The BEST connectors, period

flat tire

100 kW
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Feb 25, 2014
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So, people a million different types of connectors for the variety of interconnects found in our ebikes. But not all of these connectors are that great, and for the connectors included with many China sourced generic controllers, they are downright terrible! The goal of this thread is to find the BEST available off the shelf connectors that we can use for any e-biking application. I'm talking high end, money is no object, not "I bought these counterfeit Deans off ebay and they're pretty good for the price".

For everyone's convenience OP will be updated with best connectors in each category. If there's not a clear winner we can list several. Please provide explanations for and against the use of any connectors you bring up. Different power levels mean there will be a variety of "best" connectors under each power category, and all this will be added as it's posted.

Phase Connectors:

Battery Connectors:

Balance Connectors:

Data Connectors (Hall, throttle, CA, etc):
 
For 5V-12V signal wires, etc, I followed Justin's lead a while ago and moved to all JST-SM connectors. Once you have the crimping tool, and a well-organized selection of pins and connector housings, this is a great connector type.

The original "SM" is made in Japan by this manufacturer:

http://www.jst-mfg.com/product/detail_e.php?series=238

Knock-offs of the JST-SM connectors are widely available and cheaper than the OEM, and generally work OK, even if those are a bit harder to engage/disengage.

For Battery Connectors, I like the XT90 Connectors for anything under 60A, and XT150 Connectors between 60A and 150A. I have not yet gone over 150A, so I cannot say what connector after that - Perhaps multiple XT150 connectors in parallel?

For Phase Wires:

<80A - 4mm HXT
>80A - XT150
 
Well, I'm looking for some really high end connectors like you would find on a spacecraft or nuclear bomb. So I googled "mil spec connectors guide" and I'm trying to digest all that...if anyone beats me to it please comment.
 
For general use there is JST-SM on the signal side, Anderson for Power up to 25A, and AMASS XT-90S for battery or MT-60 for phase wire connectors.

If you take your e-bike into the dirt, you need at least an IP65, ideally an IP66 rating. No dust ingress, and they can hold against a strong water spray nozzle. Here the HIGO Mini-B series connector* is first choice, they are only 9 mm in diameter and used by many OEMs. They are also available as panelmount connectors*, which lets you build clean looking wiring containers.
HIGO also supplies motor cables for currents up to 40A like the HIGO L-1019* with 3 phase and 7 signal wires.

I used to work with Amphenol connectors a lot, they are good but I find them too big and too expensive.

* From moderator: deleted electricwheel's links to products on his own website. Not allowed in a technical forum by Endless Sphere rules. Anyone interested in his products can PM or find his sales topic in Resources & EV Related Parts and Services.
 
Nice IP rated JST connector available with multiple pin configurations.
6 pin male manufacturer part number JSTJWPF MFR PT 06R JWPF VSLE.
jwpf2.jpg
 
flat tire said:
Well, I'm looking for some really high end connectors like you would find on a spacecraft or nuclear bomb.

If you're building something that well, why do you need connectors? Just hard wire everything. In the amount of time it takes to install connectors you can hardwire 2 or 3 times. Connectors are useful for charge plugs but not much else on my builds.
 
cwah said:
Waiting for it. Needs to be waterproof

MX150's are nice. Tesla uses them extensively.
The hand crimper is reasonably priced and there are a massive selection of contacts and housings.
 
The best possible plugs for the battery connection are not XT150/XT80/Anderson, the reason is that the slow time necessary to align the plugs plastics and slowly slot them in, giving plenty of time for an ark to corrode the edges, gold plating just melts straight away, I have XT80 on a 50A battery and they are corroded after a week... just trying them out for battery.

They are fine for phase.

For battery wires +/- which can ark at 60V, you can have a plug that has a plastic dustcap which requires you to force the plug in and when you have 3-4 pounds force on the plug it CLACKS and latches into place, without much arking, they last 5 times longer.

For cars I don't know what would suit. For an Ebike, I can walk to the french shop and get the smallest 2 pin 240V plugs, which have integrated dustcap-spring mechanism and which cost 2-3 dollars. Size wise they are a bit bigger, the 2 pin M/F all in is about the size of a small matchbox.

For a car you'd be best off having a heavy and clunky lever-switch out of an old factory, no live plugging the battery terminals, which then last forever. In this french town I'm living in there's factories from 1920 with sawmills, high pressure steam tanks all riveted and with 1920's electric control panels and pressure gauges, and some 1970's switches in another factory. damn cool.
 
I've been looking into the Hirose DF62 Series after Justin mentioned them in the new Connectors Learning Doc on the Grin tech website. Their comment was:

We haven't seen these used in a commercial ebike application yet, but if we could start over our standards we would have totally chosen this Hirose DF62 series as our preferred small signal connector over the JST-SM. It has all the benefits of the JST-SM in being crimpable, pin extractable, and probeable, with the additional plus of being much more compact and in a profile that seamlessly bleands into the wire with a piece of heatshrink. It can look as sharp as the HiGo plugs without all the downsides of being overmolded. Like the JST-SM series it's also available in a large number of contacts, from 2 through to 7. And the pins are gold plated too. There is also slightly larger gasketted waterproof version, the DF62-W. Oh where were you 10 years ago.

Has anyone played with these? I'm wondering if I can use the same crimping tool I use for the JST connectors...
 
cwah said:
What about the Higo connectors? Even more compact

From what I can tell, they are much more difficult to "do at home".
 
This discussion in a nutshell:
https://xkcd.com/927/

Here's my solution for connectors that need to be installed and tested once, and then stay connected all the time:
header2.gif
header1.jpg

Double row headers. At the male side, one can move the pins around until everything fits correctly should the need arise. To make them watertight, I put a bit of hot glue on the cables and solder joints before shrinking them in. Then I add a bit of vaseline to the contacts before connecting them. Finally, I put a 1.5cm long additional piece of shrink tube over the gap where the connector mates to make the connection permanent. I can cut open the shrink tube to disconnect the connector, and I can remove the idividual side's shrink tubes and even solder through the hot glue to remove individual cables if I want.
An even better alternative to double row headers might be Sub-D connectors:
subd1.jpg
subd2.jpg
When one drills through the holes of the metal case, the two halves fall away, and just the plastic part with the contacts is left over. The size is now much more manageable. If one needs not all 9 contacts, the excess part of the plastic and contacts can be clipped off.

For permanent power connections, I take 3.5mm bullet connectors:
bullet.jpg

They cost next to nothing, and can carry 50A no problem.
 
Yes I've had no problem with the Sub D connectors that I used for connections to the 12V control centre in my velomobile build.
I also used the 3.5mm banana plugs, mini JST and of course the joins which enabled man to get to the Moon.
Splice wires to NASA Standards https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-ymw7d_nYo
 
I think the best connector depends on several factors.

First, how easy is it to crimp or assemble the connector?

Second, how durable is the connector in a high temperature and high vibration situation with possible exposure to moisture, dirt and grease?

Third, how hard is it to find replacement terminals and connector bodies when away from your workshop?

Beyond that, the connector has to have a suitable current and weather resistance rating for the job at hand.

I just bought a crimper and terminals for JST XH. Its commonly used for BMS and battery charger balance lead connections. Not water resistant but common as dirt.

XT60 and XT90 seem to be standards. They are cheap and common and carry a lot of current.

Speakon connectors are good for 4 and 8 terminal connectors at pretty high current.

Weatherpack connectors are commonly used under hood in cars and last a long time in that harsh environment plus you can buy connector kits at almost any decent auto parts store.

I think I have a crimper for AMP Mini-fit jr. Its commonly used for the ATX power connectors on a computer power supply. Very commonly found in electronics, you might have trouble finding terminals.

There are lots more different flavors but that covers most of the stuff big enough to DIY and smaller than what you would use individual wire crimp lugs on.

If you need to work with thermocouples, that gets exotic, then there are electrical feed through connectors, RF, etc.

Most of the time, I think I just look at my existing connectors and try to get from point A to point B without splicing anything. If I'm going from wire to wire, I just look at my list above and choose the most suitable.

I would skip "military grade" mostly for cost but also because if i put a wiring harness where a standard duty connector can't live, i did something wrong.
 
"The BEST"
:lol:
So subjective

"Mil-spec" like Fords Aluminum
https://www.globalspec.com/learnmore/electrical_electronic_components/connectors/mil_spec_connectors
http://www.koehlke.com/mil-spec
 
I use Delphi brand of connectors on my ebikes.
Delphi Metric-Pack is rated 42A .
All Delphi connectors are automotive -grade ,use rubber seals on male and female parts plus individual seals on single wire.
short of submerge in water they lasted and lasted for years in pouring rains.
to me - they are the best.
trying economize on connectors after all this spending on your ebike is silly
I also use them in my outdoors solar installations.
 
You think "automotive grade" means **good** quality?


Stuff used for marine, petroleum industry, aeronautics/space/military is far better.

Even plain OTS TE Deutsch connecters are better than Metri-Pack / Weather-pack

but yes, overkill for many, the grade of gear should be **appropriate** for the use case

as you say, there is no "best, period"
 
OK
I dont care what grade Delphi are.
all it takes for me to open them and see them inside after riding 1000s of kilometers on my winter ebike
to figure out quality.
 
Yep, once quality is sufficient, best becomes a matter of other factors. Weatherpack is cheap and common and works. They aren't appropriate for everything but they are good for lots of things.
 
Molex has a Coeur CST high current series - https://www.molex.com/molex/products/family/coeur_cst_highcurrent_interconnect_system

Aptiv (was Delphi) has a Ducon high current series - https://www.ttiinc.com/content/dam/ttiinc/manufacturers/delphi-connection-systems/Featured-Products/Commercial-Vehicles/pdf/conn_ducon.pdf

Molex has a Mizu-P25 mini waterproof series - https://www.molex.com/molex/products/family/splash_proof
 
I like the JWPF connectors for signals, they are super small but the latch easily gets locked by dirt, will try some hirose DF62 for next build, that latch looks better. :thumb:

So far i’ve been using anderson pp45 for phase and battery , they melted at 200A (doh!) so i changed to XT150s, been working well but.. recent ones relaxed tension over the winter so they got scrapped for hxt 8mm bullets https://hobbyking.com/en_us/hxt-8-0mm-hv-connector-set.html?___store=en_us

What do you guys use for high current and lethal voltages?
 
larsb said:
So far i’ve been using anderson pp45 for phase and battery , they melted at 200A (doh!) s
You know Anderson does make versions intended for that kind of current. ;)

I use the SB series, usually the 50s, for battery stuff; equivalent to the PP75 (same contacts). Also used them for the phases; just that all I have are the two-contact versions instead of the three.
 
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