A board connector is used to establish an electrical and mechanical connection between two or more PCBs or between a PCB and external components. It enables modularity, simplifies assembly, and allows easy maintenance or upgrades in electronic systems.

Common types of board connectors include:

• Board-to-Board (B2B) – connects two PCBs directly
• Wire-to-Board – connects cables to PCBs
• Card Edge Connectors – interface at the edge of a PCB
• Backplane Connectors – high-speed, high-density interconnects in systems like servers and routers

Contacts: Copper alloys like phosphor bronze or brass

• Plating: Gold or tin, depending on cost and performance needs
• Housing: High-temperature thermoplastics such as LCP or PBT
• Locks/Latches: Engineering plastics like POM (Delrin)

Pitch refers to the distance between the centers of adjacent pins or contacts in the connector. Common pitches include 0.4 mm, 0.8 mm, 1.0 mm, 2.0 mm, and 2.54 mm.

Consider the following:

• Required pin count and pitch
• Mounting type (SMT or THT)
• Electrical rating (current/voltage)
• Mating orientation (vertical, right-angle, stacking)
• Operating environment (temperature, vibration, moisture)