To ensure a successful product launch, manufacturers need to optimize the talents of their employees to be sure critical needs are addressed. We continue the “Connector Basics” series with a look at the necessary skills for successful new connector development. This article was contributed by APEX Electrical Interconnection Consultants. Successful new product development and releases toRead More

Bishop & Associates’ Bob Hult offers a plea to engineers, praising all they’ve achieved but requesting a bit of restraint. I recently attended the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, where some of the most sophisticated high-tech equipment and manufacturing processes were on display. I am in awe at our ability to track swarms of space debris asRead More

The RF connector market benefits from growth in the telecom equipment market. In 2013, the worldwide market for RF connectors exceeded $2.2 billion. RF connectors are electrical connectors designed to operate at radio frequencies in the multi-megahertz and gigahertz range. The connectors vary in size from the very small ultra-microminiature (smaller than a pencil eraser)Read More

The acquisition expands LEMO’s product offering, providing a complete cable-connector solution to its customers. LEMO acquired Northwire Inc. (NWI), a US specialty cable manufacturer of wire and multi-conductor cable and retractiles for the medical, aerospace and defense, energy, and industrial markets. “The acquisition of Northwire will enlarge the LEMO offering, providing a complete cable-connector solutionRead More

Astrex Electronics, a connector distribution specialist, joins the TTI family. TTI Inc. announced the acquisition of Astrex Electronics, a privately held connector distribution specialist headquartered in Plainview, N.Y. “I’m very pleased to be bringing Astrex Electronics into the fold of the TTI family of companies,” said Mike Morton, president, TTI Americas. “I am confident thatRead More

The transaction establishes TE as a leader in the high-growth sensor market and further expands its position as a provider of solutions for harsh environment applications. TE Connectivity Ltd. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Measurement Specialties Inc. for $86 cash per share or a total transaction value of approximately $1.7 billion (includingRead More

Connector designers understand that many variables impact contact area and how adequately the contacts do their job. This next article in the “Connector Basics” series explains why even minor increases in contact resistance matter. When a contact is mated, only a relatively small area is actually touching. All of the current must flow through this smallRead More

As fiber optic technology continues to expand and evolve at an increasingly rapid rate, we asked the Fiber Optic Association to provide our readers with a simple guide on how to specify single-mode and multimode FO connectors. Visit the Fiber Optic Association online for more valuable information about specifying these connectors, as well as forRead More

Recently we spoke to Julian Ferry, high-speed R&D manager at Samtec, to learn more about the latest developments in high-speed interconnects, which applications are driving them, and how Samtec is meeting the challenges. Read on for more from Samtec on signal integrity. CS: What are the primary applications in which system designers would look to high-speedRead More

David Weaver from Bulgin discusses the always-on demands of the industrial market and its need for robust connections, looking at how the latest high-power, waterproof, push-pull power connectors can help to meet these needs. In today’s “always-on” world, there is an ever-increasing need to ensure uninterrupted connectivity in the harshest environments; equipment is expected toRead More

We’ve been hearing about 4G mobile phones for several years now, and though they’re now mainstream, their full capabilities remain in short usage. Even though we do not have true 4G yet, mobile network operators push on to 5G. The evolution of the mobile phone networks, while seemingly slow, has made great progress over the lastRead More

As data rates increase, the bandwidth of signals increases and its rise time decreases. ALL signal integrity problems get worse with higher signal bandwidth and shorter rise time. Here, Dr. Eric Bogatin examines the connector challenges for high-speed serial link applications. Thanks in part to Netflix and YouTube, which together comprise as much as 50% ofRead More