Connector basics

Terminal Blocks for Heavy Duty Applications

Terminal blocks are a simple, inexpensive, and useful type of connector. They are a good choice for simple circuits and have a long history of use in transportation and industrial equipment. Terminal blocks or terminal connectors are a simple, useful, cost-effective, and often crucial component in transportation applications. You need to know a few thingsRead More

Connector Basics: 3 Types Of Electrical Connectors

Do you know your connector basics? In this excerpt from the new book, “Electrical Connectors: Design, Manufacture, Test, and Selection,” two professors share fundamental knowledge about the principles of interconnect technology. By Michael Pecht and San Kyeong electrical connectors An electronic system is a hierarchical interconnection network that enables communication among different electronic devices. SeveralRead More

High-Speed Connectors Usher in New Era of Communications Technologies

Inventive humans have always sought better, faster methods of communications. Today’s high-speed communications are enabled by high-speed cabling and connectors that are rapidly evolving to give us connectivity on a level we couldn’t imagine only a few years ago — and that will inevitably be left in the dust by future iterations. For centuries, innovatorsRead More

Waterproof Pogo-Pin Connectors for Portable and Wearable Medical Applications

Small portable and wearable medical technologies give patients and healthcare providers a safer, more flexible tool for collecting vital biometric data and delivering care. These devices handle the harsh operating conditions of the home and clinic with the help of pogo-pin connectors. As the medical world turns to technology to deliver healthcare in new ways,Read More

Design Considerations, Tips, and Techniques for 5G Coaxial Interconnects

The adoption of 5G devices comes with an increase in performance pressures for connector technologies. Miniature coaxial connector products in microstrip and stripline versions are rising to meet stringent performance, space, and cost objectives. By Alan Kinningham, SI Design Team Manager, Travis Amrine, Global Industry Marketing Manager, and Adam Nagao, Signal Integrity Engineer – R&D,Read More

ICM Solutions for 5G Cellular Networks

The arrival of 5G networks compels designers to consider new connectivity strategies, including supporting technologies such as integrated connector modules (ICMs). Designers should consider four key questions when selecting components for 5G applications.  The fifth generation of broadband standard, 5G, will deliver the high speeds, low latencies, and abundant bandwidth needed to open up countlessRead More

Mil-Spec Pins and Sockets Directly Contribute to Rugged, Reliable Defense Connectors

Precision-manufactured pins and sockets designed with both MIL specs and applications in mind provide superior reliability and durability in harsh-environment defense applications. These contacts are critical building blocks for military connectors that must perform under pressure on land, at sea, and in the skies above. By Steve Smashey, President, and Mike Conte, General Manager, SOSRead More

Magnetic Connectors: The Latest in Hybrid Connectivity for e-Mobility Applications

Hybrid magnetic connectors provide the same power and signal capabilities as traditional connectors in a robust, self-aligning, zero-force, self-mating interface designed to address the needs of various e-mobility applications. Hybrid magnetic connectors with self-locating designs offer an innovative alternative to standard mechanical coupling connectors for powering and light electric e-mobility vehicles (LEVs) such as wheelchairs,Read More

PAM4 Signaling Has Become the Preferred Way to Achieve 56+Gb/s Data Transfers

To address performance requirements for next-generation equipment, an ideal solution would be the ability to double the data throughput using legacy hardware. Replacing traditional NRZ signaling with PAM4 is exactly what the industry needs. Design engineers have been dealing with the challenges of ever-increasing data rates for many years. Each iteration of computing equipment requiredRead More

Combating Corrosion in High-Reliability Connectors

Galvanic corrosion can be significantly attenuated through thoughtful connector design, materials selection, manufacturing, and handling practices designed to maintain high-quality contact surface integrity and minimize connector exposure to adverse conditions.  Metal contact surfaces are subject to corrosion in the form of galvanic attacks, which take place when high humidity and ambient trace chemicals combine toRead More

Military Programs Use Multi-Port and Cluster Connectors for State-of-the-Art RF Performance

Multi-port connectors reduce system cost, speed installation time, and improve reliability. As 5G technologies continue to develop for commercial and military use, these important connectivity solutions will have greatly increased utilization. The concept of multi-port connectors has evolved from arrays of discrete coaxes to complex assemblies with multiple coaxial contacts, integrated into a single connectorRead More

Choosing the Right PCB Mounting Method for High Shock and Vibration

Electronics that are subject to harsh military and aerospace operating environments require secure mounting. Several popular specifications give designers options. A few weeks ago, I was discussing work with an engineer friend, and we got onto the subject of connectors that are subjected to high shock and vibration loads. Exciting, I know. It all stemmedRead More

eBook 2023 The Age of Connected Technology
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