We have switched exclusively to these, or as staff likes to call them, the 'butterfly connectors' (look at the tag connect connector foot print with the holes, it looks like a butterfly). In the manufacturing side, we use the version with the side clips in the automated test environment since our boards are connector heavy and they don't lend themselves to a pogo pin arrangement, so we plug a lot of connectors into the baords and then push 'start' on the automated test system. The clip part slowly breaks off, probably after several hundred insertions if you are careful. Once they've broken off, you can use them as a no-clip version so I've started using the pin clips when doing r&d with the ones that the manufacturing side slowly destroy by breaking the clips off of the side of the connector (We probably go through about 6-7 a year on the manufcaturing side, but still a lot cheaper than connectorizing every board, or figuring out a pogo fixture). I was talking with the inventor of these at a show somewhere, and he mentioned that people have now figured out that you can actually do a two-sided pattern where you have the pads on both sides of the board, and then insert the clips from either side. Takes a couple of external vias, etc. He mentioned people will mount a connector upside down in a test jig and use them that way. On Mon, Jan 29, 2018 at 8:53 PM, Brent Brown wrote: > These look cool, don't think I've seen them mentioned on the PIClist > before: > > http://www.tag-connect.com/catalog/5 > http://www.tag-connect.com/tag-connect-pinout-specifications > > "Microchip ICD / ICSP Tag-Connect 6-pin Cables with RJ12 Modular Plug for > use > with Microchip ICD and compatible debuggers and programmers." > > "Tag-Connect uses tried and tested pogo-pins (spring-pins) to make a > reliable > electrical connection - a connection you can trust - for as long as is > required." > > Hope it works like it should... have designed into a project now, will be > able to offer > more of an opinion soonish. I went for the "No-Legs" version (takes less > PCB area, > but also more likely to work better with the extra thick PCB I'm using). > Will use the > optional retaining clip during program dev/debug: > http://www.tag-connect.com/accessories. > > Available from DigiKey and elelment14. Not cheap, but soon becomes good > value > as PCB volume increases, given zero component cost per PCB. > > For production runs (50 ~ 100 or so) I may make a small jig to hold thing= s > in place. > I'm thinking a routed outline in a piece of wood to locate the PCB, and a > toggle > clamp/lever/thing to lower the programming plug into place and hold a > little pressure > on it. > > -- > http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive > View/change your membership options at > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist > --=20 *Forrest Christian* *CEO**, PacketFlux Technologies, Inc.* Tel: 406-449-3345 | Address: 3577 Countryside Road, Helena, MT 59602 forrestc@imach.com | http://www.packetflux.com --=20 http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .