Connector-less 5A Contacts Maximize Function & Minimize Costs in Rugged Environments

AVX Corporation has developed a coplanar, connector-less contact system that optimizes lateral PCB alignment and maximizes mating tolerances in rugged power interconnect applications such as linear LED lighting. Packaged on tape and reel for individual, automatic placement, the new 70-9159 horizontal contact system features a 5A current rating, absorbs significant X- and Y-axis assembly tolerances, provides a reliable gold-to-gold active contact interface for maximum contact integrity in rugged environments, and can support both board-to-board and wire-to-board applications.

“To minimize LED pitch densities and maximize light output in SSL strip lighting applications, LEDs should run down the center of a PCB. However, connectors usually interrupt this requirement at every board-to-board interface,” said Tom Anderson, product manager at AVX. “Consequently, since single-contact connectors were not an economically feasible solution, AVX has devised a way to remove the cost of the connector without affecting the functionality, providing both a technical and cost-effective solution for PCB optimization in LED strip lighting.”

In addition to LED strip lighting, AVX’s 70-9159 contacts are also ideal for use in commercial and industrial coplanar or extended card applications. The new contacts remove the insulator from the connection solution, enabling LEDs to be placed in the center of the PCB and contacts to be individually placed on its outer edges, effectively maximizing function and mitigating costs.

Featuring a contact height of 1.2mm above the PCB to prevent shadowing, the contacts may be individually spaced to support any voltage rating with a 5A current rating. Capable of supporting operating temperatures ranging from -40°C to +125°C, the 70-9159 copper alloy contacts have gold socket contacts with 1mm side-to-side tolerance, tin plugs with gold in the mating area and a 1mm mating tolerance, and five-cycle durability.