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XLR Connector Ampacity

volksman33

Jun 26, 2011
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Jun 26, 2011
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Does anyone know how much current can be pumped through a single pin on a 5 Pin XLR connector? thanx
 

daddles

Jun 10, 2011
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Jun 10, 2011
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No, but you can estimate it by some measurements. A few months ago I did this for BNC connectors, as there are no specs for BNC power dissipation (i.e., the actual power you can dissipate in the connector). The pins, sockets, and pin-to-socket connection's resistances will be down in the milliohm or sub-milliohm region. The limiter of the connection is probably the wire that is used in the connector, not the connector; this is the case with the typical RG-58/U coax used with BNC connectors. Get a constant current power supply and measure the temperature rise of the connector body with an IR thermometer as a function of current. Use your engineering judgment as to what's an acceptable temperature rise. For the BNC/coax, I decided that I would limit my BNC cables to 5 A continuous DC current, but would allow 10 A for short periods (say, a minute or two).
 

Resqueline

Jul 31, 2009
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If you're referring to the good old "massive" pin with solder bucket types then here are some common/ general spec's:

Rated current per contact @ 35°C:
3 pole: 16A (max 12 AWG)
4 pole: 10A (max 16 AWG)
5 & 6 pole: 7.5A (max 18 AWG)
7 pole: 5A

Contact resistance: ≤ 3mΩ

Rated Voltage: 50 or 250V AC (depends on brand)

Switchcraft brand seems to be rated a bit lower:
Current Rating (Carry Only): 5A, 125 VAC (4A, 125 VAC on 5 circuit) based on 30°C maximum.
 
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