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How do I mount that DB9 Connector on this GPB? Any tricks?

DB9 Connector and GPB

Dave Tweed
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MaNyYaCk
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    Beware that is a phenolic paper board which is relatively fragile and not really made to take the stress of plugging and unplugging a connector or having a somewhat stiff cable attached. You may want to consider mounting the connector on the enclosure and using a flexible wiring harness to attach. – Chris Stratton Dec 30 '18 at 16:26
  • Search on Bing images. There are many kinds of DB9s. – Robert Endl Dec 30 '18 at 19:32

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You could also use a DB9 terminal with an IDC connector, I suppose you use a pitch of 2.54 mm. enter image description here

e.g. 2_54mm-pitch DP9 Connector

Tom Kuschel
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  • This is probably the best solution, because the PCB is a fragile paper phenolic one, keeping the stresses produced by the connector/cable away from it are highly desirable, and this does that while solving the pin spacing problem. – Chris Stratton Dec 30 '18 at 16:27
  • What I discovered is you can take out those mounting terminals as well by opening a screw if you don't need. – MaNyYaCk Jan 01 '19 at 11:21
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This is the limitation of using generic 0.1" PCBs or breadboards — many components cannot be mounted in them directly. A summary of alternatives, from neatest to worst in my opinion:

  • Get a custom PCB made with the appropriate hole pattern ("footprint"). PCB manufacture is very cheap and fast these days, and it allows you to skip wiring interconnections between components and have better documentation of how your circuit is actually put together. However, it does mean you have to know what you want the rest of the circuit to be like (though you could design a generic hole-grid "prototyping area" onto a board just like the board you already have).

  • Get a "breakout board" which accepts the DE9 socket and also 0.1" spaced header pins, which you can solder or put into a socket on your board. This is a good option if you have reason to stick with 0.1" systems or want to work on a solderless breadboard. Breakout boards are also available for surface-mount components and such; it's worth considering them for many similar problems.

  • Have the DE9 connector on a cable and attach the cable to the board either permanently as dmb's answer suggested, or using a more convenient connector such as a 0.1" header.

  • Cut new holes in the PCB to accept the mounting tabs and either cut holes for the pins or bend the two rows oppositely to get them onto a square grid. This will require grinding/filing, not just drills, because the existing holes will interfere. It will probably not end up giving the connector proper mechanical support and so you run a high risk of the connections breaking after some use.

Kevin Reid
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Not much you can do except take a drill to the proto board and hack it out until you can get it to fit. Screw it in place then solder wires directly to the pins. Messy but it will work. It is what it is, in this case.

EDIT : you can of course ask yourself if it's really needed. If you are attaching a DB9-DB9 cable, why not just make up a cable with the required gender at one end and wire directly to the board? A couple of drill holes and a cable tie to give strain relief, you're good. See sketch below. enter image description here

danmcb
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One trick i have seen in the past is to use a connector that has the right-angle wires open at the back. This gave enough flexibility to push the pins sideways into a square grid.

Peter Green
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I have done it once before, but it is not an easy task. The pitch of the connector is greater that the one of the breadboard, but by bending closer and at every 2 pins you skip one hole, it will fit. Beware, it won't look pretty, and if you are making something that is semi-permanent, you would be better off making a custom PCB. If space allows, you could alternatively use a straight pin connector, which will be easier to wire in.

Elmesito
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