT

No, just an Arduino mega. As an apology for the delay I had to choose between a Raspberry Pi and an Arduino.

RE: Many thanks

Workshopshed — Sat, 02 Sep 2017 13:04:15 GMT

We've got 240v and 3 rectangular pins here. The plug is a trivial problem but there is the risk of burnout running 120v stuff at 240v.

For work on construction sites there 110v so there might be someone in the UK who wants it. Also recent US immigrants often have transformers

RE: Many thanks

jasonwier92 — Sat, 02 Sep 2017 12:31:20 GMT

Bonus Arduino board? Like the one we got for the contest?

RE: Many thanks

jasonwier92 — Sat, 02 Sep 2017 12:30:40 GMT

That is nice that you got the WES51! Do you have 240V AC and the more round plugs? Seems like there would be a market to get US style devices to work. Or you could sell it on Ebay, but then you have to ship it all the way back.