It is a connector that enables a wire to be connected to device. Wires can be soldered into devices or circuit board. But that will make some what a permanent connection, difficult to remove and reassembly. But since, connectors are used to provide temporary connections, wire terminals also provide that kind of connections. All you have to do is to attach the wire terminal to the end of the wire and you can connect it to other devices using screws or clips.
The process of connecting the end or terminal of the wire to a metallic connector is called termination as far as connectors are concerned. The wire can be attached to a terminal connector by methods like crimping, insulation displacement, surface mount, and soldering.
There are varieties of wire terminals available including ring terminal, spade terminal, strip terminal etc. Let’s discuss about them in detail.
RING TERMINAL
Ring terminal is the simplest kind of connectors in the world of connectors. A wire can be crimped into the ring connector which can be then used to connect to other device using screws and nuts. 
Fig. 1: Image of Ring Terminals
The connector has a crimping area which is covered with a plastic cover. The wire can be crimped into this area with a crimping tool after soldering it into. Then this area can be safely insulated by the plastic covering. The metal ring exposed at the end can be bolted into other devices and hence providing connection.
Fig. 2: Image showing parts of Ring Terminal
Ring & Spade Terminal
The circular connector can be bolted not only to a device, but to another circular connector also. When we connect a circular connector with a wire to another circular connector holding a wire, it forms a wire -to-wire connector.
Ring terminals can be used with any kind of devices from switches to fan, UPS etc.
Sample specification:
Current rating ——————— 27 Amperes
Voltage rating ——————— 600 V AC
SPADE TERMINAL
Spade terminal is almost similar to the ring terminal connector except the fact that instead of ring there is a spade like metal structure is used at the end for providing contact. As in the case of ring terminal a single wire can be crimped into the crimping area of the connector using a crimping tool after soldering the wire into the crimping area.
Fig. 3:
Crimping should be done with perfection and after crimping the area can be covered with the plastic cap which provides insulation from the environment. The end of the wire is stripped out and then is soldered at the crimping area. Then a crimping tool is used to crimp the area to ensure extra strength.
Fig. 4:
Unlike ring connector the spade connector has a matched female connector also. The male spade connector can be both bolted to a point or can be plugged into a female connector. 
Fig. 5: Image of Female Spade Terminals
Connecting a wire with male spade connector to another wire with a female spade connector is what we called wire-to-wire connection. Hence the spade terminal can also be used as a wire-to wire-connector also.
Spade terminals are used with lot of devices, but especially are used in situations where more frequent disconnection and testing required other than the ring terminals. It is used to connect wires from battery and mostly seen inside telephone cable boxes.
Sample specification:
Current rating ——————— 27 Amperes
Voltage rating ——————— 600 V AC
Strip Terminal & Summary
STRIP TERMINALS
Strip terminal is a connector which can be used as a wire terminal and also as a wire-to-wire connector. It is usually made of plastic with slots for wire entry. Each wire can be tightened in its slots using screws. Unlike ring terminals or spade terminals crimping is not required in this kind of connectors.
Fig. 6:
In the above shown image of strip connector has wire entry slots at both sides, so that two wires can form a wire-to-wire connection. The entire connector can be left hanging between the wires or bolted to a device.
Strip terminals are used in situations where more wire connections need to be made at once. They are used in household wirings, wires connections behind the panel of tube light etc.
Current rating ——————— 63 Amperes
Voltage rating ——————— 600 V AC
Summary
{C}{C}{C}{C}{C}· {C}{C}{C}{C}{C}Wire terminal is used to terminate a wire at a connection point
{C}{C}{C}{C}{C}· {C}{C}{C}{C}{C}Commonly used wire terminal types are ring terminal, spade terminal and strip terminal
{C}{C}{C}{C}{C}· {C}{C}{C}{C}{C}All the three connectors can be used as terminators or wire-to-wire connectors
{C}{C}{C}{C}{C}· {C}{C}{C}{C}{C}Ring terminal and spade terminal requires crimping connection, but the strip terminal does not require crimp connection
{C}{C}{C}{C}{C}· {C}{C}{C}{C}{C}Unlike other two connectors, the spade connector comes in male and female pairs.
Filed Under: Tutorials
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