Hobby Source Notes
The hobby track follows the same transparency rules as the rest of the site (see the main Source Notes dashboard and the source hierarchy): claims are sourced, marked as judgment, or explicitly flagged as needing a source. Clone and marketplace parts make this discipline more important in hobby work, not less.
Verified / source-backed
Only what is actually backed by sources present in this repo:
- JST XH, PH, SH, GH, SM, and RCY series — pitch, connector type, and headline datasheet ratings (XH 2.5 / PH 2.0 / SH 1.0 / GH 1.25 / SM 2.5 / RCY 2.5 mm), each cited to its official JST series PDF on JST Is Not One Connector. Genuine-part figures only — clones and "compatible" parts are not covered by them.
- JST VH (3.96 mm, up to ~10 A @ AWG 16) — per the JST datasheet cited in the engineering track's §12.
- USB-C 10,000-cycle durability — per the USB-IF Type-C specification, cited in §12.
- Qwiic / STEMMA QT connector conventions — 4-pin 1.0 mm JST SH, polarized, cross-compatible ecosystems — per SparkFun's Qwiic documentation and Adafruit's STEMMA QT technical specs, cited on JST-SH, Qwiic, and STEMMA QT.
- XT30/XT60/XT90 attribution and ratings — AMASS (Changzhou Amass Electronics) as XT-series originator per its manufacturer site; rated/momentary currents (XT30: 15/30 A, XT60: 30/60 A, XT90: 40/90 A), cable specs, and temperature-rise conditions per AMASS-authored documentation (distributor-hosted PDFs — AMASS publishes no spec tables on its own site). Genuine-part figures only; clones uncovered. Cited on XT30, XT60, and XT90.
- Grove connector and port-type pinout variation — 4-pin 2.0 mm connector; signal-pin function varies by port type (I2C/UART/digital/analog), per Seeed's Grove System documentation, cited on JST-SH, Qwiic, and STEMMA QT.
- Plain STEMMA vs STEMMA QT — plain STEMMA = JST PH 2.0 mm (4-pin I2C, 3-pin analog/digital/PWM, 3–5 V device power, Zener-protected 3-pin ports), distinct from the 1.0 mm SH-based STEMMA QT — per Adafruit's STEMMA documentation, cited on the SH/Qwiic and PH pages.
- 0.1 in = 2.54 mm — definitional; the basis of the Dupont/header ecosystem discussion.
- "Dupont" name lineage — the ancestor is Berg's Mini-PV 0.1 in crimp system (Berg → DuPont → FCI → Amphenol), and MiniPV® remains a current Amphenol 2.54 mm crimp family per Amphenol's FCI Basics portfolio PDF; the history per a community connector reference (attribution only, no ratings). Cited on Dupont / 0.1 Inch Headers.
Engineering heuristics (judgment, not specification)
- "JST" is not a complete connector description.
- Measure pitch before buying.
- Compare drawings rather than product photos.
- Treat marketplace connector names as clues, not proof.
- Buy small samples before committing.
- Use pre-crimped leads when tiny terminals/tooling are impractical — a reliability decision, not cheating.
- Move to the professional guide when failure consequence, environment, or documentation burden increases.
- Soldering crimp terminals is usually a smell; genuine parts from authorized distributors are cheap insurance for repeatable projects.
Example-only / source-needed values
Typical hobby usage, not design ratings. Anywhere these appear they carry a verify hedge — verify exact pitch, current, voltage, wire gauge, and mating part against the manufacturer datasheet or supplier documentation:
- Clone / "compatible" / "-style" versions of any JST or XT series — the genuine-part figures above do not transfer to them
- JST/XT series usage beyond the sourced figures (derating, environment, cycles in your application)
- Servo connector/lead current examples
- Dupont / 0.1 in header current assumptions
- Barrel jack size and rating examples (5.5 × 2.1/2.5 mm named as common sizes, not a standard)
- Screw/spring terminal ratings and gauge ranges
- LED connector current assumptions and power-injection sizing
- Every marketplace kit claim (series, pitch, "waterproof," "high current")
Needs source before hobby v1.0
Source targets, honestly unfilled — none of these citations exist in the repo yet:
| Item | Source target |
|---|---|
| JST EH/ZH (mentioned only as published-pitch examples) | Official JST datasheets per series, if those mentions are kept |
| XT ratings from AMASS-direct hosting | Closed for values (audit-2026-07) via distributor-hosted AMASS PDFs; an AMASS-domain-hosted equivalent would still be an upgrade |
| Crimping tiny open-barrel terminals | Manufacturer application notes / crimp specifications |
| LED power injection guidance (if expanded) | Reputable LED wiring/power-injection references |
| USB connector guidance (if formalized) | USB-IF specifications (the 10k-cycle figure is already cited in §12) |
| Barrel jacks, terminal blocks, Wago-style lever connectors, screw terminals | Relevant manufacturer documentation |
Recommended next deep pages
The editorial roadmap for this track — what exists, what's next, and in what order. Nothing here is claimed complete or fully sourced; "initial page added" means exactly that.
- JST-XH — initial page added (v0.9); source hardening still needed
- JST-PH — initial page added (v0.9); source hardening still needed
- JST-SH / Qwiic / STEMMA QT — initial page added (v0.9); Qwiic/STEMMA QT conventions cited; Grove and plain-STEMMA distinctions sourced (audit-2026-07)
- Dupont / 0.1 inch headers — initial page added (v0.9); no governing spec exists, by nature; name lineage (Berg Mini-PV → DuPont → FCI → Amphenol) sourced (audit-2026-07)
- XT30 / XT60 / XT90 — initial page added (v0.9); AMASS attribution and ratings sourced (audit-2026-07, distributor-hosted manufacturer PDFs); clone parts remain uncovered
- Servo connectors — capsule only; deep page not started
- Screw/spring terminals and ferrules — capsule only; deep page not started
- USB-C power for hobby projects — capsule only; deep page not started
- Barrel jacks and polarity traps — capsule only; deep page not started
- Grove ecosystem — deep page not started; connector and pinout-varies-by-port-type facts sourced to Seeed docs (audit-2026-07)
note
No exact current, voltage, temperature, or cycle rating in the hobby track should ever be read as universal. When a number matters, the exact part's datasheet decides — same rule as everywhere else on this site.