August 2022 Connector Industry News I
Upcoming industry events, as well as recent award, partnership, promotion, personnel, facility, distribution, standards, association, and certification news from across the connector industry.
August 2022 Connector Industry News I > Event News
ODU honors its 80 years in operation with celebrations and an investment of almost 60 million euro in the company headquarters, including a new five-story building for the turning shop with laboratories and offices, and plans to build an additional assembly hall. Founded by Otto Dunkel in 1942, ODU established itself early as a global connector specialist and currently has over 2,500 employees (1,400 on site in Mühldorf am Inn, and the rest in other production sites located in Romania, the U.S., Mexico, China, and other countries). ODU recognized its employees with an 80th anniversary celebration in July 2022.
There is still time to participate in the annual Global Women in Engineering Survey in partnership with Avnet’s element14 Community. The survey is an opportunity for professional women in engineering to share their insights and experiences, shedding light on career development as well as the broader challenges and opportunities within the electronics engineering industry. The survey opened on International Women in Engineering Day (June 23) and closes on August 20. The global survey is designed to understand current barriers and learn how to further diminish discriminatory practices in the workplace. Results of the survey will be announced in September 2022.
August 2022 Connector Industry News I > Award News
Sager Electronics has been named 2021 Power Distributor of the Year by RECOM Power. The award was presented at the 2022 EDS Leadership Summit in Las Vegas. This is the second year in a row that Sager has achieved this distinction. “We are pleased to recognize Sager Electronics with our 2021 Power Distributor of the Year Award,” said Christoph Wolf, President of RECOM Power. “In challenging times, having strong distribution relationships becomes even more important, and we appreciate the partnership we have with Sager. We look forward to many more years of mutual success and growth.”
Digi-Key Electronics has received special recognition for 10 years of generous support of the FIRST Robotics Competition. Digi-Key supplies the international competition’s official Kit of Parts with a $50 voucher to the Digi-Key website to purchase items for each team’s robot, which helps ensure that the teams have access to the components they need to build their designs. In addition to its Diamond-Level sponsorship of the global FIRST Robotics Competition, Digi-Key sponsors the Great Northern Regional competition in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and several Digi-Key employees have served as judges at the event. Digi-Key also sponsors the local Thief River Falls Lincoln High School team, ProDigi Team 3277, and Digi-Key employees serve as mentors for that team. “Digi-Key is a pioneering FIRST Robotics Competition supporter which changed the Kit of Parts program for the better by allowing teams to select the materials they need directly from the Digi-Key website,” said Chris Rake, chief operating officer at FIRST. Working with adult mentors, FIRST Robotics Competition participants have limited time and resources to design, build, program, and test their robots to meet the season’s engineering challenge. Teams compete at events that reward design excellence, competitive play, sportsmanship, and high-impact partnerships between schools, businesses, and communities. FIRST Robotics helps prepare young people for a future in electronics and engineering.
August 2022 Connector Industry News I > Partnership, Personnel, & Acquisitions News
HARTING’s senior manager is the company’s longest serving employee. Dietmar Harting began working for the family business founded by his parents 55 years ago, and has been there ever since, despite reaching retirement age many years ago. “An entrepreneur remains an entrepreneur, until the very end,” said Harting. During his tenure, the German company has risen to become an international technology titan. Harting stepped up in 1967 after graduating from business school to take responsibility for the company, and has made considerable strategic and technological contributions to the industry. HARTING was one of the smaller players in the technology sector; however, 10 years after joining, Harting made the decision to expand internationally (“to this day, my most important decision”), embarking on a journey of leadership in key world markets. The first foreign subsidiary was founded in France in 1979. He has also played a significant role in the development of international standards organizations, and technology and business associations, in roles such as president of the Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V. (DIN), at the Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und Elektronikindustrie e.V. (ZVEI), as deputy chair of the supervisory board of Deutsche Messe AG, and as a member of the technology and research councils set up by Federal Chancellors Gerhard Schröder and Angela Merkel. He has received numerous awards and honors, including the German Federal Cross of Merit 1st Class, an honorary doctorate from the Leibniz University Hanover, and the Erich Gutenberg Prize. The city of Espelkamp made him an honorary citizen.
Michael Cole
Cindy Lewis
AirBorn announced the promotion of Michael Cole from chief operating officer to president and chief executive officer. He joined AirBorn in 2016. A seasoned executive, Cole’s resume includes over three decades of experience in the passive electronics, connectors, and cable-assembly marketplace. Cole served as president and minority owner of Meritec Inc. and senior vice president/general manager of data communications for TE Connectivity. AirBorn’s previous CEO, Cindy Lewis, has been named to the newly created executive chairperson role. After holding various roles within the organization since 1986, including vice president of materials management, vice president of manufacturing, and chief operating officer, Lewis has served as AirBorn’s CEO since 1998 and as chairperson since 2013. She will continue guiding AirBorn in her new role, leading the board of directors and advancing long-term administrative and strategic initiatives. Prior to Airborn, Lewis held management positions with Gerber Scientific and Wholesale Grocery Distribution.
Arcline Investment Management announced the acquisition of Custom Interconnects LLC and the formation of Qnnect LLC, a specialty interconnects platform aimed at solving critical connectivity challenges in high-performance applications. Qnnect brings Custom Interconnects together with Meritec and Joy Signal Technology. Custom Interconnects designs and manufacturers Fuzz Buttons, a high-performance, proprietary contact pin technology enabling critical applications within the aerospace, defense, and semiconductor industries. Fuzz Buttons perform exceptionally well in small form factor electronics that require low signal distortion, high frequency, low insertion force, and shock and vibration resistance.
August 2022 Connector Industry News I > New Technical Resources
Newark announced the winners of the competition to find the longest running Raspberry Pi application currently still in use. A diverse range of long-serving embedded designs and other Raspberry Pi-based systems were entered into the six-week challenge, showcasing how Raspberry Pi is being used as a winning solution by design engineers and hobbyists. To celebrate Newark’s 10-year manufacturing and distribution partnership with Raspberry Pi Ltd., Newark launched the search for the longest-serving Raspberry Pi-based application. Three entrants, each developed in 2014, successfully demonstrated the oldest applications currently in use: a home automation energy monitor and thermostat application based on a Raspberry Pi Model B+; a Softball PiCam using a Raspberry Pi Model 1B to make a camera that would capture video of a softball player running to first base by detecting the hit and panning a PiCam; and a traffic congestion monitor using a Raspberry Pi Model B that checks motorway traffic and sends a notification to the user’s phone if there is a problem that would cause delays. Other creative entries included a blood pressure sensor interface based on Raspberry Pi, a smart home security camera system, and an automatic lawn and pond watering application. The element14 Community has notified all winners of the major prize packages, which include 10 Raspberry Pi Picos and a Pi NoIR 8MP Camera. Winners have the option of claiming the prize for personal use or donating it to a local school, coding club, or college.
An upcoming webinar and new white paper from TE Connectivity (TE), “Miniaturization Considerations for Smart Internet of Things (IoT) Devices,” address challenges related to miniaturization and offers design considerations for overcoming them with a focus on antenna design, PCB connectors, and associated components. “Approaching the design phase with a holistic view of the impact of all components — including antennas and PCB connectors — is a critical step to avoiding unanticipated performance issues that can result in late-stage design changes, higher expense, and delayed time to market,” said Irfan Yousaf, TE antenna solutions expert. “Oftentimes, manufacturers rely on specifications to determine their antenna selection, but what needs to be considered early in the process are factors such as ground plane dimensions, distance to nearby components, antenna position, PCB layout, and component selection. All of these can have a significant impact on device performance and reliability, and in some cases, a custom antenna solution is required.” TE Product Manager David Currie added that decreasing PCB size in IoT applications is a main driver for miniaturization, leading engineers to require products with a compact form factor. “The smaller the connectors are, the more that can fit into a reduced space, which increases the utility of the board, he said. “PCB clearance is also a driving factor. Not only are PCBs smaller, but increasingly there are more per application that need to be packed into a cavity that may have a unique or very thin shape. Connector protrusion of a board then becomes an important consideration, making low-profile connectors a choice solution.” Register for the webinar, to be held on August 25 at 11 a.m. EST, or download the white paper.
August 2022 Connector Industry News I > Facility News
HARTING technology group has opened a new production facility in the district of Thirumazhisai in Chennai, India. This important production center began its development 16 years ago. “Back then, it was just a small sales office with the employees initially looking after the sales and marketing of our products,” said CEO Philip Harting. “Today, we produce for our customers in India in a facility measuring 3,000 m2.” The opening of the sales office was followed by rapid growth – especially in the important markets for mechanical engineering, systems engineering, power generation, and transportation. The new production facility is designed to meet demand for HARTING products and solutions in India while at the same time ensuring proximity to customers in Asia. The new plant is built for efficient processes operating at the fullest possible capacity. Andreas Conrad, management board member responsible for operations in the HARTING technology group, added that the reduction of the company’s carbon footprint was “squarely front and center. The new production building meets all the latest standards and is totally focused on energy efficiency.”
August 2022 Connector Industry News I > Distribution News
Seica Inc. has entered an exclusive sales, support, and distribution agreement with Focused Test Inc. (FTI) of Boulder, Colorado. This partnership offers new and existing customers in North America the strengths of two diverse, uniquely positioned companies. Mr. David Sigillo, vice president of Seica Inc., said, “We are excited to offer not only Seica OEM branded test solutions, but also FTI’s test solutions for gallium nitride and silicon carbide power devices and MEMS sensor and handling with factory automation.”
August 2022 Connector Industry News I > Associations, Standards, & Certifications News
The MIPI Alliance, an international organization that develops interface specifications for mobile and mobile-influenced industries, and ETSI Technical Committee Secure Element Technologies (TC SET) have adopted the I3C Interface for SSP (TS 103 818) specification, allowing the MIPI I3C Basic specification to serve as a physical and logical link layer for the ETSI Smart Secure Platform (SSP). The I3C Interface for SSP joins the family of specifications that underpin the ETSI SSP, the next-generation platform for Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) and Secure Elements to meet new market requirements driven by emerging IoT, 5G, and other security-sensitive applications. The use of the MIPI I3C Basic bus specification provides the ETSI SSP with benefits such as higher data rate, flexible and efficient information exchange, and strong integration of SSP in connected devices, all while decreasing power consumption.
The MIPI Alliance also announced a significant update to its versatile, application-agnostic MIPI UniPro transport layer for chip-to-chip/interprocessor communication (IPC) applications in traditional and modular device architectures. Version 2.0 of the specification adds key features to double the data rate, while offering greater throughput and reduced latency particularly required by today’s most demanding flash storage applications. First introduced in 2007, MIPI UniPro has been incorporated into multiple versions of the JEDEC Solid State Technology Association’s Universal Flash Storage (UFS) standard as its transport and link layers, along with MIPI M-PHY serving as its physical layer, to connect memory components. Such components can be deployed in a variety of products, including smartphones, drones, action cameras, consumer devices, tablets, and mobile computing products, as well as infotainment platforms and telematics hubs in automotive systems. JEDEC’s forthcoming UFS 4.0 standard will take advantage of the enhancements in UniPro v2.0, as well as those in M-PHY v5.0, which was released in late 2021. Both MIPI specifications were developed in collaboration with JEDEC UFS developers. “The revisions in MIPI UniPro v2.0 were driven by the real-world needs — higher bandwidth and data rates, greater efficiency, reduced latency and minimized verification, validation and testing cycles — requested by designers from across the flash storage ecosystem,” said Sanjiv Desai, chair of MIPI Alliance. “Over the years, UniPro has proven to be both mature yet flexible enough to evolve for diverse and new architectures. We will continue to innovate the specification through ongoing collaboration with the JEDEC UFS community.”
- Mezzanine Connectors Product Roundup - April 16, 2024
- Out Now! New eBook Shares Bright Ideas for Electrification - April 16, 2024
- What are ARINC 801 Connectors? - April 9, 2024
