Advances in automotive lighting like laser-powered and adaptive headlights technologies, OLED panels, and micro-LEDs are lighting up the automotive world with the help of miniaturized interconnects. While transformative innovations like automation and electrification are drawing the most attention in the automotive industry, new automotive lighting technologies are also making a difference in vehicle design andRead More

Connector material selection plays a critical role in ensuring that automotive connectors deliver reliability and performance over the lifespan of a vehicle. The rigors and extremes these systems are exposed to makes it important for designers to consider many factors to specify the right solution. Electronic architectures in emerging automotive designs demand long-life, rugged connectorsRead More

Meet the Connector: Butt Contacts and High-Current Probes A butt contact is an energizing connector that functions as a high current probe by directly pressing it to an electrical current-carrying surface, according to Globetech, a Tokyo-based supplier of custom connectors for industrial electrical machinery. Traditionally, a screw or a standard contact probe is used toRead More

This week’s product roundup highlights FFC and FPC connector solutions from top suppliers. I-PEX Connectors’ DW5 two-way FPC and discrete wire connectors can accommodate 0.2mm-thick (±0.3mm) FPC cables or 34AWG discrete wire using the same PCB and receptacle combination, making them ideal for use in a variety of space-constrained portable electronics, including laptop screens. TheseRead More

This week’s product roundup highlights some of the highest-performance compression connector products currently available on the market. Compression Connector Products AVX Interconnect’s 9155-400 Series two-piece battery connectors have a 4mm pitch and a unique angled contact lead-in on both sides, which, unlike most other connectors in this category, allows pluggable devices to engage from eitherRead More

In December 2015, 195 countries signed an agreement at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris. In June 2017, President Trump announced that the US would withdraw from the agreement, joining Syria as the only countries to remain outside of the agreement. What does that mean for the connector industry? By CarolineRead More

Those colorful connectors behind our TVs, DVD players, stereo equipment, and gaming consoles have been around for nearly a century. Meet the Connector: RCA Connectors The RCA connector is a type of electrical connector comprised of a male plug (RCA plug) and a female jack (RCA jack) used to carry audio and video signals. ItRead More

As more products go cordless, durability has become an imperative for battery connectors. Batteries enable devices as simple as a toy or as complex as a phone to operate using stored energy instead of a wired connection to an energy source. As more devices become cordless and more sophisticated devices move into the consumer realm,Read More

Meet the Connector: Board-to-Board Connectors Board-to-board (BTB) connectors are used to transmit signals between printed circuit boards (PCBs). They are made by many connector manufacturers and come in a variety of styles and materials. BTB connectors are among the commonly used connector types. Their evolution has been influenced by their use in an ever-growing numberRead More

Along with meeting demands for more capabilities and greater performance, electronics manufacturers are taking steps to conserve resources, protect the environment, and care for their employees and the communities they serve. The recent TE Connectivity Industrial Technology Index, an online survey of engineers and executives, found that “executives are five times more likely than engineersRead More

Industrial communications strategies are shifting in favor of real-time communications at the field device level, with automation engineers and installers preferring single-pair Ethernet-enabled devices to collect field data. Industrial field device infrastructure trends Industrial communications strategies are shifting in favor of real-time communications at the field device level, with automation engineers and installers preferring Ethernet-enabledRead More

Meet the Connector: Single-Pair Ethernet Single-pair Ethernet (SPE) is a single, twisted pair of copper wires that replaces the traditional 2- or 4-pair Ethernet configurations. SPE technology has been developed to bring Ethernet the “last mile” to the factory floor — the sensor/actuator level, specifically monitoring devices at the edge of industrial networks such asRead More

Billions of electrical connections control various aspects of rail transportation, playing a significant role in global freight and passenger movements. New secure, easy-to-maintain connections help make railways safer. Rail safety depends on multiple factors. Accidents result from human error and track defects, wheels and axles can break over time from heavy loads at high speeds,Read More

Analog sensors gather data needed to track the activities and productivity of equipment, predict maintenance and make repairs, and enable the operations of connected systems. Which connectors should be used to connect these sensors? Analog sensors capture important information about the operations of electronic systems and the world around them. In smart factories, connected homesRead More

Meet the Connector: Circular Connector Coupling Types Circular connectors are first defined by their cylindrical shape. Both sides of the mating pair meet in a circular format, with pins on one side and sockets on the other. However, within this category a variety of coupling types exists to make the connection secure. Coupling type refersRead More

As personal medical devices follow the path of consumer electronics, product miniaturization has made it easy for patients to integrate these technologies into their lives. Medical machines for hospital settings are also scaling down and becoming available to more facilities. Micro and miniaturized interconnects play a key role in enabling these medical equipment trends. TheRead More

Heavy-duty and safety-critical applications and their interconnect systems must be designed to resist mechanical stress and environmental conditions without degrading power, signal, or data transmission. Four tests help ensure high reliability. Ruggedization methods and processes apply to the entire design, engineering, and manufacturing cycle in the creation of high-performance connectivity solutions. From choosing high-quality materialsRead More

2023 Update: How’s the Connector Industry Performing? The electronics industry and related supply chains are still absorbing the shocks of the pandemic era. After months of record sales, sales have entered a down cycle, yet encouraging signs are present. What do the semiconductor sales say about future sales? More importantly, what does Bishop & AssociatesRead More

Wearable and portable technologies are giving soldiers superhuman strength, night vision, and powerful battlefield intelligence. In conflicts around the world, soldier wearables and portable military technologies help military personnel enhance their physical capabilities, stay in contact with command centers and fellow soldiers, maintain situational awareness, reduce risks on the battlefield, and monitor their health. TheseRead More

RF interconnect solutions are critical in mobile 5G communications networks. New solutions help seamlessly power these essential communications networks when traditional networks are disrupted by disaster. 5G technologies deliver high data speeds, ultra-low latency, enhanced reliability, enormous network capacity, and increased availability. Mobile connectivity solutions make it possible to provide essential communications in disaster situationsRead More

Meet the Connector: Micro Circular The push to make mil/aero electronic equipment smaller and lighter for easier portability while maintaining its necessary ruggedness requires smaller, lighter, rugged connectors. Enter microminiature and nanominiature circular connectors. Micro or nano circular connectors feature smaller pin and jack diameters and the pins are spaced more narrowly. This reduces theRead More

Component backlogs are easing, the end of the chip shortage is in sight, and the electronics supply chain is starting to recover from its long COVID disruption. Distributors say flexibility is the secret to OEM success during this recovery phase. Anyone in the market for a vehicle will not be surprised to learn that theRead More

Introducing a new product that satisfies a significant emerging need is the ultimate goal of every market manager. Finding that sweet spot with a product that works, and can be manufactured and sold at a profit, keeps design engineers up at night. Managers are imbued with a business school postulate that a product with aRead More

After years of pandemic disruption, the supply chain for electronic components is bouncing back. The key to future success hinges on our ability to apply what we learned during the pandemic to build dynamic supply chains that can weather the storms to come. Pandemics, natural disasters, and wars, plus labor and electronic components shortages, addRead More

This week’s product roundup highlights RF connector solutions from top suppliers. I-PEX Connectors’ MHF® I LK Connector System delivers simple, secure connections in applications exposed to high shock and vibration, including: automobiles, aircraft, and drones, and is the only RF connector/harness system with a built-in locking feature that doesn’t require epoxy or tape to keepRead More

This week’s product roundup highlights push-pull connectors from leading suppliers. Heilind Electronics offers the MediSpec™ Medical Plastic Circular (MPC) Interconnect System from Molex, which delivers high-reliability electrical performance especially designed to meet stringent medical standards at a fraction of the cost of competing machined-contact systems. This system features lightweight, medical-grade plastic housings compatible with autoclave,Read More

This week’s product roundup highlights some of the most robust, reliable, and highest-performance wire and cable products available on today’s market. Stewart Connector’s SealJack™ Cable Applied Series preassembled cable assemblies provide high-reliability connectivity in harsh-environment Ethernet applications, including those within the IoT umbrella. They can be customized with IP67 and RJ45 ends using CAT 5eRead More