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if you’d like to use terminal blocks with your Raspberry Pi Pico, or compatible board,  instead of soldering wires to the MCU board, HCDC’s Terminal Block Breakout Module may meet your requirements with variants for either screw or DIN rail mounting.

I have not mentioned it in the introduction, but after reading the specifications, it appears (Xuken) HCDC may be based in Taiwan. 🙂 The company explains its Terminal Block Breakout Module for Raspberry Pi Pico is best suited to industrial control, home automation, and other applications that may benefit from terminal blocks.

The breakout module comes with two 20-pin 2.54mm pitch pin header connectors to be soldered to Raspberry Pi Pico, and a 3-pin 2.54mm pin header connector for debugging (SWD). The screw mounting version also includes two 10mm M3 wood screws.

I’ve also noticed “OONO” offers another form factor for Raspberry Pi Pico breakout board with terminal block, again with both screw and DIN rail mounting options.

All four models can be purchased on CZH-LABS Electronics Salon shop for prices ranging from $15.92 to $22.40.

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.

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The choice of “OONO” for a brand begs the question is it guaranteed to catch fire/explode/melt?

Not very “industrial”, as if the board fails, your service engineers will have the nightmare of 40 wires to disconnect/reconnect. Also the tiny terminals will test their eyesight/patience when installed inside a control cabinet.

Actually 5.0mm terminal blocks are very industrial, and not that small (small would be 3.5mm or 2.5mm) – Phoenix Contact, Wago, Weidmuller, Entrelec and such have catalogs full of similar break out boards (Yes, if you need to change a break out board, it’s a mess, but that’s not common. I prefer custom break out boards with mostly cables and a few terminal blocks, but these kind of boards have their uses, too, especially for very low volume machines or where you need a lot of flexibility).

I owe them an apology. From the pictures I had assumed 3.5mm.

For what it is worth: I have been using ATX breakout boards from CZH-LABS Electronics Salon shop. They can be as twice or three times more expensive than the low quality lower priced models you can find on eBay or AliExpress. On the other hand, the quality is top notch, especially the terminal block screw and nut threads. The last point being important if you end up changing wires a lot. With lower priced models: the threads are FUBAR pretty quickly, even at first use…

Would still prefer to have some connectors in the same size and on top of that spring loaded terminals over screw…

Depends – I prefer spring clamp terminals for production work, but screw terminals for prototyping, because if needed you can cram 2 (or 3) wires onto a single screw terminal block, but I wouldn’t try that on a spring clamp.

Another way to say it: CZH-LABS Electronics Salon is to these types of breakout board what Noctua is to fans. More expensive, better quality, last longer. Your choice.

And probably still a lot cheaper than Phoenix Contact and such.

Phoenix Contact’s quality is top notch; there’s a noticeable difference even compared to some cheaper “Name Brands” such as TE (note that Wago and some others are at the same level). But if you go too cheap, well, I had a distributor strongly advise me NOT to buy some made in India terminal blocks because the quality control was so bad.

Just took a look at the CZH-Labs page, and saw they are based in Shenzhen, so I guess the terminal blocks are Taiwanese, but the PCB is PRC.

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