To increase the capacity of their networks, service providers are deploying more and more fiber. While that keeps pace with the demand for bandwidth, it creates another set of problems. TE Connectivity’s solution is small-diameter cable technology. The following white paper excerpt was provided by TE Connectivity. Business and residential subscribers all over the worldRead More

Bishop & Associates’ tracking of the cable assembly industry in the telecom market shows cell/smartphone revenues in decline while unit sales climb. Bishop tracks 11 companies in the telecom market sector. This market has been in contraction, as measured by these 11 companies’ revenues, in three of the last five quarters since 1Q13. In comparison to these companies,Read More

Fiber optic cable no longer stops at the base of the cell tower, and as mobile communication network operators deploy advanced 3G LTE/4G networks, it’s time to take a closer look at fiber management solutions to the cell tower. This white paper excerpt was provided by 3M. Fiber optic cable no longer stops at theRead More

Cable manufacturer Northwire deploys anti-counterfeit technology to protect customers against the flourishing counterfeit wire industry. Here are its tips on challenges and solutions for designing failsafes into your products. The next generation of anti-counterfeit verification tools safeguards consumers against hazards that can range from injury to revenue loss. The sophisticated multi-billion-dollar global “gray market” demands cooperative efforts betweenRead More

While its industry-standard passive SFP+ DAC assemblies have been tested and proven for interoperability, these new Siemon Cisco-compatible SFP+ direct-attached copper cable assemblies are programmed specifically to work with network equipment with 10GBASE-CX1 ports. Siemon, a network infrastructure specialist, announced SFP+ Copper twinax direct-attach cables (DACs) that are programmed for compatibility with Cisco equipment. While Siemon’s industry-standard passive SFP+Read More

Hirose IT-P Series power pin connectors are designed for assembly alongside IT3 and IT5 Series high-speed mezzanine connectors. Hirose has strengthened its board-to-board power connector product offering with the development of the flexible and customizable IT-P Series. Featuring a three-piece structure with mating receptacle, interposer, and mounting receptacle, the IT-P Series provides a wide range of variableRead More

The semiconductor market maintains its momentum so far in 2014, which is good news given how closely trends in the connector market follow trends in the semiconductor market. Global semiconductor market performance in early 2014 has continued where 2013 left off  – with positive sales growth. As the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reported at the beginning ofRead More

Custom connectors that utilize spring probe technology offer compliance, blind mating, and space savings. Gina Prieto of Smiths Connectors offers advice on how to specify spring probe connectors. Custom connectors utilizing spring probe technology offer a number of advantages over other contact types: compliance, blind mating, and space savings. Most often overlooked, however, is their designRead More

The “Connector Basics” series from APEX Electrical Interconnection Consultants continues with an introductory look at typical connector failure modes and mechanisms. When we discuss connector failure, we need to refine the concept into two distinct components – failure modes and failure mechanisms. How do we define “failure”? Webster’s New World Dictionary lists a variety of terms, but for ourRead More

Semiconductors drive the electronics industry, and the connection between semiconductors and connectors spans more than three decades. The semiconductor industry has grown from roughly $10B in 1980 to $300B in 2013. Along the way it transitioned from analog to digital, ECL and Bipolar to CMOS, and has featured sizes from 100s of nm to as lowRead More

Converting an electrical signal to optic pulses has been a costly option that consumes too much PCB space and power. That’s changing now, as mid-board optical transceivers light up the datacom market. Demand for faster internal and external system interconnects has begun to push the limits of copper, especially in lengths of more than a fewRead More

Bel Fuse to acquire Emerson Network Power Connectivity Solutions for $98 million, its third major acquisition in the past 14 months. Bel Fuse Inc. announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Emerson Network Power Connectivity Solutions (ECS) business of Emerson Inc. Bel will pay approximately $98 million in cash to acquireRead More