What is the most common wire-to-board connector pitch?

2.0 mm JST PH for low-current signals and small loads, and 2.5 mm JST XH for slightly higher current battery and power circuits. Both cover a wide range of consumer and industrial products and have a mature crimp tool ecosystem.

Can a 2.0 mm JST PH connector carry 2 A continuously?

JST specifies PH at 2 A AC/DC with 24 AWG in ideal conditions. Actual continuous current must be derated for contact count, ambient temperature, wire insulation and bundle geometry. Confirm the full derating curve in the PH datasheet for your specific configuration.

Is Molex Micro-Fit 3.0 a drop-in replacement for JST XH?

No. Micro-Fit 3.0 has a 3.0 mm pitch; JST XH has a 2.5 mm pitch. They are not footprint-compatible and require different PCB layouts, headers, terminals and crimp tooling. Both can serve 2–3 A and 5–8.5 A applications respectively, but they are not interchangeable.

When should I use IDC instead of crimp?

Use IDC for ribbon cable harnesses where terminations must be fast (2–3 s), the wire AWG and insulation thickness match the connector specification, and the joint will not be reworked. Crimp is preferred where mating cycles, vibration, gas-tight reliability, or mixed wire gauges are required.

Connector Basics

Wire-to-Board Connector Selection Guide: Complete Engineer’s Reference

August 20, 2026 5 min read

Tags:

#connector selection guide #engineering reference #wire-to-board

> Selection note: Current, temperature, wire range and mating-cycle figures are system-specific. Confirm the exact housing, terminal, header, wire and derating conditions in the manufacturer data sheet before release.

Quick Decision Matrix

If you need…	Choose This Type	Typical Pitch	Best For
Small signals, consumer device	JST PH / XH / SH	1.0–2.5mm	Sensors, motors, LEDs, drones
High current power (5–13A)	Molex Micro-Fit / Mini-Fit	3.0–4.2mm	Battery packs, power tools, industrial
Fast mass termination	IDC Connector	2.0/2.54mm	Ribbon cable, internal wiring
Prototype / breadboard	DuPont Header	2.54mm	Arduino, development, testing
Vibration / harsh environment	Locking / Latching W2B	2.0–3.0mm	Automotive, drones, industrial equipment
Wire-to-wire (not PCB)	In-line connector	Varies	Extension cables, harness splicing

1. The Four Termination Methods

Wire-to-board connectors differ primarily in how the wire attaches to the terminal:

Method	How It Works	Tool	Speed	Reliability	Cost
Crimp	Metal terminal crimped onto wire, inserted into housing	Crimp tool	Medium	Highest	Tool cost, low per-unit
IDC	Blade slices wire insulation, contacts conductor	IDC press	Fastest	Medium (not reworkable)	Lowest
Solder	Wire soldered directly to connector contact	Soldering iron	Slow	Good	Lowest per-unit
Screw clamp	Screw clamps wire (terminal block style)	Screwdriver	Slow	Good	Low

See Crimp vs IDC vs Solder for full comparison.

2. Key Selection Parameters

Parameter	What to Check
Pitch	Center-to-center pin spacing: 1.0, 1.25, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 4.2, 5.08mm
Current rating	Signal: 1–3A. Power: 5–13A (Micro-Fit/Mini-Fit). Match to load.
Wire size (AWG)	Connector terminal must accept your wire gauge (typically 20–28 AWG)
Locking / latch	Required for vibration or accidental pull-out
Polarization	Keyed housing prevents reverse insertion
Mating cycles	30 (consumer) to 500+ (industrial)
Housing material	PA66 (standard), LCP (high-temp/reflow), PBT
Plating	Tin (low-cost), gold (low resistance, many cycles)

3. Wire-to-Board Connector Families

JST Series (Consumer & Hobby Dominant)

The de facto standard for consumer electronics, drones, and hobby projects. Named by pitch:

JST Series	Pitch	Current	Common Use
SH	1.0mm	1A	Micro cameras, small flight controllers
GH	1.25mm	1A	Compact sensors, battery balance leads
ZH	1.5mm	1A	Small speakers, LCD modules
PH	2.0mm	2A	Most common — sensors, small motors, LEDs
XH	2.5mm	3A	Battery packs, servos, fans
RCY	2.5mm	3A	RC battery connectors
VH	3.96mm	7A	Power distribution, appliances

See JST Connector Types Guide for the full lineup.

Molex Micro-Fit / Mini-Fit (Power Dominant)

For applications needing >3A, Molex power connectors dominate:

Series	Pitch	Current (per circuit)	Use
Micro-Fit 3.0	3.0mm	5–8.5A	PC power, LED lighting, drones
Mini-Fit Jr	4.2mm	9–13A	ATX power, industrial, power tools
Mega-Fit	5.7mm	23–26A	High-power, battery, appliances

See Molex Micro-Fit & Mini-Fit Guide.

IDC Connectors (Mass Termination)

Insulation displacement connectors terminate ribbon cable without stripping — blades slice through insulation to contact the conductor.

Series	Pitch	Circuits	Use
2.54mm IDC (box header)	2.54mm	10–64	Internal wiring, PC cables
2.00mm IDC	2.0mm	10–40	Compact internal wiring
D-sub IDC	2.77mm	9–37	Serial/parallel ports

DuPont Connectors (Prototyping)

2.54mm single-pin housings that slide onto pin headers. Not a production connector — no locking, loose retention.

4. Selection Flowchart

“`
Need wire-to-board connection?
│
├── Prototype / temporary → DuPont header (2.54mm)
│
├── Consumer product, low current (<3A)
│ ├── Small / high density → JST (PH/XH/SH by pitch)
│ └── Battery / power → JST XH or RCY
│
├── Power, >3A
│ ├── 5–8A → Molex Micro-Fit 3.0
│ ├── 9–13A → Molex Mini-Fit Jr
│ └── >20A → Mega-Fit or terminal block
│
├── Mass termination (ribbon cable) → IDC connector
│
├── Vibration / automotive → Locking W2B (latch or screw)
│
└── High reliability / many cycles → Gold-plated crimp connector
“`

5. GSConn Wire-to-Board Portfolio

Verified Brand Model Examples (for BOM starting points)

The following are real manufacturer part numbers, included to make the guide actionable. They are examples, not cross-reference claims; validate footprint, keying, plating and approved wire range before substitution.

Requirement	Manufacturer example	Typical set to verify
Compact 2-circuit signal connection	JST PH	`PHR-2` receptacle housing + `SPH-002T-P0.5S` female terminal + matching PH header
2.5 mm balance / low-power connection	JST XH	`XHP-2` housing + `SXH-001T-P0.6` terminal + `B2B-XH-A` header
1.0 mm high-density connection	JST SH	`SHR-02V-S` housing + `SSH-003T-P0.2-H` terminal + `BM02B-SRSS-TB` header
3.0 mm positive-lock power connection	Molex Micro-Fit 3.0	`43045-0200` receptacle housing + `43025-0200` terminal + `43650-0200` header
4.2 mm power connection	Molex Mini-Fit family	Select the Mini-Fit Jr/TPA2 housing, terminal and header as one approved system; rating varies with terminal and wire
10-way 0.050 in ribbon cable	3M IDC 891	`89110-0101HA` socket; confirm the matching header and cable construction

Official sources: JST PH, JST XH, JST SH, Molex Mini-Fit, 3M 891 Series.

Series	Type	Pitch	Current	Compatible With
W2B-PH	Crimp	2.0mm	2A	JST PH footprint
W2B-XH	Crimp	2.5mm	3A	JST XH footprint
W2B-SH	Crimp	1.0mm	1A	JST SH footprint
W2B-MF3	Crimp	3.0mm	8A	Molex Micro-Fit 3.0
W2B-MJ42	Crimp	4.2mm	13A	Molex Mini-Fit Jr
W2B-IDC	IDC	2.54mm	1A	Box header standard
W2B-LK	Crimp + latch	2.0–3.0mm	3A	Locking, vibration-proof

When specifying a GSConn or any alternative part, include the original and proposed housing, terminal and header on the validation plan. Approve substitution only after drawing comparison, fit/mate testing, pull testing, temperature-rise review and applicable compliance review.

Related reading:

Related GSConn guides

Related reading on GSConn that complements wire-to-board-selection-guide: