When the Molex company first unveiled its famous pin-and-socket interconnect connectors in the late 1950s, this easy-to-use and configurable power/IO connector quickly became an industry standard. Whether at work in consumer appliances, automobiles, or high-tech computers, "Molex" connectors make assembly and reconfiguration easy and reliable. At some point, "Molex" became synonymous with connectors (like Kleenex or Xerox), though many different companies produce them. Let's explore Molex-style connectors and take a look at some of Arrow's popular Molex-like connectors.
What is a Molex Connector?
Molex connectors come in thousands of sizes and shapes, but the most common style utilizes a pin-and-socket interconnect:
· Four independent pieces join a single wire to another wire.
· The pin―a metal clamp of sorts―is crimped to the wire of choice using a specialized crimping tool.
· The pin features two separate crimps: one that holds the wire's conductor and a second that crimps to the wire's insulation to provide strain relief for the wire conductor.
· The pin is then inserted into a socket that is a part of the larger nylon connector.
A typical Molex connector is a rectangular matrix of sockets comprised of between one and several hundred individual socket locations. The pin, which features a metal spring, locks into the nylon connector to prevent it from falling out of the socket. The nylon connector consists of two individual interlocking components―the plug and receptacle―that combine to make up the entire connector. The connector assembly's plug and receptacle rely on unique pins and socket designs, so keep that in mind when you're ordering components. If during assembly, you need to switch out the socket, you can use a pin removal tool to remove and relocate the wire/pin assembly to a new socket.
Molex Connector Configurability
The Molex connector's wire-configuration flexibility and receptacle sides made these components an overnight success in the 20th century. Their popularity still reigns supreme, but many non-Molex manufacturers have embraced a similar pin-and-socket methodology for a range of connector types. For example, TE Connectivity (previously AMP) carries a MATE-N-LOK connector with nearly identical functionality to the original Molex connector.
Four-Pin Molex Connector
The most famous of all 'Molex' connector configurations may be the four-pin connector, a versatile component that suits many power and IO connector applications. Depending on the industry and application, a Molex four-pin connector can take many shapes, like TE Connectivity's four-pin straight MATE-N-LOK connector.
One of the most popular Molex connectors is a right angle wire-to-board 5569 series connector that can provide 13A of power by accommodating 16 AWG wire at a 4.20mm pitch. It boasts a 2x2 receptacle matrix that allows for a small footprint, making it an ideal option for the primary power source in a small PCB. The mating connector for this four-pin Molex receptacle is a 5557 series four-pin plug connector of a similar capacity, which utilizes crimp pins to connect to your wires. This flexibility enables quick prototyping of interconnect applications (as long as you have enough crimp terminal pins on hand), as well as long-term power solutions across nearly every industry and sector.
Molex Two Pin Connector
One of our most popular top-pin Molex connector pin-and-socket connectors is this Micro-Fit 3.0, 2 position 3mm plug-type connector. We recommend using these 20-24 AGW Micro-Fit 3.0 female crimp pins to insert your wire into the plug properly. You can find the mating receptacle for this plug in Molex's 43020 family. For example, this cable-mount receptacle requires these crimping pins from the 43031 series.
Conclusion
Regardless of how many terminals a single Molex connector contains, each component requires the user to mate part numbers properly. To ensure that you pair each part correctly, consult each component's datasheet.
