ENGINEERING GUIDE

Find your connection.

Starting from electrical load and installation conditions, determine cable, sealing and maintenance method together.

01

Define electrical requirements

Provide working voltage, current, pin count, and power or signal purpose; verify rated parameters against the specific model.

02

Confirm the mounting method.

Distinguish cable-to-cable mating, panel mounting, and field assembly; determine the mating part, cutout, and rear-end space in combination with the drawings.

03

Matching cable

Check conductor cross section and cable outer diameter separately; confirm cable length, flexibility requirements, exit direction, and termination form.

04

Corresponding operating environment

Define rain, immersion, washdown, UV, salt spray, temperature, and other conditions first, then match materials, sealing, and verification items.

Start parameter selection

Common technical questions.

Under what conditions is IP67 effective?

IP67 indicates dust protection and short-term immersion protection under specified conditions. The connector typically requires the correct mating part, completed assembly and locking; the cable entry and panel seal must also meet model requirements. Protection in the unmated state must be confirmed separately.

Can IP67 be used for long-term underwater operation or high-pressure washdown?

These two conditions require separate verification. Short-term immersion, long-term immersion, and high-pressure washing use different test conditions. Provide the engineering team with water depth, duration, temperature, medium, and cleaning method, and select a configuration with corresponding verification documentation.

Why verify both conductor cross section and cable outer diameter?

Conductor cross section, expressed in mm² or AWG, is used to match the terminal's termination capacity; cable outer diameter, expressed in mm, is used to match the rear clamping and sealing structure. Cables with the same conductor cross section may differ in outer diameter due to pin count, insulation, or jacket, so both items must be checked separately.

How should the cable be selected?

First confirm working voltage, current, contact count, and cable length, then verify the conductor range of the selected terminal and the outer diameter range of the seal. The jacket material should also match fixed or moving installation, bending, temperature, and media conditions. LLT can evaluate the cable and connector together.

Field assembly vs. molded cable assemblies: how to choose?

Field assembly makes it easy to set the length to actual routing; molded cable assemblies complete cable length, wiring, and end structure in advance. Choose based on on-site cable routing space, maintenance approach, and volume assembly process, and verify the termination methods supported by the specific model.

What should I pay attention to when installing a waterproof connector?

With power off, verify the mating part and contact positions, and complete stripping and termination per the model drawing; keep the sealing surface clean, confirm the seal is in place, then lock as specified. After completion, check wiring, clamping and assembly status, and verify per the project process. Torque and stripping dimensions follow the documentation for the corresponding model.

Can connectors both called M8, M12 or M16 be mated with each other?

It cannot be determined from the series name alone. Mating requires verifying interface dimensions, threaded or locking structure, coding, pin count, pin positions and the mating model. For industrial communication, shielding and transmission requirements must also be confirmed. Please rely on the drawings of both parties and on validation results.

How can contacts and plating be selected?

LLT uses solid phosphor bronze contacts and can evaluate plating configurations based on environmental and contact requirements. A gold plating thickness of 2 microinches equals 0.0508 microns; the specific plating, applicable models, and verification conditions should be stated in the product requirements.

Do UV and salt-spray durations represent service life?

Test duration describes performance under the stated conditions and cannot be converted directly into field service life. The company-provided applicable configuration figures are UV resistance ≥1,000 hours and salt spray ≥480 hours. Some higher nickel-plated and gold-plated configurations use maintained electrical performance after testing as the criterion; verify corresponding models and test conditions against the reports.

Are UL 94 V-0 and UL product certification the same thing?

UL 94 V-0 is a flammability rating for plastic materials and must be verified against the specific material grade, applicable thickness and other conditions. The UL certification scope of a connector product must be checked in the certification documents for the corresponding model. Selecting a material with a UL Yellow Card does not automatically mean the finished product is certified.

How do I confirm product certifications and compliance documentation?

Please provide the target model, application and sales market. LLT provides UL 2238, UL 1977, CE, TÜV, SAA and related documentation for applicable SKUs; actual coverage is subject to the corresponding certificates, declarations or test documents.

What information is needed for a custom cable harness?

Provide the interface drawing or mating model, pin count and wiring definition, working voltage and current, cable length and tolerance, cable outer diameter and material, branch locations, cable exit direction, termination treatment, and environmental and verification requirements. Existing samples or drawings can also serve as the starting point for engineering evaluation.