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Sentrality Pin and Sockets

Sentrality Pin and Socket Interconnects

To overcome tolerance stack-up challenges, Sentrality Pin and Socket Interconnects feature a +/- 1.00m radial self-alignment with floating capability enabled by wave springs. These connectors deliver high-voltage and high-current ratings in board-to-board, busbar-to-board and busbar-to-busbar applications.

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Current Pin Size Circuits
Up to 350.0A 3.40, 6.00, 8.00 and 11.00mm Single

PCB Headers

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Sentrality 8.00mm knurled press-fit pin.

PCB Receptacles

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Sentrality 6.00mm top-entry, knurled press-fit socket assembly with +/-1.00mm self-alignment capability.

Features and Benefits

Power efficiency is critical to cost and safety management in power-intensive applications, such as power transmission systems in data centers, base stations, battery management and inverters. Sentrality High-Current Pin and Socket Interconnects incorporate COEUR sockets, which have multiple contact beams to create a large contact surface at the contact interface, resulting in very low contact resistance. The voltage drop across the contact interface is therefore exceptionally low, which leads to minimal heat generation.

It is challenging to align sockets and pins when mating parallel PCBs or busbars, due to tolerance stack-up issues inherent in any mechanical design. A degree of self-alignment with floating capacity is valuable to gather the connectors during mating and mitigate misalignment. Incorporating proprietary OmniGlide technology from Molex, Sentrality High-Current Pin and Socket Interconnects deliver industry-leading radial self-alignment up to +/-1.00mm, with floating capability to minimize potential damage to the connectors and specifically to the socket’s contact beams during mating.

Dense electronic packaging demands low stack heights between mated substrates and the ability to easily customize connector profiles to optimize connector protrusions above the top substrate and below the bottom substrate. Sentrality High-Current Pin and Socket Interconnects are only 10.00mm tall, regardless of pin size. The position of the socket flange (that rests on the PCB) can be easily customized for customer applications to optimize protrusion beyond the top or bottom of the substrates.

Low Contact Resistance

Sentrality Interconnects offer low contact resistance and low voltage drop so there is minimal heat generation at the contact interface, which results in higher current-carrying capacity compared to other contact designs.

Stamped and shaped conical socket with angled contact beams.

Self-Alignment and Floating Capability

Sentrality connectors leverage proprietary OmniGlide technology from Molex to provide +/- 1.00mm radial self-alignment. The floating capability between the pin and socket during mating helps mitigate misalignment risks, providing an exceptional high-power connector solution.

Sentrality 6.00mm top-entry, surface mount socket assembly with +/-1.00mm self-alignment capability.

Customization for Pins and Sockets at No Cost

Application-specific sockets can be created by relocating the socket flange anywhere along the length of the housing body, as well as application-specific pin lengths with no additional development costs.

Sentrality sockets.

Design Flexibility

Sentrality pins and sockets are offered in a wide variety of board-attach options, suitable for either printed circuit boards or busbars, to provide design and manufacturing flexibility.

Collection of Sentrality pin and socket interconnect system products.

Offers low contact resistance
Multiple contact beams minimize heat generation at the contact interface, resulting in optimized electrical performance.

Enables for tighter board-to-board stack heights with shorter socket assemblies than most market equivalents using hyperbolic sockets
This interconnect system has a compact conical socket design.

Allows the socket to freely move radially +/- 1.00mm within the socket assembly during mating to help ensure no contact beam deformation
Its self-aligning sockets float between wave springs.

Offers design flexibility for attaching pins to various substrates
The screw-mount pins attach to both printed circuit boards (PCBs) and busbars; the surface-mount pins attach to printed circuit boards; the knurled press-fit pins attach to busbars.

Mitigates tolerance stack-up issues
Pin and socket assemblies are oriented to attach to PCBs with a right-angle orientation.

Allows manufacturing flexibility when attaching the connectors to a PCB
These are wave solder process- and reflow solder process-capable connectors.

Ensures the right-angle socket assemblies and right-angle pin assemblies are placed in the correct position and are properly oriented on the PCB
Unique solder tail patterns for each size and gender polarizes the connectors' PCB footprints.

Offers design flexibility for attaching sockets to different substrates
The surface-mount sockets attach to PCBs; the knurled press-fit sockets attach to busbars.

Allows engineers to stack substrates in different configurations for design flexibility
Socket assemblies are available in top-entry and bottom-entry forms.

Allows for manufacturing flexibility with manual placement options
Knurled press-fit pins and screw-mount pins are packed in trays.

Supports easy customization for achieving the optimal application-specific protrusion above and/or below the substrates
Socket assembly’s flange can be positioned anywhere along the side of the part.

Supports easy customization for achieving the optimal application-specific board-to-board or busbar-to-board stack height
Pin length can be set to meet specific height requirements.

Surface-mount pins with pick-and-place caps arranged in tape and reel, or trays
Allow for manufacturing flexibility with high-speed automated placement.

Applications by Industry

Battery Storage Systems​
Gateway Storage Systems​

AC-to-DC rectifiers
Battery charging stations
DC-to-AC inverters
Robotics

Data storage units
Enterprise switches
Environmental control equipment
PDUs (Power Distribution Unit)
Power shelves
Servers
Uninterruptable power supplies

Data storage units
Digital cross-connect switches
Network routers
PDUs (Power Distribution Unit)
Servers
Uninterruptable power supplies (UPSs)

This is not a definitive list of applications for this product. It represents some of the more common uses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Sentrality Pin and Socket Interconnects?

Sentrality Pin and Socket Interconnects are a high-voltage, high-current solution for board-to-board, busbar-to-board and busbar-to-busbar applications. These connectors incorporate a +/- 1.00mm radial self-alignment with floating capability to overcome tolerance stack-up issues.

My design has unique space constraints that limit the height that the socket assembly can protrude above (or below) the printed circuit board (or busbar). Do I need to fund tooling for a custom socket assembly?

No, customer funding is not required. The socket assembly housing is machined, so Molex can position the flange anywhere along the length of the housing body to meet your requirements. Contact your local Molex sales representative for details.

My design has a unique board-to-board, busbar-to-board or busbar-to-busbar stack height requirement. Do I need to fund tooling for a custom length pin?

No, customer funding is not required. The pin is machined, so Molex can manufacture a pin of whatever length your application requires. Contact your local Molex sales representative for details.

I am interested in purchasing a busbar assembly with Sentrality connectors already attached to it, rather than individual Sentrality pins and sockets. Is Molex able to provide integrated busbar solutions?

Yes. Molex has a business segment that designs and fabricates busbars. This business segment also designs and manufactures fully integrated busbar solutions. Contact your local Molex sales representative for details.

What is the minimum board-to-board stack height that can be achieved using a Sentrality pin and a Sentrality surface-mount or knurled press-fit socket assembly?

The minimum achievable board-to-board stack height is determined by the Sentrality pin selected for the design. When mating a Sentrality knurled press-fit pin with a surface-mount or knurled press-fit socket, the minimum stack height is 1.50mm. Pairing a Sentrality surface-mount pin with a surface-mount or knurled press-fit socket increases the minimum stack height to 1.75mm. Finally, when mating a Sentrality screw-mount pin with a surface-mount or knurled press-fit socket, the minimum stack height is 4.50mm.

What is OmniGlide technology?

As an innovative feature in Sentrality Pin and Socket Interconnects, OmniGlide technology is a connector design that enables the COEUR socket to self-align without placing excessive stress on the stamped socket's contact beams. The socket sub-assembly floats between two wave springs positioned above and below the sub-assembly flange. The contact beams are not deflected during mating, which ensures consistent normal forces and uniform current sharing across all contact beams to enhance electrical performance. This design allows +/- 1.00mm radial self-alignment to mitigate tolerance stack up issues during system integration, particularly when multiple pins and sockets are mated simultaneously.