User Manual

element14 is a trademark of Premier Farnell plc 103

8.4.3 Stacked Capes w/Signal Stealing

Figure 68

is the connector configuration for stackable capes that does not provide all of

the signals upwards for use by other boards. This is useful if there is an expectation that

other boards could interfere with the operation of your board by exposing those signals

for expansion. This configuration consists of a combination of the stacking and non-

stacking style connectors.

Figure 68 Stacked w/Signal Stealing Expansion Connector

8.4.4 Retention Force

The length of the pins on the expansion header has a direct relationship to the amount of

force that is used to remove a cape from the e l e m e n t 1 4 BeagleBone Black. The

longer the pins extend into the connector the harder it is to remove. There is no rule

that says that if longer pins are used, that the connector pins have to extend all the way

into the mating connector on the e l e m e n t 1 4 BeagleBone Black, but this is controlled

by the user and therefore is hard to control. We have also found that if you use gold pins,

While more expensive, it makes for a smoother finish which reduces the friction.

This section will attempt to describe the tradeoffs and things to consider when selecting a

connector and its pin length.

8.4.5 element14 BeagleBone Black Female Connectors

Figure 69

shows the key measurements used in calculating how much the pin extends

past the contact point on the connector, what we call overhang.