Which One is Better? EC5 VS XT90

Connectors are commonly used in automotive, medical, artificial intelligence, aerospace, industrial automation, household appliances, Internet of Things, network infrastructure, etc. EC5 and XT90 are two types of lithium battery connectors which are commonly used in RC. When you are choosing connectors for your RV, you may get confused about EC5 and XT90 connectors and you do not know which one you need to buy. Today, we are going to distinguish them clearly.

What do you need to know before choosing yourself connectors?

There are some thing you need to make sure before selecting which connector you need.

Firstly, you need to consider connection methods. In terms of the selection and use of connectors, there are three main connection methods:

Board-to-board connector

The board-to-board connector (BTB for short) is an essential device for the coupling and connection of power and signal in precision circuits. With the continuous improvement of product complexity and circuit design scale, board-to-board connectors are also developing in the direction of high speed, high power density, and thinness along the market demand.

Slim board-to-board connector

This connector can provide fine-pitch battery connectors and hybrid interfaces up to 10A. The wide alignment guide rail for easy mating and the sturdy metal armor cover can be used as a shell protection for safe electrical and mechanical contact.

Compression connector

This connector is highly compact and has a low processing height of 1.20 and 1.63 mm, which saves the vertical height and space of the printed circuit board to the greatest extent for the connection of electronic modules on ultra-thin portable devices.

Micro-Fit connector system

This connector provides advanced housing functions.It can prevent improper insertion and assembly, reduce terminal fallback, and reduce the fatigue of operators during the assembly process.

Wire-to-board connector

The main application areas of wire-to-board connector products include electronic equipment, electrical appliances and military industry. A wire-to-board connector is a connection between circuits by connecting wires to a printed circuit board (PCB).
The function of wire-to-board connectors is mainly to transmit power and signals. According to various uses and requirements, there are countless types of wire-to-board connectors. Most of the types are distinguished by the distance of the pins and the transmission current and voltage.

Mini-Lock wire-to-board connector system

This is a fully covered multifunctional wire-to-board/wire-to-wire system for a wide range of 2.50mm pitch industry standard applications, including right-angle and right-angle heads.

Pico-Clasp Wire-to-board connector

It offers a variety of plug-in formula styles and orientations, galvanized or gold-plated, providing design flexibility in many compact applications.

Wire-to-wire connector

As the name suggests, a wire-to-wire connector connects two wires. One end of the connector is permanently connected to the wire, and the other end forms a detachable interface, which can then be permanently connected using crimping or insulated displacement contact (IDC). In the case of discrete wire connections, the crimping process is usually used. However, in the case of multi-core cable conductor termination, IDC is usually used. This is because IDC provides advantages in wire handling and a large number of terminations.

Wire-to-wire connectors have a variety of housing geometries, including rectangular and round polymer housings made of a variety of polymers, as well as metal housings mainly used in military applications.

Micro TPA connector system

This connector has a rated temperature of 105°C and can provide a variety of circuit sizes and configurations, which makes the system an ideal choice for general market applications.

SL module connector

It offers a wide variety of models and configurations, including high-temperature socket heads that can withstand 260C welding temperatures and reflow soldering processes.

Secondly, what type of equipment are you running?

To take RV vehicles as an example, you need to consider your RC vehicle and connectors’ limitations. Moreover, you’ll need to look at the battery size, capacity, and maximum value of their continuous amp. Because these connectors cannot flow more than their limits. Thus you’ll need to use them on the appropriate sized and powered RC vehicle.

Thirdly, what type of lithium battery module do you have?

Different types of lithium battery will influence your selection for your connectors. Lithium battery are differ from the voltage, size, BMS and capacity and etc. Thus you need to check the specifications and use compatible lithium battery modules.

Which one is better? EC5 or XT90

As we have mentioned previously, both EC5 and XT90 are very well for their jobs. However, comparatively, the EC5 is more durable and more compatible. Besides, the EC5 is more lighter than XT90. Furthermore, the EC5 is safer than the XT90 because fireproof plastic of EC5 has better anti-fire ability than Nylon of XT90. You can get a larger space in your lithium battery equipment because the EC5 connector is more slim and fitter than XT90.

Above are simple differences from some aspects. We are going to do an detailed comparison on the ES5 and XT90. Here is a simple chart you can get a quick idea before we make a detailed comparison.

Features EC5 XT90
Dimensions 9.5×19.6×33.4 mm 1x1x1 inches
Material Brass and fireproof plastic insulation Gold plated and Nylon insulation
Capable Continuous Amps 120A 90A+
Compatibility Yes Yes
Price range Moderately priced Cheaper comparatively

Above is a simple comparison between EX5 and XT90, we are going to compare them in two aspects.

Whats the difference between XT90 and EC5?

Quality

Quality is a criterion for judging whether a product is good or bad.

EC5

The EC5 is a slim and compact 5mm connector which is designed well. This is a longer version of the EC3 connector. It is made of brass coupling and insulated with a fireproof plastic cover. The larger area of these connectors allows the connection to have better contact points.

The EC5 charging lead is the standard 30 cm long.This makes them versatile in terms of installation.Such a charging cable length can provide you with the length of the wire that connects all motors directly to the control box.This allows you to design a remote control car without any connection restrictions.

In addition, the EC5 amplifier level is quite good. The ampere rating of EC5 is 120A.It can provide you with more power and power to run the model. This means that it can handle a continuous load of 120A current. For the RC model, this is a very good specification.

XT90

XT90 is also a very good 5mm size battery connector with a standard 30 cm charging cable. Therefore, it is a very powerful connector.Although the size is slightly larger, it is really easy to use.

The ampere rate of XT90 is 90A. Nowadays, it can achieve 90A+ continuous power delivery due to the use of effective design and materials which makes it a better product than previous iterations.

Compatibility

Compatibility makes a smooth connection and build a stable charger for your devices and lithium batteries. Thus connector compatibility is very important.

EC5

EC5 connectors have a wide range of compatibility.It is backward compatible.It connects multiple types of connectors through different adapters or converters, so it is universal.Both IC series and XT series connectors can be connected to EC5.Even other EC connectors are compatible with it.

XT90

XT90 can be universal and compatible with various types of connectors.XT90 can also be backward compatible. In the case of using an adapter, the XT90 can be connected to other types of battery connectors. IC and EC series connectors are compatible.

Can EC3 plug into EC5?

Yes, EC5 can be plugged into EC3. Both of EC3 and EC5 are compatible because they are from the same product series. You can easier connect EC3 and EC5 by using a male converter.

Are EC5 and XT90 compatible?

Yes, they are. XT90 is compatible with EC5.The connectors can be connected together for use through an adapter.This makes it easy and less troublesome to connect to the RC model.

Are XT90 and EC5 the same?

No, definitely. The EC5 is a slim-designed battery connector with 120A continuous load. Whereas the XT90 is a larger connector that can hold up to 90A continuous load. Both of them have the same function apart from their design and size differences. Both of them can keep electricity flow through the batteries.

In a word, they are different types of connector connectors. But IC5 and EC5 are compatible with each other.

In the in-depth comparison, from a pricing point of view, XT90 is cheaper than EC5. But the advantages and durability of EC5 provide value for money.

So, is the EC5 connector better?

Yes it is! There is no doubt that the EC5 battery connector is the best one between the two.This is because EC5 is more ergonomic and made of high-quality materials.Thus making it a reliable product to use.