New Industry Products

Poke-In Connectors for Smart Home Wall-Mounted Devices

August 30, 2018 by Paul Shepard

TE Connectivity has introduced BUCHANAN WireMate Two-Piece Poke-In connectors to provide designers with a three-directional mounting solution for wall-mounted devices. The product features a panel mounted, poke-in style terminal block and a mating blade-style header to be attached to the PCB in the device.

This two-piece combination allows for installation mounting to be "push-on" (into the wall), "slide-on" (along the wall), and "twist-on" (rotating along the wall or ceiling).

Applications such as thermostats and smoke detectors can be flexibly mounted in any direction now. TE's new connector design allows a more convenient installation also for smart-enabled devices like control panels, security system interfaces, access controls and environmental monitors, among others.

"The new BUCHANAN WireMate connectors are easy to use, even for novice installers," says Ryan Hill, product manager for TE's Industrial business unit. "The connectors are mounted on a wall plate, with the wires routed through an opening in the wall. The installer strips the wires of insulation and simply pokes them into the terminal block device, achieving a reliable termination without the use of a screwdriver or other tooling."

There is a clear point of entry for wire insertion. Extracting the wires is just as easy, since an innovative lever design allows for the release of one wire at a time. A flat connector surface is reserved for wire marking or color coding to create a simple and fast installation experience.

BUCHANAN WireMate connectors are available between two and eight positions and with centerlines of 5mm or 8mm. They have a current rating of 5A (18 AWG wiring) or 3A (20-24 AWG); all have a 250-Vac voltage rating.

Contacts are made in a tin-plated copper alloy. Headers are injection molded in a high temperature-resistant, flame retardant (UL94 V-0) liquid crystal plastic (LCP), and housings are in a PBT thermoplastic polyester.