Harwin has extended its Gecko-SL (Screw-Lok) product range to include horizontal male connectors. Specifying the male throughboard connector at 90° to the PCB offers additional layout flexibility to maximize space above the board. Connectors can now be located at a PCB edge, routing a mated cable sideways outside the PCB stack.
A key application to benefit from this connection style is CubeSats, where many designs involve a series of PCBs in a dense stack, with all cabling routed into the space outside the stack. Similar tight space restrictions occur in avionics (particularly UAV design), larger satellites, military (such as radar and portable communication equipment), robotics and motorsport.
The horizontal connectors can also be used with female PCB connectors to give a motherboard/daughterboard arrangement, useful for replacement modular PCBs or larger equipment systems.
Harwin’s horizontal format Gecko-SL connectors are fitted with stainless steel screw-loks, designed to be Mate-Before-Lock for ease of use – simply push the connectors fully together before engaging the screws. Engineers can choose the standard screw-lok with board-mount (with the engaging screw on the female connector) or the reverse-fix (with the engaging screw on the male connector). Pin counts match the rest of the Gecko-SL series, from 6 to 50 contacts.
Gecko-SL has an operating temperature range from -65°C to +150°C, exhibits strong vibration (20G at 2kHz for 6 hours) and shock (up to 100G) resilience, and shows very low outgassing, satisfying both NASA and ESA specifications. Current rating is set at 2.8A max single contact, 2A per contact if all are loaded.
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