Meet the Connector: IEC 60320 Appliance Couplers IEC 60320 is a set of standards for household appliances that specifies non-locking connectors for connecting power supply cords to electrical appliances. IEC 60320 is a set of standards from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for household appliances and similar general purposes. The standards define the mechanical, electrical, andRead More

Meet the Connector: Cable Termination Methods Beyond connectors, a range of termination options exist, from solder to splice. Each method ensures the complete transfer of data and power. Choosing the right one for the application depends on the cable type, operating environment, potential need for future access, and skill level of the assembler. A connectorRead More

Meet the Connector: UMP Connectors UMP (Ultra Miniature Push-Pull) connectors are compact, high-performance connectors designed for applications where space is limited and reliability is crucial. These connectors feature a push-pull mechanism, which allows for easy insertion and removal while ensuring a secure connection. UMP connectors are often used in medical devices, industrial equipment, military applications,Read More

Meet the Connector: Micro TCA Connectors The rise of mobile telecommunications and text messaging in the early 2000s created a need to upgrade from existing carrier grade computing architectures. MicroTCA connectors addressed the need for more compact systems that were less expensive, but still maintained reliability and data throughput. MicroTCA (micro telecommunications computing architecture), alsoRead More

Meet the Connector: TCA Connectors TCA connectors, or thermal compression anisotropic (TCA) connectors, are technically not connectors, but rather a termination technique. This seldom-used process was devised in the 1970s for use in electronics and telecommunications applications. TCA connectors use a liquid strip or solid pad of conductive material to create a solid-state bond. TheRead More

Meet the Connector: Automotive Terminals Automotive terminals are used for connecting fuses, battery terminals, and vehicle sensors. They are found in cars, trucks, motorcycles, motorhomes, off-road and construction vehicles, and electric vehicles. Today’s automobiles contain about a mile of wire and thousands of electrical connections. These connections power and control the vehicle and its accessories,Read More

Meet the Connector: MICE Connectors MICE connectors are a category of ruggedized connectors designed for harsh industrial environments that require robust and reliable connections. MICE is an acronym for Mechanical, Ingress, Climatic, and Electromagnetic protection. The concept of MICE gained traction in the late 20th century as industries began to ask for more durable andRead More

Meet the Connector: Memory Modules Memory modules provide temporary data storage for computers and servers. They give laptops or other devices the ability to access and retrieve information quickly for processing tasks. Also known as RAM sticks, memory modules are essentially PCBs mounted with integrated circuits for random access memory. Memory modules are easy toRead More

Meet the Cable: Multimode Cable Multimode cable is a type of fiber optic cable designed to carry multiple light modes or paths simultaneously, enabling high-bandwidth data transmission over relatively short distances, commonly used in data centers and local area networks. Optical fibers were first developed in the 1950s and 1960s by researchers such as CharlesRead More

Meet the Connector: 4.3-10, 2.2-5, 1.5-3.5 Connectors The size of the connectors has often determined the footprint of antennas and base stations. As demand for miniaturization increased, the 4.3-10 connector system was designed to be smaller, while maintaining excellent electrical performance and lowering passive intermodulation (PIM). 2.2-5 and 1.5-3.5 followed as even smaller versions forRead More

Meet the Connector: EWIS Connectors EWIS connectors and cables are components used in the Electrical Wiring Interconnection System (EWIS) of an aircraft. The EWIS represents a unified approach to aircraft wiring design that encompasses all the wiring, connectors, terminals, and related devices necessary for transmitting electrical power and signals, and carries information from the sensor systemsRead More

Meet the Connector: Heat sinks Heat sinks provide thermal management in electronic or mechanical devices for components that can’t sufficiently dissipate heat to moderate temperature. For example, they are used to cool central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs) in computers, with power transistors and other high-power semiconductor devices, and for optoelectronics suchRead More