Product Roundup: Circular Connectors
From military to medical, industrial to electric vehicle, circular connectors are a durable, configurable interconnect option that cross a broad range of applications.
Product Roundup
INDUSTRIAL@AMPHENOL’s new overmolded cable assembly options are now available in the ecomate product line. The technology offers proven reliability across all applications within factory automation, lighting, measurement and control, agriculture, wireless, and energy markets. The products are available standard in 3+PE (18A) or 6+PE (10A) versions with IP65/IP67 capability and custom lengths.
Amphenol Industrial Products Group expanded its PT series of connectors with a quick-disconnect circular connector that is ideal for use in the heavy equipment, transportation, diesel engine, and electric vehicle markets. Based on Amphenol’s 26482 series I, the UPT features a plastic shell with a metal coupling system and crimp termination. This lightweight connector has a smaller footprint and is easy to install in the field once it has been crimped in the facility. The UPT contact features three retention tines that can be inserted easily and that ensure retention force. Used in buses, diesel engines, Class 8 trucks, trailers, garbage trucks, tractors, construction equipment, industrial pumping, and power generation, the UPT offers bayonet coupling for quick mating and reliability. These RoHS-compliant connectors are environmentally sealed and have an operating temperature range of -40°C to +125°C. They offer jam nut and square flange mounts for 32-way and 48-way contacts. Amphenol’s UPT contacts are available in either gold or tin. Multiple back shell sealing accessories are available upon request.
Bulgin’s Buccaneer 4000 Series builds on the success of the Buccaneer 6000 and 7000 Series of quick-locking connectors, as the connectors provide the same twist-lock coupling and “fit-and-forget” connectivity in a more compact format. The series provides excellent sealing characteristics to IP66, IP68, and IP69K standards to ensure true environmental protection in harsh conditions as well as to withstand vibrations, shocks, and corrosion to EN/IEC 60068 requirements. Each unit has a UV-resistant UL94-V0 flammability-rated plastic body equipped with the twist-locking mechanism, allowing a secure connection without the need for specialist tools. Currently available in three-, eight-, and 12-pole configurations rated up to 13A, 600V – plus a micro-B USB data connector – it offers a choice of solder and crimp contacts and can accommodate cables from 3mm to 7mm in diameter.
Fischer Connectors launched an even smaller ultraminiature connector, MiniMax 06, as an extension of its miniature high-density product range, the Fischer MiniMax Series. The MiniMax 06 connector can include up to 12 power and signal contacts in a footprint of only 10mm. This corresponds to a density factor of 0.83 – a unique technological feature for a connector with standard 0.5mm contacts. The MiniMax 06 also includes a new unique configuration with two signal and two high-power 1.3mm contacts for applications that require 10A or more power, doubling the standard 5A current rating of the existing MiniMax product line. Also available as a pre-cabled solution, MiniMax 06 is ideally suited for handheld or body-worn applications when space is limited. Tested for high-speed protocols such as HDMI and data transfer up to 10Gb/s, the series also addresses the growing market need for higher data transmission rates. With its new smaller version, the Fischer MiniMax Series now comes in two sizes, 06 and 08, with receptacles of 10mm and 12mm footprints respectively. Configurations range from four to 24 contacts.
Hirose has designed a small circular power connector with a patented push-and-pull lock for rugged applications. The IP68-rated waterproof HR30 Series connector features a lightweight plastic shell that is corrosion-resistant. When the connector is mated, the unique waterproof gasket design prevents water intrusion, even while submerged in water at two meters for 14 days. Well suited to power a wide variety of applications in outdoor and other harsh environments, the HR30 Series simplifies field assembly via an innovative cable-clamping method: The connector quickly clamps and seals automatically by tightening the rear housing over the cable, compressing the seal for waterproof operation. The push-on/pull-off mating ensures a secure connection via a sleeve-locking mechanism. The plug and jack are designed for overmolding, which provides design flexibility and customization. Available in three, six, 10, and 12 positions, the HR30 Series is offered in plug, receptacle, and jack-and-cap versions; has an operating temperature range of -40˚C to + 105˚C; a contact resistance of 5m to 30 ohms maximum at 1A; and an insulation resistance of 1000Mohms maximum at 100V DC.
ITT Corporation’s Cannon brand launched a new line of high-performance, plastic push-pull interconnects for medical and industrial applications. The PL Series offers a quick connect-and-disconnect capability for cable-to-cable and cable-to-board applications. Its lightweight, sterilizable, and easy-grip design makes the connector series particularly well suited to the rigors of the medical device market. It is ideal for dental tools, electrosurgery tools, ECG devices, catheters, sensors, respirators, and defibrillators. Industrial applications include industrial electronics, controls systems, and test and measurement applications. The series, which offers a wide range of pin counts and has multiple color and keying options, is fully intermateable with existing push-pull industry solutions and can be combined with ITT Cannon’s value-added cable assembly solutions. The PL Series delivers a cost-effective solution for both reusable and disposable applications.
The Jonhon JHA series electrical circular connector offers quick bayonet coupling, small packaging that is lightweight, and high density. The MIL-C-38999 I-compliant connectors provide EMI/RFI shielding and withstand strong vibrations, making them ideal for military systems such as aviation, aerospace, and weaponry. The removable crimp contact with scoop-proof design offers a secure connection. The connectors are available in box-mount, through-hole, front-mount, rear-mount, and jam-nut versions in nine housing sizes, 74 insert arrangements, and various modification types.
The radically simplified mounting of Lumberg’s new 360-degree shielded screw-type circular connector addresses assembly requirements in the field as well as those of manufacturers targeting high volumes for pre-assembly. Lumberg’s next-generation circular DIN connectors feature a highly innovative shielding mechanism on the inside of the casing, which has been registered for patent approval and results in a connector composed of fewer individual parts. This facilitates a much faster assembly process, whether soldering or crimping the cable to the connector’s components. The time-intensive steps of stripping, expanding, shortening, and applying a shielding braid for comparable connectors becomes completely redundant here; manufacturing can be completed in 50% of the time currently needed for conventional connectors. It is salt-spray-, dust-, and UV-ray-resistant and a special vibration protector fitted into the metal casing – also registered for patent approval – acts as an added security feature by preventing loosening of the screwed connection.
Murrelektronik‘s IP67-rated industrial M12 connectors are ideal for use in industrial Ethernet applications. The X-coded M12 connector transfers large quantities of data while the Y-coded M12 connector transfers both data and power. Additionally, Murrelektronik’s X-coded M12 cordsets facilitate error-free, high-speed data transfer at speeds of up to 10Gb/s. The connector design safely separates the four data pairs from each other while the internal shielding protects the cable from external interference. Meanwhile, Murrelektronik’s Y-coded M12 cordsets transfer data and power in one connector. The connector separates the four power transfer contacts from the four signal contacts in the pin arrangement, making it possible to transfer up to 100Mb/s of data while providing 2 x 6A power.
The ODU MINI-SNAP can transmit power, signal, data, or media, in a robust metal housing that provides easy handling. The push-pull locking system prevents the unintentional release of the connection: Once mated, the ODU MINI-SNAP locks itself into the receptacle and can no longer be separated by just pulling on the cable. The plug can, however, be de-mated easily and quickly from the receptacle when the outer sleeve is pulled back, which allows for blind mating in difficult-to-reach places. With high contact density and a long service life of more than 5,000 mating cycles, the ODU MINI-SNAP is available in up to six sizes, three basic keyings, and varied designs. It can be used in a wide range of applications, such as medical technology, measurement and testing technology, military and security technology, industrial electronics, and energy technology.
PA&E now offers a filtered 38999 connector product line. Its filtered 38999-compatible connectors combine aluminum or titanium shells (which allow the connectors to be integrated into lightweight housings) with beryllium copper CDA Alloy 172/173 pins for high electrical performance. Each pin features individual L-, Pi-, or C-section EMI filters that can be potted with silicone or epoxy or hermetically sealed with PA&E’s rugged polycrystalline ceramic, Kryoflex. These filtered connectors are custom-configured to meet a range of EMI filter performance parameters. Connectors using C- and L-section filters can support 5A – 15A, with a working voltage of 50 – 400 VDC and a minimum insertion loss of between 2 and 70dB, depending on configuration. Connectors using Pi-section filters support 10A and a working voltage of 50 – 300 VDC with a minimum insertion loss of between 2 and 70dB, depending on configuration. They are available in all standard MIL-DTL pin counts and configurations, and shell finish options include passivated nickel/gold plate or chromite conversion coating as applicable. Depending on configuration, these connectors can have a leak rate of less than 1×10-9cc/sec helium at 1 atmospheric differential pressure. They provide greater than 5,000 megaohms at 400 VDC and exhibit no evidence of breakdown or flashover when tested in IAW MIL-STD-1344, Method 3003. PA&E hermetic filtered 38999-compatible connectors have a typical operating temperature range of -55°C to +125°C.
Phoenix Contact has expanded its M12 connector range for power transmission in industrial environments with S-coded flush-type connectors and cordsets rated to 16A and 630V (ratings are per IEC; UL 2237 is pending). Standard S-coded connectors, rated to 12A, are also available. They have two positions and protective earth ground (2+PE). The panel-mount connectors are pre-assembled with 0.5-meter-long wires with conductor cross-sections of 1.5mm² (16 AWG). This M12 circular connector system is suitable for use as a main power connector, with IP67 protection and the robust metal M16 x 1.5 panel-mount thread. The compact panel-mount connectors are available in pin-and-socket versions for front and rear mounting. The unshielded cable cordsets are available in lengths of one, two, five, and 10 meters, with both straight and right-angle heads. Both male and female pigtail versions are offered as standard articles. Double-ended cordsets can be manufactured on request through the Phoenix Contact solution center.
Smiths Connectors SnapTac series is a lightweight, quick-release, and robust miniature connector for high-speed data, audio, and video transmissions. It is a proven interconnect solution that delivers exceptional signal integrity, making it ideal for those applications that are demanding and critical in nature. The SnapTac circular series equipped with Hyperspring contacts is offered in seven-, 13-, and 19-way configurations as standard with overmolding and cabling options available. Additionally, SnapTac delivers leading-edge functionality and performance in extreme environments by increasing the number of features, hardware coding options, termination styles, and protection measures.
