MS3106, MS3102 and MS3100: Plug and Mounting Differences

MS3106, MS3102 and MS3100 describe different connector body styles. In the familiar MS310x naming, MS3106 is a straight plug; MS3102 is a box-mount receptacle; MS3100 is a wall-mount receptacle. Those names narrow the search, but a mating decision still needs the complete configuration and the installation drawing. [1]

The practical question is often more specific: will the replacement mate with the cable already on the machine, and will it fit the existing panel? Treat those as two separate checks.

Figure 1. Original supplier photograph retained from the Tradin reference collection. It illustrates a threaded cable-side form and rear hardware; it is not proof of a manufacturer's identity, qualification or a tested mating pair.

Start with the part that stays in service

If only the panel connector is being replaced, the existing cable plug is the reference. Copy its full marking, including the class, shell and insert, contact designation and any rotation or special suffix. A request for “an MS3102 socket” leaves most of that work unresolved.

Then record the panel interface. Keep the drawing revision with the request. A similar flange in a photograph does not establish the mounting-hole pattern, panel opening, projection or space needed behind the panel.

Amphenol's 97 Series catalog is useful for understanding common 5015-style bodies and layout references. It also identifies the 97 range as a commercial, general-duty family. A comparable drawing or layout number does not turn a commercial connector into a qualified military item. [1]

A flange match is only half an answer

Figure 2. The flange and coupling interface can be seen in this supplier sample. Dimensions, rear termination and exact order code must come from the applicable drawing.

A replacement can pass an electrical configuration review and still fail at installation. Ask the person fitting it to check these spaces rather than returning a single “fits/does not fit” answer:

• At the panel: opening, fastening pattern, mounting side and the panel features shown on the drawing.
• Outside the panel: room to bring in the plug, operate the coupling and support the cable.
• Inside the enclosure: rear projection, terminal access, insulation clearance and the route of the conductors.
• At the cable exit: clamp, seal, boot or other included accessory and its permitted cable dimensions.

Do not remove a rear component from the quotation just because it is absent from the connector's short description. The complete cable-side delivery needs its own included-parts list.

Read a quotation as two connected records

For a requirement marked MS3106A22-14S, retain that complete reference while reviewing a possible receptacle. Writing only “22-14” on the purchase inquiry loses the body style, class and contact designation. Writing “matching MS3102” is also incomplete.

Use a review row with separate fields for the existing plug, the proposed receptacle, and the drawing supporting the proposal. Check the applicable series, shell/insert, complementary contacts and rotation. Leave the result as “pending” if one of those fields is missing. This is a purchasing review method, not a claim that the sample in Figure 1 has been physically mated to Figure 2.

The MIL-DTL-5015 range provides the procurement starting point. For the connector and surrounding accessories together, the complete connector BOM guide illustrates the information structure; its 38999-specific interfaces must not be copied onto a 5015 assembly.

Show the installation in the inquiry

Figure 3. Orion crew module adapter undergoing wiring installation, 4 September 2024. The view illustrates the installation envelope and access around a panel. Credit: NASA/Frank Michaux. Original archive. Context only; the connector series is not identified and this is not a Tradin installation or endorsement.

An overview photograph can reveal access and routing restrictions that an isolated connector image cannot. Send the panel drawing plus one view from each side of the equipment. Include the cable exit and nearby obstructions where they affect assembly.

For a reviewable MS3106/MS3102/MS3100 quotation, send both complete references, the panel drawing, quantity and required arrival date. State whether the purchase requires a named manufacturer's original item or permits an alternative for evaluation, and list the documents required with delivery.

Send the existing part number and panel requirement →

References

[1] Amphenol Industrial 97 Series catalog, 12-022-19, body-style drawings, insert references and commercial-family description. Use the drawing for the exact offered configuration before purchase release.

Photo context: NASA/Frank Michaux. Original archive. Context only; the connector series is not identified and this is not a Tradin installation or endorsement. Technical references checked 18 October 2026.