The TE 2336682-1 is a 40-position Z-PACK 2 mm HM receptacle — a female backplane connector built to the hard metric (HM) standard. It carries 5 rows by 8 columns of gold-plated contacts on a 2.00 mm pitch, terminated with press-fit compliant pins that cold-form into the plated through-hole. A molded-in mating guide and an upper shield are part of the shell — the guide steers the header into alignment during blind mating, and the shield bleeds EMI before it reaches the signal pins.
Board Layout and Footprint
The 2.00 mm pitch is the key dimension for the PCB layout — it sets the routing channel width between vias and the signal layer count needed to escape all 40 positions. With 5 rows, the hole pattern is staggered across the column pitch; the press-fit tail diameter and the plated through-hole size must match the manufacturer's recommended footprint to get a reliable interference fit.
What the 1.5 A Rating Means
1.5 A per contact is the rated current for this Z-PACK receptacle — that is typical for a high-density signal connector in a backplane environment. For a 40-position connector, the total current across all contacts is limited by the sum of the per-contact currents, but the practical limit in a system is usually lower because of the derating needed at elevated ambient temperatures. The wide operating range from -55°C to 125°C means the connector can live inside a forced-air-cooled chassis or an industrial cabinet without exceeding the rated temperature.
Press-Fit Termination and Assembly
Press-fit termination eliminates the need for wave soldering — the compliant pin is pressed into a plated through-hole, cold-forming to create a gas-tight joint. This is the standard termination for backplane connectors because it allows rework without desoldering and avoids the thermal stress of a solder wave on the backplane. The press-fit force and the hole size are specified in the manufacturer's application tooling documentation; the board shop must control the hole diameter and the plating thickness to within the recommended tolerance. The connector ships in a tube, which protects the compliant pins during handling and feeds into automated insertion equipment.
Mating and Compatibility
This receptacle mates with the matching Z-PACK 2 mm HM male header (the pin header that carries the signal pins). The 5-row by 8-column arrangement is keyed by the shell geometry — the mating guide on the receptacle aligns with the guide pin on the header, so the connector cannot be inserted misaligned. The upper shield on the receptacle contacts the header's shield to provide a continuous EMI barrier around the signal pins. The gray housing color is standard for this series; it does not indicate a different material grade.