Any change to a connector design can cause undesirable and unanticipated results. In order to manage the risks associated with design changes, a well-established and effective process is required.   There are many possible motivations for changing the design of a connector. Typically these would include: Need for enhanced performance by a specific customer or theRead More

Amphenol RF fixed-length SMP cable assemblies are ideal for size-constrained, high-frequency applications. Amphenol RF introduced fixed-length SMP cable assemblies as a pre-configured solution for high-frequency applications with 50-ohm impedance requirements. The cable assemblies offer excellent performance up to 26.5GHz and are highly reliable in test environments. Amphenol SMP pre-configured cable assemblies feature Amphenol RF’s SMP plug connectors,Read More

The process of choosing the right electrical connector isn’t always black and white, and here Remke examines one of the most important connector decisions: Should you go with a stock connector or a custom option?   The process of choosing the right electrical connector for your application isn’t black and white, and neither are theRead More

Cable splices are a necessary evil in designing and installing a communications network, particularly in an industrial setting, so let’s take a look at safe fiber optic splicing techniques.     In a perfect world, a fiber optic installation would consist of long, continuous cable runs from one destination to another. However, in the realRead More

Installing fiber optic networks in harsh environments, such as on the factory floor, requires special considerations. Here, Berk-Tek explains how to specify water-resistant fiber optic cable for demanding applications.   Fiber optic cables have become an integral part of applications such as data centers, local area networks, telecom networks, industrial Ethernet, and wireless. Each applicationRead More

How do pre-terminated optical fiber and category-rated copper cabling stack up against field-terminated versions? Leviton shares five things to know about pre-terminated cabling and network deployment.   Pre-terminated cable provides a plug-and-play solution for links between switches, servers, patch panels, and zone distribution areas in the data center. These solutions include a variety of trunkRead More

The new AVX 2mm vertical poke-home WTB contact is 37% smaller than the next smallest product in the 9296 series and is ideal for light industrial applications.  AVX Corporation released a new 2mm vertical poke-home wire-to-board (WTB) contact. The latest addition to AVX’s 70-9296 Series, the new micro contact accepts 26 – 22AWG solid orRead More

To meet the need for higher-speed data collection, transmission, and storage, circular connectors are downsizing to serve changes in instrument and product designs. Omnetics’ Bob Stanton traces the evolution of circular connectors, and forecasts future developments in high-speed systems.   Today’s electronic circuitry is changing rapidly to meet our demand for higher-speed data collection, transmission, andRead More

When choosing modern hyperboloid contacts for circular I/O connectors, the specific requirements of the application are key considerations.   Circular connectors are ubiquitous in medical electronics, instrumentation, and military and aerospace equipment. The round configuration lends itself to input/output applications that see frequent mating and un-mating. Plug and receptacle alignment is intuitive to enhance ease of use.Read More

With even the most common applications constantly evolving, specialized connector designs are required on a regular basis. Here, AMETEK explains the process of how to specify custom circular connectors.   Considering the connector industry’s global sales of more than $50 billion, you would be excused for thinking that a connector design exists for every conceivable application. However, the competitive nature of theRead More

There are several options for testing cable assemblies, and CAMI Research makes the case for feature-rich, cost-efficient PC-based cable and harness test systems. Q: What are the available options for wire and harness testing and how do they compare? There are three categories of test systems on the market: PC-based (external control), microprocessor-controlled, and embeddedRead More

Circular connectors are used in a wide range of applications including industrial, energy, medical, and military. Here, ODU examines current and future trends in five things to know about circular connectors.   From industrial electronics and energy technology to medical and military technology, circular connectors are used in many different markets and applications. Here are five mainRead More