Featured Articles
  • A Five-Layer Clad Solution for High-Performance Battery Interconnects

    Battery connector design gets super-charged in a case study that demonstrates the power of materials science to solve new connectivity challenges. Article Contributed by Alyssa Koch, Materion Corporation Battery interconnect materials must satisfy a demanding combination of electrical, mechanical, joining, and environmental requirements, properties that are difficult to achieve with a single metal. When nickelRead More

  • 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

Technology

Stay Ahead of Regulations with FMDs

Full Material Declarations provide an effective strategy for environmental data reporting. By Roger L. Franz, Engineering System Analyst, TE Connectivity Since the European Directives, Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), were enacted in 2006–7, the number of regulated substances continues to grow. REACH adds new substances roughlyRead More

No Drivers, Lots of Connectors – Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous vehicles will need as many as 30 sensors, creating volumes of data. In-vehicle infotainment systems will further increase demand for high-speed networks. Self-driving cars are already on the roads. GM, Ford, Tesla Motors, Toyota, Volvo, Nissan, and other automakers are testing driverless cars and say they plan to release autonomous models within the nextRead More

The Portable Doctor

As telehealth and telemedicine bring health care to new places, connectors play an important role. As health care costs continue to rise, and many people — particularly those in rural or sparsely populated areas — encounter roadblocks to good health care, consumers are looking for viable alternatives to traditional doctor office visits. One of theRead More

Sowing Seeds of Change With Smart Connections

Advanced Connectors Enable Smart Agriculture Presented by Bulgin Modern agriculture depends on advanced technologies. Leading electronics companies are providing new solutions to the agricultural sector that help make farming more productive, precise, and profitable. Companies that make electronics for the agriculture market face a unique set of challenges, as agricultural environments are characterized by extremeRead More

Bandwidth Bottleneck at the I/O Panel

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 LIDAR Effect

Connectors for portable military and high-density ranging and detection systems are set to influence the broader connector market as they lead the way for high speeds, small sizes, and light weights. By Bob Stanton, Director of Technology, Omnetics Connector Corporation LIDAR, which stands for light detection and ranging, is a remote sensing technology that usesRead More

Alternative-Energy Vehicles: Standards, Enabling Technologies, and Market Predictions

Eric Liu, a chief engineer at JONHON, discusses standards, enabling technologies, and market predictions for alternative-energy vehicles in China and beyond. Eric Liu, Chief Engineer, JONHON  New Energy Vehicle Standards Design developments related to electric vehicles are expanding rapidly. Although the world’s major automotive companies use various means to promote the development of alternative-energy vehicles,Read More

Watercraft Innovations Parallel Automotive Developments

More electronics in boats of all sizes means more opportunity for connector suppliers who can provide reliable, waterproof components. We can’t stop watching the evolution of the automotive technologies. The electric drivetrain, autonomous vehicles, and a new crop of enhanced navigation, entertainment, and safety features are unquestionably exciting developments. But while all eyes are onRead More

New Plating Technologies Evolve as the Industry Gets the Lead Out

RoHS rules inspire innovative, electroplated press-fit solutions that eliminate tin and lead from the terminal plating and board mounting processes. By Frank Schabert, Senior Manager Research and Erika Crandall, TE Connectivity New Plating Technologies Necessity inspires innovation. When the Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) rules on lead were adopted by the European Union in 2003,Read More

Sustainable Manufacturing Practices Pay Off

Beyond preserving resources, green business practices can pay off in cost savings and stronger sales. By Caroline Hayes In manufacturing, there’s lean and then there’s green. Lean manufacturing is a set of principles designed to reduce waste in manufacturing. The aim of lean is to achieve higher throughput rates with minimum inventory. Driving out wasteRead More

Customization is Coming to Vehicle Interiors

Buyers can choose displays, lights, and infotainment elements, and use connectors to position them in the vehicles of the future. As consumers increasingly view cars as an extension of their home and workspaces, features that increase infotainment and productivity are becoming more important requirements. As a result, vehicle interiors are going to change a lotRead More

DesignCon 2018 in Review

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

Analysis of the World’s Top 100 Electronic Connector Manufacturers
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