Want to upgrade CP to Molex cables

[pmc]

Removable control panel. 2-Player IPAC in the cabinet. 26-total (current) switch positions on the cabinet (6-buttons per player, two JS, coin&start 1/2, pause and exit).

I used an (internal) SCSI cable when I built the cab last summer. Works fine, but the wires are pretty small and hard to work with. They also want to jiggle loose sometimes. I've got plenty of space for expansion given that I have 50-pins to work with. Connect/disconnect is easy to execute.

I used butt connectors to connect the wires from from my microswitches to the stripped ends of the SCSI cable. They can sometimes (rarely) jiggle loose too.

I want to upgrade to something more "industrial". Something that isn't susceptable to bumps and jiggles. Something I can beat on but still have confidence in the integrity of the connections. I was thinking Molex, but don't know much about it.

I did some searching here. Looks like those rectangular 15-pin jobs would do it. That'd give me 30-total pins if I used two of them. I was thinking about using heat-shrink tubing instead of butt connectors. That should make it near bulletproof, eh?

Where to buy them? Is the 15-pin thing the most appropriate? Bob Roberts seems to sell lots of variations and I'm not sure what to buy (headers versus housings, pin extractors, etc.). Do they come with the wires sticking out of them or do I have to "install" each pin and wire manually?

I'm near You Do It Electronics in Needham MA -- do they carry 'em? I figured that Rat Shack would only carry the 4-pin PC power supply models but I haven't gone browsing yet.

Thanks in advance and sorry if these was discussed ad-nauseum here! I did some searching and learned alot. But not enough to place an order with any amount of confidence.

- pmc

[Dave_K.]

I use two 15pin molex connectors (one for each player side).  Works great for me since I use console pad hacks (DC and PS2) and just swap out the contollers.  Should be fine for wiring both to a single ipac.  And yes, it comes with the pin seperately so you intsall only the pins you use.  I didn't go with tubing, I just used small ties to bundle up my wires.  Still looks fairly clean.

[Minwah]

I used 12-way Molex connectors - they are very good, although in my limited testing so far I find they are a little difficult to get apart (maybe because mine are new + hardly used?).  I had to use a small screwdriver to gently prise them apart...

[pmc]

I use two 15pin molex connectors (one for each player side).  Works great for me since I use console pad hacks (DC and PS2) and just swap out the contollers.  Should be fine for wiring both to a single ipac.  And yes, it comes with the pin seperately so you intsall only the pins you use.  I didn't go with tubing, I just used small ties to bundle up my wires.  Still looks fairly clean.

That looks really nice. I have the samle application (adding a Dreamcast soon and also a spinner/trackball CP later). One 15-pin for each side will give me 30 so I'm good for the total number of inputs.

I like the way you run clean from microswitch to molex connector. I have to splice in the middle. I cut all my wires coming from the microswitches at the edge of my CP and wired to the SCSI cable there. So if I put the Molex connector that that point, it'd be difficult to get to. I need to have the Molex connector haning down from the CP by 1/2 to 1 foot (the current length of the SCSI cable). So I expect to have to install a Molex connector with 1.5 foot of extra wire and splice the wires together with butt connectors, a barrier strip, or shrink tubing. There's no room for barrier strips and you already know how much I dislike the butt connectors.

So I need several of those connectors (male and female side) plus the pins. Where to get them? Do I need special tools? Special wire gauge?

Maybe I'll take a couple of pics tonight to post. Maybe it's OK the way it is (nah).

[TalkingOctopus]

So I need several of those connectors (male and female side) plus the pins. Where to get them? Do I need special tools? Special wire gauge?

I recently added a dreamcast to my cab using molex connectors.  I got them at radioshack.  They came in packs of 2 - 1 male, 1 female.  They come with the pins.  They required assembly.  I had to solder the a to the metal connector that goes into every hole of the molex connector.  Then I had to jam the connector in the proper plastic hole.  That's it really.  No special tools needed other than a soldering iron.  I used some helping hands to hold the small metal connectors.  I used 22 gauge wire.

Good luck!

[Minwah]

I recently added a dreamcast to my cab using molex connectors.  I got them at radioshack.  They came in packs of 2 - 1 male, 1 female.  They come with the pins.  They required assembly.  I had to solder the a to the metal connector that goes into every hole of the molex connector.  Then I had to jam the connector in the proper plastic hole.  That's it really.  No special tools needed other than a soldering iron.  I used some helping hands to hold the small metal connectors.  I used 22 gauge wire.

I got my Molex connectors from Happ since I was ordering some other stuff from there.  The pins were designed for crimping with a special crimping tool - I didn't have one so I crimped using long nose pliers and then soldered.  One of the first ones I crimped (without soldering) pulled out pretty easily, so I decided soldering was a must.  I used 24 gauge FWIW...

[Fat-Johnny]

I got my Molex connectors from Happ since I was ordering some other stuff from there.

FWIW, I am an electrical technician by trade, and work with electronics engineers who prototype stuff all the time.  When they are making prototypes, they need Molex connectors and stuff all the time.  All you need to do is log onto Molex website, find what you need, and request "free samples" of stuff.

I remember when I was fixing my pinball, it used Molex headers and connectors.  I found what I needed online, and requested 3 or 4 of each thing (about 5 or 6 things).  Molex makes you fill out a little form including your place of business (I used "FJ Amusement Repair") and in about a week, there was a package in my mailbox at home with 4 plugs, 60 pins, 4 headers of one type, and 4 headers of another type.......all for FREE!!!  Free samples are the way to go!!

Try it,
FJ

[pmc]

I recently added a dreamcast to my cab using molex connectors.  I got them at radioshack.  They came in packs of 2 - 1 male, 1 female.  They come with the pins.  They required assembly.  I had to solder the a to the metal connector that goes into every hole of the molex connector.  Then I had to jam the connector in the proper plastic hole.  That's it really.  No special tools needed other than a soldering iron.  I used some helping hands to hold the small metal connectors.  I used 22 gauge wire.

Good luck!

Thanks. I had a friend scope them out in the electronics shop this morning (he was there for something else). He described what you describe. He found two varieties for two different gauges of wire. I was suprised to hear that they were $5 to $7 per set. I saw them on Bob Roberts' site for way cheaper. I'll check out Rat Shack as you suggest (I can't wait to have the discussion with the sales clerk  ).

[beek]

I'm currently building mine using network cables and cat5 keystone jacks.  8 wires per plug so I need four cables for 31 inputs and a ground.  Very quick and easy to hookup.  Get the colored cables and keystone jacks to make it idiot proof. I got all the cables and jacks from newegg.  

[Gideon]

What's going on?  I thought most people used quick disconnects.  Is there a type of terminal for those as well?  Why use molex connectors instead of quick disconnects?

[TalkingOctopus]

What's going on?  I thought most people used quick disconnects.  Is there a type of terminal for those as well?  Why use molex connectors instead of quick disconnects?

Quick disconnects and molex connectors are used for different appilcations.  QCD's are used for the microswitch terminals of a pushbutton.  Molex connectors can be used to hookup your arcade controls to multiple systems.  My arcade controls plug into either a Dreamcast or the computer keyboard encoder via molex connectors.  However, all of the terminals are connected with QCD's.

[Gideon]

I understand, but I was wondering if there was an equivalent one of these for quick disconnects.  If there were, then molex connectors would be unnecessary.

[Minwah]

I understand, but I was wondering if there was an equivalent one of these for quick disconnects.  If there were, then molex connectors would be unnecessary.

Not really, Molex connectors or similar mean you only have to unplug/plug 1 (ok or 2 or 3, depending how it's done) thing.  If I understand you correct, using one of those terminal blocks with say 30 connectors on it would mean unplugging / plugging 30 quick disconnects - this would be  , it would take ages and the chance of plugging something in wrong would be infinately higher.  Remember most people who have swappable panels want to be able to swap in the shortest time possible (like 1 or 2 minutes)...

[Gideon]

Oops.  I think I've asked the wrong question.  Maybe I don't understand what a molex connector is.  I was assuming that it's a brand name for a type of connection that looks like this:

O

on the end.  Whereas, quick disconnects look like this:
  _    _
(____)

But, it seems that molex connectors are actually the male/female plastic blocks as shown in Dave_K's pic.  I want to know if blocks exist just like those, only with quick disconnect ends (quick disconnect->quick disconnects).  The type of connection doesn't matter, right?

Also, I linked to a misleading pic in my above post.  Sorry.  I kind of grabbed that quickly.

[Minwah]

Oops.  I think I've asked the wrong question.  Maybe I don't understand what a molex connector is.  I was assuming that it's a brand name for a type of connection that looks like this:

O

on the end.  Whereas, quick disconnects look like this:
  _    _
(____)

But, it seems that molex connectors are actually the male/female plastic blocks as shown in Dave_K's pic.  I want to know if blocks exist just like those, only with quick disconnect ends (quick disconnect->quick disconnects).  The type of connection doesn't matter, right?

Also, I linked to a misleading pic in my above post.  Sorry.  I kind of grabbed that quickly.

Oh I think I see what you mean now...I don't think such a thing is available - even if it is it wouldn't be very good as it would need to be MASSIVE in order to accomodate X amount of separate connectors without being too close as to touch.  Whereas with a Molex the pins are pretty tiny so you can squeeze loads of them into a small plastic block.

Since you have to crimp or solder connectors to the end of wires anyway it wouldn't be any easier / benefot to use a quick disconnect type of connecting block anyway.

[Gideon]

Oh.  I thought so.  Too bad...

On the other hand, you're right; the connector type doesn't matter, and quick disconnect terminals would be huge.  I just wanted to be able to use one type of connector for everything.

[Gideon]

Okay, it's been over a month, and I've got another question regarding Molex connectors:  Can you pull the damn things out?  What I mean to say is, once you jam a connector into the Molex terminal, is it designed to be able to come back out?  How?

Trust me.  If you pull on it, the wire would sooner snap than the connector come out of the terminal (at least, in my experience).

[SirPeale]

Sure, you need a Molex pin extraction tool.  Available @ the Rat Shack for $6.99.  I only know this because I piced one up two days ago.

[Gideon]

Excellent!  Sounds... too good to be true, actually.  I'll get one soon.