Orners Corner

There are many situations in electronics design where assemblies must be mechanically secured while maintaining spacing or offset between boards and modules. Traditional header connectors often provide the electrical connection, but additional clips, latches, or mounting hardware are still required to keep the assembly secure.

This project demonstrates a compact and highly effective solution that combines both the mechanical mounting and electrical connection into a single reusable assembly.

The method uses a miniature banana plug together with a standard threaded standoff to create a durable pluggable spacer system that has proven reliable over repeated assembly and disassembly cycles.

The parts used are a miniature banana plug, specifically the Keystone Electronics #451, combined with a suitable 6-32 threaded standoff.

The banana plug threads directly into the standoff while the tip portion fits securely into a mating standoff, creating a convenient detachable mechanical connection.

Standard 6-32 hardware, including PEM nuts or threaded inserts, can be used for panel or PCB attachment. The resulting assembly is compact, inexpensive, durable, and highly reusable.

Beyond PCB spacing applications, this technique is also useful for temporary fixtures, clamping assemblies, holding components during epoxy curing, or any application requiring quick-release alignment and compression.