Amass DC power connectors

03.06.2020

Some electronic components are well known to even complete rookies, not to mention electronic engineers or technicians. They are so common that at some point we stop paying attention to them, even though we have never even thought of finding out the name of their manufacturer. A very good example of such products are the well-known XT30, XT60 or XT90 power connectors (plugs and sockets). Do you know the name of their manufacturer?

Amass has a wide portfolio of high-current connectors and accessories which are compatible with various types of batteries. The fact that the company’s headquarters are located in the same area where many Li-Ion and Li-Po battery manufacturers are seated is no doubt an asset here. During 18 years of its operation, Amass has become one of the leading manufacturers of connectors. The company's current portfolio includes more than 300 types of connectors: test connectors (measuring and test clips), banana connectors, panel-mounted automotive connectors and many others. Thanks to a significant increase in the use of lithium batteries, these XT type connectors used in numerous devices (including toys), offered by Amass in various versions, are particularly popular. The company’s products are exported to 63 countries and applied in products of companies such as Qinghua, Ponovo, Fluke, Mac Tool and others. You can find them virtually everywhere.

Battery connectors

The demand for rechargeable equipment has been growing in recent years. They require batteries with different voltages, capacities and drain rate. Problems related to their use increase with the current, because the voltage drop at the point of contact leads to the loss of power. This is important not only because of energy loss, but also due to the fact that the connector may overheat. The durability and stability of connection between the power source and the load is also very important for this type of connectors. Therefore, in many cases, typical DC connectors will not prove effective and may even cause damage to the device in which they are used. An example of such an application are multi-rotor drones, designed for various tasks – aerial filming, taking photographs and monitoring activities with the help of various sensors.

The range of connectors offered by Amass is exceptionally wide and it allows you to select the right product for each battery pack or power supply battery. Interestingly, even the smallest connectors, type XT30 (picture 1) or MR30 (picture 2), can be used in applications requiring continuous 15A current, while the "AS" series supports up to 90A! The high quality of the materials used and the stable production technology ensure that the final product meets even the highest requirements. With the exception of the so-called "banana" connectors, all of them are polarized and feature a clear "+" and "-" marking on the housing.

Minimal losses and optimum operating temperature

Amass connectors are developed with special care. The manufacturer pays attention to the appropriate selection of materials – not only those that are directly conductive, but also the connector housing, so that, within the permissible range of temperature exposure during soldering, the contacts do not melt from the housing, deform or oxidize. Contact surfaces are coated with a layer of gold, which gives the XT30 connector a resistance of only 0.70 mΩ, while in the case of XT90 it’s as low as 0.30 mΩ!

The offer includes a number of connector mounting options. These include sockets and plugs designed to be soldered into the board, mounted on the cable or on the device panel (e.g. XT60E-M connector shown in picture 3 and XT30G-F connector in picture 4).

Lithium battery connectors

Amass pays special attention to the very dynamic battery market. Here, very good quality, appropriate parameters and – more and more often - specialist workmanship are required. For example, connectors to the battery pack should often have additional monitoring contacts. Such solutions are available in the Amass product portfolio, e.g. ICX301 and XT90I connectors (pictures 5 and 6).

It is worth mentioning that all contacts of Amass connectors are gold-plated. The only exception is the AS250 type.