phoenixcontact

name: phoenixcontact description: Phoenix Contact MPN encoding patterns, connector series decoding, and handler guidance. Use when working with Phoenix Contact terminal blocks, COMBICON connectors, or PhoenixContactHandler.

Phoenix Contact Manufacturer Skill

Manufacturer Overview

Phoenix Contact is a German industrial connector manufacturer specializing in:

• Terminal Blocks: Screw, push-in, and spring-cage types (UK, UT, PT series)
• PCB Connectors: COMBICON pluggable and fixed connectors (MC, MCV, MSTB series)
• Industrial Automation: DIN rail components, industrial Ethernet, I/O systems
• Power Distribution: High-current connectors, power terminal blocks

Phoenix Contact is known for industrial-grade connectors with comprehensive application support.

MPN Structure

Phoenix Contact MPNs follow this general structure:

[SERIES] [GAUGE]/[PINS]-[TYPE]-[PITCH] [-SUFFIX]
    |       |       |      |      |        |
    |       |       |      |      |        +-- Optional: SMD, color, etc.
    |       |       |      |      +-- Pitch in mm (e.g., 3,81 or 5,08)
    |       |       |      +-- Connector type (ST, G, GF, PH, etc.)
    |       |       +-- Number of pins/positions
    |       +-- Wire gauge in mm2 (e.g., 1,5 or 2,5)
    +-- Product series (MC, MCV, MSTB, PT, UK, etc.)

Note: Phoenix Contact uses European decimal notation (comma instead of period): 3,81 means 3.81mm.

Example Decoding

MC 1,5/3-ST-3,81
|   |  |  |   |
|   |  |  |   +-- 3.81mm pitch
|   |  |  +-- ST = Plug (female connector)
|   |  +-- 3 pins/positions
|   +-- 1.5mm2 wire gauge
+-- MC = COMBICON Pluggable series

MCV 1,5/4-G-3,81
|    |  |  |  |
|    |  |  |  +-- 3.81mm pitch
|    |  |  +-- G = Header (male connector)
|    |  +-- 4 pins/positions
|    +-- 1.5mm2 wire gauge
+-- MCV = COMBICON Header series

PTSM 0,5/3-HH-2,5-SMD
|     |  |  |   |   |
|     |  |  |   |   +-- Surface mount
|     |  |  |   +-- 2.5mm pitch
|     |  |  +-- HH = Double-row horizontal
|     |  +-- 3 pins
|     +-- 0.5mm2 wire gauge
+-- PTSM = SMD Terminal Block series

Product Series

COMBICON PCB Connectors (Pluggable)

Mating Pairs: MC plugs mate with MCV headers; MSTB plugs mate with MSTBA headers.

Terminal Blocks (Non-Separable)

Connector Type Codes

Mating Connector Selection

To find mating connector for a plug:
- MC 1,5/X-ST-3,81 mates with MCV 1,5/X-G-3,81
- MSTB 2,5/X-ST-5,08 mates with MSTBA 2,5/X-G-5,08

Key: Same series base, same pins, same pitch
     ST (plug) pairs with G (header)

Package Code Extraction

The extractPackageCode() method returns a formatted string:

Note: Comma notation is converted to periods (3,81 -> 3.81).

Series Extraction

Series extraction returns the product family prefix:

Critical: Longer prefixes are checked before shorter ones (e.g., "FRONT-MC" before "MC").

Helper Methods

The PhoenixContactHandler provides additional helper methods:

Usage Examples

PhoenixContactHandler handler = new PhoenixContactHandler();

// Extract specifications
String mpn = "MC 1,5/3-ST-3,81";
int pins = handler.extractPinCount(mpn);           // 3
String pitch = handler.extractPitch(mpn);          // "3.81"
String family = handler.getFamily(mpn);            // "COMBICON Pluggable"
double current = handler.getRatedCurrent(mpn);     // 8.0
String type = handler.getConnectorTypeDescription(mpn);  // "Plug (female)"
boolean pluggable = handler.isPluggable(mpn);      // true

// SMD check
String smtMpn = "PTSM 0,5/3-HH-2,5-SMD";
boolean isSmd = handler.isSMD(smtMpn);             // true
String mounting = handler.getMountingType(smtMpn); // "SMD"

Replacement Compatibility

The isOfficialReplacement() method determines if two connectors are compatible:

Requirements for compatibility:

1. Same series (e.g., both MC or both MCV)
2. Same pin count
3. Same pitch

Example:

// Compatible - same series, pins, pitch (different variants)
handler.isOfficialReplacement("MC 1,5/3-ST-3,81", "MC 1,5/3-STF-3,81");  // true

// Not compatible - different pitch
handler.isOfficialReplacement("MC 1,5/3-ST-3,81", "MC 1,5/3-ST-5,08");  // false

// Not compatible - different pin count
handler.isOfficialReplacement("MC 1,5/3-ST-3,81", "MC 1,5/4-ST-3,81");  // false

Wire Gauge Reference

Common Applications

Low-Current Signal (0.5-1.5mm2)

• MC/MCV series at 3.81mm pitch
• PTSM for SMD applications
• Control signal wiring

Medium-Current (2.5mm2)

• MSTB/MSTBA series at 5.08mm pitch
• PT push-in terminal blocks
• Motor control, sensors

High-Current (4-6mm2)

• SPT spring-cage connectors
• UK/UT screw terminal blocks
• Power distribution, DIN rail

Related Files

• Handler: manufacturers/PhoenixContactHandler.java
• Component types: CONNECTOR, IC
• Pattern registry patterns for series: MC, MCV, MSTB, MSTBA, PT, PTSM, SPT, UK, UT, FK-MCP, FRONT-MC, PC

Learnings & Edge Cases

• Decimal notation: Phoenix Contact uses European notation (comma as decimal separator). Always convert to period for numeric operations: "3,81".replace(",", ".").
• Space vs hyphen: MPNs can use either space or hyphen as separator after series prefix (e.g., "MC 1,5" or "MC-1,5"). The handler patterns accept both.
• Series ordering: When extracting series, check longer prefixes first (FRONT-MC before MC, MSTBA before MSTB, PTSM before PT).
• UK/UT series: These DIN rail terminal blocks don't have pin count in the MPN - the number indicates wire gauge (UK 5 = 5mm2 wire gauge).
• Mating pairs: To select mating connectors, match the series base (MC with MCV, MSTB with MSTBA), keep same pin count and pitch, change connector type (ST to G).
• SMD identification: PTSM series is always SMD; other series may have "-SMD" suffix for surface mount variants.
• Package code format: The handler returns {pins}P-{pitch}mm format (e.g., "3P-3.81mm") which differs from semiconductor package codes - this is intentional for connector identification.
• getSupportedTypes() includes IC: The handler returns Set.of(CONNECTOR, IC) - the IC type is included for completeness but primary use is CONNECTOR.