Featured Articles
  • EU MDR: Update to Medical Device Regulations in Europe

    New regulations impact the more than 500,000 types of medical devices and in vitro diagnostic (IVD) medical devices in Europe. What do these regulations mean for device manufacturers? European Union Medical Devices Regulation (2017/745/ EU) (MDR) represents a major update to the Medical Devices Directive (93/42/EEC) (MDD) and the Active Implantable Medical Devices Directive (90/385/EEC)Read More

  • Class 4 UL

    2023 NEC Includes Class 4 Certification From UL 

    The new Class 4 UL classification standard was published in August 2022 in Article 726 of the 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC), specifically for Class 4 cables intended for use with fault-managed power systems. These requirements cover 60-250 °C (140-482 °F), single- and multiple-conductor, jacketed cables for use as fixed wiring within buildings. Class 4 Power, alsoRead More

Standards

USB Type-C: What You Need to Know

Depicted as “one cable to connect them all,” in reality there will be more than one type of USB-C cable. Mouser Electronics offers a primer on what you need to know about USB Type-C technology.   USB Type-C (USB-C) is a new technology that promises to de-clutter our lives by channeling up to 10Gb/s ofRead More

microQSFP MSA Group Releases Specification for Next-Generation Data Communications Connectivity

The microQSFP Specification Version 2.0 enables development of new compact transceivers that address future 100G port density, data speed, and system thermal requirements.   The members of the microQSFP (micro Quad Small Form-Factor Pluggable) Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) group today announced that it has released the microQSFP Specification Version 2.0, which allows system designers, optical module manufacturers,Read More

What’s New with the A-620-B Standard?

IPC/WHMA A-620-B is an excellent tool for everyone involved in the building of wire harnesses because it greatly simplifies best practices for the harness supplier. The WHMA’s Donnie Hill updates us on the latest revisions to the standard.   IPC/WHMA – A-620-B is the current wire harness standard developed jointly by IPC and the Wire HarnessRead More

Opinion: US Oversight of the Internet

As US politicians debate the future of the Internet, Bishop & Associates’ John MacWilliams makes the case for leaving oversight in the hands of the US.   The World Wide Web evolved out of DARPA Net in the late 1980s, emerging from an NSF/university technology dotcom system, and then as an open Internet in theRead More

The Continuing Impact of RoHS

Pure tin plating has been almost universally adopted, but the looming expiration of a critical exemption is poised to bite manufacturers of screw machined contacts. Bob Hult examines the continuing impact of RoHS.   Just when you thought the connector industry had bit the bullet and removed all lead from its products, the looming expiration ofRead More

Photonic Systems Manufacturing Consortium Enlists Participation in a 10-Year Roadmap

The Photonic Systems Manufacturing Consortium enlists participation in a 10-year roadmap for the development and manufacturing capabilities needed to produce low-cost, high-volume, integrated photonic systems. The Photonic Systems Manufacturing Consortium (PSMC), a collaboration of the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) and the MIT Microphotonics Center, is enlisting the participation of key industry stakeholders in its development ofRead More

The Future of Copper 40-Gigabit Ethernet

The first standard for 40G structured cabling, IEEE 802.3ba, only covered fiber optics and short-reach copper twinax. Now an active task force is developing a copper twisted-pair standard. Here is a look at the technology and potential market for copper 40-Gigabit Ethernet. While the TIA touts its premise wiring standards as “application non-specific,” the industryRead More

Multi-Contact Coax Connectors and VITA Standards

Using multi-contact coax connectors and VITA standards can preserve space on the front panel and facilitate insertion/removal of cards for installation, repair, and upgrades. A growing trend in electronic packaging for military and aerospace applications is the availability of multi-contact coaxial interconnects. A key driver is the desire to provide RF disconnect capability at the backplane/daughtercardRead More

Meeting Medical Industry Standards for Cable Design

With no medical industry standards for cable, the industry adopts voluntary specifications to ensure patient safety. The medical device industry tolerates a much smaller margin of error than most other industries. Medical devices are highly precise and sensitive instruments. As such, medical interconnect cable, and more significantly, the material used in such apparatuses, must beRead More

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