From a high level, each circular connector consists of four main areas (Figures 1 and 2): 1. Contacts: The internal pins and sockets housed in the connector used to form the electrical connection. A mated pair consists of male contacts and female sockets. 2.Insulator: This component encapsulates the contacts and insulates them from each other and the connector shell. It also provides proper spacing of the contacts and holds them in the correct position. 3.Shell: As the outer cover of the connector, the shell protects the contacts and insulator while providing the alignment and connection mechanism for pairing two connector halves.
“M” simply calls out the size of the metric thread on the coupling nuts and mating receptacles, which gives us the common M5 (5 mm diameter fasteners), M8 (8 mm), and M12 (12 mm) connector types. M12 circular connectors and cables are arguably the most common type found as they are a global standard for the automotive industry.
As a whole, M-style connectors are further divided into several categories that define the keying and shape of the contact body to ensure properly mated connections. These designations and codes are defined as follows (Figure 3):
4.Accessories: These can include pins, keys, rings,
clamps, gaskets, and additional components utilized to guide, secure, position, and seal parts of the connector. Common circular connector designations and codes Perhaps the most well-recognized type of circular connector is the M-style standard utilized for connecting sensors and actuators in industrial network applications.
Figure 3: A general overview of the various interface options for M-style connectors. (Image source: Same Sky)
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