What Is a 4 Pin Panel Mount Connector?
A 4 pin panel mount connector has features built into the design which allow it to be fixed into a cut-out in a device enclosure. This helps reduce stress on the solder connections on the back of the connector.
This is the type of cable that used to power floppy drives and hard disks. Nowadays it’s commonly used for add-on fans, extra video card power, supplemental motherboard power and case lighting.
Power Cable
A 4 pin connector is used to power many motherboards and other peripheral devices. The cable that plugs into it has two black wires and one yellow wire which carries 12 volts. This cable is 4 pin panel mount connector also known as an ATX12V or P4 cable although neither of those names are technically accurate. This cable is primarily used to provide additional 12 volt power to video cards which draw a lot of power and require an extra voltage rail for power.
It’s important to note that this cable is polarized which means that it can only be plugged in the correct way. The motherboard connector has matching square and rounded pins so that the cable can only fit in it correctly. This is different than the 8 pin power cables which are polarized in a similar fashion but have a slightly different arrangement of pins.
This female panel mount connector has a PG 9 mating thread size and a rated current of 4 A. It is also designed for both severe cold and extreme heat as well as having a pollution degree of 3. It’s important to note that this connector is unshielded and is intended to be through hole soldered to a PCB. It’s also not recommended to plug the front and back halves together because doing so can cause damage to the contacts.
Motherboard Connector
The motherboard connector is the set of pins that connect to your computer’s hardware. This includes everything from the power switch to the HDD LED reset switch. These motherboard connections are very important as they help you control your PC and can indicate various system activities.
While all the motherboard connectors can be plugged in and unplugged, some can cause problems when they are not connected properly. For example, connecting a 4 pin panel mount connector to a motherboard that has an 8 pin power cable could increase the resistance of the connection and create heat. The added resistance will also decrease the amount of current that can pass through the connector.
One of the most important motherboard connectors is the 8 pin EPS power connector. This connects to the CPU and supplies it with 12 volts of power. This motherboard connector is polarized which means it only fits in the correct way. If you plug a 4 pin cable into this motherboard connector then it will likely not fit and you could damage your CPU.
The other important motherboard connector is the RGB lighting connection port. This allows you to synchronize your motherboard’s lights with the RGB strip lighting in your case for a unique look.
Case Lighting Connector
This 4 pin panel mount connector is an economical and lightweight option to use for LED RGB strip connections. Its 12 volt 2 pin waterproof connector solder cups are easy to work with and will accept up to 20 AWG wire. They are also easily inserted and extracted from the panel mount. This makes it a great choice to use in your case build to connect the strip and controller.
Its male director connector is used to join two LED RGB strips together or to connect the controller with the strip. Its screw locking makes it secure. Its protection class is IP40, meaning it has a level of protection against solid foreign objects and access with a wire, but not against water. This means it can be used in areas that are contaminated by dust or other materials that could become conductive through condensation.
Typically, connectors that are fitted with panel mount features will be cable connectors, and will have a part of the connecting half designed to sit in a cut-out in an enclosure. This might be an external panel mount, which means that the connector sits on the outside of the enclosure, or it might be internal panel mount, which means that the connector is fixed inside of the equipment. The panel mount connector will usually require a larger cut-out than would be needed for a typical connector, so that it can fit comfortably into the enclosure.
Power Supply Connector
When deciding what type of connectors to use on an electronic project, it is important to understand what options are available and how they differ. Choosing an incorrect type of connector can lead to issues with connectivity and performance which would require more time, expense and effort to rectify. It can also impact on other aspects of the design such as how the connector is mounted.
Some connectors have panel mount features built into the connector half which allows them to be fixed to the back of a case, external enclosure or other device. Connectors fitted with these features are normally cable connectors and have a ‘flange’ on one side which can be inserted into a hole or cut-out in the enclosure to hold it in place.
Alternatively, the connector can be ‘free hanging’ from the connector half or mounted to the PCB itself. This is usually done when the terminations are near a corner of the board or when a portion of the board has been cut out to reduce its overall profile.
Finally, there are the ‘IEC’ connectors which can be found on the power inlet of desktop PC power supplies. These have a female IEC connector on one end (usually known as a C13) and a male connector on the other end which is referred to as a C14.
