Pocket

The inside dimension of an SL header shroud.

Pocket Mold

A type of housing molding that does not have a mold base and is intended to be used in a separate mold base. Pocket molds are usually used for small volume products.

Pogo Pin Test

A test to evaluate the functionality of individual chips, semiconductors, etc. on a PCB. If a component is found to be defective, the board is wasted. By applying the connectors after this test, we never have to worry about wasting them on bad boards.

Point-to-Point Wiring

An interconnecting technique in which the components are made by wires routed between connecting points, one wire at a time.

Poisson's Ratio

The dimensionless value of the ratio of transverse strain to axial strain that results from a uniformly applied axial stress below the proportional limit of the material.

Poke-home Contact

A male or female contact to which a wire has been permanently affixed prior to the assembly of the contact into the insert.

Polarization

Any of several connector design techniques used to assure that connector halves mate properly, including:

  1. A mechanical configuration of plug and socket housings designed to prevent the plug and receptacle from being mismated.
  2. An identifying marking or other feature of a socket intended to indicate the correct orientation of the device to be plugged in.
  3. Special arrangements of terminal inserts designed to prevent mismating where more than one connector pair of the same size and style is present in an assembly.

Polarize

See Polarization.

Polarized Mating Geometry

Polarization technique in which the shape of the connector ensures the correct mating of housing and header.

Polarizing Peg

In a power connector, a pin that orients and holds the header in place when the header is inserted into a PCB.

Polarizing Pin

A pin located on one half of a two-piece connector in such a position that by mating with an appropriate hole on the other half during assembly of the connector it will assure that only related connector halves can be assembled.

See also Polarization.

Polarizing Slot

A slot at the edge of a PCB that is used to assure proper insertion and location in a mating connector.

See also Polarization.

Polar Solvent

A solvent that can dissolve polar compounds, such as inorganic salts, but cannot dissolve non-polar compounds, such as hydrocarbons and resins. A polar solvent usually contains strong chemical polar groups, such as hydroxyl and carbonyl.

Pole

  1. An item that controls one path of the circuit.
  2. An output terminal of a switching device.
  3. A combination of NO and/or NC mating contacts.

Polyamide-Imide

A high temperature plastic with an aromatic structure that cures with heat to a linear amide-imide homopolymer. Because of its outstanding thermal stability and very good electrical properties polyamide-imide was introduced initially in magnet wire enamels and insulating varnishes.

Polybutadiene

A type of synthetic rubber that is often blended with other synthetic rubbers to improve their properties.

Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT)

Thermoplastic polyester insulator used for applications such as connector bodies and buffer tubing for optical fiber.

Polycarbonate

A mostly amorphous thermoplastic used in the connector industry that offers high impact strength over a wide temperature range.

Polyester

A thermoplastic material supplied in the form of yarns for servings and braids and film for wire wraps. Polyester is created from a saponification-type chemical polymerization. The film may also be used as a separator either under or over other insulations, for example, to protect fibrous strands from the penetrations of saturants, as well as for magnet strip interleaving. Generally, the polyesters are characterized by an excellent balance of strength, electrical and thermal properties. They contribute to considerable space savings in communication and other wires and cable. The films are used on both round conductors and in ribbon or flat cables. A colored, heat sealable material uses a polyester film base with a coating of polyethylene resin.

Polyethylene

A thermoplastic non-polar polyolefin material that has excellent electrical properties.

See also Polyofelins.

Polyimide

Available for wire insulation in both film form and as a magnet wire enamel. The resin is produced by reacting pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) with an aromatic diamine. The enamel can be used in application where a wire is required to operate a wide temperature range as high as 220º C. It is chemically inert and is radiation resistant. One polyimide in firm form, in combination with FEP film, is a heat sealable material that offers possibilities as a space and weight saving wire insulation. As a supplementary insulation, it improves cut-through and abrasion resistance. It possess very high heat resistance. There also is a use of polyimide coatings over extruded FEP and PTFE for increased cut-through resistance and potability without surface preparation.

Polymer

A substance made of many repeating chemical units or molecules. The term polymer is often used in place of plastic, rubber, or elastomer.

Polyofelins

A petrochemical family of plastics that includes cross-linked polyethylene and various ethylene propylene copolymers. Polyolefins are used as high speed laminated flat cable insulation and as a material of low dielectric constant.

Polyphenylene Sulfide Resin

A high temperature engineering resin used as an insulator in connector bodies.

Polypropylene

A thermoplastic in the polyolefin family, similar to polyethylene but stiffer and having higher softening point (temperature).

Polysulfone

A high temperature thermoplastic with excellent resistance to cut-through and abrasion. It has found use as wire insulation that resists harsh chemicals.

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)

This is the most thermally, stable and chemically resistant of all carbonaceous insulating compounds. It is unaffected by sunlight, moisture and practically all chemicals. Temperature range is -90º C to +250º C and electrical properties are very constant over the temperature range and a wide range of frequencies. Insulation may be applied by paste extrusion, taping, dip coating, and, in cases where another material is used, by dispersion coating. Both conventional and ribbon type wires and cables are made as well as magnet wire. PTFE is used for both primary insulation and extruded jackets. Paste extrusion extends the material as a blend of powder and naptha solvent. 

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

In fiber optics, a common and widely used synthetic thermoplastic resin that can be converted by heat and pressure into colorless sheets or films. Used for wire and cable insulations and jackets.

Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVF2)

This thermoplastic resin, a fluorocarbon, is characterized by good mechanical, electrical and chemical properties. In primary insulation and in jackets for multi-conductor cables, it has performed successfully at temperatures from -80º C to +300º F. The material can be extruded, applied as a film, or through solution or dispersion coating. PVF2 offers excellent resistance to abrasion and cut-through. Radiation cross-linking provides improved heat resistance. Applications include hook-up, control, aircraft, lead, and computer wires and cables.

Port

On connectors, an inlet/outlet. For example, a 4-port connector would have holes or apertures capable of accepting four connectors.

Positioner

A device attached to a crimping tool to position the conductor barrel between the indentors.

Position Keys

A polarization feature on Premium line RAST connectors in which molded keys are located on opposite sides of the locking latch.

Positive

An electrical state caused by a deficiency of electrons.

Positive Emitter Coupled Logic (PECL)

A technology for building logic gates very similar in characteristics to ECL with the exception that the power supply voltage is positive with respect to the ground reference.

Positive Latch

A latch that must be depressed in order to disengage it.

Positive Lock

A type of latch or locking mechanism used to hold a die set in an installation tool, or an insert in a connector shell, in such a way that the parts cannot be unlocked accidentally. Connectors with positive locking have a specially designed locking system, beyond the friction or detent type of locking found on standard connectors.

Positive Lock Connections

See Positive Lock.

Post

See Lead.

Post Insulate

To insulate a connection after assembly.

Post-and-Box

A two-piece board-to-board connector with a male assembly (post or header) attached to a motherboard and a female assembly (box) joined to the daughterboard.

Post-type Terminals

Fixed posts around which wire is wrapped and secured with a threaded nut, or over which a terminal, such as blade or tongue, is placed and secured.

POT

Thermoplastic, parallel, light duty cord. 300 in, 60º C.

Potentiometer

An electromechanical variable resistor that has a third terminal connected to a movable center contact. A three-terminal variable resistor. Used as a variable resistor or a variable voltage divider.

Potting

Sealing of a component (e.g. the cable end of a multiple contact connector) with a plastic compound or material to exclude moisture, prevent short circuits, and provide strain relief.

Potting Cup

An accessory that, when attached to the rear of a plug or receptacle, provides a pouring form for potting the wires and the wire entry end of the assembly.

Potting Mold

An item, solid or split, designed to be used as a hollow form into which potting compound is injected and allowed to cure or set to seal the back of an electrical connector.

Power

Amount of work per unit of time. Usually expressed in watts, and equal to VI or I2R or V2/R.

See also I2R.

Power Dissipation

Whenever current flows from a higher potential to a lower potential, such as through a motor, resistor or transistor, a certain amount of energy is given up. If this energy or power has not been converted to work (for example, by a motor) it is dissipated irreversibly, or wasted, in the form of heat.

Power Handling

The ability of transmission lines to deliver a certain amount of RF power without being damaged by excessive heating or dielectric breakdown.

Power Loss

The difference between the total power delivered to a circuit, cable, or device, and the power delivered by that device to a load.

Power Ratio

The ratio of power at the load to the input power. Expressed in db, it is equal to 10 Logl0 (P2/Pl), where P1 is input power and P2 is the power at the load.

Power Supplies

Circuits that connect electrical input power (AC or DC) into output power (AC or DC).

POXT

Same as POT, but 20 AWG, 125 in.

PPA

Polyphthalamide

PPM

Parts Per Million. A unit of measure used, among other things, to indicate the number of defective parts per million of parts. 

PPS

Polyphenylene Sulfide. Sometimes used for high temperature applications of SMT connectors.