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.

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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

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Product Series

COMBICON PCB Connectors (Pluggable)

Series	Family	Typical Pitch	Current	Description
MC	COMBICON Pluggable	3.81mm	8A	Plug (female) connectors
MCV	COMBICON Header	3.81mm	8A	Header (male) connectors
MSTB	COMBICON Standard Pluggable	5.08mm	12A	Standard pitch plug
MSTBA	COMBICON Standard Header	5.08mm	12A	Standard pitch header
FK-MCP	High Current Connector	3.50mm	12A	High current PCB
FRONT-MC	Front Connector	3.81mm	8A	Front panel mount

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

Terminal Blocks (Non-Separable)

Series	Family	Typical Pitch	Current	Description
PT	Push-In Terminal Block	3.50mm	17.5A	Push-in connection
PTSM	SMD Terminal Block	2.50mm	6A	Surface mount terminal
SPT	Spring-Cage PCB Connector	5.00mm	24A	Spring-cage connection
PC	PCB Terminal Block	7.62mm	24A	Fixed PCB terminal
UK	Screw Terminal Block	5.08mm	32A	DIN rail screw terminal
UT	Through-Wall Terminal	6.20mm	32A	Through-wall feedthrough

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Connector Type Codes

Code	Type	Description
ST	Plug	Female connector (mates with header)
G	Header	Male connector (solders to PCB)
GF	Header + Flange	Header with mounting flange
STF	Plug + Flange	Plug with mounting flange
V	Vertical	Vertical mounting orientation
H	Horizontal	Horizontal/right-angle mounting
HH	Double-row Horizontal	Two-row horizontal configuration
PH	Push-In Header	Header with push-in termination

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)

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Package Code Extraction

The extractPackageCode() method returns a formatted string:

Series Pattern	Package Code Format	Example
MC/MCV/MSTB	{pins}P-{pitch}mm	"3P-3.81mm"
PT/SPT/PC	{pins}P-{pitch}mm	"2P-3.5mm"
PTSM (SMD)	{pins}P-{pitch}mm-SMD	"3P-2.5mm-SMD"
UK/UT	{gauge}mm2	"2.5mm2"

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

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Series Extraction

Series extraction returns the product family prefix:

MPN Pattern	Extracted Series
MC 1,5/3-ST-3,81	"MC"
MCV 1,5/4-G-3,81	"MCV"
MSTB 2,5/4-ST-5,08	"MSTB"
MSTBA 2,5/6-G-5,08	"MSTBA"
PT 1,5/2-PH-3,5	"PT"
PTSM 0,5/3-HH-2,5-SMD	"PTSM"
UK 5-TWIN	"UK"
UT 2,5-MTD	"UT"
FK-MCP 1,5/4-ST-3,5	"FK-MCP"
FRONT-MC 1,5/6-ST-3,81	"FRONT-MC"
PC 5/3-STF-7,62	"PC"
SPT 2,5/3-V-5,0	"SPT"

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

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Helper Methods

The PhoenixContactHandler provides additional helper methods:

Method	Returns	Description
extractPinCount(mpn)	int	Number of pins/positions
extractPitch(mpn)	String	Pitch in mm (e.g., "3.81")
getFamily(mpn)	String	Family description (e.g., "COMBICON Pluggable")
getRatedCurrent(mpn)	double	Rated current in Amperes
isSMD(mpn)	boolean	True if surface mount
getMountingType(mpn)	String	"SMD" or "THT"
getConnectorType(mpn)	String	Type code (ST, G, etc.)
getConnectorTypeDescription(mpn)	String	Human-readable type
getWireGauge(mpn)	String	Wire gauge in mm2
isPluggable(mpn)	boolean	True if separable connector
isTerminalBlock(mpn)	boolean	True if non-separable

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"

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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

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Wire Gauge Reference

Gauge (mm2)	AWG Approx	Common Current
0.5	20	6A
1.5	16	8-12A
2.5	14	12-17.5A
4.0	12	20-24A
5.0	10	24-32A
6.0	10	32A

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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

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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

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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.