Upcoming industry events, as well as recent award, partnership, promotion, personnel, facility, distribution, standards, association, and certification news from across the connector industry. April 2026 Connector Industry News April 2026 Connector Industry News > Award News Harwin announced its Distributor of the Year Awards, with DigiKey declared the Global Winner 2026. Harwin highlighted DigiKey’s exceptional performanceRead More

This streamlined network makes upgrading to a faster network cost effective for companies that want more than 4G but don’t need all the bells and whistles of 5G. The arrival of the 5G mobile network brought several major improvements including ultra-fast speeds (eMBB), ultra-low latency (URLLC), and massive device connectivity (mMTC). Compared to 4G, 5GRead More

This week’s Product Roundup highlights RF & coaxial interconnects from leading connector manufacturers and suppliers. RF & Coaxial Interconnects SV Microwave’s SMPM-XT RF interconnects are designed to maintain reliable electrical performance, even when mechanical tolerances vary. These SMPM interconnects accommodate a greater degree of axial tolerance, ensuring repeatable board-to-board connections up to 12 GHz. ThisRead More

New-to-market connectivity products, including interconnects, wire, cable, and cable assemblies, sensors, antennas, materials, accessories, tools, and development kits. April 2026 New Connectivity Products  April 2026 New Connectivity Products > Interconnects, etc. Neutrik Group Americas partnered with NETGEAR to incorporate its locking etherCON, opticalCON, and powerCON connections into its new M4350-16M4V switch. The NETGEAR M4350-16M4V switch employs industry-standard NEUTRIK locking connectors throughout: etherCON for network, opticalCON for fiber, andRead More

This new standard defines compact, rugged, modular, open systems architecture for high performance embedded computing that supports RF, video, and optical signal applications. In February 2026, VITA 90 VNX+ ratification marked the culmination of nearly a decade of work since the transition from VITA 74 began. The VITA 90 family of standards defines compact, rugged,Read More

Meet the Connector: VME64x Connectors VME64x is a standard for VMEbus ruggedized, high-performance embedded systems in defense, aerospace, industrial control, and medical imaging. A superset to the VME64 standard, VME64x (VME64 Extensions) was adopted by the VITA Standards Organization in 1997. VME64x added many new capabilities, including: a new 160 pin connector family a 95Read More

This week’s Product Roundup highlights radiation-resistant connectors from leading connector manufacturers and suppliers. Radiation-Resistant Connectors Smiths Interconnect’s LightCONEX VITA 66.5 Style C Hybrid plug-in module with integrated optical transceiver and RF cables meets the stringent SWaP requirements of today’s defense applications in which fiber optics are replacing high bandwidth copper interconnects. It offers flexibility, lightRead More

University students tackle complex engineering challenges in pursuit of innovation, sustainability, and community.  A leading connector supplier is part of the team. Last May, JAE announced its sponsorship of ZotSun, the University of California, Irvine (UCI) solar car project. Both the company and the students involved are reaping the benefits of this partnership. UCI ZotSunRead More

This week’s Product Roundup highlights EV connectors from leading connector manufacturers and suppliers. EV connectors Lumberg’s 4580 01 high-current contact is designed for both SMT (reflow) and THT soldering. This innovative phase contact offers a flexible solution for various assembly requirements and is particularly suited for high-current applications. The 4580 01 high-current contact is characterizedRead More

Meet the Connector: LVDS Connectors LVDS (low-voltage differential signaling) connectors are high-speed, low-power connectors for transmitting data with minimal electromagnetic interference (EMI). Introduced in 1994, LVDS connectors are designed for high-frequency signals, commonly reaching gigahertz speeds for display data. Key features are high-speed transmission, low power consumption, strong noise immunity, and compact design. Differential signalingRead More

This week’s Product Roundup highlights waterproof & hermetic connectors from leading connector manufacturers and suppliers. Waterproof & Hermetic Interconnects   Lumberg’s 360° shielded screw-type circular connector features an innovative shielding mechanism on the inside of the casing that makes it possible to compose the entire connector from a much smaller number of individual parts. ThisRead More

When there is too much wire and not enough space, branch wiring provides an elegant solution that benefits engineers, designers, manufacturers, and customers. Branch wiring offers engineers and designers a valuable solution for industrial and other applications that require managing lots of wire and cable. Connector Supplier spoke with Nathan Moskal, product manager, and ZacharyRead More