Samtec Compliant Pin Termination Specifications

+1-800-726-8329 Date: May 10, 2019

Page 1

Samtec offers compliant pin leads, also known in

the connector industry as press-fit leads, on

select product series. (See Figure 1) The

connector is terminated, or processed, by

pressing it onto the printed circuit board (PCB).

Such a lead is designed to create a gas tight

interference fit with a properly sized plated-

through-hole (PTH). This enables low

temperature, solder-less processing for the

connector. All Samtec compliant pin leads are

“eye of the needle” geometries. Eye of the

needle geometries have been utilized for over 30

years. Special tooling is required to terminate

the connector, and it is referenced on the

specific Samtec product’s Print.

Samtec compliant pin products are designed to work with a minimum thickness PCB. The minimum

thickness is defined in the Product Specification or on the Footprint Drawing for that specific Samtec

product. In the absence of a documented minimum PCB thickness, the default minimum

PCB thickness is .062”.

It is not necessary for the

“eye” to be centered in

the PCB, only that it be

seated to a certain depth.

(See Figure 2) PCB

thicknesses greater than

the minimum are allowed

as long as the PTH

construction tolerances

are held in the region in

which the compliant

geometry operates.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Samtec Compliant Pin Termination Specifications

+1-800-726-8329 Date: May 10, 2019

Page 2

Care must be taken with thicker PCBs to ensure that “hour glassing” does not occur in the region of

operation. (See Figure 3) Back drilling, a practice to control capacitive coupling, is acceptable with

compliant pin products, and it further illustrates the point of maintaining hole construction tolerances

only in the region of operation. (See Figure 4)

It is possible for compliant pin products to be over inserted in PCBs

that fail to meet the minimum PCB thickness criteria. The product

should not be used when the center of the compliant region

extends past the PCB bottom surface. (See Figure 5)

Strict adherence to PTH construction data is recommended to ensure proper termination and function

of the compliant region. Figure 6 is an example of

such data for Samtec’s SEARAY

™

SEAMP Series.

Minimum PCB requirements can be a result of

excessively high compliant loads that generate stress

levels that can fracture a PCB. This can occur even

though the thickness allows proper positioning of

the eye of the needle in the PCB.

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6