Today, redundancy is the de facto standard for any network cabling system, and there are a variety of ways to accomplish it.     Years ago it seemed as if disaster preparedness and redundant cabling systems were considered forward-thinking (and something of a luxury) for many network and data center owners and operators. Today, however,Read More

As connectors continue to shrink in size, we wonder how much smaller they can go. Bob Stanton of Omnetics discusses the factors that will enable further miniaturization, as well as what limitations there might be.     What’s happening with connector sizes these days? The evolution of connectors in our phones and laptops, the changeRead More

Connector companies are meeting SWaP challenges as we move to mobile and wearable devices, but is there a time or a function when tiny is too small?     Electrical connectors just keep getting smaller as companies push size and weight out of their devices. Connector companies have risen to meet the SWaP (size, weight, and power) challengesRead More

Nanominiature connectors provide an ideal solution for challenging wiring systems in the constantly evolving aerospace industry. Here, Radiall offers tips on how to specify the connectors for these applications.     To address the challenges airframers experience in the civil and military aerospace industry, a new format for multipin connectors was introduced. The nanominiature connectorRead More

Once distinct markets, wearables, smartphones, and tablets are merging into one product segment. What does the future hold for these devices and related technologies?      The smart computing device market includes wearables, smartphones, tablets, and laptops. One can define this segment as a market because these previously distinct product areas are converging – andRead More

Next up in our “Connector Basics” series, APEX Electrical Interconnection Consultants offers advice on when and why you need someone with failure analysis expertise.     Something is not working out in the connector manufacturing process or, worse yet, a connector fails in the field – in either case, the failure should land on theRead More

Automotive is the fastest growing market sector for fiber optic connectors.     The market for fiber optic connectors, after years of promising predictions, is finally (really) taking off. From plastic optical fiber (POF) used in automobile communications systems to embedded optics in high-performance computing (HPC), fiber-optic connector use is growing. The largest revenue opportunitiesRead More

CAMI Research shares the top five questions to ask about your new cable and harness tester.     When choosing a cable and harness tester, there are five key factors to address with potential manufacturers: 1. Is it PC-based? A PC-based system is operated by an autonomous (rather than embedded) computer. Being independent of embeddedRead More

The new Phoenix Contact universal electronic housing system offers 100+ combinations for greater design flexibility. Phoenix Contact’s new EH electronic housings simplify design and increase flexibility for device applications. The EH system includes seven overall widths, two overall heights, and three cover versions to offer more than 100 possible combinations. The EH housing works with a wide range of PCBRead More

Mill-Max expanded its line of discrete spring-loaded pins with the 0907 series, now available in 10 heights. Mill-Max has expanded its line of discrete insulated spring-loaded pins with the 0907 series. Its original 807 series comprises SMT insulated pins in seven heights from .100″ (2.54mm) to .236″ (5.99mm) with working travel from .012″ (0.3mm) to .0275″ (0.7mm).Read More

The TE zQSFP+ portfolio allows for a simple upgrade path from 10Gb/s to 25Gb/s, offering 2.5 times more throughput than traditional QSFP solutions. TE Connectivity expanded its zQSFP+ (z-Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable Plus) product portfolio, offering a data transfer rate of 25Gb/s to meet high-speed customer design requirements. TE Connectivity’s zQSFP+ interconnects offer 2.5 times more throughputRead More

Molex Premo-Flex Cable Jumpers boost design flexibility with new custom options in a variety of pitches, cable lengths, thicknesses, and formats.   Molex expanded its line of Premo-Flex Cable Jumpers with the addition of round flat cable (RFC) and hot bar soldering cable versions to provide distributors, original equipment manufacturers, and contract manufacturers with an extensive range ofRead More