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

Q&A with TE: Contactless Connectivity

Take a closer look at the effects contactless connectivity technology has had on the industry in this Q&A with TE Connectivity. Q: What market needs drove the development of contactless technology? A: The need for reliable connections in situations where traditional connectivity reaches its limits due to space restrictions, vibrations, dust, and dirt. In oil and gas, forRead More

LG Launching First Round Smart Watch

In a surprise move aimed at trumping Motorola’s announcement next week of its Moto 360, LG announced it’s launching the first round smart watch, the LG G Watch R. Following the June release of one of the first-to-market wearable devices powered by Android Wear, LG Electronics (LG) is quickly expanding its wearable product offerings withRead More

Fiber Optic Advances Push the Bandwidth Envelope in Datacom

Network data communications has evolved rapidly from “high-speed” gigabit Ethernet LANs to the integration of cloud-based information technology and data streams demanding terabytes of data. Engineers at TE Connectivity discuss how fiber optic advances push the bandwidth envelope in datacom and drive the next level of capabilities. Network data communications has evolved rapidly from “high-speed” gigabitRead More

Semiconductors Drive the Electronics Industry

Semiconductors drive the electronics industry, and the connection between semiconductors and connectors spans more than three decades. The semiconductor industry has grown from roughly $10B in 1980 to $300B in 2013. Along the way it transitioned from analog to digital, ECL and Bipolar to CMOS, and has featured sizes from 100s of nm to as lowRead More

Mid-Board Optical Transceivers Light Up

Converting an electrical signal to optic pulses has been a costly option that consumes too much PCB space and power. That’s changing now, as mid-board optical transceivers light up the datacom market. Demand for faster internal and external system interconnects has begun to push the limits of copper, especially in lengths of more than a fewRead More

End-to-End Communications with Advanced Fiber Technologies

For high-speed communication beyond the first few meters, optics is a field-proven, energy-efficient transport mechanism. This TE Connectivity white paper delves into optimizing end-to-end communications with advanced fiber optic technologies. This white paper excerpt was contributed by TE Connectivity. More Data = More Consumption The emergence of faster data rates to keep pace with theRead More

TE’s 64-Fiber MXC Cable Assemblies Provide Increased Density and Faster Installation

TE’s 64-Fiber MXC Cable Assemblies, coming later this year, provide increased density and faster installation. TE Connectivity plans to release MXC fiber cable assemblies later this year. This new product line will support 64 fibers and accommodate up to 25Gb/s per channel, allowing for aggregate data transfers of 1.6Tb/s. MXC fiber cable assemblies will complement TE’s soon-to-be-released 25GRead More

Problem Solved: TE NanoMQS Miniature Automotive Connectors

TE’s NanoMQS miniature automotive connectors address the need for increased density and reduce the footprint on the PCB by about 50%. TE Connectivity expanded its MQS product group, which is used by most European vehicle manufacturers as well as others worldwide, with a miniaturized version. The NanoMQS system’s capability for small wire cross sections down toRead More

Convergence in Self-Driving Vehicles

The latest automotive technology is sensor-based, but to make self-driving vehicles a reality, technology convergence is necessary. This article, based on research by KPMG, sheds light on what may be next in automotive connectors and other technology. This article is excerpted from a white paper published by KPMG. Can we build a safe, self-driving vehicle?Read More

FCI’s Low-Profile 1.2mm Pitch Wire-to-Board Connector

FCI’s low-profile 1.2mm pitch wire-to-board connector expands and strengthens its compact connector portfolio. FCI introduced a low-profile, 1.2mm pitch wire-to-board connector. With a mated height of only 2.50mm, this new product line offers a selection of three to six pin counts, making them suitable for many applications. These additions will augment FCI’s existing catalog of compactRead More

Fischer Connectors’ Revolutionary FiberOptic Hybrid Connector

Fischer’s revolutionary FiberOptic hybrid connector offers two fiber channels and two electrical contacts in one small package. Fischer Connectors extends its Fischer FiberOptic Series with a revolutionary hybrid connector. After the successful launch of the Fischer FiberOptic Series with two (FO2) and four (FO4) fibers at the end of 2012, Fischer Connectors now offers aRead More

Connector Industry Forges Ahead in Optical Technology

At recent trade shows, interconnect suppliers spotlighted fiber optic innovations, as the connector industry forges ahead in optical technology. Just this month, Molex, TE, and US Conec all introduced new optical products that provide faster data rates, more versatility, and unlimited potential. Molex Technologies Support MXC Fiber Optic Interface Molex announced that its VersaBeam supports the new MXCRead More

Analysis of the World’s Top 100 Electronic Connector Manufacturers
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