Has anyone ever seen a relay breakout board?

I wouldn't design the board until I had samples of the parts in hand to measure, and would make it double sided so the blades and socket are soldered on the opposite side to retain them, unless you can jockey the socket pins and blades into the same holes to make an in-line extender. That might take some experimenting with the parts and blank board material, and perhaps a call to the board fabricator to find out what you can and can't do or will pay more for, known as the design rules. For example you may have a choice of routed edges, sheared edges or a larger panel of boards you break apart along rows of perforations.

-jsw

Reply to
Jim Wilkins
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A double sided board would definitely be the best way to go, but there are connectors made that would allow the relay connectors to be soldered on the pin side, allowing the simpler single sided board to be used with pins and wire terminals on opposite sides.

Lots of options - and very worth while investigating if the OP is doing any appreciable volume in conversions.

Reply to
clare

As long as we're offering up unasked for solutions, and since the sockets are symmetrical, it'd be possible to mate two sockets face-to-face with copper or brass double length tabs in place of the relay pins to link the two together. Perhaps one end of the tabs could be deformed so they'd stay with the top socket when it's unplugged.

I don't have an example of the Idec SR sockets in question, but I do have some similar Idec RH relays & sockets. The tabs are about .020 x .180 x .250 long.

Reply to
Ned Simmons

I know exactly what you want. How many, how soon and how much...I might be interested in making them for you.

Reply to
Tom Gardner

Yes, similar in concept (I spent three years at a job using those identical socket savers - brings back memories) but entirely the wrong socket. Also, the probe tabs would need screw terminals. But yes, this is the right (sort of) idea.

Reply to
rangerssuck

Not a bad idea except A) the sockets are not symmetrical - they may look so in the photos, but the row spacing of the pins differs. B) the second set of screw terminals ends up facing the wrong way.

Reply to
rangerssuck

I am completely familiar with design fabrication and assembly of PC boards (been doing it for around 40 years, ranging from stuff like this to 16 laye r high-speed digital), but I was REALLY looking for an off-the-shelf soluti on. Y'know, go to

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and order part number 123-456-789 $1.98 ( a guy can dream, right?) for a pack of ten sort of thing.

Also, I was thinking I could use individual .187" terminals crimped to my w ires. I just tried that, and the results aren't great. The pin fits OK and makes a good connection, but the retention force of a single pin is pretty weak (compared to 8 pins on a DPDT relay, it's 1/8 of the retention), so I' d be afraid that the individual wires would fall out of the socket.

Maybe I will bang out a board, but it's yet another project I don't really have time for. Or, I could just wire the damned thing (the ice rink control ler) up the old fashioned way and then worry about the next project later.

Reply to
rangerssuck

Like I said, make your own from a relay socket for the top, wire in between, and a stripped (solenoid removed) relay base plate at the bottom. Keep the clear cover and put the wire through it, potting with RTV after assembly. Easy installation and removal.

- The list of Obama administration disappointments would take three rolls of toilet paper to record. --BMF

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Also, I was thinking I could use individual .187" terminals crimped to my wires. I just tried that, and the results aren't great. The pin fits OK and makes a good connection, but the retention force of a single pin is pretty weak (compared to 8 pins on a DPDT relay, it's

1/8 of the retention), so I'd be afraid that the individual wires would fall out of the socket.

Maybe I will bang out a board, but it's yet another project I don't really have time for. Or, I could just wire the damned thing (the ice rink controller) up the old fashioned way and then worry about the next project later. ================

I did search briefly for unpopulated relay base plates or plugs to make adapter cables. You might have better luck with a newer OS than my XP and a faster connection. Usually I already know what I'm looking for, such as "ice cube relay" or "Fashoda incident", and get a good hit on the first page.

I couldn't find a picture of the old double-ended male fastons with a center screw hole in my junk bins. They were meant as grounding junctions. I also have a few L-shaped male fastons with mounting holes in the second leg, that can be bolted to drilled insulating sheets. These are from the 70's and may no longer be available.

-jsw

Reply to
Jim Wilkins

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