Board-to-wire connectors usually accept connections on the side of the PCB where the shell is located. With the Mini CT Low-Profile Inverted, TE Connectivity offers a new class of connectors that significantly increases the mechanical designer's flexibility.

A Connector That Can Punch Through

TE Connectivity's trick involves the connector shell. The figures below show that the solder fins are placed around the middle of the connector lug.

The printed circuit board intended to bear the Mini CT connector must have a cutout following the dimensions outlined. The connector body is stuck "through" the hole in the PCB and is then soldered to the printed circuit board from the bottom. A connector can then mate from the other side.

Multiple Dimensional Options With High-Quality Contacts

TE Connectivity provides three SKUs. 2481779-2 yields a connector with two pins, while 2481779-4 provides the four-pin version. Finally, 2481779-5 must be ordered if a connector with five pins is best suited to the task at hand.

From an electromechanical point of view, each pin is capable of handling up to 3A - this is sufficient not only for signals and data buses but also for most microcontroller power supply requirements.

Conclusion

TE Connectivity's Mini CT Low-Profile Inverted Through-Board product family provides mechanical designers with a new level of flexibility when it comes to board-to-wire connector placement. For this alone, a recommendation is well deserved -- the advanced electromechanical properties of the connector are, in many ways, just the cherry on the cake.