Featured Articles
  • CASE STUDY: Development of a RoHS-Compliant Ultra-High-Strength Copper-Based Alloy

    Engineers have been trying for years to massively reduce the lead content in copper-based alloys to comply with RoHS. Learn how a new lead-reduced Emery Low Lead alloy tested in various industrial fields of application and manufacturing processes. Article contributed by Dr. Andreas Frehn, Materion Brush GmbH, Germany, and Mike Gedeon and John Nickell, bothRead More

  • Meet the Cable — NDT Cables

    NDT cable is a shielded coaxial or multiconductor cable assembly that connects ultrasonic, eddy current, and phased array probes to non-destructive testing (NDT) instruments, carrying high-voltage excitation pulses to the probe and returning low-level echo or impedance signals to the receiver. It is built to stay flexible and electrically quiet through constant handling, scanner motion,Read More

New Technologies

New Military and Aerospace Systems Drive Changes in Connector and Cable Design

High-speed, lightweight electronics are making soldiers safer and military operations more successful. Bob Stanton, Director, Omnetics Corporation   Advanced electronics in high-reliability systems are improving military and aerospace equipment to meet the significant challenges that lie ahead. As new technologies expand and spread around the world, however, so has the potential threat from possible foesRead More

Electrical Interconnect Applications for Carbon Nanotubes in Military Aerospace Systems

Flexible, lightweight, and versatile CNTs are becoming a valuable material in conductor applications for the military and a host of other markets.   Carbon nanotubes are one of the most unique and interesting materials developed in the last decade. These products, widely known as CNTs, can be manufactured by various methods, but are most commonlyRead More

Ground Transit Evolves with Advanced Interconnect Products

From light rail to school buses, advanced interconnects are enabling cities to relieve traffic congestion, reduce pollution, drive economic growth, and modernize our transit systems.  Public transit is changing. A new generation of vehicles is joining our transportation networks to provide expanded service, meet pollution reduction goals, and connect growing city centers with the surroundingRead More

Wireless Communications Protocols and Standards Proliferate

From ZigBee to Z-Wave, plus 802.n options, wireless communications choices seem limitless.   Projected market demand for 5G and other future communications applications is prompting the development of different wireless technologies. Some are in direct competition with each other, and there are overlapping frequencies. Other standards have moved from initial engineering groups, such as IEEE, toRead More

To 400Gb/s and Beyond: High-speed Interconnects Evolve to Meet the Needs of Data Center Communications

by Jim David – Portfolio Director; Amphenol High-Speed Interconnects High-speed interconnects adapt to data centers’ ever-changing signal, bandwidth, and density requirements.   The emergence of large scale and mega-data centers has driven the need for not only increased data management capability, but also increased the complexity, design, and configuration of these enormous facilities. Meeting dataRead More

Vehicles Rely on FAKRA Connectors to Assure Performance

Today’s FAKRA connectors perform up to 6GHz and meet the rugged mechanical and environmental requirements of the automotive industry. Higher Frequency RF Adds to System Complexity Vehicles are incorporating an ever-increasing amount of telecommunications technology, ranging from data I/O to safety systems, that involves wireless connectivity for cellular, short range, and broadcast capabilities. These connectedRead More

Connectors in Embedded Computers: Upgrading Performance while Downsizing

Two conferences highlighted the ongoing changes in wiring, thermals, backplanes, and many more connector technologies. Bob Hult provides the buzz from VITA’s 2017 Embedded Tech Trends forum, and then another look at DesignCon 2017.   Embedded computers have existed in the shadow of much larger computer markets for commercial and communication applications. Unlike general purposeRead More

Trends to improve speed, size and pricing continue

Connector makers upgraded lines, extended product families and unveiled new interfaces to meet customer demands for increased circuit density and higher data rates.   2016 Connector Trends In a continuation of trends we’ve seen for several years now, a host of faster, smaller, and more affordable electronic components propelled the connector industry forward in 2016. ConnectorRead More

Disruptive Innovations Impact Electronic Interconnects

Change has been an integral part of human experience since the beginning. What is new is the incredible rate and volume of change that is impacting the entire electronics industry. What disruptive innovations will impact your world? Over much of its existence, the electronic connector industry has been able to support new interconnect requirements throughRead More

Autonomous Carsharing: Your Robot is Now Arriving

Robotic carsharing services will put fleets of autonomous vehicles at our app-driven beck and call. What do these super-cheap, super-safe connected vehicle systems mean for the transportation industry?   Most cars spend most of their time parked and not being of any use to anyone, but carsharing schemes are changing that. “Street rental” services like GetaroundRead More

Copper Replacing Copper?

Seeking a way to deliver bandwidth more effectively, some have investigated the removal of high-speed circuits from the PCB by replacing them with discrete or ribbon twin-axial copper cables. For many years, engineers have bemoaned the eventual limitations of copper printed circuit board conductors in ever-higher-speed circuits: Surely the laws of physics would create barriers toRead More

Interconnects Morph to Meet the Need for Speed

The need to transmit more data at higher speeds is changing system design. New strategies include developing connectors specifically for high-speed operations, maintaining signal integrity at high speeds, and using new protocols. Today, interconnect technology has morphed to meet the need for speed.   The continuous growth in IP services and access speeds has ledRead More

Analysis of the World’s Top 100 Electronic Connector Manufacturers
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