High availability and the reliability of rolling stock comprise the basic requirements for modern rail freight. HARTING is researching solutions for condition-based maintenance strategies. The long history of sustained, strong growth in global trade correlates to a continued increase in the flow of goods in the future. Despite political advocacy and a broad range ofRead More

The “Connector Basics” series from APEX Electrical Interconnection Consultants continues with a tutorial on how to specify and select a connector for a particular application. Generally speaking, electrical connectors are mechanical components that serve an electrical function. In addition to carrying electrical current at a specified voltage, connectors either enable interconnection of components during theRead More

Today’s inter-vehicle jumper systems must withstand a diverse array of electrical, mechanical, and climatic conditions. Today’s inter-vehicle jumper systems must be capable of withstanding a diverse array of conditions, so the system’s design must consider the flow of current and the resulting heating, vibration, bending, and torsion, as well as ambient temperature, ballast strikes, weathering,Read More

With no medical industry standards for cable, the industry adopts voluntary specifications to ensure patient safety. The medical device industry tolerates a much smaller margin of error than most other industries. Medical devices are highly precise and sensitive instruments. As such, medical interconnect cable, and more significantly, the material used in such apparatuses, must beRead More

Consider these design parameters for custom coil cords to ensure a successful application. To work well, each coiled cable design requires a special bulk cord design. Computerized design methods ensure attention to the fine details so your product works properly. Performance limits for coiled cables are controlled by the width of the coil and the elasticityRead More

This quick coil cord primer explains when to use coil cords and what to look for when you’re choosing products for your applications. Durability, low force-to-extend, excellent retractile memory, and high flex life are all important customer requirements for coil cords. From 12 AWG to very-fine-wire 38 AWG and tinsel, coiled cords are manufactured in single-Read More

Personal devices, access to content, data taxing infrastructure, advanced vehicle electronics, and hands-free technology are the things to know about the electronics industry right now. What are the most important drivers, developments, and things to know about the global electronics industry? Molex’s Brian Krause gave us an overview of what’s happening and what we shouldRead More

Erosion in the Connector Industry Talent Base The connector industry has experienced significant erosion of its talent base in recent decades. Because this has occurred bit by bit over a long period of time, it’s not immediately apparent how significantly the industry has been changed by the loss of knowledge and experience these people represent.Read More

The next 10 years of smart home technology will focus on developments that will apply to more than just living spaces. Technology is not always smart. Technology that consumers can understand, afford, and use properly is smart. Technology that saves power and is good for the environment is also smart. Too often, the technology thatRead More

Demand Falling for Backplane-Based Systems Let’s face reality, folks: The demand for backplane-based systems is falling like a refrigerator down an elevator shaft (as is the demand for copper-based backplane connectors). There are several logical reasons for this precipitous decline, and a set of laws that explain why this is happening. But first, we haveRead More

January 2014 By Joseph D. Cornwall, CTS-D, Lastar Inc. This article is excerpted from a white paper entitled, “5 A/V Technologies That Will Define the Next 5 Years.” To read the white paper in its entirety, please visit C2G online. Lastar’s Joseph Cornwall explains why DisplayPort interfaces will be one of the five technologies toRead More

Our first in a series of articles about Evolving Levels of Interconnection As this is the first in a planned series of articles by APEX Electrical Interconnection Consultants LLC, we thought it would be best to begin with the “Levels of Interconnection” (LOI), which is about as fundamental as it gets. It must be rememberedRead More