Energy in Motion: E-Mobility and the Future of Intelligent Power

By Anne Louden | November 05, 2024

The variety of applications within E-mobility require connections that perform at cutting-edge high-speeds, as well as endure environmentally rugged conditions to consistently support the signal between a vehicle’s battery and motor.

No one knows what safety challenges may arise during travel. Flights can be interrupted by turbulence or sudden changes in weather patterns. Pedestrians, animals, and unexpected debris impact vehicles on the roads. The ability of a vehicle to react to these hazards as close to instantaneously as possible relies on software design as well as the total ability of components to sustain internal computing power, high-speed signal, and data transfer rates. Robust components implement sudden on-road decisions while keeping the vehicle in motion, successfully managing vehicle acceleration and power draw accordingly. The variety of applications within E-mobility require connections that perform at cutting-edge high-speeds, as well as endure environmentally rugged conditions to consistently support the signal between a vehicle’s battery and motor.

E-Mobility power management and intelligent power supply – inverters

Illustrated example of the interior unit in an automotive inverter, displaying a variety of component connections within a multiple PCB configuration.

Electronic applications within transportation include those which require cutting-edge high-speed capabilities and others that have a far greater demand for environmentally robust and tolerant connections. The further a unit housing PCBs is from the relatively more vibrationally stable automotive cab, and the closer that unit is to the roadway and the engine, the harsher the conditions will be. These PCBs require connectors with the stamina to endure extreme temperatures and extreme vibrations. One such application would be the automotive inverter, a critical device that was not necessary in the internal combustion engines of the past.

All hybrid and fully electric vehicles must contain at least one or more batteries, supplying the power for the propulsion motor. The inverter is a device which allows the battery and motor to collaborate, successfully sending the vehicle into motion. The inverter supports multiple functions, the primary of which being the transferring of high-voltage and high-current direct current (DC) electricity from the battery into alternating current (AC) electricity, which is then sent via cables to the motor. Inverters, along with battery management systems, must ensure optimal performance while avoiding electrical overloading, overvoltage, and overheating.

A major challenge for connectors in the front end of a vehicle is vibration. Connectors with specially designed contacts can absorb shocks and vibrations with far superior contact reliability compared to common single blade-and-spring designs. More robust options would be those with dual beam contacts, double-sided or “androgynous” contacts, press-fit contacts, and options with soldered board locks.

Variants of the 1.27 mm pitch One27 connector have the heat shielding to survive temperature fluctuations of -55 °C to +125 °C in automotive applications. They can also endure roadway vibrations due to their dual-beam contacting and high-tolerance compensation from wipe length. Connectors with a small and discreet 1.27 mm pitch can also be environmentally robust and able to support complex data needs.

The overall need in modern design to install numerous and smaller connectors has resulted in connectors with a pitch of 1.27 mm, 0.8 mm, or 0.5 mm commonly being sought for use in inverters. More compact components and assemblies also means that tolerance chains are becoming longer. In order to fit a multitude of connections onto a PCB board without resulting in signal loss, connectors must compensate for greater tolerances during assembly and operation.

These 12 connectors on such a small PCB space would have been an impossible design for connectors in the past. Due to their unique contact design and housings, ept’s Zero8 0.8 mm 16+ Gb/s connectors have a high tolerance compensation of 0.4 mm in the horizontal and diagonal directions, and up to 2.3 mm in the vertical direction, making this unique configuration possible.

The ability for a component to absorb misalignments in the “X,” “Y,” and “Z” axes is referred to as its “float” capability. Generally, the industry standard is for a float of + or – 0.5 mm and misalignment compensation of about 2°. Using a connector that exceeds these standards allows for far greater flexibility in design. A high float tolerance reduces the risk of stress cracks on soldered parts, prevents the malformation of contact pins, and prevents loss of signal or damage during mating and in operation.

The trend toward HPC (high performance computing) on land and in flight

Automotive consumers have become increasingly familiar with technology taking an active role in the driver’s seat. Although still relatively new technology to the consumer market, the majority of new 2023 car models purchased in the U.S. offered variations of driver assistance programs such as steering, acceleration, parking, or braking assistance guided by technology. Active driver assistance programs are becoming available as optional features and soon will become standard features.

The hardware challenges of supporting the trend towards E-mobility, AI, IoT, 5G+ data rates, vehicle-to-network communications, 4K HD infotainment, as well as increasing availability and reliance on autonomous driving puts immense pressure on electronics to perform with impeccable high-powered data processing speeds, all while being impenetrable to sources of potential interference to the signal.

Internal communications – cameras and sensors in high-speed reactivity

Example of the amount of “vision,” including overlapping camera, radar, lidar, and ultrasound sensors that must function cohesively within the vehicle system to transmit information and calculate strategic reactions.

Technology not only needs to “see” danger, but to calculate the most appropriate course of action to react quickly. This is far easier said than done due to the complexity of environmental analysis. New technology “sees” its surroundings in the format of grid layout, using massive amounts of individual data points that must be constantly analyzed and processed. The programming must be able to differentiate objects, such as recognizing the difference between a person, a tree, street signs, stoplights, and other vehicles. Internal computing units must estimate what is incoming, and then formulate the best strategy for obstacle avoidance or interaction. Thousands of data corrections must be managed within a second, requiring constant and reliable connections to send information.

Image of a drone that uses ept’s SMT 0.5 mm pitch Colibri 16 Gb/s+ high-speed connectors. For the most cutting-edge unmanned flight models, even faster 25 Gb/s+ versions of connectors are increasingly in demand.

Requirements of 10-16+ Gb/s have become commonplace in automotive E-mobility, while even greater speeds of 16-25+ Gb/s are sought for flight applications. For drone applications, not only does the aircraft have to maintain flight but it must also rapidly react to alterations in flight course, quick map on recall, and maintain GPS through active connection to satellites. The mounted cameras and sensor systems are constantly comparing an incoming live feed to perform tasks. Some examples of current complex AI-enabled drone applications include running diagnostics on changing weather patterns and identifying visual irregularities to determine if repairs are needed on infrastructure.

Processing multiple connections simultaneously requires massive amounts of high-speed and data processing power. This is an immense computing load that must be performed within seconds, and only components with high-speed capabilities can be used in these sorts of environments. High-speed connectors transport information from the integrated circuit (IC) into applications such as sensors, audio interfaces, graphics cards, and overall data communications functions. Information must go from point A to point B, and the connector is what takes it there.

Limited installation space in units and modules is not specific to only inverters; it is also a widespread problem for PCBs throughout a vehicle. In order to accommodate technological needs without sacrificing performance, the dimensions of chosen high-speed connectors have to be reduced even further while maintaining or preferably increasing performance. One of the solutions for this problem is surface mount technology (SMT). In contrast to press-fit technology, SMT enables a significantly smaller grid and assembly on both sides of the PCB.

Comparison of a shielded connector (top) and two unshielded connectors (below). The shielded option not only prevents interference from nearby connectors, but also prevents its own signal from interfering in surrounding connections.

Even the smallest interference to a high-speed connector’s signal is enough to cause far-reaching miscommunications during data transmission. Incorrect measurement signals from the sensors and unintended control commands can cause unacceptable and even dangerous scenarios, especially in the case of safety features. EMC protection via a connector with built-in shielding works to prevent uninvited interference from surrounding electronics, including shielding from potential interference from other connectors present in the nearby area.

To learn more, visit ept USA.

This article is a selection from the new eBook, Energized! Where Interconnects and Energy Meet, a collection of educational content from leading connector suppliers that explores the world of electrification across markets. Watch for Energized! – available for free download November 12.