Resources

These materials were transfered from the book to this page to keep the book within the 800-page limit.

Books

These books are related to electrical connectors.
Title Author (s) Publisher Year
Electronic connector handbook: theory and applications Robert S Mroczkowski (1939 - 2019) McGraw-Hill 1997, out of print
Practical guide to connector design and function. Geared to the connector designer. Very expensive.
Connector Overview, The Contact Interface and Contact Physics, Contact Finishes, Contact Spring Materials, Engineering Thermoplastics for Connectors, Separable Connections, Permanent Connection Overview, Wire and Cable, Mechanical Permanent Connections to Wire and Cable, The Printed Wiring Board, Permanent Connections to Printed Wiring Boards, Connector Applications, Connector Types, Connector/Socket Testing
Electronic packaging and interconnection handbook Charles A. Harper, editor McGraw-Hill 1991~2004, in print
Chapter 4 is an abridged version of Mroczkowski's book (above). The rest is not about connectors.
Ch 4: Connector overview; contact interface finish and springs; housing; separable and permanent connections; applications; connector types; testing.
Electrical Connectors: Design, Manufacture, Test, and Selection Michael G. Pecht, editor Wiley-IEEE Press 2021, in print
Compilation of articles. Geared to the connector designer and connector specifier for critical applications.
What is a connector, Housing, Contact spring, Plating, Insertion force, Contact interface, The back-end connection, Loads and failure mechanisms, Fretting, Testing, Suppliers, Selection, Advance technology, Power connectors, Underwater, Examples.
The Encyclopedia of Connectors Ed Wiseman Edwards's Publishing Company 1967~2011, on demand
Ten-volume compilation of everything about MIL qualified connectors, including comparison tables. Very expensive.
Vol. 1: Cylindrical, 2206 pages, 2011
Vol. II: Rectangular Rack & Panel, 1162 pages, 1983 Vol. III: Coaxial/RF. 2680 pages, 2006
Vol. IV: Two Piece PWB, 1752 pages, 1990 Vol. V: Accessories, 2120 pages, 2004
Vol. VI: Contacts & Tools, 2064 pages, 2007
Vol. VII: Rectangular Rack & Panel, 2048 pages, 1991 Vol. VIII: D-Sub & Micro D, 2052 pages, 1992
Vol. IX: Airbus, Boeing, Douglas, 2170 pages, 2006 Master index: 958, pages, 2007
Connectors & Interconnections Handbook Glenda Derman, editor International Institute of Interconnection Technology Vol 1: 1900; all others, 1982. Unavailable
Five-volume, practical information for connector selection, design, and usage. Multiple authors, resulting in subjects duplicated in the various volumes.
Vol 1: Basic technology: Packaging levels, technology, connectors (card edge, PCB, IDC, rectangular, cylindrical, coaxial, fiber optic, IC sockets, terminal blocks, specialty), wire and cable, terminations, materials, standards.
Vol 2: Connector types - Contacts, terminations, materials. Rack & panel, circular, ZIF, ARINC, audio, coax, hermetic, fiber-optic, I/O, ZIF card edge, elastomeric, backpanel, board-to-board, flex cable, and ribbon connector; device sockets; standards.
Vol 3: Wire and cable: conductors, insulation, processes; round and flat cable; standards Vol 4: Materials: metals, polymers, resins, elastomers, adhesives
Vol 5: Terminations (no information available)
Handbook of Electronic Connectors P. Antony Clayton Electrochemical Publications Lim. 1982, out of print
Focused on specific aspects of certain connectors. 297 pages
RF, rectangular, circular, PCB, hermetic, and fiber optic connectors.

Online resources

This section lists resources on the World Wide Web.

Reverse image search engines. Helpful when trying to identify a connector:

Forums

Electronic component search engines

Distributors:

Manufacturers: go to the manufacturer's website and look for a search text field in the top banner.

Stock check sites

Websites with information about connectors

Blogs

Magazines

Services

These companies provide services related to connectors.

Automotive connector identification:

Full-custom connectors design:

Semi-custom connectors design:

Many connector manufacturers offer customization of their standard connectors, including Adam tech, Amphenol CS, EDAC, Fischer, ODU, Samtec, Ultimate, and most Chinese manufacturers.

Connector writing:

Connector testing:

Associations, institutes, and consortia

These groups guide the connector industry:

Trade shows

While no trade shows are explicitly dedicated to connectors, connector manufacturers have booths at trade shows for general electronic technology and specific industries: marine, battery, and power electronics. Such as:

Market reports

Market reports typically list companies in a particular industry and may forecast the growth in that industry. A summary or a snippet is usually available, which may give you an idea of what information is included. They can be pretty expensive: $ 500 to $ 5000. That price may be justified for marketing people and investors. Frankly, my limited experience with market reports is disappointing: they are sloppily put together by someone with no understanding of the industry. They include companies that do not provide the listed service and neglect companies that do. Researchers often contact me to request information to include in such reports. They don't pay their sources for their time while providing data and educating them, yet they expect to sell the report back to their sources at full price. Here is a market report: The world's connector companies