I am hoping to never use a crimping tool again. I suck at it and it takes me forever. I want to use PCB screw terminals like these, but I'd also like to be able to easily disconnect wires from my PCB, which I have accomplished up to now with these.
Maybe I just don't know what to search for, but does something like this exist, that has the convenience of both?
Bapstack:
I am hoping to never use a crimping tool again. I suck at it and it takes me forever. I want to use PCB screw terminals like these, but I'd also like to be able to easily disconnect wires from my PCB, which I have accomplished up to now with these.Maybe I just don't know what to search for, but does something like this exist, that has the convenience of both?
Perhaps you forgot to tell us what is stopping you from using whatever you want.
Paul
What is stopping me is either that the product I'm describing doesn't exist, or I don't know how to find it. A mix between screw terminals and dupont connectors. Or, female pin headers where I can forego crimping for screwing.
I've since cooled down from my previous, irate post. Crimping is okay again. But if there were some sort of solution out there, I'd love to hear about it.
Yes they exist. Search for “pluggable terminal blocks”.
How about pre-crimped wires, and housings to make up whatever bundles you want?
Female-female wires. Male-male, and male-female also available, in different lengths.
https://www.pololu.com/search/compare/70 Housings, for male or female pins
Or terminal block plugs like these, different sizes available
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/amphenol-anytek/TJ0231530000G/609-3797-ND/2261289
I'm a big fan of the IDC connectors. So much faster than those darn dupont connectors you were using. The main downside for me is that they're a bit less friendly to use with stripboard since they use a 2X pin pattern, but you can use a utility knife to cut the strip between the holes. The other downside is that the minimum size is 6 pins. You can buy the IDC tools pretty cheap and the tool quality isn't really a concern. I'm sure you can make cables even without the tool, but it's probably worth $13-16 (depending on whether you wait for China shipping) to make your life easier:
These are what the connectors look like:
You just cut some standard ribbon cable to the length and number of connectors you want, then clamp an IDC connector on each side and you're done. No stripping of the wire is needed because the connector pierces the insulation. You can get the connectors with built in strain relief it you like. I've found even without the strain relief, they are pretty durable because the insulation is keeping a lot of the strain off the connection between the connector and the wire's conductor.
The connectors are keyed and you can get shrouded male headers which will only allow the cable to be plugged in one way. They don't have a lock, but even the 2x3 connection is quite secure. They were used on millions of hard drives for many years.
Bapstack:
What is stopping me is either that the product I'm describing doesn't exist, or I don't know how to find it. A mix between screw terminals and dupont connectors. Or, female pin headers where I can forego crimping for screwing.I've since cooled down from my previous, irate post. Crimping is okay again. But if there were some sort of solution out there, I'd love to hear about it.
Something like this?
Note that they have to be put on the edges of the pcb because they need space under the connectors
A basic question would be..... how much current are you planning on connecting?
I think the OP would like a push button type terminal
like this Phoenix Contact 1821151... they ain't cheap
Did you do a search for "Arduino screw terminal" ?
Or screw shield ?
Of course these have some disadvantages too, but they come close to what you're asking for i guess.
