What is a Terminal? Types & Uses
What is a Terminal?
A terminal is an electrical component used to achieve electrical connections, commonly found in wires, cables or joints on electrical equipment, and is an indispensable component in wire harness processing.
Terminals in electrical engineering usually refer to wiring terminals, also known as terminals, there are many types, including single holes, double holes, sockets, hooks, etc., from the material is divided into copper silver plating, copper galvanizing, copper, aluminum, iron, etc. The main function of the terminal is to transmit electrical signals or conduct, and it is widely used in various electronic and electrical equipment, such as household appliances, televisions and computer power supplies.
The terminal is applied to facilitate the connection of wires, it is actually a piece of metal sealed in insulating plastic, there are holes at both ends to insert wires, and there are screws for fastening or loosening, such as two wires, sometimes need to be connected, sometimes need to be disconnected, then they can be connected with terminals, and can be disconnected at any time, without having to solder them or entangle them together, which is very convenient and fast. And it is suitable for a large number of wire interconnection, in the power industry there are special terminal rows, terminal boxes, which are all terminals, single-layer, double-layer, current, voltage, ordinary, breakable and so on. A certain crimping area is required to ensure reliable contact and to ensure that sufficient current can be passed.
What is the structural composition of the terminal?
The terminals mainly include terminal blocks and terminal blocks, which are generally threaded and inserted connections, and can be used with different kinds of terminals. A terminal block is a small part used to connect wires and terminal blocks, and its interior is generally a spring or clip structure, which can clamp the wire or cable so that it can be stably connected.
How the terminals work？
The working principle of the terminal is to achieve a fast and reliable electrical connection between the wires through its specific structure and design, while allowing the wires to be disconnected at any time without damaging the original connection, which greatly improves the efficiency and safety of the electrician's work.Specifically, when a wire or other electronic component is inserted into the terminal's interface, the spring blade holds it to the terminal, making the circuit a secure and reliable connection.
What is the purpose of the terminal？
1. Implement electrical connectionsThe terminals can be connected to different electrical devices to transmit electrical signals or currents to where they are needed. It is characterized by simple and flexible connection, and the wiring can be fixed on the terminal connection point, so as to achieve the continuity and stability of the circuit.
The terminal can avoid errors in electrical wiring through in-line and socket methods, which effectively protects the safety and stability of electrical appliances.
The terminals are removable, making them easier to install and maintain than direct soldering or fixed wiring.
The terminal wiring is beautiful, neat and durable, and can be labeled to facilitate maintenance and management by staff.
Elastomeric materials and clip structures are generally used in the terminals, which make the connection stable and reliable, and at the same time, it can also prevent the cable or wire from falling off or loosening in a wet or vibrating environment, ensuring the safe use of electrical appliances.
Why do people use terminals?
Because of the advantages of terminals, the terminals are selected as electronic components to meet the needs of various environments, and the advantages of terminals are mainly reflected in their simple connection, excellent ductility, easy expansion, low contact impedance, compliance with strict international standards for ground wire connection, and the availability of a variety of types and specifications to meet different application needs. The following explains the advantages of the terminals in detail:
1. Simple connection method and easy expansion: The terminal provides a simple connection method, which can connect multiple groups of wires, and has excellent ductility, which is convenient for expansion according to needs.
2. Convenient wiring: Because there are fixed screws or crimping plates on the terminals, it can be easily wired. It is simple to operate and does not require special tools and skills.
3. Low contact impedance and in line with international standard specifications: The grounding terminal has extremely low contact impedance, which meets the strict international standard specifications for ground wire connection and ensures the reliability and safety of electrical connection.
4. A variety of types and specifications: there are many types and models of terminal blocks, including but not limited to single hole, double hole, socket, hook and other types, as well as copper silver plating, copper galvanizing, copper, aluminum, iron and other materials, which are suitable for different electrical connection needs.
5. Reliable connection: When using the terminal connection circuit, a firm mechanical connection is formed between the wire and the terminal screw or crimping board, which is reliable and not easy to loosen and fall off.
6. Easy to replace: If you need to replace the wire, just loosen the screw or crimping plate on the terminal and remove the wire. If it is welded directly, it is necessary to carry out welding and desoldering operations, and the replacement work is more cumbersome.
What are the different types of terminals? And what are the common kinds?
Terminals According to different classification standards, there are many types of terminals to meet the needs of various electrical connections. Here are some common types of terminals:1. Hardware terminals. Including ring series, spring series, bullet/tubular series terminals, and crimped terminals.
2. Cold-pressed terminals. Also known as insulated terminals, electronic connectors and aerial connectors belong to cold-pressed terminals.
3. Terminal block. The binding post nuts are divided into two types: hexagonal and torx, generally nickel or silver, and are specially used for terminal blocks connected to the speaker wire.
5. a battery terminal. It is widely used in battery electrodes, alternators, engine grounding and other scenarios.
6. Other special-purpose terminals. Such as LA206 (specially designed for grounding wire), FP1-1 (suitable for meters), PB52-1 (spring terminal wire), PS-700 (connection terminal), BA508 (battery terminal).
Functional classification: including ordinary terminals, safety terminals, test terminals, grounding terminals, double-layer terminals, double-layer conduction terminals, three-layer terminals, three-layer conduction terminals, one-in and double-out terminals, one-in and three-out terminals, double-in and double-out terminals, knife switch terminals, overvoltage protection terminals, marking terminals, etc.
Form factor classification. It can be divided into rail terminals, fixed terminals, circuit board terminals (PCB terminals), etc.
What is the terminal used for?
Terminal machine refers to a kind of machine used in wire processing, which presses the hardware head to the wire end, and then conducts it. The terminals made by the terminal machine are usually made to connect more conveniently, and the two wires can be stably connected together without soldering, and only need to be unplugged when dismantling. Its main features are as follows:
Compared with other connection methods, the connection method of the terminal machine is simple and fast, and the connection can be completed by winding the wire around the terminal of the device and fastening it.
The contact point of the terminal machine is made of high elasticity precision copper material, which can have good elasticity and conductivity, and at the same time, the layout is reasonable, and the wire fixing safety is high, so the connection quality is stable and reliable.
The small contact area of the terminal unit makes it easy to clean and maintain, while also allowing for easy replacement of faulty wires.
How do you know if the end of a terminal is anode or cathode? (plus minus)?
1. Distinguish by colorThe positive and negative poles of many terminals are distinguished by different colors. Common color combinations are red and black, red and blue, red and yellow, and many more. Among them, red usually represents the positive electrode, and black represents the negative electrode. If red is not used, other bright colors (e.g., blue, yellow, etc.) usually represent the positive electrode.
When operating, two terminals with the same color of the positive and negative electrodes (such as two red terminals) should be connected, rather than connecting terminals of different colors together, so as to avoid problems such as circuit short circuits.
Some terminals may not have a color to distinguish between positive and negative poles, but they may be marked with symbols or words. For example, "+" for positive, "-" for negative, or "P" and "N" for positive and negative electrodes, and so on.
During operation, the markings should be clearly recognizable and the two terminals that meet the requirements of the positive and negative poles should be connected together.
Some terminals may differ in shape to distinguish between positive and negative poles. For example, some terminals may have a flat or round shape, while others will use a round or semi-circular shape.
When operating, it is necessary to pay attention to the shape of each terminal block and mark it well, so that the two terminals that meet the requirements of the positive and negative poles are connected together.
What are the precautions for using terminals?
1. Choose the appropriate terminalThere are many types of terminal blocks, and choosing the right terminal block can improve the reliability of the connection. Generally, the appropriate terminal block should be selected according to the current size, wire diameter, wiring method (soldering or plugging), the number of interfaces and other parameters.
When connecting wires and terminals, the corresponding fixing method should be selected according to the actual needs. Plug-in terminal blocks are plugged in, while fixed terminal blocks require screws or soldering to secure the wires.
When using terminal blocks, the operating environment should be kept as dry as possible. Especially in humid environments or climates, the presence of corrosive gases can have a negative effect on the terminal blocks and thus the reliability of the connection.
After the connection is completed, the reliability of each connection should be checked correctly: such as whether it is firmly fixed, whether it is in good contact, whether there is looseness, etc. If there is any abnormality, it should be investigated and dealt with in time.
When using terminal blocks, you need to pay attention to safety issues. For example, pay attention to prevent leakage, short circuit, etc. When operating, it should be wired and used correctly in accordance with the regulations of the electrical appliance or the manufacturer's guidance.
In order to ensure the reliability of the operation of electrical equipment, it is necessary to regularly overhaul and inspect the terminal blocks. After long-term use, problems such as aging, loosening, and deterioration may occur. If not dealt with in time, it may lead to problems such as abnormal current, voltage, electrical failure and safety accidents.
