E-stim Connectors

=E-Stim Connectors=

Transcutaneous
Transcutaneous e-stim connectors have three primary family trees: medical (pin and snap), audio (jack), and alligator.

The medical (pin) connector type is based on TENS pads (and, in fact, is still extremely popular for that purpose, though there are non-medical devices that also use this style. It is held in place by friction, and by convention the lead from the e-stim driver is male.  The medical (snap) type looks like a snap-on button, and is held  in place via a spring inside the snap-on connector.  (By convention, it is the lead from the e-stim driver that snaps on.)

The alternative connector style is the audio jack. This style is derived from the (NOT RECOMMENDED) practice of using a stereo's amplifier as the direct driver for the electrodes. These come in 2.5mm and 3.5mm styles. The connectors are, by convention, the monaural type, and the e-stim driver has the female end. (The 2.5mm style is used by the "Rimba" series of pre-built e-stim drivers, and the 3.5mm style is used by the ErosTek ET-312.)

Alligator clips are used for making ad-hoc (i.e., jury-rigged) connections to ad-hoc devices. THEY ARE NOT FOR CONNECTIONS ACROSS THE NIPPLES -- THIS CREATES A CROSS-CHEST CURRENT PATH THAT CAN CAUSE ELECTROCUTION. Most pre-built alligator clips marketed for e-stim are at the end of a line coming from the e-stim driver, clipping onto the appropriate places on the electrodes.