13-Circuit Buchanan PCB Terminal Block, Side Entry
The TE Connectivity Buchanan 1-796949-3 is a 13-position PCB-mount terminal block from the Buchanan series, designed for wire-to-board termination where a screw clamp is preferred over a crimp or IDC connection. It accepts 12-30 AWG wire into a rising cage clamp, tightened with an M3 screw to 0.79 Nm (7.0 Lb-In).
Screw Clamp Termination and Wire Range
The rising cage clamp (brass, nickel-plated) pulls the wire against a current bar as the M3 screw is torqued — no ferrule required, though one helps with fine-stranded wire at the lower end of the 12-30 AWG range. The clamp material and plating match the screw (brass-nickel), so galvanic compatibility is not a concern in indoor equipment. The 0.79 Nm torque spec is tight enough for a gas-tight joint on solid or stranded copper, but not so high that it strips the PA66 thread form on repeated terminations.
Interlocking Side Feature for Multi-Level Ganging
The interlocking side feature lets you snap multiple 1-796949-3 blocks together side-by-side without a separate jumper bar — the current path bridges across the interlock. This reduces hardware count on a multi-circuit board where you need, say, 26 or 39 positions from the same 13-position base. The interlock is mechanical; the electrical continuity depends on the screw clamp on each side of the joint.