Barrel jack power sockets that slot into breadboard / veroboard.

[Hippogriff]

Time for another dumb question...

I wanted to create a thread to ask if I've missed a trick somewhere along the way. I create most of my circuits on verboard that I then glue into place... I then cut the wall wart cables and solder them directly to lines on the strip board - this has never felt good to me. I doubt I should really be doing that.

One time I used a project box and kept the circuit in there. In there, on the roof of the box, I glued a power socket and connected the wall wart's plug directly to that. That felt a bit better.

I've done a bit of searching, Maplin etc., but I've really had no luck so far... and there doesn't seem to be a component I can buy which is a barrel jack socket component with two legs that just slot into the holes that are provided by either a breadboard or (more usefully) some veroboard.

Most of the connectors / sockets I see have these three flat paddles with holes on them... which don't fit into the holes at all. So, I'm guessing, when you use them, they are glued to the board and then wires are attached to the paddles. If I could get hold of a socket component that had little legs that went right into the verboard holes, I could solder my socket to the verboard, and have the wall wart power supplies just connect into it as and when I want.

Does this thing exist or is it all a pipe-dream?

If they do... any pointers would be appreciated.

 

[Sceadwian]

Why not just work with what you can get cheaply or better yet free. There are three ways I can see of doing this; Grinding down the paddle so they can be routed or curled up through a thruhole board or slotting the board so that it fits the paddle and then soldering it to pads. Lastly you could bend the paddles so they mounted flush with the top of the board and solder them like a surface mount component to the nearest pad. Problem is you're relying on the copper on the top of the board for your physical support then so you'd need to use something like wire or a zip tie to mechanically stabilize it against the board through thruholes.

90% or more of all the components I have are all desoldered from junk devices other people have thrown out that I cannibalize, with some very basic thinking you can use pretty much any of it in any application. Don't get acustomed to getting something that is designed to work in your specific application, if you can design a procedure to use something that wasn't originally designed that way but works after the procedure it's just as good or better than if you had you specific component.

That being said, I'm guessing such a connector exists out there somewhere.

 

[Hippogriff]

Yep, your three ways I had thought about also. I just find it rather strange that such a component, which I think is something missing from amateur / hobbyist / small production electronics, doesn't readily exist and can be bought by someone who a) doesn't have loads of parts to scavenge and b) wants their homemade circuit / project to have a solid / semi-professional look to it... or as much as you can.

I mean, many people use breadboards and veroboard... you'd think there'd be a set of barrel jack items that would slot in to those standard holes quite nicely. Yet, if there is, I can't find them to buy.

 

[Mike_2545]

A quick search turned up this COAX POWER JACK, 1.3 MM I.D. | AllElectronics.com

**broken link removed**

Looks like it will fit in a perf-board

 

[Hippogriff]

I'd seen stuff like that, too, but my feeling was that it wouldn't fit into the holes I'm talking about. Not without a bit of... encouragement... with a file or summat.

You think it will, do you?

 

[Mike_2545]

And this DC POWER JACK, 2.5 MM, PC MT. | AllElectronics.com

**broken link removed**

 

[Mike_2545]

And these Digi-Key

 

[Sceadwian]

Again, does it need to slide in with no force? You're looking for things for the wrong reasons =P

 

[AllVol]

Many of the catalog ads give dimensions or pin centers in their write-up, or if you can find a datasheet for the product, you'll usually get all the dimensions.

For vero board and most phenolic thru-hole boards sold to hobbists, the holes are on 0.10 inch centers. This is the magic number to look for when ordering. Anything else will require some "engineering".

 

[creakndale]

AllVol,
I think you meant 0.10" centers.

Hippogriff,
I feel your pain. Last year I wanted the same breadboard friendly DC power jack and found nothing after an extensive search. Typically, a solderless breadboard can accept up to 0.030" diameter leads. Veroboards up to 0.037" diameter leads. The two closest choices I came up with were from CUI Inc:

PJ-102AH 2.5mm x 5.5mm
PJ-102BH 2.1mm x 5.5mm


These DC power jacks have 0.039" wide leads so they have to be filed or the Veroboard hole can be drilled out a little bit. If you don't need the built in switch you can cut off pin 3 which helps. The pin 1 to pin 2 lead spacing is 0.236 but you can bend them in a little.

The only other choice I know of is using a panel mount DC power jack and running wires to your Veroboard. Such as these:
PJ-005A 2.5mm x 5.5mm
PJ-005B 2.1mm x 5.5mm

creakndale

 

[Hippogriff]

Thanks for the pointers.

I still think this is all a bit nuts... coming new to the game, as I am... that such a simple, and useful, thing doesn't seem to exist.

 

[colin mac]

How about a screw terminal. That way its easy to connect and disconnect wires.
**broken link removed**

 

[Sceadwian]

Cheap too.

 

[Blueteeth]

Why not just solder a DC socket to a bit of strip board, and use standard pin headers? I have done this with many connectors, USB, DC sockets, terminal blocks, audio jacks, you name it. Of course you could use wires if the connector is large, and takes up too much space on your breadboard, but then things get messy.

I can provide pictures if you wish.

 

[Hippogriff]

Any idea might help me out, I think. So pictures of what is being suggested would be good.

My main concern here is not cheapness, but more words like quality, professional looking and bespoke. If the right DC socket was out there, but cost £5, then I'd probably go for it. I don't have a large parts bin to scavenge from either, as I'm just starting out. So, if I knew the right thing existed, I'd probably just buy it. Sadly, it seems this thing I want doesn't even exist, which I think is remarkable.

Why don't I just buy a commercial version of the entire thing that I'm making? Well, that's the bespoke angle, and the education angle... as they're gifts for people, then they love the fact that it's been made especially for them, but it would be nice to not have the plug soldered to the veroboard or reqiure screw-in terminals (although it was a good idea, colin mac)... a nice, neat, firm pluggable / unpluggable approach is best.

Happy new year to all!

 

[Blueteeth]

Ahh well, The little stripboard 'modules' I make probably don't look overly professional, although they are reliable since I try to avoid having 'wires' everywhere. The thing is, anything that is going to go on a stripboard, IMHO, doesn't look 'professional' as it is usually a bare board. More than good enough for prototyping, whether one is a professional, or amateur.

Sparkfun and a number of other companies do 'breadboard power supplies', which include a DC barrel sock, switch, regulator etc... perhaps if you were really after somethign 'neat' you could put something like that in an enclosure, with only the pins and switch sticking out, one that takes up an entire side of a breadboard, but only a few holes deep. I've been meaning to add one of those to my setup, a switching power supply with +/- 5v, +/- 12, and adjustable rails at limited current (anythign above 1A has no place on a breadboard).

 

[Sceadwian]

That's what enclosures are for though, hideing all that ugly slap dashery.

mpja.com cells a breadboard

I've nearly bought this from mpja
SOLDERLESS POWERED BREADBOARD WITH METERS-MPJA, Inc.
but I already have a ton of breadboards and power supplies, I don't mind things being ugly.

Nice thing about that mpja model is that I'm sure you can crack that case open and add all sorts of personal modifications, all nice and neat and hidden away. Just have to cut mounting holes in the outside of the case for connections.

 

[Mike - K8LH]

If you've got more time than money (like me) you'll find you can do a pretty good job using an exacto knife.

 

[bigal_scorpio]

Hi mate,

I use these from Rapid Electronics, they are cheap, strong and best of all cheap!

I just drill a hole in the box then wire the socket to the board inside.

Is it as cold in sheff as rotherham tonight?

Al

**broken link removed**

 

[Vizier87]

If you've got more time than money (like me) you'll find you can do a pretty good job using an exacto knife.

Very NEAT circuit, without upper side wiring.
The pink stuff are dipswitches right? I'd say they look like candy...