Page 49 - ConnectorSupplier.com 2019 Mil/Aero eBook

Five Questions to Ask When Selecting Active Optical Connectivity Solutions for Defense Applications
Olivia Duffus, Copywriter, Radiall
Active optics have become a leading connectivity solution for a wide range of defense applications. The benefits that active optics bring to the table, which range from lightweight parts to custom links, are increasingly influencing defense industry electronics designs. To select the most effective active optical connectivity solutions for a given defense application, it is important to ask the right questions. Answering the following five questions will help guide connector selections or custom design requests and ensure the design-in of the best active optical connectivity solutions for new defense industry electronics.
1. Does your project require QPL/MIL qualified components?
Many defense applications require QPL listed or military-qualified connectors proven to meet rigorous design, production, testing, and performance requirements. If you are limited to using QPL or mil-spec parts, partnering with a supplier with proven experience in the defense industry can simplify and speed up the selection process. Some, like Radiall, will even compliment their cabling solutions with another vendor’s connectors in order to provide the most optimal solution for a given application in addition to the ease, efficiency, and convenience of one-stop shopping vs. sourcing from multiple vendors. If you are not limited to QPL listed or military-qualified connectors, you have much more flexibility to decide which type of connector to use and which characteristics and features are most important for the application (e.g., speed, weight, robustness, performance, size, compatibility, etc.).
Radiall offers optimized end-to-end solutions suitable for every electronic warfare (EW) environment and radar platform.
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