connectors, why so many different connectors!

Telemachus

10 W
Joined
Jul 15, 2013
Messages
99
Location
Riverside, CA
I finally assembled all the parts for my newest e-bike/scooter.

Speed controller, motor, throttle, break, battery. All check.

And not a single thing will plug into the other!

Battery has XT60. Speed controller doesn't, ok easy fix.

Throttle has a tiny little 3 wire connector. Speed controller has a big one. I'm in a rush so going to use soldered on bullet connectors.

Motor wires fit (yeah!) but the hall sensor wires are both female! Ok, again, going to cut them and just use soldered on bullet connectors.

Brake... umm, ok i'll cut and solder bullet connectors.

But not I am up to like 20 bullet connectors on this thing? Can't the chinese just standardize these connections for crying out loud?

:roll:
 
Once you buy a kit from a certain vendor, they really don't want you buying a different motor, controller, or throttle from anyone else. If a part is damaged in some way, they want you to come back to them to get the single part that isn't working. Wire colors and odd connectors are one of the ways they encourage you to do this.
 
Connectors are the biggest headache ever. So many different types, and many of them are bulky and look terrible.

Battery contacts - hard to go past the XT series.

For motor phase wires on e-bikes, the MT60 is pretty nice:
$_57.JPG


And the Hall sensors can be done with a variety of circular connectors from Amphenol, but I still find them rather bulky.
 
Telemachus said:
Can't the chinese just standardize these connections for crying out loud? :roll:
Then someone wouldn't like them because they are too expensive and thus impede EV sales. Or they are too cheap and unreliable. Or they are too cheap and don't carry enough current - so you still need a different connector for even a medium power ebike. Or they're not waterproof. Or they are too big to fit cleanly in the frame.

The perfect connector is like the perfect ebike - different for everyone.
 
I like the three prong XT60. Please share other ideas of what you use.

I ended up going with RC servo connectors for the hall sensors.
 
some other threads about this (not all are relevant)
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/search.php?keywords=which+connector*&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=titleonly&sk=t&sd=d&sr=topics&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

more listed, but less may be relevant
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/search.php?keywords=connector*&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=titleonly&sk=t&sd=d&sr=topics&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search
 
I like the HiRose HR30 connectors that BionX uses for data communication.

6 pins are good for ground (1) +5V (1) + hall sensors (3) + a temperature sensor (1).

Those are small, IP67 protected and they lock...

I never had any problems with them.

hr30-pc-211-qCj4PEln-5o1xGRMpq.jpg


hr30-6pa-6s71-N7FZu2xO-ljgr7Om6o.jpg


HR30-6PB-6S.JPG
 
So different connectors because there a lot different application where one connector might be better than another. If you need water prove connector than there are not so many of them to choose from. Or they go up in price compared with regular ones or are too big for your preference.
There are RC world and there people might count every single gram.
Also there are places where sparks are an issue, therefore, golden connectors or connectors with resistors.
On the other hand, there are places where connectors have to be bulky.
I too have headache when I have to choose one connector over another, but sometimes I just use whatever I have from RC stuff. And I have too many... No matter what connector I install I feel than there is one better to be found. I tolerate banana golden plated connectors but the ones with male/female and with insulation for polarity.
Also I've difficulty when I need to choose a wire but that's a whole other topic.
 
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