As droughts, fires, extreme weather events, and rising seas become harder to ignore, researchers are accelerating the development of more powerful technologies to harvest energy from renewable energy sources. Interconnects will play a key role. Renewable Energy There are still a few skeptics who deny global climate change, but over the past year the discussionRead More

Harsh operating conditions and challenging installation scenarios make it important to specify rugged, reliable, and application-specific interconnects for industrial equipment. Industrial Connectors The extreme temperatures and humidity often present in industrial settings place considerable strain on electronic components and can cause equipment to malfunction. Interconnects used in industrial equipment and systems are also subjected toRead More

Meet the Connector: M12 Circular Connectors M12 connectors are a metric circular connector with 12 mm locking threads used in industrial automation and other harsh environment applications where compact, rugged, and reliable power, signal, and data connections are needed. One of the most commonly specified connectors in the industrial market, the M12 is considered theRead More

Do we need yet another single-pair Ethernet interface? Advocates say twisted-pair technology in an M8 or M12 interface would bring huge benefits to autonomous systems.  Single-pair Ethernet (SPE) will greatly improve the flexibility of automation within the connected industrial environment. Previously, Ethernet connections allowed the cloud to talk to the main control room (where software controls the entire manufacturing process), which, inRead More

Evolving technologies in the energy, automotive, military, and datacom markets will continue to drive innovation in connectivity.   The pace of technological advancement continues in the COVID era. The mRNA vaccines produced to combat COVID-19 are the result of years of development to create other anti-virus mRNA vaccines. Processes now have been optimized so that vaccines can be provided with minimalRead More

Connected, smart robots are doing, learning, and even teaching more tasks and processes than ever, with less programming than ever, thanks to AI. At a time when one must lament the dearth of human intelligence being applied to some of the most existential challenges humans have ever faced, artificial intelligence is beginning to have anRead More

As consumers transition to ordering more goods online, shippers are exploring alternatives to human labor. Autonomous delivery robots use sensors systems connected with high-density rectangular connectors to navigate complex environments and carry out delivery tasks. By NorComp Autonomous delivery robots are becoming a new part of life. Delivering everyday packages as well as critical foodRead More

Cobots require high levels of functional safety, high load-bearing capacity with increased arm speed, and a lightweight design. Specialized connector solutions make it so. The industrial robotics space is changing fast. The latest generation of robots is taking on more complex tasks than ever before — and increasingly working alongside humans. Collaborative robots, or cobots,Read More

Coverage of upcoming industry events, awards, partnerships, promotions, new facilities, distribution channels, and more from across the connector industry. November 2021 Connector Industry News November 2021 Connector Industry News > Award News The North Bay Business Journal (NBBJ) has announced this year’s winners of its annual Best Places to Work award and SCHURTER is once again listed among the ranks of notable North Bay companies. This is the 14th year that the Sonoma County-based SCHURTER Inc. has made the list, with its first Best Places to Work award in 2007. The companyRead More

Coverage of new-to-market connectivity products, including interconnects, wire, cable, and cable assemblies, sensors, antennas, materials, accessories, tools, and development kits. October 2021 New Connectivity Products II October 2021 New Connectivity Products II > Interconnects, etc. Amphenol RF expanded its SMA connector series with new cable mount jacks designed to accommodate industry-standard micro-coax 0.81 mm cable.Read More

Also known as shells, backshells, blocks, or bodies, these sub-components are much more than just a simple piece of metal or plastic. Housings are the metal or plastic portions that encompass the raw connector. They may also be referred to as shells, backshells, blocks, or bodies. But let’s not oversimplify things. These sub-components are muchRead More

Today’s LED lighting and industrial electronics applications can achieve greater efficiency, performance, and reliability by employing connectors with high power densities and small form factors. Which connector characteristics best support these goals? This specification guide can help you decide. The connector selection process for product designs in all but the harshest environment markets has historicallyRead More