Featured Articles
  • What are SFP (Small form factor pluggables)?

    Meet the Connector: SFP (Small form-factor pluggable) An SFP (small form-factor pluggable) is a hot-pluggable transceiver that allows devices to communicate with one another through data transmission. SFPs provide the required optical or electrical reach via copper or fiber optic cables. SFPs transmit and receive data at the same time, eliminating the need for additionalRead More

  • SFF Fiber Product Roundup  

    This week’s Product Roundup highlights SFF fiber from leading connector manufacturers and suppliers. SFF Fiber The Souriau 8D ELIO Series connectors from PEI-Genesis feature a flexible 38999 circular option for fiber optic termini. They are designed around a robust 2.5 mm ceramic ferrule, with insertion and retention held stable by a bayonet locking mechanism and areRead More

Featured Products
Automotive

Next-Generation EV Cell Contacting System Drives Vehicle Innovations

The reliable and easy-to-implement interface solution connects cells to the control board in an EV battery module, eliminating the need to daisy chain wires. Eight years ago, Molex took a leap and heavily invested in the equipment and capabilities to develop its cell contacting system in support of a market no one was sure wouldRead More

Five Important Considerations in Electric Vehicle Battery Manufacturing for 2023

EV batteries have come a long way, with improvements in energy density, charging speed, safety, and cost. Five considerations are top of mind for engineers working on the next generation of battery solutions. The vehicle energy transition is underway. By the end of 2023, the International Energy Agency expects 18% of new passenger vehicle salesRead More

Software-Defined Vehicles: A New Era of Vehicle Customization

In April, automotive and component manufacturers, suppliers, and the media flocked to China to participate in Shanghai Auto Show, the world’s largest car show. This year’s theme was “Embracing the New Era of the Automotive Industry,” and the show did not disappoint. Manufacturers showcased 1,500 state-of-the-art vehicles across 12 exhibit halls. What may come somewhatRead More

Computer

The Numbers that Define Modern Electronics

As the data humans create and consume reaches once unimaginable volumes, a new nomenclature has been created to describe it. Carl Sagan, the eminent American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, science communicator, author, and professor, invited people to imagine the huge number of stars in our galaxy. His famous quote, “billions upon billions of stars,”Read More

FFC and FPC Connector Product Roundup

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

Compression Connector Product Roundup

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

Consumer

Matter: A Show of Unity for Connectivity

In the history of electronics, few single initiatives have been so universally embraced as the Matter protocol. Over 200 companies have agreed on a way to seamlessly connect devices in a smart home. One of the defining technologies of the late 20th century was the IoT (Internet of Things). Today, its network of connected nodesRead More

What are USB connectors?

Meet the Connector: USB connectors USB gained popularity due to its compatibility with numerous platforms and operating systems, its low implementation cost, and its ease of use. The connectors are available in a variety of shapes and sizes with an array of features. USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard developed in the 1990sRead More

Industrial

Industrial Controls: Demystifying SCADA

In a manufacturing setting, SCADA is the system of interconnected applications that controls everything from how the machines are programmed to the visual representation of the product as it makes its way through the machines, to the collection of data about the machines’ functionality, and more. Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) is the pieceRead More

Redefining Reliability: How Single-Pair Ethernet Elevates Security and Efficiency in Industrial Network Communication

With its ability to dramatically transform data transmission in industrial applications, SPE is redefining the future of secure and reliable network communication across diverse industries. Amid the metamorphosis of industrial connectivity, a remarkable innovation is taking center stage: single-pair Ethernet (SPE). With its ability to dramatically transform data transmission in industrial applications, SPE is redefiningRead More

What are ix Industrial Connectors?

Meet the Connector: ix Industrial The ix Industrial connector is a miniature high-speed Ethernet connector used in industrial applications. It is also known as an IP20 Industrial Ethernet connector, referring to its ingress protection, which protects connections from the harsh operating environments present in factories and other industrial network applications. The connector provides a moreRead More

Transportation

Commercial Drones Lift Off with Lightweight Interconnects

Small, lightweight interconnects have given a new generation of unmanned aerial vehicles flight instructions for use in delivery, surveying, agriculture, and other industries. Look up, it’s a commercial drone delivering your neighbor’s new toothbrush. Or at least, that’s the dream. The use of commercial drones for delivery has great potential to reduce the costs, traffic,Read More

Connectors in the Skies: 10 Considerations for Your Search for a Precision Contacts Manufacturer

Innovations, market trends, and costs influence aircraft design, but safety and security remain an unwavering commitment. Precision contacts play a crucial role in the connector design process. As the transportation industry rebounds from the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, market trends, technology innovations, and cost factors are shaping the landscape of new aircraft design.Read More

ARINC-Approved Product Roundup  

This week’s Product Roundup highlights ARINC-approved connectors from leading suppliers. ARINC-approved connectors TE Connectivity’s ARINC 600 press-fit power and receptacle contacts, supplied by Avnet, allow a complete press-fit receptacle solution that will provide manufacturing cost savings by eliminating the PCB soldering process. They also enable up to 10% weight savings (depending on insert arrangement) andRead More

Medical

Smart Patches Offer Next-Level Wireless Health Monitoring

A new generation of wearable sensors are making cardiatrics, diabetes management, biometric monitoring, and medication delivery more comfortable and effective. Wireless health monitoring has been transformed by the possibilities afforded by miniaturized electronics. The first mass market of wearable medical devices took the form of fitness trackers and smartwatches embedded with biometrics sensors that monitorRead More

Heavy-Duty Connectors Protect the Flow of Power and Data in Robots in Harsh Environments

As robots become ubiquitous and the tasks they take on grow more complex, one constant remains: they must be able to endure harsh environment conditions without interruption or performance impacts. The definition of “harsh” varies significantly across the many operating environments that require automated processes. Some robots may be working in a highly controlled cleanRead More

The Basics of Electrical Connector Manufacturing

Understanding how connectors are manufactured can help designers and engineers make the right choices for their product designs. Electrical connectors play a huge role in the ability of electronic devices to perform complex functions in a wide variety of applications. Connectors are continually adapting to accommodate technological advances, meet new standards, withstand harsh conditions, andRead More

Military/Aerospace

Post-Pandemic State of the Supply Chain 

Interconnect suppliers have weathered the post-pandemic recovery period with resilience and creativity to keep supply chains flowing and manage a mix of backlogs and inventory during a period of changing demand. As we approach the end of the third year of life altered by the pandemic, the electronics supply chain is exhibiting a return toRead More

Remote Locations: How to Design Interconnect Solutions for Harsh Environments

Remote access to maintain electronic systems used in many harsh environments can be difficult or impossible. Strategic selection of interconnects can extend the life and ease the maintenance of this equipment. Electronic systems and equipment used in hard-to-reach locations such as space, mountain-top observatories, deep sea rovers, or inter-continent data links face a common challenge.Read More

Five Military Trends Paving the Way for Harsh Environment Connectivity

The military requires connectors that are as small, fast, and lightweight as possible while being durable and secure. Learn more about products that fit the bill. Military trends require connectors that are as small, fast, and lightweight as possible while being durable and secure. Even in the harshest environments, modern military electronics must take upRead More

Tele/Datacom

AI Everywhere

From high schools where students use artificial intelligence to complete assignments to chatbots that report the status of your lost luggage, AI is everywhere. AI seems like a new phenomenon, but this technology has been in development for 70 years. The term artificial intelligence was coined as early as 1950 and has been a subject ofRead More

What are SFP (Small form factor pluggables)?

Meet the Connector: SFP (Small form-factor pluggable) An SFP (small form-factor pluggable) is a hot-pluggable transceiver that allows devices to communicate with one another through data transmission. SFPs provide the required optical or electrical reach via copper or fiber optic cables. SFPs transmit and receive data at the same time, eliminating the need for additionalRead More

Instrumentation

RF Connector Product Roundup

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

Product Roundup: Push-Pull Connectors

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

Wire and Cable Products Roundup

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

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