Panel receptacle
Record jam-nut or flange mount, panel thickness, rear termination and the gasket the drawing calls out. A photo of a similar shell does not set the cutout.
Independent sourcing partner
Industrial circular connector briefs before factory quotes
US procurement teams, panel builders and system integrators can send shell size, coding, contact count, termination and destination so LinkScope Sourcing 37 asks plants for wholesale quotations on one written basis. The desk is not a connector plant and does not publish stock.
- 01 Shell family and thread or bayonet lock copied from the drawing
- 02 Coding or keying left blank when the drawing is silent
- 03 Current in amperes and voltage in volts tied to the contact, not the cable jacket
- 04 Mating-cycle count recorded with the test method if the drawing states one
- 05 Quantity, US destination and requested timing kept beside the commercial columns
Lifecycle checks before a plant is named
Each row is a buyer action. A blank cell stays blank until a named model answers it. TIA-568 can frame a cabling question; it does not approve a circular shell.
| Stage | Buyer writes | Plant must answer |
|---|---|---|
| Capture | Host, panel cutout, cable jacket and whether the part is a plug, receptacle or PCB header | Exact manufacturer and model used for the response |
| Interface | Contact count, pitch if stated, coding, and wire gauge or PCB footprint | Deviations from the pin map, including spare contacts |
| Ratings | Current, voltage, temperature window and ingress protection code if the drawing states them | Test basis, sample size and whether the code applies to the mated pair |
| Quote | Quantity, currency, per-piece or whole-order budget if you have one, Incoterm preference and US destination | Freight, duties, tooling, plating upcharge and excluded accessories |
| Evidence | Datasheet, drawing revision and sealing or plating records you need before acceptance | Files bound to that model, not a family brochure |
| Incoming | Who checks pinout, plating color and thread fit on arrival | Pack marking, date code and inspection offer |
Families a brief can name without implying stock
Use these rows to tell plants which mechanical form you are buying. They are inquiry labels inside Connectors and Terminals. Search volume is not assigned to these labels.
Cable plug
State overmold versus field-wireable, conductor count, shield drain and jacket rating. If insertion loss or return loss belongs to the cable plant, put that in a separate cable note so the connector quote stays mechanical.
PCB header
Copy footprint, standoff height, locating pegs and whether the header is shielded. Impedance, when the pair is a defined signal, is a question for the proposed layout, not a desk measurement.
Sealed metal shell
Write the ingress protection code and the mating condition used in the test. An unstated spray claim is not the same as a coded test on the mated pair. Connector mating cycle life stays in its own cell.
Questions the RFQ should already answer
What does the buyer prepare?
Prepare connector family, contact count, coding, termination method, current and voltage, plating, ingress protection, wire or board interface, quantity, US destination and requested timing. Mark unknown cells instead of guessing a plating thickness or a mating-cycle number.
How does supplier matching work?
The desk sends the same brief to plants that can quote that mechanical family. Each reply must name the model. Matching stops when the pin map, sealing basis or commercial scope diverges. No plant is presented as pre-approved.
Can a target budget be included?
Yes. State an amount or a range, the currency, and whether it is per piece or for the whole order. High-end, mid-range, budget or undecided is a buyer preference for documentation and commercial posture. It is not a rating this desk has verified, and you do not need an existing quotation to write it.
What should stay out of the connector price?
Keep contacts sold separately, backshells, sealing caps, freight, duties and incoming inspection as their own lines. Comparing a bare shell with a fully terminated whip mixes two scopes.
Which files are requested after a model is named?
Ask for the current datasheet, the drawing revision, plating notes and the sealing test that matches the quoted part. Applicable electrical safety or equipment-authorization files are requested when the installation needs them. This desk does not issue those files.
Read the procurement brief, then compare inquiry rows or send the requirement.
Copy numeric cells from the drawing you hold, for example 3 contacts or 4 contacts, 4 A per contact, 30 V or 60 V, 50 or 100 mating cycles, and IP67 or IP68 with the mated condition named. A 250 V or 2 A figure from a different shell size is not transferred. If the cable note lists insertion loss, return loss, impedance, VSWR, wavelength or dispersion, keep those next to length. Optical budget, receiver sensitivity and transmit power belong to an optical module brief, not to a passive shell price. Measurement accuracy and calibration traceability are requested with the plant test sheet.
Write the bill of materials in the requirement box
List each line as shell, coding, contact count and quantity. This form has no upload control. Describe the drawing revision in the text, and send files later if the desk asks for them on the work email you provide.