Connector Suppliers Talk Cable Routing Innovations
As components get smaller and performance demands increase, customers look to suppliers for innovative solutions to meet their needs. When it comes to cable routing, sometimes the best solutions aren’t flashy — just simple and effective.
Connectors rely on secure cable connections. Cable routing solutions, therefore, are more than an afterthought; they are an integral part of device design.
When signal travels through a cable, some degree of insertion loss occurs. As the cable length increases, this loss also increases. Smaller diameter cables are more susceptible to loss than larger diameter cables. However, smaller cables take up less space and offer the increased flexibility that some customers need, for example coming out of a multiport connector. This meant compromises had to be made — either use the smaller cable and sacrifice signal power or use a larger cable and sacrifice flexibility and space-saving.
SV Microwave’s ConvergeRF with a VITA backplane module
To rectify this, SV Microwave developed the ConvergeRF cable assembly. “It’s basically a cable splice,” said James Merryman, senior product development engineer. “The most desirable aspect is how it allows us to go from a smaller diameter cable to a larger one.” The most significant benefit of this is illustrated in the plot below.
Differences in insertion loss between ConvergeRF and standard cables
“By using a short section of a small diameter cable to get the flexibility and transitioning to that larger diameter cable, customers can still meet their loss budgets,” Merryman said. “This allows us to sort of split the difference. We get a lot closer to this larger diameter .086 cable, but still have the density and the flexibility where it’s needed most, which is typically right behind the connectors of that smaller .047 cable.”
In addition, ConvergeRF provides fewer reflections, which means better VSWR (voltage standing wave ratio). “Using something like two mated connectors, you would see more reflections and a larger VSWR increase, or return loss increase,” Merryman added.
SV Microwave offers Ø.047 to Ø.086 cable and is currently working on some different versions.
Clamps and grommets
Where cables are used, for example in aircraft such as eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing), AAM (advanced air mobility), and UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), poses multiple issues that need to be addressed during vehicle design. Size and weight must be kept to a minimum without impacting performance. This extends beyond the cables themselves to the clamps that route them through the aircraft. Another issue is the ease with which wire bundles can be accessed for repair or replacement.
One of the first decisions designers need to make is whether adhesives or screws will be used to attach the clamps. Screws are secure and make it easier for the clamp to be removed, but they damage the surface the clamp is attaching to, which is not ideal for, say, an airframe. To avoid drilling, adhesives are used, but they need to be extremely strong and secure. They can also result in damage if they are removed; and leaving them attached but adding a new clamp to accommodate a different size adds unnecessary weight.
Amphenol Pcd’s 81X clamp is part of the U-Snap family of clamps.
The new 81X, in Amphenol Pcd’s adhesive line, offers an effective solution for changing cables once they are installed. “We have three different sizes for the base of this adhesive clamp, 8,12, and 16. Each base can hold four or five different sizes of grommets within it. So while the external diameter doesn’t change, customers can swap out just the grommet if they needed to. This will allow people to, within a range at least, change the bundle size going through this area without having to replace the whole clamp,” said Ben Drury, product specialist at Amphenol Pcd.
Adhesive tie mounts offer a low-profile solution. Made from glass-filled Ultem or glass-filled PEEK, these rectangular or smaller square tie mounts can be adhered using wet processes epoxy. Recommended to use with any standard MS3367 or equivalent tie down strap.
Made of glass-filled Ultem and adhered using wet processes epoxy, each standoff uses a 10-32 insert making it compatible with all APH clamps.
Adhesive tie mounts, which require a zip tie to secure the wire bundles, offer a low profile. Stand-offs are available for use in locations where extra elevation is needed. “Instead of having everything run flat across the aircraft itself, standoffs can go higher. We have screw-mounted standoffs, as well, that provide the added security needed to go a little higher because they aren’t relying on just glue or tape. But, again, for places where you can’t drill, we have adhesive options,” Drury said.
Snap ‘N Posts make installation a snap.
Snap ‘N Posts offer a time-saving solution. The posts are pre-installed to the structure and the adapter heads secure the wire bundle prior to installation, perhaps when the bundles are being assembled. This reduces installation time from ~30+ seconds to less than 5 seconds. “If you ever need to remove the wire bundle, you just insert a Phillips head screwdriver and the adapter head pops right out,” Drury explained. “And since we would use a post for this, they can get relatively tall, to about four and a half inches. The adapters can be stacked on the post, which means you could have four different wire bundles crossing one location if you needed. Each adapter head can hold two wire bundles in parallel directions.”
Amphenol Pcd’s Flexible Printed Circuit Board solution
“We’ve seen a couple of areas where flexible printed circuit boards are being used more and you have to be a bit careful with how you secure them. The most recent product we made kind of sandwiches the PCB in between and snaps onto a base to secure it,” said Drury. “We also have saddle clamps, including one that could possibly hold two different printed circuit boards.”
This saddle clamp can potentially hold two flexible printed circuit boards.
Drury added that other new cable routing solutions in development include more busbar solutions and different clamping options, including one able to secure multiple wire bundles. Amphenol Pcd also offers custom solutions through its Rapid Parts Development program, which uses 3D printed molds to make low volume production ready parts for quick turn around times and design flexibility.
To learn more about the companies mentioned in this article, visit the Preferred Supplier pages for SV Microwave and Amphenol Pcd.
Like this article? Check out our other articles on Cable Assemblies and our Wire and Cable Assemblies Market Page, and our 2024 Article Archive.
Subscribe to our weekly e-newsletters, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, and check out our eBook archives for more applicable, expert-informed connectivity content.
- Connector Suppliers Recognized at Electronics Industry Awards - December 3, 2024
- What are KTK-style connectors? - December 3, 2024
- Hermetically Sealed Connectors Product Roundup 2024 - December 3, 2024
