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Have you ever had a
non-industry friend hesitantly ask you, “Um, what’s a
connector?” I have, almost every one of them. I
can’t blame them; our industry is low-profile, even if the
things connectors make possible are not. I always give
people an example of something they use all the time and can
relate to: their computer. Even if you’re a technologically
challenged person, you can mate many of the connections on
that everyday device.
Those of us in the industry accept our electronics jargon as
commonplace. Those that are in more mundane fields of work
may think we speak in the tongue of a foreign acronym-filled
world.
So with that in mind, this issue of ConnectorSupplier.com
Extra is going to look at computer connections. David
Pheteplace will discuss the
evolution of I/O (or as
we have to tell our friends, input/output) computer
connections. David starts with the ‘70s, when the personal
computer first became widely used and connector design was
still a “wild West” type of environment. Connector
compatibility was second—or third, or fourth—priority,
compared to getting your product to market. He takes us to
the present day, in which developments in USB—you know,
Universal Serial Bus—have become the standard of the
industry.
Nick Blas, product manager for Amphenol Cables On Demand,
continues the USB story with a
USB primer.
Nick looks at what’s available today in the USB area, what
to look for when designing a computer cable with a USB
connection, and examines recent developments in the field.
Our world may look like alphabet soup to those on the
outside, but innovations like these show that our industry,
more than ever, is keeping everything together. |
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Getting the Jump
on Military Connector Applications
As an engineer or
buyer in any market, the need to find the most
knowledgeable, resourceful, and enterprising salesperson for
your particular project—new or old—is critical. Scott Clay,
Bishop & Associates Inc., knows the military/aerospace
sector of the connector industry. In this issue, he provides
information on many military design and development
locations, plus tips on a few military-industry trade shows.
Learn how to connect with the best.
more
SCADA Systems
Supervisory, Control and Data
Acquisition (SCADA) systems represent a subset of industrial
control systems. And, like industrial controls, SCADA
systems have become network-centric, leveraging the power of
intelligent sensors and actuators, networking, computing,
and communication assets to achieve optimal control and
situational awareness, typically in a large, complex system.
How easily can these systems be compromised? And, will these
systems help us manage the use of fuel in our everyday
travels?
more
Online Value-Added Services
Value-added services run the gamut, from modifying a simple
component to providing the OEM with a complete supply chain
management system. The web is—once again—creating more
opportunities for companies to make the engineer’s and
buyer’s daily tasks easier and more organized. Distributor
Newark recently introduced a new connector selector guide on
their website, and that news spurred me to seek out
additional online helpers. I’ve discovered a few, and have
included the details of them in this article—now you can
create your own online “parts list,” create a component
pricing spreadsheet, visit specialized sites for creating
those products, design a RF cable assembly, and click-on
many parametric connector search sites. |
