IoT technology has enabled life-changing innovations in medicine, security, transportation, and communication. But it’s also unleashed a wave of unnecessary or downright goofy devices. Are we in the Age of Wisdom or the Age of Foolishness? There is little doubt that the Internet has had a huge impact on our daily life. Some have evenRead More

Higher speeds have pushed designers to find creative ways to manage conflicting issues of speed, density, signal integrity, and reach. But as we look past 112Gb/s, the picture is getting fuzzier. Traditional backplane architecture has served the electronics industry exceptionally well for nearly 70 years. The advantages of modularity, manufacturability, repairability, as well as theRead More

As sensors increasingly work in tandem with connectors in IoT applications, some companies are expanding their expertise to encompass both of these elements.  Much like human eyes and ears, electronic sensors detect, measure, and report data on physical properties that enable electronic systems to react. Sensors of all types are proliferating as they become theRead More

Processor and SerDes speeds continue to bump up, putting pressure on input/output connectors mounted on the faceplate. Like investors running to the exit when the market tanks, the I/O panel can quickly become a serious bottleneck that limits communication and slows the system. Computers and their users hate to sit idle while waiting for requiredRead More

The industry continues to take impressive steps forward, as evidenced by new products in the connector and cable world. DesignCon 2018 opened under sunny Bay Area skies, which seemed a perfect match for the mood among attendees. This conference featured over 100 technical sessions organized in 14 conference tracks, along with a two-day exhibition withRead More

Synergy between advanced sensors as well as related connectors and cable assemblies is opening new avenues of growth and profit for the interconnect industry. Electronic sensors are popping up everywhere, and this technology is expected to proliferate logarithmically over the next few years. Sensors act as the eyes and ears of electronic equipment. They areRead More

At this year’s show, the supercomputing world reached towards higher speeds and capabilities. The term “supercomputers” brings to mind huge, room-sized machines that spend their time contemplating the mysteries of the universe. Some of these machines actually do, but this year’s International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis, held in Denver, demonstratedRead More

As electronics enable a new generation of portable medical devices, opportunities are increasing for manufacturers of these unique connectors and sensors. Connectors and Sensors for the Medical Market In addition to the universe of general-purpose connectors, more specialized interfaces fill important niches. These connectors are designed with specific features that satisfy the unique requirements ofRead More

Are companies investing enough in R&D? Or have we reached peak innovation? Technology companies like to talk about the amount of resources they apply to research and design. If you want to be a leader in today’s fast-growing market segments, you need to constantly upgrade existing products or introduce new ones. Research is the wellheadRead More

The Chinese market’s growth over the past decade has been phenomenal. What does the future hold? As of the end of August 2017, global sales of connectors are up over 10%, with Bishop & Associates forecasting 7.1% growth for the full year. While sales of connector manufacturers based in North America are projected to growRead More

The idea of bringing electronics manufacturing jobs back to the US has great appeal. But the realities are complicated. In the recent past, the US was recognized as a global manufacturing powerhouse, but there is little doubt that a significant number of manufacturing jobs have been moved to other countries, primarily in Asia. According toRead More

When I/O connectors block airflow, a toolbox of solutions is required to keep today’s fast, dense, and hot systems cool. Lithium ion batteries are not the only source of excessive heat in electronic devices. A nasty combination of dense system packaging and increased power consumption tends to concentrate heat inside the box, causing component stressRead More