Types of JST Connectors

JST is an electrical connection standard used in a wide variety of electrical applications. It is defined as Japanese solderless terminals and is manufactured by a company of the same name. The JST connector series includes a variety of connector families with different pin spacing (called pitch).

What is the “pitch” of a connector?
The pitch is the measurement from the center of one contact to the center of the next contact. The image below shows the measurement of the pitch from contact to contact and between each row. Please note that the pitch between contacts in each row and the pitch between rows are different in this case. They can be the same, but it must always be double-checked for a connector with more than one row.

The JST system is primarily designed for bridging electrical connections or transmitting electrical signals, so they are not recommended for any mechanical process where the connector will be subjected to any stress or force! We see them attached to batteries, motors, circuit boards, etc. Anything installed remains fair game for this inexpensive and reliable connection type.

JST connectors are used in many types of products and are commonly used by electronics hobbyists and consumer products for rechargeable battery packs, battery balancers, battery eliminator circuits, 3D printers, and radio-controlled servos.

JST connector titles are confusing; many online vendors don't know what the standard is based on, and it's easy to mess up ten different families. Each family also has a dozen subcategories of names. We would like to clarify this naming scheme; the JST section simply refers to solderless connection types, where all connectors share the same type of connection. The following suffixes (-XH, -SH, etc.) refer to the connector shape/style; these families share pin-to-pin spacing, but not the shape and size of the housing.

To define this dimension, number/letter combinations beyond the series specification will reference the unit's dimensions. If you are looking for a specific replacement part for your project, it would be relevant to know the full specifications you need. It's worth noting that each connector series has its own current/voltage/wire size ratings. Also, be aware of imperial/metric conversions, for example, a common problem is that 2.5 mm connectors are different from 2.54 mm (0.1 inches) connectors, despite their often misleading titles.