Order rodentia poses one of the greatest and most random threats to electronics. Squirrels, mice, marmots, and other wildlife gnaw on cables, wires, and connectors, disconnecting power, disrupting service, grounding vehicles, and even causing fires. Solutions range from physical barriers like metal wire sleeving and cable conduit to a new generation of plastic materials thatRead More

The standardization of single-pair Ethernet removes the confusing array of connector types. The new universal connector standard significantly simplifies industrial IoT networking for digital AI services and smart factories. By Thomas Keller, Product Manager Industries, Rosenberger Single-pair Ethernet (SPE) has proven itself in the automotive, automation, and IoT industries. Increasing connectivity in software-defined vehicles requires secure, compact cabling in the confined spaceRead More

There’s a frustrating pattern familiar for anyone who has operated or worked on commercial trucks, agricultural machinery, or construction equipment: a fault appears, the vehicle goes into the shop, technicians run diagnostics and find nothing. The fault code is gone, and the connection looks fine. The vehicle goes back into service, and within days orRead More

MIL-DTL-28748 (formerly MIL-C-28748) is a U.S. military specification that defines rectangular, rack-and-panel electrical connectors with non-removable solder-type contacts or removable crimp-type contacts. It is commonly specified for airborne, ground-support, and shipboard equipment as a compact, high-contact-density, multi-source connector interface that is already proven for severe-environment military and aerospace use. Technical Standard MIL-DTL-28748 was first issuedRead More

Characterization and modeling of connector losses in internal connector interfaces. Article Contributed By Baptiste Bouix, Product Manager, Würth Elektronik When two or more PCBs need to be interconnected, designers must select the appropriate connectors for their application. However, choosing the wrong connector can compromise the entire design. Larger pitches like 0.8 mm and 1.0 mmRead More

An LGA (land grid array) socket is a zero-insertion-force or low-insertion-force CPU interconnect in which the electrical contacts reside in the socket on the motherboard rather than on the processor package itself. LGA sockets are the dominant CPU interface in desktop, server, and workstation platforms. The socket format allows OEMs to design boards for multipleRead More

Satellites must be designed to endure conditions from launch to the complex space environment. High-reliability connectors help these systems operate in various extreme conditions. Article Contributed By iConnexion Spacecraft electronics are held to a standard that few terrestrial systems ever face: years of unattended operation, no possibility of repair, and an environment that actively worksRead More

A speed sensor is an interconnect device that detects the rotational or linear velocity of a moving component and converts that motion into an electrical signal with a frequency or pulse rate that is proportional to speed. The two dominant speed sensor types are variable reluctance (VR) sensors, which generate a self-powered analog signal asRead More

Connectors used in oilfields face temperatures that warp plastics, chemicals that eat seals, vibrations that shake contacts loose, and electrical interference that can turn vital data into noise. Distributors can help find rugged solutions. Article Contributed by TTI Inc., Jim McNeil, General Manager Walk into a design review for an oilfield project and you willRead More

Sensing technologies that monitor the physical world are essential to technologies across the spectrum. Learn about four commonly specified environmental sensors and how each one works. Article Contributed by Amphenol Sensors Every time a thermostat adjusts a building’s temperature, a ventilator responds to a patient’s breathing, or an air-quality alert fires on a phone, aRead More

The current carrying capacity of a connector is not a fixed absolute value; it is always the result of a thermal consideration. Since insulating materials, contact springs, and plating systems are specified only up to a certain temperature limit, the permissible current must be reduced as the ambient temperature increases. This relationship is exactly whatRead More

Energy storage systems and uninterruptible power supplies have become integral parts of industrial environments. Vehicles and equipment that require power, such as autonomous mobile robots and AGVs, put the focus on power connectors. Article Contributed by JAE High-current connections in industrial equipment traditionally meant bolted busbars or screw-terminal blocks. However, these solutions required assembly time,Read More