C O N T A C T
C A T A L O G
E L E C T R O N I C S I N T E R N AT I O N A L , I N C .
CUSTOM
CONTACTS
E L E C T R O N I C S I N T E R N AT I O N A L , I N C .
PC Tail Contacts
Tri-Star has designed and manufacturered
thousands of Printed Circuit Tail contacts for all of
the major connector families. Whether you choose
from one of our existing styles or we build to your
exacting specifications, we are your source for PC
Tail contacts.
Staying Ahead
Tri-Star Electronics International,
Inc. is dedicated to providing
the interconnect industry with
the broadest selection of high
Thermocouple Contacts
At 36,000 feet on a 70,000 lb thrust jet engine or miles
down an oil exploration hole, our contacts can take
the punishment. What may be exotic contacts to
others have become one of our standard product
offerings which brings decades of Tri-Star
experience to your application.
reliability contacts and the lowest
total cost solution for Mil-Aero
contacts and specialty connectors.
Our relentless pursuit of perfection
through continuous improvement
is how we are Staying Ahead of
our competition and providing the
best solutions for our customers.
Coaxial
Coaxial contacts for Mil-C-38999, ARINC and many
other connector families are available from Tri-Star.
Our Coaxial contacts are used in critical
communication systems, commercial & military
satellites and telecom, as well as navigation and
integrated avionic applications.
Crimp Contacts
A Mil-Spec crimp contact - we make it!
From standard crimp contacts to reduced crimp
barrels or custom designed for unique wire
applications, Tri-Star is the leading manufacturer
of crimp contacts for the Mil-Aero industry.
Solder Cup & Wire Wrap
We provide both. Whether you are prototyping or
wiring up a test application, we can provide you
with the solder cup or wire wrap contacts you need.
Specialized Custom Design
Special materials, designs or configurations - we
can handle them all. Involve us with your design
engineering team early in the process so we can
help you to develop the most economical contact
for your particular application.
www.tri-starelectronics.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Tri-Star Part Number Coding System............................................................................................................2
Contact Selection Guide - Explanation of Terms..........................................................................................3
Tri-Star Contact Selection Guide ..................................................................................................................4
Custom Contacts.........................................................................................................................................21
Contact Selection Guide by Connector Military Specification...................................................................22
Leading the Mil-Aero Contact Industry Through Innovation
At Tri-Star Electronics, we are dedicated to providing our customers with innovative, high quality,
cost-effective interconnect products. By combining the latest computerized automation with precision
manufacturing techniques, we are able to manufacture contacts more efficiently, more precisely,
less expensively and with more uniformity and reliability than anyone else. Our state of the art
automation is designed, built and operated here at Tri-Star with many processes not duplicated
anywhere else in the industry.
This has resulted not only in superior quality products, but also in a sharp reduction in manufacturing
costs, due to a reduction of direct labor. This combination of quality and economy has been
instrumental in establishing us as the industry leader.
A History of Service
We are proud of our over 30 years of experience in providing the finest quality contacts. We will
continue to innovate both our production methods and product offering in order to increase the value
we offer our customers. We stand ready to offer our clients an even greater selection of superior
products and services in the years to come.
TRI-STAR
ELECTRONICS INTERNATIONAL, INC. • 2201 Rosecrans Avenue • El Segundo, CA 90245 • T. 310.536.0444 • F. 310.536.9322
TRI-STAR PART NUMBER CODING SYSTEM
315-2020-055xx
11TH & 12TH DIGITS:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS FOLLOWS:
-1...
-2...
-3...
-5...
-L...
-T...
L.I.F. Contact (Special Contacts and
Selective Plate in some part numbers)
BeCu Machined Parts
Machined Parts w/ Stamped Bin Code
Machined Parts w/ Stamped Bin Code
Selective Plating
Tin Dipped Contact
8TH, 9TH & 10TH DIGITS:
CONTACT FAMILY NUMBER
See product specification
00 thru 24 (awg #00 thru #24 wire barrel size)
AA...
Solid Barrel
W...
Wire-Wrap®
00...
PC Tail (01, 02, OA, etc.)
CX...
Coaxial Contact (C1, C2, etc.) Twinax, Triax
TX...
Twinax, Triax (prefer)
LT...
Twinax, Triax (L.I.F., ARINC 600)
99...
Special Termination, Solid Barrel
6TH & 7TH DIGITS:
TERMINATION END SIZE OR TYPE
4TH & 5TH DIGITS:
ENGAGING END SIZE
00 thru 22 (awg #00 thru #22 engaging end)
2ND & 3RD DIGITS:
ODD NUMBER = PIN CONTACT
EVEN NUMBER = SOCKET CONTACT
1ST DIGIT:
1ST DIGIT DEFINES FINISH
1...
2...
3...
Other
.000020 min gold plate over Nickel
.000030 min gold plate over Nickel
.000050 min gold plate over Nickel
See product specification
TRI-STAR
ELECTRONICS INTERNATIONAL, INC. • 2201 Rosecrans Avenue • El Segundo, CA 90245 • T. 310.536.0444 • F. 310.536.9322
2
CONTACT SELECTION GUIDE - EXPLANATION OF TERMS
SPEC/SHEET
NUMBER
BIN
CODE
TRI-STAR
PART
NUMBER
CONTACT
SIZE
STYLE
WIRE SIZE
TYPE/CLASS
TYPE/USAGE
BIN CODE COLOR BANDS:
(Basic Identification Number)
Reading from the wire barrel end of the contact -
first (widest), second, and third color band –
each digit of the BIN Code is designated on the
contact by a color band in accordance with the
following:
0-Black
5-Green
1-Brown
6-Blue
2-Red
7-Violet
3-0range
8-Gray
4-YeIIow
9-White
STYLE:
Contact Pin - Pin
Contact Socket - Skt
CONTACT SIZE:
Mating end contact size
WIRE SIZE:
Wire barrel size (AWG), type and part
number of coaxial cable accommodated
or W (Wire-Wrap®) termination
TYPE/CLASS:
Type:
Class:
A - Copper alloy contact
B - Ferrous alloy contact
C - Thermocouple contact
D - Copper alloy shielded contact
Class A - Maximum operating temperature +125 degrees C
Class B - Maximum operating temperature +200 degrees C
TYPE/USAGE:
PWR
CX
Thermocouple Material
Tri-Star PIN Suffix
KN
(formerly Alumel)
A
KP
(formerly Chromel)
C
JN
(formerly Constantan)
K
CU
Copper
D
JP
(formerly Iron)
I
Other materials are also available;
please consult factory for additional information.
- Power contact
- Shielded (coaxial) contact
TRI-STAR
ELECTRONICS INTERNATIONAL, INC. • 2201 Rosecrans Avenue • El Segundo, CA 90245 • T. 310.536.0444 • F. 310.536.9322
3