What is a 4 Pin Panel Mount Connector?
A 4 pin panel mount connector is a connector that has a panel mounting feature built into one half. This allows the connector to be fixed into a hole or cut-out in an enclosure rather than to the PCB.
This male panel mount connector is coded A and has a pin count of 4. It is Dust-tight and has protection against contact and against temporary immersion.
Power Cable
This 4 pin connector has solder lugs that will accept wire up to 20AWG. The connector has a front panel mount and is often used in applications that require a locking connection.
It’s possible to make a lockable version of this connector by modifying it to accept a standard nut instead of the screw locking nut. These nuts are available in a variety of thread sizes and styles but the most common is an M12 thread. This is a standard industrial connector used in a wide variety of devices.
The power cables which plug into this connector are sometimes called “ATX12V” or even P4 cable although those names aren’t technically accurate. You can tell the difference between this and an 8 pin EPS power cable by the color of the wires which plug into the clip side. The EPS cable has yellow wires (the 12 volt wires) and the ATX cable has black wires which are ground.
The two kinds of power cables are polarized differently so you can’t plug them into each other except at one end if they’re mismatched. However, you can occasionally force the wrong kind of cable into a connector if it has only a few pins and you push really hard. The polarization of the connector is important because the motherboard expects very high current and you’re taking a serious risk by trying to use a lower current cable than it’s designed for.
Motherboard Connector
The motherboard is the brains of 4 pin panel mount connector any computer. It controls every part of the system from the CPU to the GPU, so it is important to understand how each connector works. In this blog, we will be discussing the standard connections on the motherboard and their uses.
The first connector is the 24-pin power connection. This is used to connect the motherboard to the power supply and ensures that all of the components are getting enough power to function properly. Next, we will discuss the 8-pin CPU power connector. This is used to connect the CPU to the motherboard and ensures that the CPU is getting the power it needs.
Finally, we will talk about the system panel connector. This connector is crucial for connecting the front panel buttons, LEDs, and USB ports to the motherboard. It is important to note that the pin configuration and labeling for this connector may vary between different motherboard models, so it is best to refer to the motherboard manual for exact information.
One thing to remember is that the system panel connector may not plug into an 8 pin 12 volt cable because it would block the area where the other four pins hang off of the end of the motherboard connector. This is due to the fact that some of the older motherboards only put 3.3 and 5 volts on this connector, while newer ones will have two separate 12 volt rails in all eight pins, which requires more space than the original 4 volt power cable did.
4+4 Cable
Many power supplies come with a 4+4 cable. A 4+4 cable has two separate pieces of wire that are connected to each other with a connector on one end and stripped and tinned leads on the other. If you plug the two ends of a 4+4 cable together then you have an 8 pin power cable that can be plugged into a motherboard.
But if you leave them separated then either one half can be waterproof connector manufacturer plugged into a 4 pin motherboard connector. Both halves provide 12 volts. The right half has square pins while the left has rounded pins. But even though the right half matches a 4 pin motherboard connector the left half will also fit because the square and rounded pins aren’t exactly matching.
This is actually quite common and nothing to worry about because both halves are just providing 12 volts and neither one has any more power than the other. The important thing is to make sure that the correct half is plugged into the correct motherboard connector so that your system won’t overheat and damage your components. This is why it’s a good idea to use modular power cables instead of non-modular ones. This way if you accidentally plug in the wrong half then the module will easily come out and you won’t be stuck with an empty power supply port that doesn’t work for your system.
8 Pin 12 Volt Cable
When selecting the correct connector it is important to consider what specifications you will need. These may include things like how the connector will be mounted in use (free hanging/cable mount, board/card edge/cutout, or panel mount), what orientation it should be on the circuit board (front, back, or right-angle), and how it will be fastened to the circuit board (through hole soldering or surface mounting).
For example, if you are going to be using this connector with a power cable that is polarized differently from a normal ATX power cable then you want to make sure you are getting a connector that can handle that polarity. Trying to mix up these two different types of power connectors can result in physical damage from trying to force them together and electrical damage from reversing the order of the wires within the cable.
You also want to make sure you are getting a version that can handle the voltage that you will be providing. Some of the options available have a maximum wattage that they can support written right on them. In general these values will be far below what the connector and cable are capable of handling and they will provide a wide safety margin to help prevent damage from over-voltage conditions. Also, keep in mind that some of the more expensive items will also be rated to withstand environmental conditions such as oils, solvents and a variety of chemicals.