U.S. Military Connector Specifications - Characteristics

Characteristics

Connectors usually consist of (i) a mating pair (plug and receptacle) each equipped with male (pin) or female (socket) contacts; note that at least one of the connector halves, or its contacts, should be floating to minimize mechanical stresses.

• Electrical connector contacts are typically Beryllium copper (BeCu) or phosphor-bronze which is then plated with gold or some other non-corrosive, highly-conductive metal. The contacts are contained by a dielectric insulator (Mansol Glass Preform)i.e., the insert) and are housed in an enclosure (i.e., shell), that is often die-cast aluminum and plated or anodized for corrosion protection. The contacts may be captive or removable using a special tool. The electrical connection into the system at the contact terminal is either a solder or crimp contact connection. The seal between the shell and insert may be moisture resistant or a hermetic seal. The inserts in each connector half must be oriented for correct mating, and the shell or insert usually contains a keying feature to prevent mis-mating that could damage the connector or result in an electrical problem. Cable clamps and other mounting hardware may be provided, and the mated halves are usually secured by a locking mechanism to prevent disengagements.

• Fiber optic connectors are typically plugs or so-called male connectors with a protruding ferrule that holds the fibers and aligns two fibers for mating. They use a mating adapter to mate the two connectors that fits the securing mechanism of the connectors (bayonet, screw-on or snap-in.) A primary specification issue for fiber optic connectors is insertion loss, i.e., the amount of light lost in the connection expressed in dB.