Where disconnect pins must be used for wiring and testing a circuit, improved system reliability is obtained by making a permanent joint between pins and sockets of the disconnect plug. After the circuit has been tested, contact points may be fused through soldering, brazing, or welding

Pierce, W. B.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

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March 1964
	 Brief 64-10002 
NASA TECH BRIEF 
This NASA Tech Brief is issued by the Technology Utilization Division to acquaint industry 
with the technical content of an innovation derived from the NASA space program. 
Circuit Reliability Boosted by Soldering Pins of Disconnect Plugs
to Sockets 
Alternate Soldering Methods
	 Plug After Potting 
The problem: Increasing the reliability of electrical 
wiring systems where disconnect plugs must be utilized 
for wiring and testing a circuit. Failures associated 
with disconnect plugs have occurred after their earlier 
satisfactory use in ground or flight tests. 
The solution: Making a permanent joint between 
pins and sockets of disconnect plugs once the circuit 
or module has been tested and found to perform satis-
factorily. Contact points may be fused through solder-
ing, brazing, or welding. 
How it's done: Soldering or other fusing techniques 
may vary with the design of the plug. For instance, 
if the pin connector is rigidly mounted, a ball of 
solder is put into each socket terminal. On the other 
hand, if the socket connector is rigidly mounted a 
ring of solder is put around each individual pin. Each 
pin/socket pair is then soldered, one at a time. Care 
must be taken not to disturb previously-soldered con-
nections. 
An additional step can be taken to add reliability. 
After all of the terminals are permanently joined, a 
potting cup may be mounted around the terminals on 
that side of the plug which is not rigidly mounted. This 
step can be changed to suit the design of the discon-
nect plug. When the cup is filled with a potting com-
pound a permanent and reliable joint is assured. 
Notes: 
1. Electrical modules or circuits in equipment for the 
transportation industry, where quick-disconnect 
plugs are incorporated but not disconnected during 
operation, would have improved reliability by 
using this innovation. This would be particularly 
true for trucks and aircraft that are subject to 
shock and vibration. 
2. One application reported is in the electronic 
(continued overleaf) 
This document was pre pared under the sponsorship of the National 	 this document, or that the use of any information, apparatus, method, 
Aeronautics and S pace Administration. Neither the United States Govern- 	 or process disclosed in this document may not infringe privately-owned 
ment, nor NASA, nor any person acting on behalf of NASA: A. Makes 	 rights; or B. Assumes any liabilities with respect to the use of, or for 
any warranty or representation, express or implied, with respect to the 	 damages resulting from the use of, any information, apparatus, method, 
accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of the information contained in	 or process disclosed in this document.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19640000002 2020-03-11T17:06:07+00:00Z
circuitry of the radar employed to warn aircraft 
of storms. 
3. In isolated or unmanned equipment, this method 
will reduce or discourage tampering.
Patent status: NASA encourages commercial use 
of this innovation. No patent action is contempleted. 
Source: W. B. Pierce 
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL-447) 
Brief 64-10002


Circuit reliability boosted by soldering pins of disconnect plugs to sockets

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