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

Let There Be (LED) Light

LED Light Governments, energy producers, and environmentalists around the world have been on a mission to kill the incandescent light bulb. A very small percentage of the energy these lamps consume is actually converted into visible light; the majority ends up generating wasteful heat.  The emergence of more efficient alternatives means obsolescence appears to be inevitableRead More

The Two Faces of the Russian Connector Market

May 7, 2013 – The Russian Federation should benefit from more regional trade once the country fully complies with WTO rules in 2018, as its industrial production growth has been in decline over the past three years and has even moved into negative territory in 2013.

Tech in Action: Electronic Advances Enable Advanced Prosthetic Control

Tech in Action: Electronic Advances Enable Advanced Prosthetic Control In his Connector Supplier article on government’s role in the electronics industry’s research and development initiatives, John MacWilliams notes the evolution and achievements of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which focuses on projects for defense sciences, information innovation, microsystems technology, strategic technology, tactical technology,Read More

Uncle Sam Wants You! (And Your Connectors!)

06-18-13- Government involvement in industry has waxed and waned over the years, depending on the administration in Washington. Over the past 20 years or so, government policy has been consistent in some areas, such as NSF and federal lab funding, but inconsistent in others. While industry and government have often joined forces for research and development, the connector industry has not been as involved with these opportunities as other sectors of the electronics industry.

Connectors In a Wireless World

Mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, are a disruptive technology that is shaking up the norms of system architecture. Traditional methods of introducing power and managing I/O are undergoing changes that have major implications for traditional connectors.

Electronics Manufacturing: Is That the System You Designed?

May 21, 2013 – The reality is there are no guarantees that the actual connector specified by the design engineer will make it through to the finished product. A design engineer may prefer a particular connector and include it in a design, but this doesn’t guarantee the specific component will end up in the final product. Depending upon cost and volume availability, as well as OEM preferences or relationships with particular suppliers, the design engineer’s influence over the parts selection can be severely curtailed in the manufacturing process.

Not Your Father’s Dorm: Smart Students and Their Smart House

Not Your Father’s Dorm: Smart Students and Their Smart House Juniper Research has valued the smart home market at $60B by 2017 When I started researching this article, I contacted a number of connector companies (10 to be exact) and asked to interview their experts on intelligent home applications. That was a mistake. Each andRead More

Is it Death by Air for the PC?

April 16, 2013 – What does the landslide of new tablet and smartphone introductions mean for the future of the PC? And how will it affect the connector industry? John MacWilliams looks at the tablet and PC market to find out if reports of the PC’s demise are greatly exaggerated.

 

Porosity – The (w)Hole Story

April 2, 2013 – Dr. Bob returns with part two of our feature on porosity. He responds to his cohort, Max Peel — is this the moment they will agree on everything?

Not Old, Just Older: Legacy Connectors in Current Designs

By Raymond Yuen, Portfolio Director – Commercial at FCI ElectronicsLegacy connectors are dependable, reliable devices that offer design engineers a no-risk solution that has been proven in the field for decades. These interconnect products typically offer the most cost-effective solution, as these commodity devices are standardized and do not involve customized engineering or specialty designs toRead More

Analysis of the World’s Top 100 Electronic Connector Manufacturers
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