Connectors

[phil-barrett]

Currently (Dec 22, 2023), the board is designed to use a 2x2 right angle pin header. The selection of this was an expediency. I am thinking of switching to a USB connector.

Pro:

• Easy to source cables.
• Doesn't require building a cable.
• Simple to understand.
• Hard to incorrectly plug in.

Con:

• The connector takes up more board space and may be a challenge.
• Requires a special connector setup on the non-Probe end (though USB cable breakout boards are available from the likes of Sparkfun, Adafruit and even Amazon).
• The non-Probe USB connector could damage a USB device if greater than 5V power is used.

I would love to hear people's thoughts on this.

[whiskeyblacksmith]

I think USB would be better than the current pins. Unless the probe is supplying power, there really wouldn't be any issues with the USB causing damage as long as you follow the standard USB pin out.

Personally, I would rather see something more robust than USB such as an M8 connector. A connector like this would also improve how waterproof the probe is as well. I know a lot of cheap probes have issues with coolant getting inside of them and shorting out the electronics.

M8 cables are also readily available in whatever length you want and with flying leads on one end. This means users could wire in whatever connector they needed for their machine.

https://www.mouser.com/new/amphenol/amphenol-m8-90-pcb-connectors/