The TE Connectivity Buchanan 1-796949-0 is a 10-position PCB-mount terminal block with a 5.08 mm pitch, designed for side-entry wiring (horizontal with board). It uses a rising cage clamp terminated by an M3 screw — the clamp lifts to grip the wire against the current bar, not crush it, so stranded 12-30 AWG conductors seat without strand breakage. The 17.5 A per-level rating and 300 V voltage ceiling put it in the power distribution class: think PSU outputs, motor terminal strips, or heater control boards inside an enclosure. Side interlocking lets you key multiple 10-position blocks together into a single screw-rail assembly, which saves panel space compared to individual blocks with separate end covers.
Wiring It Right: Torque, Gauge, and the Rising Cage
The M3 screw torque is 0.79 Nm (7.0 Lb-In) — that is the number. Go tighter and the brass threads strip; go looser and the cage doesn't fully clamp, especially on 12 AWG stranded. The rising cage clamp pulls the wire up against a flat current bar rather than driving a screw point into the strands, so it works across the full 12-30 AWG range without damaging fine wire. Brass clamp and screw, both nickel plated, resist corrosion in industrial cabinet air. The contact material is brass with tin plating — adequate for the 17.5 A rating and typical for terminal blocks where the connection is semi-permanent (few mating cycles).