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JST connector is an electrical connector that is manufactured by J.S.T. Mfg. Co. (Japan Solderless Terminal). JST manufactures numerous series (families) and pitches (pin-to-pin distance) of connectors.
Contents
JST connectors are commonly used by electronics hobbyists and consumer products for rechargeable battery packs, battery balancers, battery eliminator circuits, and radio controlled servos.
The term "JST" is commonly used as a vernacular term meaning a small white electrical connector mounted on PCBs.
Connector series
JST manufactures a large number of series (families) of connectors. The PCB (wire-to-board) connectors are available in top (vertical) or side (horizontal) entry, and through-hole or surface-mount.
Connector soldering
A majority of JST through-hole headers can't withstand the temperatures required for reflow soldering, because the plastic has a lower melting point since they were designed for wave soldering methods. Some JST surface-mount headers are designed to handle higher temperatures of reflow soldering.
Connector confusion on the internet
End-users and 3rd-party sellers on eBay often describe connectors by their wrong name thus perpetuating confusion of the exact series of a specific connector. Unfortunately, it is very common in blogs and websites to incorrectly name a specific connector only by the name of the manufacturer.
To minimize confusion, it is best to describe a connector using: the manufacturer's name, exact connector series, and optionally the pitch; such as "JST-XH" or "JST-XH-2.50mm" or "2.50mm JST XH-series" or other variations.
The official J.S.T. Co. website has a tool which allows users to check certain models for their authenticity and specifications.
In recent years, it is preferred to use millimeter (mm) instead of inches for pin-to-pin pitch distance. Note: Some 2.50 mm parts are incorrectly sold on the internet as 2.54 mm (0.100 in), and the 1.25 mm parts as 1.27 mm (0.050 in).