There are many factors to consider when choosing an M12 panel mount connector, such as compatibility, installation position , working environment, electrical parameters, price, etc., our content will help you save time and effort when choosing an M12 panel mount connector.
What is M12 panel mount connector ?
M12 panel mount connectors are electrical connectors that are designed to be mounted on a panel or enclosure. They are commonly used in industrial and automation applications to connect devices or systems to control or power sources, panel mount M12 connectors are also called M12 panel mount receptacle , M12 bulkhead connector .
M12 connectors are named for their metric size, with the "M" indicating metric and the "12" indicating the locking thread in millimeters.
Panel mount connectors have a housing that is mounted on the panel or enclosure, and a mating interface that could be attached to a cable. The housing and mating connector have pins or sockets that make electrical connections when the connector is plugged in.
M12 panel mount connectors are available in a variety of configurations, including male and female connectors, straight or angled housings, and different numbers of pins or sockets. They can be used with shielded or unshielded cables, and may have additional features such as EMI/RFI shielding or environmental seals.
How many types M12 panel mount connectors are there ?
There are many different types of M12 panel mount connectors according to different encoding types, installation methods, installation locations, shell materials, and shapes. Here we mainly talk about some of the more commonly used types.
Front panel mount and back panel mount M12 connectors
The main difference between front and back panel mount M12 connectors is the location where they are mounted. Front panel mount M12 connectors are designed to be mounted on the front panel of a control panel or enclosure, while back panel mount M12 connectors are designed to be mounted on the back panel.
Front panel mount M12 connectors are typically used when the connector needs to be easily accessible or visible from the front of the control panel or enclosure. They are often used in applications where the connector is used to connect sensors, actuators, or other devices to the control system.
Back panel mount M12 connectors are typically used when the connector needs to be mounted on the back panel of the control panel or enclosure. They are often used in applications where the connector is used to connect the control panel or enclosure to power, communication, or other external devices.
Solder and PCB mount M12 panel mount connector
Accord to the termination method, the M12 panel mount connects have solder type and PCB mount type .
For solder type , the contact of the panel mount M12 connector will be soldered to the wires, could be prewired at M12 connector factory , while the wire definition and other requirements are informed , or the users could solder wires to the M12 panel mount receptacle .
PCB M12 panel mount connector will be soldered to PCB , not wires . There are THD ( through hole ) M12 panel mount connector , SMD ( surface mount ) M12 panel mount connector , THR （ through-hole reflow soldering ）M12 panel mount connector . The THD PCB panel mount M2 connector have straight or 90 degree angled type .
Different coding and pin quantity M12 panel mount connector
There are various coding types available for M12 panel mount connectors, including A-coded, B-coded, D-coded, and X-coded, Y-coded, S-coded, T-coded, K-coded, L-coded, M-coded. Each coding type refers to the arrangement of the contacts within the connector and the pinout of the connector. Different coding type panel mount M12 connector have different pin quantity for option, and each coding type have different applications, M12 connectors with different coding couldn't mate each other .
A-coded M12 connectors are commonly used in industrial control and automation systems. They are designed to be used with sensors, actuators, motors, and other standard devices, and are available in a range pin configurations. A-coded connectors can have 2 pin , 3 pin , 4 pin , 5 pin , 6 pin , 8 pin , 12 pin , 17 pin , depending on the specific application.
B-coded M12 connectors are typically used for power and signal connections, including in applications such as Profibus (Process Field Bus), a fieldbus system used for automation in the manufacturing industry, have 4 or 5 contacts, depending on the specific model.
C-coded M12 connectors have 3 pin, 4 pin, 5 pin and 6 pin, are often used for AC power supply, such as AC sensors and actuators in industrial automation and control systems. They have double keyway which helps to prevent the connector from being accidentally plugged into a device or system that is not compatible with it.
D-coded M12 connectors have 4 pins, can reach 100M data transmission speed, are designed to provide reliable, high-speed data transmission, and are commonly used in applications such as industrial Ethernet, Profinet, EtherCAT, and servos III. They are Also often used in applications where a high degree of electromagnetic interference (EMI) protection is required, such as in the aerospace, military, and automotive industries.
X-coded M12 connector is commonly used for transmitting data at speeds up to 10 Gbit/s, making it suitable for high-speed industrial Ethernet and machine vision applications. It is also widely used in other applications such as sensor connectivity and automation control.
Y-coded M12 connector have 6 pins or 8 pins , it's hybrid connector, allows the connector to transmit both power and data with a single connector, reducing the amount of space required. It has been widely used for 100M industrial ethernet equipments .
S-coded M12 connector have 2 pin, 2+PE, 3+PE, could supply AC 630V voltage, 12A current, is good power supply solution for AC motors, drives .
T-coded M12 connector is designed for DC power supply, rated voltage DC 60V, rated current 12A , have 2 pin, 2+PE, 3+PE, it is a compact DC power connector .
K-coded M12 connector is designed and produced according to IEC 61076-2-111 standard, can provide voltage up to 800V and 16A, safely transmit up to 10KW power, the K-coded M12 connector had been widely used as AC power supply in auto and railway industry.
L-coded M12 connector is designed as DC power connector , have 2 pin, 2+PE, 3 pin, 3+PE, 4 pin, 4+PE, supply rated voltage 63V, rated current 16A, could reach 800W power supply for small servo motors, distribution boxes, power supply equipment, valves and other automation systems.
M-coded M12 connector comply IEC 61076-2-111 standard, have a rated voltage of 630V and a rated current of 8A. They are available in several pin configurations, including 2-pin, 2+PE (protective earth), 3+PE, 4+PE, and 5+PE. The M-coded M12 connector can be used for 3-phase power connections, such as those found in 3-phase motors or other 3-phase automation equipment.
Nickel plated brass and stainless steel M12 panel mount connector
Since it is installed on the surface of equipment or instruments, the shell of the M12 panel mount connector is mostly made of metal in a demanding environment. The most commonly used material is nickel-plated brass, which is easy to process and has very good corrosion resistance. Some more demanding corrosive environments require the use of stainless steel panel mount M12 connector.
Shielded panel mount M12 connector with cable
A shielded M12 panel mount cable is installed on the surface of the equipment, and will transmit datas to other modules inside the equipment, the inside contact of the panel mount M12 connector is covered by a metallic layer which helps to protect against electromagnetic interference (EMI ) and radio frequency interference (RFI). This makes the cable suitable for use in environments where these types of interference are a concern.
Square panel mount M12 connector
Square M12 panel mount receptacle have square shell, mounted front of the bulkhead with 4 screws, have all the coding type, can be male or female, solder prewired or not.
How to choose M12 panel mount connector
1. Confirm product application, select product code and pin quantity
From the above information you can find out the different coding types and their application.
2. Choose the gender , male or female M12 panel mount connector
It will be related to the M12 cable, if the M12 cable is male , then the panel mount M12 connector should be female, if the M12 cable is female, then the panel mount M12 connector should be male.
3. Check the electrical parameters
Make sure whether the current and voltage for the application is within the range of rated current and rated voltage of the selected M12 panel mount connector.
4. Fully understand the working environment
If ordinary working environment, or general corrosive industrial environment, the nickel plated brass shell panel mount M12 connector would work, if extremely harsh corrosive environment, seaside environment, you can choose stainless steel M12 panel mount receptacle.
5. What kind of termination is required
(1) Solder type not wired, prewired(wire definition and length) , shielded panel mount M12 cable
(2) THD through hole PCB panel mount M12 connector, will need straight or right angled .
(3) SMD surface mount M12 connector which could be mounted by SMT machine and reflow soldering equipment .
(4) THR through hole reflow panel mount M12 connector
6. Front panel mount or back panel mount M12 connector
Please note, not all M12 panel mount connector is available for front panel mount, for example, the through hole PCB panel mount M12 connector normally is back panel mounted.
7. Mount hole and coupling locking thread
Different M12 panel mount connector have different locking thread, and the hole for installation is also different, please check following to choose the right connector() .
(1) Solder termination front panel mount M12 connector : PG9, M16x1.5, M12
(2) Solder and through hole PCB mount termination back panel mount M12 connector : PG9, M16x1.5
(3) 90 degree angled PCB panel mount M12 connector : M12
(4) SMD and THR panel mount M12 connector : M12, M15
The above are for A-coded, B-coded, C-coded, D-coded M12 panel mount connector .
(5) X-coded and Y-coded M12 panel mount connector : M16x1.5
(6) S-coded, T-coded, K-coded, L-coded, M-coded M12 panel mount connector : M16x1.5
If you need more help to choose the panel mount M12 connector, welcome to contact us.