Electrical Connectors

A connection point is a point in an electrical connector where a cable begins or ends. Electrical connectors are required to have at least one connection point with the route type set to Electrical. This defines the part as an electrical connector and provides information about the route.

In connectors that have multiple pins, there are two approaches for defining connection points:

• You can use one connection point to represent all of the connector's pins, and route all wires/cables to that connection point. The pin connectivity data is held as internal data.
• You can model each pin individually, with a separate connection point for each pin. Then you can route individual wires to each pin. This should be done only where it is absolutely necessary, because it adds complexity to the model.

1. Create a model of the connector.
2. Add mate references needed to position the connector in an assembly.
3. Create a sketch point to use for locating the connection point.
   1. Add dimensions and relations as needed to ensure that the point location is fully defined.
   2. Position the point where you want the cable to begin or end.
4. Click Create Connection Point (Routing Tools toolbar) and make selections in the Connection Point PropertyManager.

You can place electrical connectors in either the top-level assembly or the route subassembly. Where you decide to place them depends on how you intend to assemble the actual hardware.