A connector property defines the connection type and may include connector behavior data. Multiple connectors can refer to the same connector property. ABAQUS provides two connection types—basic types and assembled types.
Basic types
Basic connection types include translational types, which affect translational degrees of freedom at both connector points and may affect rotational degrees of freedom at the first point, and rotational types, which affect only rotational degrees of freedom at both connector points. For example, an AXIAL connection type defines translational movement and a CONSTANT VELOCITY connection type defines rotational movement.
Assembled types
Assembled connection types are predefined combinations of basic connection types. For example, a HINGE connection type combines a JOIN connection type (translational) and a REVOLUTE connection type (rotational) to join the position of two points and provide a revolute constraint between their rotational degrees of freedom.
Note: ABAQUS/CAE writes complete connector property data to the input file only when a connector in the model database refers to the connector property. If you plan to import a model from an input file and obtain connector properties, you must make sure that all of the connector properties are referenced by connectors in the model database.
For an overview of the connection types that are available in ABAQUS/CAE, see “Understanding connector properties,” Section 15.7. For a description of each connection type and the equivalent basic connection types that define the kinematic constraints of assembled type connections, see “Connection-type library,” Section 17.1.5 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual.