Modular connection system for panel-mounted controllers

1. An assembly comprising:

a housing comprising:

a plurality of side members that form a cavity; and

a connector member that is mechanically coupled to said plurality of side members and that has at least one slot;

at least one circuit board that is held in said cavity and that has a plurality of terminal mounting holes;

a plurality of terminals mounted in said plurality of terminal mounting holes;

at least one block connector that engages in said at least one slot and that receives and has a plurality of orientations relative to at least one of said housing and said at least one circuit board; and

a plurality of pins that are electrically coupled to said plurality of terminals, wherein the plurality of pins are not directly attached to the connector member but extend through said connector member and into said at least one block connector.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of terminals comprises:

a first mounting post that has an interference fit with at least one of said plurality of terminal mounting holes; and

a second mounting post that has a transitional fit with at least one of said plurality of terminal mounting holes.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said plurality of terminals includes a F-terminal.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said at least one block connector comprises:

a first block connector; and

a second block connector that has a plurality of orientations relative to said first block connector.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said at least one block connector has a plurality of orientations relative to an element selected from a group consisting of said plurality of pins and said plurality of terminals.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of said at least one circuit board has a plurality of mounting sides, wherein said plurality of terminals are mountable on each of said plurality of mounting sides.

7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said at least one slot comprises:

a first slot that receives a first block connector in a first orientation; and

a second slot that receives a second block connector in a second orientation.

8. An assembly comprising:

at least one circuit board for a controller, at least one of said at least one circuit board has a plurality of terminal mounting holes comprising:

a first mounting hole; and

a second mounting hole; and

at least one terminal comprising:

a first mounting post that has an interference fit with said first mounting hole;

a second mounting post that has a transitional fit with said second mounting hole; and

a pin that is electrically coupled to at least one of said first mounting post and said second mounting post and that is coupled to a block connector.

9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said at least one circuit board comprises panel-mounted controller circuit elements.

10. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said at least one terminal includes an F-terminal.

11. The assembly of claim 8 comprising said block connector.

12. The assembly of claim 11 comprising a plurality of terminals having a plurality of pins, wherein said plurality of pins are received by said block connector.

13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein said block connector has a plurality of orientations relative to said plurality of pins.

14. The assembly of claim 11 wherein said block connector has a first orientation relative to said at least one circuit board and a second orientation 180° from said first orientation.

15. The assembly of claim 11 wherein said block connector has a first and second orientation relative to said at least one circuit board, and wherein said block connector is rotated about an axis extending parallel to said pin when transitioned between said first and second orientations.

16. The assembly of claim 11 wherein said block connector has a plurality of orientations relative to at least one of said terminal and said at least one circuit board.

17. The assembly of claim 11 wherein said block connector comprises:

a pin side;

an external connection side having a plurality of electrical lead receivers; and

an external lead fastener side.

18. The assembly of claim 17 wherein said pin side has a plurality of orientations relative to said pin.

19. The assembly of claim 17 wherein said pin side has a right hand and a left hand orientation relative to said at least one circuit board.

20. The assembly of claim 8 wherein length of at least one of said plurality of terminal mounting posts is approximately equal to a thickness of said at least one circuit board.

21. The assembly of claim 8 comprising:

a header coupled to a first circuit board; and

a supervisor circuit board coupled to said header.

22. The assembly of claim 21 further comprising a second circuit board coupled to said supervisor circuit board.

23. The assembly of claim 21 further comprising a carrier, wherein said first circuit board and said supervisor circuit board mechanically coupled to said carrier.

24. The assembly of claim 21 further comprising a display coupled to said supervisor circuit board.

25. The assembly of claim 8 comprising:

a first circuit board;

a second circuit board; and

a carrier holding said first circuit board in a first orientation and said second circuit board in a second orientation that is different than said first circuit board.

26. The assembly of claim 8 further comprising a housing member comprising at least one slot comprising a plurality of pin holes, wherein said block connector is received within said at least one slot, and wherein said pin extends through said plurality of pin holes and into said block connector.

27. The assembly of claim 26 wherein said housing member comprises a plurality of slots associated with a plurality of block connectors, and wherein said plurality of slots comprise:

a first slot that has a first orientation; and

a second slot that has a second orientation that is different than said first orientation.

28. The assembly of claim 8 further comprising a housing, said at least one circuit board received and having a plurality of orientations within said housing.

29. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said pin extends parallel to and is offset from said at least one circuit board to fit a preselected number of block connectors in a package of the assembly.

30. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said pin extends parallel to said circuit board and is offset from said at least one circuit board by about 0.08-0.085 inches.

31. An assembly comprising:

a housing comprising:

a plurality of side members that form a circuit board cavity and that have a first end and a second end; and

a connector member that is mechanically coupled to said plurality of side members, that at least partially closes off said first end, and that comprises at least one slot that has a plurality of electrical pin holes; and

at least one block connector that engages in said at least one slot, that has a plurality of receivers associated with said plurality of electrical pin holes, and that receives and has a plurality of orientations relative to said housing, wherein said at least one slot receives a plurality of pins that extend from said at least one circuit board through said plurality of electrical pin holes and into said at least one block connector.

32. The assembly of claim 31 wherein said connector member has a plurality of orientations relative to at least one circuit board.

33. The assembly of claim 32 wherein said second end mates with a carrier that couples to said at least one circuit board.

34. The assembly of claim 31 wherein said at least one slot comprises:

a first slot that has a first orientation; and

a second slot that has a second orientation that is different than said first orientation.

35. The assembly of claim 31 wherein said second end mates with a display.

36. The assembly of claim 31 wherein said plurality of side members and said connector member are integrally formed as a single unitary structure.