Connectors Guide

Complete guide to creating and managing connectors in EZ Wire

Last updated: January 25, 2026

What are Connectors?

Connectors are the physical connection points in your wiring harness. EZ Wire supports standard connectors, splices, and ring terminals. Each connector contains cavities (pins) that wires connect to.

Quick Navigation

Standard Connectors Multiple Numbered Connectors Splices Ring Terminals Organizing with Tabs Editing Wire Idents Keyboard Shortcuts

Creating Standard Connectors

Standard connectors are the primary connection points in your harness

Standard connectors represent physical electrical connectors like ECU connectors, sensor connectors, or any multi-pin connector in your harness. Each connector has a specified number of cavities (pins).

Example of a standard multi-pin connector

Step-by-Step Instructions

1
Enter Connector Name
Type a unique name for your connector (e.g., "ECU", "SENSOR1", "INJECTOR"). Names must be unique within the harness.
2
Press Tab to Move to Selected Connector Design
Press Enter to open the Connector Design Library modal. Select a connector design, use the filters to find a specific connector design. Once you have selected a connector design, select the suitable part number you wish to use.
2
Can't find the connector design you need?
You can create a new connector design from scratch by clicking the "Create New Design" button. This will open the Connector Design Form where you can enter the details of the connector design. Once you have created the connector design, you can add it to your harness by selecting it from the Connector Design Library modal.
2
Don't want to use a connector design? Press Tab to Move to Ways
The Ways field specifies how many cavities (pins) the connector has. Enter a number (e.g., 12, 24, 48).
3
Add Part Number (Optional)
Press Tab again to reach the Part Number field. Enter the manufacturer's part number if tracking specific connector types.
4
Set Strip Length (Optional)
Press Tab to reach Strip Length. Enter the wire strip length in your chosen units (mm or in). This appears on connector pinouts.
5
Need to create multiple connectors at once?
See the section below for creating multiple connectors at once.Creating Multiple Numbered Connectors
5
Create Connector
Press Enter from any field to create the connector. The form automatically resets and focuses the name field for quick entry of additional connectors.

Creating Multiple Numbered Connectors

Efficiently create sets of numbered connectors at once

When you need multiple connectors with sequential numbering (like INJ1, INJ2, INJ3 for injectors), use the "Create Multiple" feature to save time.

Creating Multiple Connectors

1
Enter Base Name and Details
Enter the base name (e.g., "INJ", "COIL", "SENSOR"), select a connector design or enter the number of ways, and optionally the part number.
2
Enable Create Multiple
Check the "Create Multiple" checkbox to reveal additional options.
3
Set Count and Starting Number
Enter how many connectors to create (defaults to 2) and the starting number (defaults to 1).
4
Choose Numbering Format
Select your preferred format:
- No Space: INJ1, INJ2, INJ3 (default)
- Dash: INJ-1, INJ-2, INJ-3
- Underscore: INJ_1, INJ_2, INJ_3
5
Review Preview and Create
A preview shows what will be created (e.g., "Will create connectors: INJ1 to INJ4"). Press Enter to create all connectors at once.

Example: To create COIL-5 through COIL-8, enter "COIL" as the name, set count to 4, starting number to 5, and choose the dash format.

Creating Splices

Splices are junction points where multiple wires connect together

Splices are used for power distribution, ground junctions, or any point where multiple wires need to connect. Unlike standard connectors, splices don't have a fixed number of cavities.

Creating Splices

Method 1: Quick-Create Button

Click the quick-create button to automatically generate sequential splice names (S1, S2, S3, etc.). This is the fastest way to create splices when you don't need custom names.

Method 2: Custom Names

Type a custom name like "SP-POWER", "SP-GROUND", or "SPLICE-FUEL" in the name field. Optionally add a part number, then press Enter to create.

Common Use Cases: Power distribution from battery to multiple circuits, ground splices connecting multiple grounds to a single point, signal splices for shared sensor inputs.

Creating Ring Terminals

Ring terminals connect wires to grounding points, battery posts, or mounting bolts

Ring terminals are single-pin connectors that typically terminate at a bolt or stud. Common examples include ground connections to chassis, battery connections, or any wire terminating with a ring lug.

Creating Ring Terminals

1
Scroll to Ring Terminals Section
Find the Ring Terminals form below the Splices section.
2
Enter Descriptive Name
Use names like "RT-GND1", "RT-BATT+", "RT-CHASSIS" to indicate what the ring terminal connects to.
3
Add Part Number (Optional)
Optionally specify the ring terminal part number or size specification.
4
Press Enter to Create
Press Enter from the name field or part number field to create the ring terminal.

Organizing with Tabs

Create custom tabs to organize connectors by function or location

For complex harnesses with many connectors, tabs help you organize by grouping related connectors together. All connectors remain accessible across tabs when creating connections.

EZ Wire connector tabs interface showing organized groups of connectors

Creating and Managing Tabs

1
Click "Add/Edit Tabs"
Find the button above your connector list to open the tab management dialog.
2
Enter Tab Name
Type a descriptive name like "Injectors", "Sensors", "Splices", "ECU Connectors", or "Body Connectors".
3
Create and Navigate
Click "Create Tab" or press Enter. You'll automatically navigate to the new tab where you can add connectors.
4
Reorder Tabs
You can drag and drop tabs to reorder them. Click "Done" when finished managing tabs.

Important: When creating connections, you'll see connectors from ALL tabs in the dropdown. Tabs are purely organizational and don't limit which connectors can be wired together.

Editing Wire Idents

Add color-coded identification bands to your wires directly on the connector view

Wire idents (identification bands) are color-coded markers that help identify wires in your harness. You can add these idents directly from the connector view for quick data entry.

How to Edit Idents

1
Enable Edit Mode
Click the edit icon (pencil) next to "Color" in the table header. The icon will highlight when edit mode is active. This icon only appears when the Color column is visible.
2
Enter Ident Codes
Type digits 0-9 to set ident codes (up to 5 characters). Each digit corresponds to a color band defined in your ident colors settings. For example, "12345" might represent Brown-Red-Orange-Yellow-Green bands.
3
Save Changes
Press Enter to save immediately, or wait 400ms for auto-save. Use Tab to navigate between ident fields.
4
Finish Editing
Click the edit icon again when done to return to the normal view where idents are displayed as colored bands.

Pro Tip: The ident codes correspond to colors defined in your ident colors settings. Each digit maps to a specific color band, allowing you to quickly identify wires using a standardized color scheme.

Important Limitation: You can only edit overall wire idents (Color column) from the connector view. End idents (To/From Ident at each connector) are NOT editable on this page - these must be edited on the Cut List page. This separation allows you to quickly set overall wire identification while maintaining precise control over connector-specific idents on the Cut List.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Work faster with keyboard navigation

TabMove to next field

EnterCreate connector

Shift+TabMove to previous field

EscClear form (when focused)

Next Steps: Creating Connections

Once you've created connectors, you're ready to wire them together

Now that you have connectors set up, you can create connections between their cavities. Each connection represents a physical wire in your harness.

The Connections Guide covers creating connections, enabling multiple connections per cavity, and managing connection status.

Save Time with the Connector Design Library

Reuse connector configurations across your projects

After creating connectors, save them to the Connector Design Library for quick reuse in future harnesses. Access both your personal designs and community-shared designs from the System Library.

Best Practices

Tips for efficient connector management

Use Descriptive Names
Names like "ECU", "INJECTOR1", "SENSOR-TEMP" are clearer than "CONN1", "CONN2".
Group with Tabs
Organize complex harnesses by creating tabs for different functional areas or physical locations.
Track Part Numbers
Adding part numbers helps with ordering and assembly. They appear in your Bill of Materials.
Add Descriptions and Notes
Click on the description field in each connector's header to add notes, specifications, or assembly instructions (up to 1,000 characters).
Specify Strip Lengths
Strip length information on connector pinouts helps installers prepare wires correctly.

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