Featured Articles
  • Design Considerations for Space-Deployed Satellite Hardware

    From tiny CubeSats to SpaceVPX satellites, the night sky is full of new constellations. Selecting components that can handle launch stressors, radiation, extreme temperatures, and other space challenges is essential to the mission. In the past three years alone, so many thousands of satellites have been launched into orbit that it’s difficult to gaze intoRead More

  • Vertical Farms Control the Weather with IoT Technologies

    As outdoor agriculture becomes less predictable, vertical farms are bringing the farm inside, where sealed interconnects, sensor systems, smart LEDs, and connected technologies optimize every aspect of the growing cycle. The summer of 2023 brought extreme challenges to farmers around the world. Storms, droughts, wildfires, and record-breaking temperatures wiped out many crop yields. Up toRead More

New Technologies

The Future of Field Device Infrastructure

Industrial communications strategies are shifting in favor of real-time communications at the field device level, with automation engineers and installers preferring single-pair Ethernet-enabled devices to collect field data. Industrial field device infrastructure trends Industrial communications strategies are shifting in favor of real-time communications at the field device level, with automation engineers and installers preferring Ethernet-enabledRead More

OFC Celebrates High-Performance Optical Interconnects

Once again, OFC proved to be the premier showcase of high-performance optical and copper interconnects in communication and network applications. The 2023 edition of the Optical Fiber Communications Conference and Exhibition (OFC) roared back to normalcy after the muting effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 11,500 participants from 70 countries accessed the latest advances inRead More

Secure Connectors Rev Up Automotive Safety

As automotive manufacturing advances, high-speed, press-fit, and other connector technologies evolve to meet current industry demands. Today’s cars are essentially high-end computers on wheels. A decade ago, vehicle electronics centered on basics like power windows, anti-lock braking systems (ABS), and satellite radio. Today’s cars contain a full suite of safety, comfort, and convenience features suchRead More

VITA Embedded Tech Trends Returns

After a year off due to pandemic disruption, VITA’s open standards event returned to share the latest developments in embedded computing, high-performance interconnects, and standards that impact application development. Although 2022 marked the 40th anniversary of the VITA trade organization, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of its celebration and annual Embedded Tech TrendsRead More

Sensors Make it Plain Sailing for a Smart Ferry

A smart ferry equipped with sensors and LoRaWAN gateways can track and monitor passenger comfort and cargo for a sustainable and reliable supply chain. Figure 1 The Stena Line ferry, MV Hollandica is equipped with a dual-band network using Semtech’s LoRa devices in the LongAP Pro gateway. (Image courtesy of SkyLab) Equipping the Smart FerryRead More

Return to Normal: DesignCon 2023

After two years of pandemic disruption, this year’s high-speed trade show rebounded with an impressive array of smaller, cooler, and faster than ever interconnects. The 28th edition of DesignCon convened at the Santa Clara Convention Center January 31 through February 2, marking the return to its traditional venue and time slot. Concerns that recent techRead More

Pluggable Optical Transceivers Continue to Evolve

System engineers must balance priorities of reach, thermal management, panel density, backward compatibility, power consumption, multiple sourcing, and cost when selecting optical transceivers. Pluggable I/O transceivers in standardized configurations have proven to be a cost-effective solution to the challenges of creating high-speed optical networks. They have emerged as a leading interface for current and next-generationRead More

Coherent Optics: Lighting the Path to High-Speed Data Communications

In the past, coherent optics have been cost-effective only in extremely long intercontinental and undersea links. Recent advances have made this solution more accessible to designers looking for ways to increase data transfer speeds, extend channel lengths, and grow system capacity. Designers of high-performance computing and telecommunications equipment, as well as internet service providers, areRead More

Robust Fiber Optics are Flying High in Satellites and Low-Altitude eVTOL Aircraft 

Understanding how different flavors of fiber-optic technologies function in demanding aerospace applications can help designers select the most robust options. UAM (urban air mobility) and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft promise a greener, cleaner alternative to ground transport in cities. Constellations of LEO (low Earth orbit) satellites are launching a new era ofRead More

Market for Smaller LC Duplex Fiber Connectors Makes Big Gains 

The market for sub-LC duplex size fiber optics connectors is on a tear — and growth in this category bodes well for the connector industry as a whole. By upgrading the single LC fiber interface on a transceiver to multiple smaller (half or quarter size) interfaces, broadband service providers can dramatically increase cabling fabric densitiesRead More

Sensors Provide a Clear Vision for Minimally Invasive Surgery

Sensor-guided technologies help surgeons  push the barriers of surgical innovation. Thanks to sensor-guided medical technologies such as robot-assisted surgery, endoscopic diagnostics, and electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy, surgeons are able to perform precise medical procedures with minimally invasive surgery (MIS), accelerating patient recovery and improving outcomes. Robotic arms combined with 3D visualization of the site allow doctorsRead More

Harsh Environments No Longer Derail Reliability of Railroad Crossings

New connector technologies help make rail crossings safer, easier to maintain, and more resistant to weather and other environmental challenges. From Boston to Los Angeles and all around the world, drivers experience the frustration of waiting at a railroad crossing for a train to pass. While watching the passing rail cars, many of us lookRead More

eBook 2023 Connectors on the Move
x