Looking for 5 People to Experiment with Thermocouple/RTD Connectors

I will be unable to finish my project, customs ate my components?

I received the package today and it only contained the binding posts. The terminals that connect to the binding posts were not in the package. I thought the package was rather loosely taped when I discovered it at my door from the shipper. When I opened it, the few items inside were not in packing but, the packing material was in the box. How the thin binding posts remained in the box and the terminals disappeared is anyone guess. I don't have all the components.

How would you like me to proceed?

Nothing is missing. You were just sent the strip of connectors.

So, what do you need. Send it to me and I'll see what I can get.

Randall

The clips without the binding posts seem short sighted but by the look of it, there appears to be different binding posts that fit the clips. I assumed from the picture clips (black) and binding post (red) were a complete unit.

I received nine clips (black) would you have three three terminal binding posts (red). The temperature sensors I have each contain three wires.

I don't know about short-sighted. They are on a strip so I can only guess they are part of an automated machine that attaches them to the board.

I've done this kind of project before and I just provided the connectors. It was up to the person how to work with them.

But like I said, tell me what you need. I'll see if I can get it for you.

Randall

Hey, I'm trying to help not impede your efforts. Maybe short sighted is incorrect. Lack of clearly defined requirements might be more appropriate.

I looked at the documentation and it shows clips and binding posts in the picture. I get a package that has only clips. I'm not familiar with the product or how it is used. My offer was use the product in a project I am doing that involves temperature sensors and perf boards. A hobbyist application of the product. I'm not operating an automated assembly line manufacturing a number of boards.

If I need to purchase the binding posts, I can do that. It pretty difficult to evaluate the clip product if I don't have or I didn't know I needed to have binding posts to make a connection. As I indicated in my post it appears from shabaz post above, the clips may work with multiple binding posts. Who knew, not me.

I am more than willing to return the clips if what I offered doesn't align with your needs. 

Just to make the terminology clearer (because a search for binding posts for thermocouples won't reveal much).

Really it's just plugs and sockets. You've got sockets which happen to be surface-mount (the photo below shows sockets which are through-hole just as an example).

The plugs are known as thermocouple plugs, also known as 'mini thermocouple plugs' or 'miniature theromocouple plugs'.

Note: There are larger plugs with round pins instead of flat pins, they are physically larger and not as popular I think, they may be more popular in other industries.

Anyway the plugs usually happen to have screw terminals inside the plastic shell, which is why you're referring to them as binding posts, but really it's just known as a thermocouple plug. The photo below shows two plugs, both of which came pre-wired to thermocouples (although it is possible to purchase the plugs individually, usually people will just buy a pre-assembled thermocouple). (This is a bit like mains power sockets, it is expected that the end equipment is already terminated in a plug, so it's rare to purchase plugs). For instance I have maybe half a dozen thermocouple sockets for prototyping, but not a single bare plug.

If you wish to test if it will physically solder onto a stripboard, then provided you can space them 0.3" apart (i.e. two stripboard tracks between the terminals) and solder them, then that's mission accomplished.

If you're planning to build a circuit to measure temperature, then you'll likely want a pre-assembled thermocouple, because the plug on its own may be hard to utilize, because then the problem is moved to sourcing a thermocouple with wires ends (again, less popular than a pre-assembled one).

Just to make the terminology clearer (because a search for binding posts for thermocouples won't reveal much).

Really it's just plugs and sockets. You've got sockets which happen to be surface-mount (the photo below shows sockets which are through-hole just as an example).

The plugs are known as thermocouple plugs, also known as 'mini thermocouple plugs' or 'miniature theromocouple plugs'.

Note: There are larger plugs with round pins instead of flat pins, they are physically larger and not as popular I think, they may be more popular in other industries.

Anyway the plugs usually happen to have screw terminals inside the plastic shell, which is why you're referring to them as binding posts, but really it's just known as a thermocouple plug. The photo below shows two plugs, both of which came pre-wired to thermocouples (although it is possible to purchase the plugs individually, usually people will just buy a pre-assembled thermocouple). (This is a bit like mains power sockets, it is expected that the end equipment is already terminated in a plug, so it's rare to purchase plugs). For instance I have maybe half a dozen thermocouple sockets for prototyping, but not a single bare plug.

If you wish to test if it will physically solder onto a stripboard, then provided you can space them 0.3" apart (i.e. two stripboard tracks between the terminals) and solder them, then that's mission accomplished.

If you're planning to build a circuit to measure temperature, then you'll likely want a pre-assembled thermocouple, because the plug on its own may be hard to utilize, because then the problem is moved to sourcing a thermocouple with wires ends (again, less popular than a pre-assembled one).

I have to confess, I found the whole component identifying confusing. What ever happened to the simple term connector, male and female end? Can you use gender personification for components today or is that not politically correct?

The word clips is a reference from the vendor documentation. If you have follow my earlier posts, I was confused from the start at what part(s) of a connector assembly was included in the package. My suggestion that customer and excise inspection resulted in missing parts was totally without merit. The plug and socket you make reference to was only sockets shipped.

To augment my confusion, I lost confidence in believing that I could actually order parts, male/female, plug/sockets or clips/binding posts and get the ends that would mate correctly. You mention round verses flat plugs to me just adds another layer of overhead that will result in a package arriving that containing parts that can't be used.

Thanks for the plugs/socket lexicon identifier. I still think connector is what best describes the components.

I suspect the marketing genius for this product was to use identifiers that made the product stand out from the competition. What it is called, no one actually knows. Ordering it might prove frustrating. I do like the fact one clip can fit either size big/small width of the plug. If you have a bag of clips you know they will fit both ends of the plug. Provided you didn't order the round plugs:)

Sean,

From your comments, it looks like there were some challenges for this one.

I did this kind of connector project in the past and all I provided were the connectors. But I think this one appears to be different. In hindsight, I guess I needed to provide the thermocouple that goes into the connector.

So, the connector I sent you would be attached to a PCB.

But the connector/thermocouples that are inserted into that connector are:

In hindsight, it seems for this connector, I needed to have sent you these other things so you have the entire connection system to work with. So, I learned something here, I'll strive better next time. Would you like me to send you these?

Randall

I'm managed to kludge something together. As you indicated at the start of this post this wasn't a RoadTest in the traditional sense. I trust what I provided met your requirements. I had hoped to use the results of my efforts on a project. For that reason I went looking for a plug & socket connector.

In the end sacrificed a breadboard in order to install the sockets and had to ordered temperature sensors for the project. All is good in the end.

I had the opposite problem - I bought some thermocouples with plugs, but the sockets haven't arrived.

I have five sockets remaining from the shipment I received. I can pitch them in the mail if you like?

Thanks for the offer.

The circuit board I will design will need 3 thermocouples (6 sockets). I probably should wait to see if Randall's sockets arrive, because if they don't, I will likely end up using different connectors. (because other connectors have less risk of getting the footprints wrong). I have designed the PCB footprints for these sockets already based on the datasheet, but I need to see the sockets before ordering a PCB, because I often modify footprints to make them easier to hand solder. I have lots of other projects to work on while I wait.

No problem DW. I don't have an immediate use for the sockets. I suspect they will disappear shortly as I tear down my computer room for a move. Sounds like you already have a plan developed. Good luck.