JST connector

2.50mm JST-XH top-entry (vertical) male PCB connectors

JST RCY connectors

JST connector is an electrical connector that is manufactured by J.S.T. Mfg. Co. (Japan Solderless Terminal).^[1] JST manufactures numerous series (families) and pitches (pin-to-pin distance) of connectors.^[2][3]

JST connectors are commonly used by electronics hobbyists and consumer products for rechargeable battery packs, battery balancers, battery eliminator circuits, and radio controlled servos.^[4]

The term "JST" is commonly and incorrectly used as a vernacular term meaning a small white electrical connector mounted on PCBs inside products manufactured from Asia.

Connector series

JST manufactures a large number of series (families) of connectors.^[2] The PCB (wire-to-board) connectors are available in top (vertical) or side (horizontal) entry, and through-hole or surface-mount.

Wire-to-Board Connectors

JST Series	Pin-to-Pin Pitch	Pin Rows	Current (Amp)	Voltage (Volt)	Wire Size (AWG)	Shroud	Lock	Notes	Datasheet
style="background:#9F9;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center;" class="table-yes"|VH [5]	3.96 mm (0.156 in)	1	10	250	22 to 16	Yes/No	Yes	Unshrouded seems to be more popular than shrouded.	JST VH
style="background:#9F9;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center;" class="table-yes"|EH [6]	2.50 mm (0.098 in)	1	3	250	32 to 22	Yes	No		JST EH
style="background:#9F9;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center;" class="table-yes"|XH [7]	2.50 mm (0.098 in)	1	3	250	30 to 22	Yes	No	Used by many R/C batteries. Not 0.1" pitch.	JST XH
style="background:#9F9;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center;" class="table-yes"|PA [8]	2.00 mm (0.079 in)	1	3	250	28 to 22	Yes	Yes	Used by FMA Cellpro R/C battery chargers.	JST PA
style="background:#9F9;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center;" class="table-yes"|PH [9]	2.00 mm (0.079 in)	1	2	100	32 to 24	Yes	No	Compatible with KR, KRD, CR series.[10][11][12]	JST PH
style="background:#9F9;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center;" class="table-yes"|ZH [13]	1.50 mm (0.059 in)	1	1	50	32 to 26	Yes	No	Compatible with ZR, ZM series.[14][15]	JST ZH
style="background:#9F9;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center;" class="table-yes"|GH [16]	1.25 mm (0.049 in)	1	1	50	30 to 26	Yes	Yes	Some people confuse with Molex PicoBlade.	JST GH
style="background:#9F9;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center;" class="table-yes"|SH [17]	1.00 mm (0.039 in)	1	1	50	32 to 28	Yes	No	Compatible with SR, SZ series.[18]	JST SH

Wire-to-Wire Connectors

JST Series	Pin-to-Pin Pitch	Pin Rows	Current (Amp)	Voltage (Volt)	Wire Size (AWG)	Features	Notes	Datasheet
style="background:#9F9;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center;" class="table-yes"|RCY [19]	2.50 mm (0.098 in)	1	3	250	28 to 22	Locking	Used in radio control (R/C), also known as BEC or P connector. Commonly found on small models, toys, and small lipo packs.	JST RCY
style="background:#9F9;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center;" class="table-yes"|SM [20]	2.50 mm (0.098 in)	1	3	250	28 to 22	Locking, High force	Used in some RGB LED decorative light strips.	JST SM

Connector soldering

Lithium polymer battery for Parrot AR.Drone with 4-pin JST-XH female connector (right, facing the camera) and 2-pin mini-Tamiya connector (left).^[21]

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.^[22]

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.^[23]

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).

See also

• DC connector
• Electrical connector
• Pin header connector

References

1. JST Corporate Profile / History / Buildings.
2. List of JST connector series; JST.
3. Search by connector application; JST.
4. "JST" connector confusion - the real story; rcgroups blog.
5. JST VH-series webpage.
6. JST EH-series webpage.
7. JST XH-series webpage.
8. JST PA-series webpage.
9. JST PH-series webpage.
10. JST KR-series webpage.
11. JST KRD-series webpage.
12. JST CR-series webpage.
13. JST ZH-series webpage.
14. JST ZR-series webpage.
15. JST ZM-series webpage.
16. JST GH-series webpage.
17. JST SH-series webpage.
18. JST SR/SZ-series webpage.
19. JST RCY-series webpage.
20. JST SM-series webpage.
21. Parrot AR.Drone battery technical details
22. JST through-hole soldering; Official JST blog.
23. "Choosing the Right JST Connector". DronesEtc. Retrieved 13 August 2015.

External links

Official

• Official website, top-level websites for 16 countries, such as America and UK.
• Official list of JST connector series
• Official training slides for JST connector series

Other

• Closeup photo of JST SH / ZH / XH and Molex PicoBlade female connectors with r/c servo wires
• How to assemble JST SM connectors
• All about lipo balance connectors