4-Position, 5mm Pitch, 12A — the Workhorse Plug for a Panel
The 282830-4 is a 4-position plug from the Buchanan series, on a 0.197" (5.00mm) pitch, rated 12 A per position at 300 V — enough for a motor lead, a lighting tap, or a small power distribution block inside a cabinet. It's a free-hanging (in-line) plug with a 90° wire entry, meaning the wire comes in from the side, not straight in — a real space-saver when the wire needs to run parallel to the board edge. Termination is a screw rising-cage clamp: the wire gets clamped between the cage and the conductor bar, not just pinched by a set-screw point. That means even stranded wire gets a full grip without strand damage.
Screw Torque, Wire Range, and Clamp Detail
The screw torque spec is 0.68 Nm (6 Lb-In) — a number a field hand can feel with a standard screwdriver; over-torque strips the M3 screw, under-torque leaves a loose connection that heats up under load. Wire range covers 12-30 AWG (0.05-2mm²), with a strip length of 6-7.5mm — wide enough for a 12 AWG power feed or a 30 AWG signal wire.
Side Stacking and Housing Details
The plug features side stacking — you can snap multiple 282830-4 plugs side-by-side to build a multi-position block without a separate jumper bar. Each plug stays independent, but they lock together mechanically. Housing is polyamide (PA66, Nylon 6/6) rated UL94 V-0, so it won't support a flame inside an enclosure. Color is green, which is standard for Buchanan terminal blocks.