Annie,

I think you should follow the tried-and-true solution used by most small
computers/games consoles in the past -

    You make one end of your circuit board into an edge connector.
    You make your rugged screw terminal block and matching socket on a
separate, solid piece of circuit board.
    Put both pieces into pretty plastic cases that have nice, stress
eliminating guides moulded in and thru-bolts to lock them (the cases)
together.

Use a fixed font, like courier, to view this ascii art.


                _|----------------------------------|_
               | |----------------------------------| |- Bolt
               |_|----------------------------------|_|-
                 |  |-----------------------------| |
                 |  | O Terminal          |---| O | |
|------------------||   Block   |---|     | O |   | |
|                  || |------|  | O |     |---|   | |
| |---------------------|    |  |---|     | O |   | |
| | O                 --|    |  | O |     |---|   | |
| |                   --|    |  |---|     | O |   | |
| |                   --|    |  | O |     |---|   | |
| |    Your           --|    |  |---|     | O |   | |
| |    programable    --|    |  | O |     |---|   | |
| |    circuit        --|    |  |---|     | O |   | |
| |    board          --|    |  | O |     |---|   | |
| |                   --|    |  |---|     | O |   | |
| |                   --|    |  | O |     |---|   | |
| | O                 --|    |  |---|     | O |   | |
| |---------------------|    |  | O |     |---|   | |
|                  || |------|  |---|     | O |   | |
|------------------|| |         | O |     |---|   | |
                 |    | O       |---|           O | |
                _|    |---------------------------| |_
               | |----------------------------------| |- Bolt
               |_|----------------------------------|_|-
                 |----------------------------------|


Make the terminal block case bigger, thicker and screw mountable, it stays
in place and your programable module unscrews whenever required.  These
matching modules are available, in several sizes, from several manufacturers
and I think most end users will pay the (small) extra cost for a quality
easy disconnect.

This could lead to extra sales, multiple controller boxes that the end user
plugs in as desired. (Just like changing games on a play station . . .)  A
matching socket on your programer should make the whole thing much more
professional too.

Don't re-invent the wheel when bringing your control lines to the edge
connector either, use a known arrangement like the simmstick layout, wrapped
around if necessary.

Bye.


        -----Original Message-----
        From:   Mark Walsh [SMTP:mwalsh@USWEST.NET]
        Sent:   Wednesday, 21 July 1999 3:47
        To:     PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
        Subject:        Re: connectors on SMT boards

        >
        > I'm avoiding either ugly solution by using a connector
        > sold as a 2 part terminal block. The header IMC mounts
        > to the board. The screw terminal block plugs into this,
        > and they can be stacked with interlocking dovetails.
        >
        > So, my end user brings the wires togather, interlocks
        > the terminal block plugs, and plugs the whole mass into
        > the card.
        >
        >
        > --
        > Anniepoo

        Who is making surface mount pluggable terminal blocks?  About 18
months ago
        I couldn't find any.  Several manufacturers had them in catalogs,
but at
        that time I couldn't get a projected cost or delivery date.

        We sell oil field controls and these guys have a tendency to put
cheaters
        for more torque on their screw drivers when they tighten down on the
wires.
        If the connector isn't even attached to the board when they do it,
you
        shouldn't have problems with surface mount connectors.

        Mark Walsh