Drawer-Style Plug Housing for Blindmate Applications
The TE Connectivity 172063-3 is a drawer-style plug housing from the Blindmate series, designed to house male pin contacts in a blind-mate interconnect system. This is an 8-position housing with a 4+4 power split across two rows, intended for panel-mounted drawer or rack-and-panel applications where the connector halves engage without direct line of sight. The blue housing colour is a visual key for the specific position count and power configuration — not just a cosmetic choice.
Position Count and Power Split
The 8-position layout is split 4 signal and 4 power contacts, a common arrangement in drawer connectors where a single housing carries both logic and main DC rail connections. The two-row format keeps the footprint compact for panel cutouts. A standard 8-position housing without the power designation would not route the same contact cavities — confirm the contact assignment against your backplane or chassis receptacle before specifying.
The housing accepts TE Blindmate series crimp contacts; the wire gauge and current rating depend on the specific contact selected. The panel-mount design uses integral guide pins (listed as a feature) to align the plug with its receptacle during engagement, reducing shear stress on the contacts.
The base product number 172063 covers the family; the -3 suffix denotes this specific colour and position variant.