Featured Articles
  • USB-C Serves Industrial Design with Rugged Variants 

    The USB-C connector has quickly moved from consumer applications into harsh environments. With 20 Gb/s data rates and IP-rated sealed variants, this connector can handle industrial conditions and serve in controllers, robotics, and peripherals for the factory floor. A new class of rugged USB-Cs and cables elevates this ubiquitous interface. It’s been nearly two years sinceRead More

  • The Power of Having Options

    The input/output panel of AI equipment is a prime example of how evolving demands have spawned the introduction of alternative solutions that address bandwidth demand, signal density, field serviceability, energy efficiency, thermal management, and utilization of both copper and fiber optic options. Most people would agree that having multiple choices to solve a problem isRead More

Technology

Powder Coated for Protection

Coating connectors with a dry powder that hardens when cured can bestow benefits in terms of connector strength and protection. For that reason, some connector suppliers are eyeing the move to powder. By Jean Thilmany Connector suppliers often cover their products — or at least part of their product — with an opaque coating thatRead More

Glass Connectors for Nuclear Applications

In an effort to safeguard the electronics within nuclear power plants, connector companies have turned to an age-old material. Nuclear power is an important source of high-density, long-lasting, and low-emissions energy. A critical part of a diverse global energy mix, nuclear power plants provide 10% of the world’s energy, with some countries, like the USRead More

Five Attributes for High-Quality Wire Bonding in Glass-to-Metal Seal Terminals

Achieving a controlled finished surface suitable for wire bonding is essential for mission-critical applications. Here are the qualities you should look for. By Sussex Wire, Inc. Wire-bonded glass-to-metal and ceramic-to-metal hermetic assemblies are extensively employed in commercial, industrial, and mission-critical energy, military/aerospace, automotive, and medical applications. Products cover a wide range of assemblies, including vacuum feedthroughs,Read More

New Materials Expand the Capabilities of Medical Connectors

The exploding growth of the medical device market is putting more pressure than ever on the components that make today’s life-saving technologies possible. By Jean Thilmany New Materials Expand the Capabilities of Medical Connectors Connectors destined for use in medical devices face a number of unique challenges. They must be able to withstand frequent connectRead More

Is the Copper Backplane Running Out of Gas?

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

Overcoming PCB-based Interconnect Design Limitations

Cabled interconnects could help system designers configure their architectures to achieve greater flexibility, performance, and cost savings. By Lucas Benson, Senior Business Development Manager and Manager of Global Product Management, TE Connectivity Global data consumption is driving faster silicon I/O speeds, from PCIe Gen 3 (8Gb/s) and Gen 4 (16Gb/s) to PCIe Gen 5 (32Gb/s).  Similarly, Ethernet I/O speedsRead More

Swarming UAVs Demand the Smallest Mil/Aero Connectors

Most of the connectors used in the small, hand-launched military UAVs typical of swarming drones are very small, lightweight, low-profile, D-shaped, or flat-nano connectors. By Ann R. Thryft Military UAV In a swarm of robots or a natural swarm of ants or bees, all units communicate with each other and act collectively. Swarm robotics looksRead More

VITA 76.0 Solves 10G Cabling Need

The VITA 76.0 connector ensures exceptional signal integrity for high-speed interconnects over maximum cable length on size-, weight-, and power (SWaP)-constrained ground, airborne, and naval platforms. By Mike Southworth, Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions, and Ken Braund, Meritec In 2015, VITA adopted the VITA 76.0 standard, “High Performance Cable – Ruggedized 10 Gbaud Bulkhead Connector for CuRead More

Twisted Pair Cable for High-Speed Interconnections

The demand for twisted pair differential signal cable has skyrocketed to serve a new generation of high-speed military products ranging from surveillance devices to portable computers. By Bob Stanton, Director of Technology, Omnetics Connector Corporation Twisted Pair Cable for High-Speed Interconnections As high-speed digital circuit design evolves for use in portable and other environmentally challengingRead More

Marine Market Sails Upward: Market for Connectors in Luxury Yachts

The myriad electronic systems used to equip modern luxury yachts require a number of connectors, often with a demand for customization. By Terry Costlow Anywhere there’s water, there are boats. More people want them, and more buyers have money to buy fancy watercraft, creating a huge market for luxury yachts, which opens a large marketRead More

2018 US Survey Results Are In — Here Are The Top 10 Connector Suppliers

The results of the 2018 Bishop & Associates US Customer Satisfaction Survey of the Electronic Connector Industry are in. We reveal the top 10 connector suppliers for overall best performance. View additional survey results. 2018 Top 10 Connector Suppliers Bishop & Associates has completed its biennial US customer survey, which evaluated 31 connector manufacturers. A totalRead More

It’s Time to Get Ready for New ADS-B Standards

US-based aircraft have a new equipment mandate to improve surveillance and communications. The deadline is fast approaching, but operators have numerous options to get compliant. New ADS-B Standards Nearly a decade ago, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) set in place a timeline to transition from radar to next-generation, surveillance-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) to manage theRead More

Analysis of the World’s Top 100 Electronic Connector Manufacturers
x