Board-to-board connection and stacking integrated and simplified

When it comes to specifying board to board connectors it is not always a simple task. In response, GCT is helping designers with tricky PCB stacking requirements where connectors make both an electrical connection and achieve physical PCB spacing. It can be difficult to select the right part, there are so many connector choices, and when the appropriate connector is selected there are multiple dimensions and many other options to choose. Within this domain GCT offers a huge range of stacking headers and sockets, with flexible choices in spacing stacking heights and lead lengths to suit customer designs. The stacking connector range spans pitches from 1mm to 2.54mm in surface mount and thru hole, with single, dual and triple rows. GCT’s stacking headers offer total flexibility, with adjustable dimensions on mating pins, PCB thru pins and critically the ‘gap’ dimension. All dimensions are specifiable to 0.01mm, to ensure exact board spacing requirement is achieved. As well as standard ‘open’ pin connectors, options exist for shrouded stacking headers. Headers are keyed and mating with the socket is possible in one orientation only, in connector terms this is known as polarisation. Shrouded connectors also offer increased physical strength when mated and insulated exposed header pins to reduce shorting. Stacking shrouded sockets normally feature completely isolated contacts, which eliminates shorting risk. They are available in a variety of stack height options, a slightly less flexible choice vs. stacking headers but perfect for certain applications, especially where the header design is out of the customer’s control, such as in the case of an outsourced off the shelf module PCB with a standard pin header. In addition GCT offer a wide range of non-standard choices, such as a right angle elevated header which allows right angle PCB mating, custom SMT lead lengths, and custom packaging, says the company.