A JST Connector
What is a JST Connector?
Have you ever seen circuit boards with little white connectors attached to them?
Any electrical appliance has surfaces called circuit boards or PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards) where electrical components are mounted.
JST Connectors are white-colored connectors with wires attached to one end and a PCB attached to the other.
We will go over every significant aspect of this product in this blog.
Part of the article will cover some of the most common variations.
As well, we’ll discuss the product’s numerous applications.
Japan Solderless Terminal
What is a JST Connector Used for in Electronics?
In the electronics sector, a JST Connector is either:
(1) A small, white connector that connects wires to a circuit board or
(2) A multicolored connector that connects wires to wires.
The “JST” label itself is a trademark (see next segment).
The variations of JST connectors are caused by pin-to-pin distance or pitch.
You can also categorize them according to the size of the housing, and the shape of the housing.
The current must be known as well as the voltage, the wire diameter, and applicable ratings of the wires + PCB.
What are the Types of Original JST Connectors?
We need to be clear. “JST” is a brand or a trademark name that stands for “Japanese Solderless Terminal”.
They started manufacturing these connectors. Visit JST’s website here to learn more about authentic JST Connectors.
Meanwhile, we leave you with this chart to refer to the JST Connector Types (Official):
JST Connector Types and Specs
In common usage, the term “JST Connector” means any connector that is used for wire-to-wire connection.
JST Connector can also refer to any PCB Connector product.
We have a blog about PCB Connectors, which you can study here.
Connectors That Are Also Called JST Connectors
In this article, we’ll focus on the two primary variants of this product. We can solely concentrate on the PCB connectors because we are a PCB firm. However, I won’t completely disregard the other type to help you understand the subject.
Small White Connectors
Small White Connectors—PCB Connectors
The following tasks are carried out by these white connections.
- Establishing a link between two circuit boards
- To allow electrical current to flow, connect a single circuit board with disconnected points
- Complete the electrical loop to allow the PCB to function as intended
There are several of these called JST types. The following are those widely available online:
- ATC connector
- Charging connector
- Crimp types
- Flex PCB connectors
- IDC style
- LED connector
- Molex housing
- Pin header
- Terminal connector
- Wafer connector
Just remember that when you search “JST Connector”, what appears on e-commerce sites are not automatically original JST connectors. Look for phrases like “equivalent to JST” or “Similar to JST” if you are looking for PCB connectors in general.
Multicolored Connectors
Multicolored Connectors—Wire-to-Wire Connectors
The connector technology is then limited to two product types. They both have a 2.5mm pitch, but they have different features. Can come in three colors: white, black, and red on any e-commerce vendor.
- SM – these are made of plastic, when you buy them, they come in a kit. Inside the kit, there will be an assortment of 2-pin, 3-pin, 4-pin, and 5-pin male and female connectors. Crimp terminals are provided most of the time too. So far, there are limited sellers for the pre-crimped version. You’ll have to use a JST crimper for it. Look for “Molex Crimp Tool” or “Dupont Crimp Tool” if the term “JST Crimp Tool” does not give you any hits.
- RCY – widely deployed in battery eliminator circuits, these always come in male + female sets. The designation wires as 22-28-AWG. If you don’t want to crimp it in place, you can buy pre-crimped types of RCY JST.
They are the most widely used JST varieties just for wire-to-wire applications. They are popular because modern electrical components are small. The likelihood of wires connecting to one another has therefore increased. As a result, there is an increase in demand for components that can work together to make a single device. This holds for power supply devices in particular.
Use the Correct JST Connector for Your Circuit Board
So how do you make sure you got the right connector for your device or PCB?
You can follow our tips below:
First of all, understand that this item needs to be used together with the right crimper. There are plenty of crimping tools available for JST connectors. They are also sold in major e-commerce stores, usually by the same vendors of the connectors.
Second, identify what series, what pitch, and what wire you are using for your project.
Tip, in the process of identifying the types, you should do it in the following order: (1) Pitch value, (2) Housing shape, and (3) Housing size
Third, a connector that you purchase online often comes in three pieces. The manufacturer’s name is placed first, followed by a dash, the name of the connector series, and then the pitch.
For illustration, you can see the following: JST SPH-002T-P0.5L. Let’s decode:
JST – indicates that this is an original JST-made connector
SPH – connector series
002T – the pitch is 2mm
P0.5L – the weight (dimensions), in this case, 0.5 grams
There you have it. Hopefully, you know what correct connector to use for your PCB.
JST Connector Applications
JST Connector Applications
The following are the primary applications for this component:
Rechargeable Battery Pack – Some rechargeable lithium batteries come with connectors and wires. In this case, the wires and connector work together so that the rechargeable battery can be plugged into a direct power supply
Lipo Battery Balance – JST-XH is the most common series for this application. From 2s, 3, 4s, 5s, to 6s, choose what applies to you. Battery balances make the charge of batteries equally distributed and stable. In essence, the current will ensure that the device powers on without interruption.
Battery Eliminator Circuit – In short, this is called BEC. What does it do? Mainly, for RC or Remote Controlled toys like RC planes and RC cars. What the BEC does is break down high voltage into acceptable lower voltage for the toy so that the toy will function optimally. Overvoltage will result in a damaged circuit board—you wouldn’t want that.
3D Printer – This type of printer needs an assortment of connectors, but one of them is the JST SM with a 2.5mm pitch. Another applicable one is the JST XH series of products. Both are 22 to 26AWG in terms of cable size. Approximately 3 pins are used, but some printers need 6 pins.
Radio-Controlled Servos (RC car) – As mentioned previously, RC toys are the top-of-mind applications for JST connectors. A servo is the controller of RC toys, without it, the toy will not turn left or right. The servo is a circuit board where you can mount a sensor, DC motors, a potentiometer, and even one IC chip.
Electronic Throttle Control System (ETCS) – This component is used to optimize the function of the RC car using sensors on engine control. Most of these also use a potentiometer together with a sensor.
How PCB & JST Connectors are Used
In this next section, we will describe how to use JST connections in general:
- Using the correct JST crimping tool, strip off the plastic element of the wire.
- Next, find the terminals and crimp them. Again, use the crimping tool.
- If successful, the insulation should be encircled by the bottom wings. The smaller wings should be folded over the properly crimped wire at the same time.
- The last step is connecting the connector plug to the crimped wire.
As you can see, it’s best to follow these instructions if you’re watching an authoritative video such as this one:
Circuit boards that can use JST connectors include the following:
- Battery PCB – especially Li-ion batteries
- Multilayer PCB – 4 layer PCB and 6 Layer PCB have used these connectors, although the list can go higher
- Rigid PCB – these are boards that are solid in construction; sometimes PCBs are connected to other PCBs using the connectors
- Flexible PCB – are also known as FPC or Flex PCBs
- Rigid-Flex PCB – in many cases, the rigid board is connected to the flex part with the connectors we’re featuring here
- Controller PCB – as in Remote Controller PCBs, especially for RC applications
Conclusion
We discussed JST connectors in this article, emphasizing their usage/applications.
Other pages specifically detail the JST connector types—there are thousands of types of this product.
What makes this blog different from the others is the point we make: JST connectors do not just refer to the original connectors made by the JST company.
We have covered all the main types of connectors comparable to JST ones, and are wrongly called “JST” because of everyday use.
At PCBMay, we make circuit boards and offer PCB assembly services.
We’ve got the expertise—we’ll use the right JST connector on your circuit board anytime.
So spare yourself the hassle. Let us handle your PCB connector problems for a very low price.
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