Electronic connectors are characterized by their pin arrangement and physical structure, size, contact resistance, insulation between pins, robustness and vibration resistance, water or other contaminant resistance, pressure resistance, reliability, life (connect/disconnect operation times before) failures), easy to connect and disconnect. They can be locked to prevent insertion in the wrong direction, connect the wrong pins to each other, and have locking mechanisms to ensure they are fully inserted and do not come loose or fall off. Some connectors are designed so that certain pins contact before others at insertion and are disconnected first when disconnected. This protects the circuits normally connected to the power supply, such as connecting to a safe ground first, and properly ordering connections in heat exchange applications.

Some consumers want connectors to be visually recognizable, quickly assembled and easy to operate and inexpensive. In some cases, the device manufacturer may specifically choose a connector because it is not compatible with a connector from another source, allowing you to control which connectors might be connected. No connector has all the desired properties, and the type proliferation of connectors reflects different requirements. Fretting is a common failure mode in electronic connectors and is not specifically designed to prevent it.