Benchtop power supply - what type of cable is this?

Thread Starter

Col John Matrix

Joined Apr 16, 2009
14
Hi everyone,

Embarrassingly simple question here, but I'm looking to buy some cables for a typical 30V benchtop DC supply. I'm specifically looking for cables that have the type of connector shown in the attached photo - the type where you can clamp them into the DC outputs.

Problem is I don't know what you'd call these connectors, so I'm struggling to wade through page after page after page of connectors! o_O

Can anyone please let me know what these connectors are called? That would be enormously helpful!

Thanks in advance.
 

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AnalogKid

Joined Aug 1, 2013
10,987
The generic name is crimp terminal. Sta-Kon calls this sub-type a fork terminal. Just about any hardware store, and certainly the big box boys, will have little packages of 10 or 25 pieces. The terminal usually has two numbers in the part number.

One is the wire gauge range for the crimp barrel. The barrel also might be color coded:
Red - 18-22
Blue - 14-16
Yellow - 10-12

The other number is the screw size that the fork is designed to fit around:
4 - 4-40
6 - 6-32
8 - 8-32
etc.

Fork terminals are convenient because you do not have to completely remove the screw to install the terminal. The trade-off is that they can fall off if the screw becomes loose is a high vibration environment. If you can find only ring (fully enclosed circle) terminals, you can cut out part of the ring with small wire cutters to create a pseudo-fork.

ak
 

Uilnaydar

Joined Jan 30, 2008
118
Fork terminals are convenient because you do not have to completely remove the screw to install the terminal. The trade-off is that they can fall off if the screw becomes loose is a high vibration environment. If you can find only ring (fully enclosed circle) terminals, you can cut out part of the ring with small wire cutters to create a pseudo-fork.

ak
AKA spork :)
 
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