The TE Connectivity Buchanan 1-284391-8 is an 18-position, single-level PCB terminal block with a 3.50 mm pitch, designed for terminating individual wires to a printed circuit board via a screw-driven rising cage clamp. The green polyamide (PA66) housing — UL94 V-0 rated — carries brass contacts with tin plating, and the M3 screws are torqued to 0.25 Nm (2.2 Lb-In) to secure 14-30 AWG wire. This is a side-entry (horizontal with board) orientation, suited for control panels, lighting ballasts, and industrial I/O modules where a compact, field-serviceable wire termination is needed on the PCB edge.
Sizing the Wire and Torque
The rising cage clamp accepts 14-30 AWG solid or stranded wire. The M3 screw is tightened to 0.25 Nm (2.2 Lb-In) — over-torquing strips the brass threads; under-torquing leaves the wire loose in the cage. The clamp plate rises vertically, pressing the conductor against the current bar for a gas-tight connection that handles the 12 A continuous rating at 300 V. Tin-plated brass contacts are adequate for the rated current, though gold would be preferred for environments with repeated thermal cycling or corrosive atmospheres.
The 3.50 mm pitch and 18 positions mean the terminal block spans 63 mm along the PCB edge (17 gaps × 3.50 mm). The side interlocking feature allows ganging multiple blocks side-by-side on the same pitch to build a larger terminal strip without gaps.