Trucking industry trends all point to a solid market for high-reliability connectors. Nearly every trend in commercial trucking is fueling increased demand for connectors. The move to hybrid and electric vehicles isn’t limited to automotive. Heavy, long-haul trucks are moving in this direction too, creating a need for high-power connectors. The expanding role of LEDsRead More

Few things in the connector industry go back 60 years. The unique collaboration between Avnet and Amphenol is one of them. Radio. That’s where it all began for two of the connector industry’s leading players. Amphenol, an early manufacturer of radio components, was innovating within that industry when a parts distributor named Charles Avnet tookRead More

Falling prices on LEDs mean solid-state lighting is poised to displace bulbs, opening markets for connectors while altering wiring and electronic architectures. Automotive LEDs The automotive industry is ramping up its adoption of LED lighting. Falling prices, improving brightness, and integration with next-generation electric and safety systems are making this once-niche lighting option a mainstreamRead More

This week’s product roundup highlights some of the most rugged, reliable, and versatile D-Subminiature connectors currently available on the market. D-Subminiature Connector Products Amphenol ICC’s ruggedized MDBR Series D-Sub connectors mate with standard connectors and come with die-cast metal housings that provide robust resistance against mechanical damage resulting from shock, vibration, and impacts, as wellRead More

In the market for a new solution? We’ve rounded up, summarized, and linked the latest connectors, cables, assemblies, tools, accessories, and development kits to hit the market. New Product News Connectors, Inserts, Pins, Probes, Sockets, and Modules ITT Cannon’s new Rail-in-Lock™ (RIL) latching connectors for solider-worn applications feature an advanced quick-connect mechanism that enables single-handed,Read More

Smaller connector designs pushed by the cellphone world find a new home in portable and scaled-down gaming devices. Gaming Connectors Evolve For decades, young people have had their first exposure to connectors through gaming equipment. Although the vast array of electronics contained in these systems are hidden within the consoles and peripherals, perhaps no otherRead More

The top 10 connector manufacturers, as a group, achieved $32 billion in annual sales in 2016, or 59.8% of world connector demand. The following table identifies the top 10 as defined by total world connector sales. Table 1 (above) reveals some interesting trends: The top four connector manufacturers are all US-based companies: TE Connectivity #1,Read More

We track the top companies over the decades. This year’s ranking uncovers some new players — and some that we’ve known for along time. Since 1980, there has been a dramatic change in the companies that comprise the top 10. Some companies have moved up in rank, others have moved out of the top 10,Read More

In December 2015, 195 countries signed an agreement at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris. In June 2017, President Trump announced that the US would withdraw from the agreement, joining Syria as the only countries to remain outside of the agreement. What does that mean for the connector industry? By CarolineRead More

Consumers and businesses want to be able to repair the products they have invested in. Industry says no. If you are an engineer and your phone — or toaster, TV, or printer — is on the fritz, you’ve got two options: Tinker with it or toss it. But most people only have one option, andRead More

This week’s product roundup highlights some of the most compact, capable, and lightweight connectors and cable assemblies responsible for enabling the reliable transmission of high-speed data and digital audio/visual signals in an ever-expanding range of applications spanning warfare to web browsing. Ultraminiature Connector Products TE Connectivity’s CeeLok FAS-T rugged, nanominiature circular I/O connectors occupy lessRead More

Proposed US tariffs leave solar industry in limbo. Solar power is now the fastest-growing source of energy in the world. The International Energy Agency reports that, in 2016, solar photovoltaics grew faster than any other fuel, with almost 165 gigawatts coming online globally. Furthermore, prices are dropping for solar-generated energy: In 2016, auction prices forRead More