Why is the connector plated?

　　The most important part of an electronic connector is the contact part of the terminal. These terminals are like a small connector, connecting some similar or dissimilar devices together to ensure that some components can operate smoothly or ensure that the current can flow smoothly. The entire device will work. Most of the materials of these terminals are different, because the properties and functions of the applications are different, so the selection of materials is also different, some need metal, some need plastic, some need liquid, and some need solid; in short, The selection of materials depends on the specific situation.

　　The application environment should be considered when choosing the plating layer of the electronic connector terminal. There are three main situations: for ordinary applications, tin plating is the most common. Tin is cheaper, but the texture of tin is soft. To ensure good contact, higher contact force is required. (At least 100g), the number of insertion and removal is usually relatively low, which can only play a simple protective anti-corrosion effect. The working temperature is lower. The working temperature of brass or bronze tinning can reach 110℃, and the tinning steel can reach 190℃ . For high mating cycles, gold plating is usually required. For higher operating temperatures, other coatings are required, such as nickel plating on copper up to 340°C, and nickel plating up to 250°C on brass or bronze.

　　For the small signal applications that require high reliability of the connector terminals, and the applications that require small contact forces, gold plating is usually used, and the corrosion resistance of gold is also particularly outstanding. Nickel is usually used as a gold-plated bottom layer, and most steel contacts are nickel-plated (copper must be plated first). The conductivity of palladium is worse than that of gold, and it is often used to replace electroplated gold in some limited ranges. The current price of gold continues to rise, and more and more products are plated with palladium-nickel alloy. Silver-plated contacts have very good conductivity, but silver is very easy to oxidize, so it can only be used in special circumstances.

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