TE Connectivity 284391-9: 9-Position Side-Entry Terminal Block
The TE Connectivity 284391-9 is a 9-position, single-level terminal block from the Buchanan series, designed for printed circuit board mounting with a 0.138" (3.50mm) pitch. It terminates wires via a screw-actuated rising cage clamp — the screw turns to push a clamping plate down onto the stripped conductor, giving a gas-tight connection without a separate ferrule. Rated 12 A at 300 V, it accepts wire from 14 AWG down to 30 AWG, which covers most panel signal and moderate-power wiring.
What the 12 A / 300 V Rating Means for Your Circuit
The 12 A per-position rating is the maximum continuous current each of the 9 circuits can carry at the rated voltage. At 300 V, that's a per-circuit power capacity just over 3.6 kW — plenty for industrial control transformers, solenoid valve banks, or motor starter auxiliaries. Derate the current if the ambient temperature around the block runs above 85 °C, or if the block is ganged side-by-side with others (the interlocking side feature lets you build multi-block assemblies, which reduces per-block heat dissipation).
Side-Entry Wiring and the Rising Cage Clamp
The 284391-9's side-entry orientation means the wire enters parallel to the PCB, not perpendicular. This is the right choice when the terminal block sits near the board edge and the enclosure lid closes directly above it — a vertical-entry block would need extra clearance. The rising cage clamp is a screw-termination style where turning the M3 screw lifts a nickel-plated brass clamping plate against the wire. The screw torque spec is 0.25 Nm (2.2 Lb-In); a standard #1 Phillips or Pozidriv bit works. Over-torquing can strip the M3 thread in the PA66 housing; under-torquing leaves the wire loose enough to pull out under vibration. The clamp accepts solid, stranded, or ferruled wire from 14 to 30 AWG — for fine-stranded wire below 24 AWG, a ferrule is recommended to prevent strand splay under the clamp.
Position Count and Ganging: 9 Circuits, One Level
With 9 positions per level and a single level, the 284391-9 gives you 9 independent circuits in one block. The interlocking (side) feature lets you snap multiple blocks together side-by-side to build wider assemblies — for example, two 9-position blocks ganged give 18 circuits on the same pitch. The interlocking key on the housing side aligns the blocks and prevents them from separating under wire tension. There is no jumper bar needed for commoning between ganged blocks; the interlock is purely mechanical. For electrical commoning across positions, a separate jumper plug or wire link is required.
Mounting and PCB Footprint
Through-hole mounting gives the 284391-9 a solid mechanical anchor to the PCB — important because the screw-clamp action and wire insertion both exert force on the block. The 0.138" (3.50mm) pitch means the 9 pin holes are spaced 3.50 mm apart centre-to-centre. The PCB footprint is a single row of 9 plated-through holes, typically 1.0 mm to 1.3 mm diameter depending on the pin diameter (check the product drawing for the exact hole size). The block sits flush to the board; no standoffs or spacers are needed. The green housing colour is a standard Buchanan identifier — if your BOM specifies a different colour, verify the colour code suffix on the order code.