I have a PCB that needs 5V input and I want to plug my contraption(PCB + battery in a housing) into a USB power receptacle. The housing has a male USB A plug popping out perpendicular to the PCB and I am trying to look for a connector to connect the male USB A connections to my PCB. I am not entirely sure what such a connector is called. Do you have any suggestions on how to get power to my PCB from the USB?
EDIT: This illustrates it better I guess
-
1\$\begingroup\$ Could you be a bit more specific? Which housing has "male USB A"? Where is your "USB power receptacle"? Where do you expect the power from? A "contraption" definitely needs more elaboration. Schematic and/or pictures please. \$\endgroup\$– Ale..chenskiJul 17, 2018 at 23:15
-
1\$\begingroup\$ If it's not on PCB, then what will it be on? \$\endgroup\$– Nick AlexeevJul 17, 2018 at 23:32
-
1\$\begingroup\$ Still unclear what you are asking about. Is it for power only, or USB data is involved? If you are asking how to wire a male plug embedded to your housing to some inner PCB, just solder two wires. If you need this connection detachable, any two-pin connector will do the job. Where is the problem? \$\endgroup\$– Ale..chenskiJul 17, 2018 at 23:50
-
1\$\begingroup\$ Also the whole idea of this contraption is confusing. Do you plan to plug the whole thingy into USB/laptop port directly? \$\endgroup\$– Ale..chenskiJul 17, 2018 at 23:54
-
1\$\begingroup\$ Typically what people who are doing this do is get a wiremount connector and capture it in the housing details, or else put an additional small PCB there to host a PCB mount connector, possibly vertical rather than right angle. \$\endgroup\$– Chris StrattonJul 17, 2018 at 23:58
2 Answers
Okay. The vertical-mount Type-A plug doesn't exist to my experience. You have two basic options:
- Use a right-angle cable, cut it, and solder wires to your PCB. You may need some mechanical attachment of the right-angle end to your enclosure, glue or something.
- Use a surface-mount Type-A plug,
and fit it vertically. You might need to place your PCB closer to the bottom wall of your enclosure, and make some mechanical reinforcement like an additional square metal housing, solder the housing to PCB, and to few spots on the USB plug shroud.
If you are not using data communication then how you connect the plug to PCB is absolutely not important, assuming the wires you use can carry the current and are flexible enough to not break when plug moves in-out.
If you don't want to simply solder the wires to PCB you can use any connector salvaged from old electronic devices, for example cooling fan plug and corresponding pin header from motherboard.
As for actual plug, I'd like to suggest using any cheap USB memory stick like on the photos below. Pop it open, solder your wires, make sure they move freely. Then glue the memory stick inside your enclosure so that it becomes part of the "contraption". This way you won't have to invent your own "popping-out" mechanism.