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

New Technologies

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

Connector Manufacturers Sense Growth

As sensors increasingly work in tandem with connectors in IoT applications, some companies are expanding their expertise to encompass both of these elements.  Much like human eyes and ears, electronic sensors detect, measure, and report data on physical properties that enable electronic systems to react. Sensors of all types are proliferating as they become theRead More

Buildings Are Smarter Than Ever: Trends in Smart Building Systems

The Internet of Things is expanding into every aspect of infrastructure, putting greater demands on the sensors and connectors that keep these systems on constant guard. Electricity was just the beginning. Today’s built environment has integrated technology into every aspect of the form and function of buildings of every type.  Our homes, schools, office buildings,Read More

Automotive Complexity Sparks Shift in Design Tools

The growing complexity of automotive electronics and wiring is prompting automakers to augment geometric models with functional tools. By Terry Costlow Modeling and Simulation Tools Automakers are relying more on electronic technologies to differentiate products and add safety systems that pave the way to autonomous driving. The resulting increase in complexity is prompting OEMs toRead More

The Rapid Evolution of the Connected Car

In the past 20 years, connectivity has become a defining feature for vehicle performance, function, and experience. By Amphenol RF Rapid Evolution of the Connected Car The automotive industry has seen monumental changes in recent years as the Internet of Things (IoT) has infiltrated nearly every function of cars, from in-vehicle entertainment systems to performanceRead More

New Gaming Hardware Revealed at E3 2018

Accessible gaming and a new console? Yes, please. This year’s E3 show revealed modest but solid innovations for gamers — and new opportunities for connectors. This year, for the second year, the general public could attend the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, the video gaming industry’s premier trade show. Those of us who couldn’t makeRead More

Photons and Electrons, Living Together

Silicon photonics products are now on the market. Why are they necessary and what does this mean for interconnect manufacturers? By Neil Shurtz In 1965, Fairchild Semiconductor’s Gordon Moore published his famous paper outlining a future where innovation would allow the number of transistors on an integrated circuit to double every couple of years. Remarkably,Read More

Mil/Aero Connectors Lighten Up for Small UAVs

As drones take a larger role in military operations, the pressure is on to reduce size and weight. A new generation of SWaP-optimized connector products will help. By Ann R. Thryft Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are getting smaller and more powerful as the overall miniaturization trend expands across the broad range of military equipment. AlsoRead More

The Future Soldier is Already Here

High-performance interconnects that transmit power, data, and signal in military-grade radios, tablets, GPS systems, and headsets are helping military personnel fulfill their duties and get home safely. By Amy Goetzman We’re hearing the term “future soldier” a lot lately. If that sounds like a fancy name for robot, you wouldn’t be entirely off-base; tens ofRead More

Amazing Therapeutic Exoskeletons Move Into Medicine

Exoskeletons have been around for more than 50 years, but new lightweight materials have spurred growth in therapeutic and rehabilitation products that use compact, rugged connectors. By Caroline Hayes An exoskeleton mimics the insect world’s natural protection. In invertebrates, a rigid external cover protects soft body parts and organs. General Electric and the US armedRead More

Disposable Medical Connector Contact Technologies

Single-use equipment that can be tossed instead of sterilized is in demand for some types of procedures or environments. The connectors inside these devices must be reliable, durable, and affordable.  By Roberta Rebora, Marketing Communications Director, Smiths Interconnect Due to growing concerns about spreading disease from patient to patient via improperly or inadequately sterilized devices,Read More

Listen and Learn: Podcasts for the Tech-Minded

A new podcast by Not Impossible Labs and Avnet explores the potential for engineering minds to help humanity solve some of its greatest challenges. Plus, nine other podcasts for the tech-minded. By Amy Goetzman You might expect that a podcast sponsored by a technology company would be focused on engineering topics. But when Avnet partneredRead More

Analysis of the World’s Top 100 Electronic Connector Manufacturers
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