USB Socket Spacer

This is a spacer for mounting a USB-C socket to the edge of a circuit board.

These reasonably priced USB-C sockets are an easy way to power a project board.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DMSSXXDM?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_3

The spacer is an easy, five minute print. I've made a bunch to keep in the parts box with the USB sockets.

I mount them via a male pin header between the socket module and the circuit board it's mounting to. The thickness of the pin header body leaves a space between the module and the PCB. This 3D printed spacer fits in that gap.

A pair of M2 X 8 mm Allen flat head machine screws pass through the socket module, the spacer and the PCB, and are secured with M2 Nylock nuts. If using on a strip/Vero board, cut the strips that pass under the nuts to avoid the possibility of creating a short between two adjacent strips.

The 3D printed spacer holes are 2.5 mm but will probably print a little undersize. Use a 2.5 mm drill after printing to be sure they're correctly sized.

The socket module holes are 3 mm. The countersink heads of the machine screws fit nicely into the 3 mm holes in the socket modules.

TIP: After the socket module/pin header is soldered to the main board, with the spacer NOT in place, use a 3 mm drill bit through the socket module holes to make drill point divots in the main board, but don't drill all the way through. Follow that with a 2.5 mm drill, using the drill point marks to guide the drill. Drill those all the way through. This will assure that the 2.5 mm holes in the PCB are reasonably concentric with the 3 mm holes in the socket module.

I've used this on about twenty boards so far and have found the method easy and reliable. The resulting mounting is stout enough to withstand the plugging and unplugging forces that go with USB connectors. Even if only using for power and ground, I solder the pin at the opposite end of the pin header from the Vcc pin (labeled CC2) for strength.

If doing this on strip board, it's wise to cut any strip that the pin header pins pass through, whether soldered or not, except those you actually want to connect to something else on the board.

Printing Notes:

- Material: PLA

- Nozzle: 0.4 mm

- Layer height: 0.1 mm

- Shells: 0.8 mm

- Infill: 18

- Supports: No