Is there something like a banana plug that will fit in a 30mil or 50mil through hole test point?

Question

I am developing a cost sensitive product. The printed circuit boards need to be programmed and tested. It seems like a waste of money to put a programming/test connector on the board just to use it only once.

Ideally, I would just put down some through hole test points spaced 50 mils or 100 mils apart, plug something into it, and then remove that device when I am done programming/testing.

Is there some kind of connector that has little spring contacts that fit in a 30 mil or 50 mil through hole test point? Something like a row of really tiny banana jacks?

Over the years I recall having seen various crimp connector pins with springy contacts that probably would fit into holes on the order of 50 mils or so, but I can't recall what they were called and if I have ever seen them arranged into something like a single row 100 mil connector strip.

I know pogo-pins exist, but those are meant to press against a SMD pad. I would need to build a fixture for that to work, and I want to avoid that unless I have to. Something that just plugs into the holes seems like it would be simpler.

Answer 1

One commercial system is called Tag-Connect (https://www.tag-connect.com/). You lay out pads and holes in a specified pattern on your PCB and then a special connector snaps into the holes with pogo-like-pins to connect to the pads.

Note: I have no personal experience with this system.

Answer 2

There are few options:

• Clips with test fixture probes that you clip on the PCB.
• Tag connect ( that @DoxyLover mentioned)
• Card edge plugs (my site), but you have to provide traces on the edge of the PCB
• Plain pads with holes on the PCB, into which you insert a pin strip with a cable whose weight forces the pins to lean and make a nice contact with the pads (I believe this is the most common solution)
• The RedFit SKEDD is great, but not rated for many cycles.