CAN Bus Disconnect?

[Dean C]

I'm in the middle of a Garmin G3x system install. Naturally it makes sense to put the GMU11 magnetometer out in the wing near the tip. I'd like to be able to remove the wings from time to time so having quick disconnects for the electrical system would make it easy. Is it possible to do this in the CAN Bus and if so, what kind of a connector would be best to maintain the shielding and reduce the signal loss? I can't be the first person who has tried this.
Dean

[Eric Page]

I'd use a M/F pair of 9-pin D-sub connectors. CAN bus was developed by Bosch for automotive use; it's extremely robust and highly resistant to interference, so there's virtually zero risk from passing the shield through one pin of the connector.

One of the connector bodies should have cinch nuts and the other gets threaded thumbscrews in its backshell.

Shopping list:
2 ea. 9-pin D-sub connector backshell
1 ea. 9-pin D-sub connector, male
1 ea. 9-pin D-sun connector, female, with #4-40 cinch nuts
D-sub pins, male
D-sub sockets, female

If you'd rather not drop $20 on too many pins and sockets for the job, it's perfectly acceptable to use pre-populated connector bodies with solder cups instead of crimped contacts. Digi-Key can supply the parts for that:

2 ea. 9-pin D-sub connector backshell
1 ea. 9-pin D-sub connector, male, solder cup, #4-40 cinch nuts
1 ea. 9-pin D-sub connector, female, solder cup