Sensors/Antennas

Human-Robot Collaboration Boosts Connector Company's Success
New technology
Human-Robot Collaboration Boosts Connector Company's Success
Automation technologies are transforming the warehouse, logistics, and manufacturing worlds. Learn how one company integrated sensors, robots, and artificial intelligence into its manufacturing line to meet new production goals. The pressure is on: Connector suppliers are being asked to increase production, reduce prices, shift operations out of China,…
Listing of Market Articles
Human-Robot Collaboration Boosts Connector Company's Success
Human-Robot Collaboration Boosts Connector Company's Success
Automation technologies are transforming the warehouse, logistics, and manufacturing worlds. Learn how one company integrated sensors, robots, and artificial intelligence into its manufacturing line to meet new production goals. The pressure is on: Connector suppliers are being asked to increase production, reduce prices, shift operations out of China,…
Motion Control: Sensing Solutions Optimize Manufacturing Systems
Motion Control: Sensing Solutions Optimize Manufacturing Systems
Motion control systems harvest data to help create faster, more precise, and more resilient manufacturing processes. A host of sensors help unlock deep insights into factory operations. Motion control is the process by which the elements in a manufacturing process are set into a precise and controlled system…
Connector Industry Podcasts Share Knowledge and Insight
Connector Industry Podcasts Share Knowledge and Insight
Industry experts are now as close as your own device. Podcasts have gained popularity, at least in part, because they are conveniently accessible on the go. Today, they are available on just about every topic and the connector industry is no exception. Want to keep up with the…
In Conversation: The State of the Connector Industry
In Conversation: The State of the Connector Industry
A conversation between Bishop & Associates’ Ron Bishop and Samtec’s Danny Boesing reviews 2023 sales performance and explores the possibilities 2024 holds for the connector industry. We are now in a new era for the connector industry. The great disruption of the pandemic has led to the rise…
What are LVDT sensors?
What are LVDT sensors?
Meet the Connector: LVDT sensors An LVDT (linear variable differential transformer) is a commonly used metrology tool. It is referred to as a sensor or transducer (a device that can transform one form of energy into another). In this case, it transforms linear motion into an electrical signal.…
2024 Sensors Product Roundup
2024 Sensors Product Roundup
This week’s Product Roundup highlights sensors from leading connector manufacturers and suppliers. Sensors PEI-Genesis supplies Trafag’s complete line of temperature monitoring products including transmitters, switches, and gauges. From high accuracy lab grade measurement to OEM volume requirements, all the bases are covered. Trafag temperature transmitters are used for…
Antenna Interface Standard Facilitates Remote Monitoring of Base Stations
Antenna Interface Standard Facilitates Remote Monitoring of Base Stations
A special category of interconnects that adhere to AISG standards make it possible to remotely monitor antennas, maintain system performance, enhance security, and build new base stations quickly. Three years after 5G was officially launched, the slow rollout of this high-speed technology continues as wireless operators around the…
Surviving the Challenges of Environmental Monitoring: Rugged Connectors for Sensor Technology
Surviving the Challenges of Environmental Monitoring: Rugged Connectors for Sensor Technology
Sensors are on the front line of an application’s exposure to harsh operating conditions. Specifying the right connector for sensors ensures reliability and performance for the entire sensing system, even under duress. Detection of environmental conditions requires connectors for sensors that can survive the harshest situations. Temperature fluctuations,…
What are M8 connectors?
What are M8 connectors?
Meet the Connector: M8 Connector Due to their design and functionality, as well as compact size and reliable connectivity, M8 connectors play a crucial role in a wide range of industries, from industrial automation to automotive applications. M8 connectors are commonly used in industrial settings as sensor and…
Antennas Product Roundup- October 2023
Antennas Product Roundup- October 2023
This week’s Product Roundup highlights antennas from leading connector manufacturers and suppliers. Antennas AN01 Series antennas from JAE are compact and high performance, featuring industry-leading high efficiency despite a size of about 1/10 of the wavelength. Omnidirectional radiation creates radio coverage without dead spots. The automatic pick-and-place mounting-compatible…
Cell Towers Become Less Cluttered
Cell Towers Become Less Cluttered
The growing use of cluster RF I/O ports is a big contributor to prevailing trends toward more streamlined cell tower assemblies. Affordable 5G cell tower upgrades require antennas that can handle more bandwidth in the same tower slots as their 4G predecessors. To achieve this, the needed number…
PAM4 to the Rescue
PAM4 to the Rescue
As engineers look for ways to improve the efficiency of the data transfer process, PAM4 has emerged as a powerful solution. The ability to double the bit rate without doubling the required frequency allows the use of legacy cables, connectors, and backplanes. We are living in a digital…
What are Bulkhead Mount Connectors?
What are Bulkhead Mount Connectors?
Meet the Connector: Bulkhead Mount Connectors The term bulkhead mount refers to the mounting style of the connector. In this case, it is the method used to attach a connector to a product casing, enclosure, or panel from the front or rear side. Normally, it involves a threaded…
2023 Sensors Product Roundup
2023 Sensors Product Roundup
This week’s Product Roundup highlights sensors from leading suppliers. Sensors The I-PEX ESTORQ is a torque sensor that can easily be incorporated into any device or application, including various types of manufacturing equipment and machines. The electrostatic capacity method achieves compactness and weight reduction. No external amplifier is…
Sensors Take Center Stage as the Need for Data Grows
Sensors Take Center Stage as the Need for Data Grows
Updated: January 2023 Smart connectivity has grown out of the need for better information gathering. Sensors allow more data than ever to be collected at the source and transmitted to stakeholders where it can be analyzed quickly for decision-making, troubleshooting, maintenance, safety, and other critical functions. Sophisticated sensors…
IoT Performance Influences Antenna Technologies
IoT Performance Influences Antenna Technologies
As IoT ecosystems move to support high-density, low latency networks, and continue to incorporate various new features into radios and overall system layouts, there is an even greater premium put on antenna system design.  The Internet of Things (IoT) is helping to create smart environments by linking interconnected…
Rugged and Reliable Sensors for Harsh Environments Product Roundup
Rugged and Reliable Sensors for Harsh Environments Product Roundup
 This week’s Product Roundup highlights sensors for harsh environments from leading suppliers. Rugged and Reliable Sensors for Harsh Environments Allied Electronics & Automation supplies Contrinex EXTREME inductive sensors from the full Inox family. Rugged, reliable, and highly accurate, the Extreme range is at home in the most challenging…
What are Coaxial Connectors and How do They Work?
What are Coaxial Connectors and How do They Work?
Meet the Connector: Coaxial  Connectors (Note: This article focuses on cable-to-cable and cable-to-panel applications.)  A coaxial connector has an inner conductor that is enveloped by a concentric conducting sleeve, with the conductor and shield separated by an insulating material;  hence the term “coax” or “coaxial” connector. (Not all…
60-Year-Old SMA Connector Design Still Popular
60-Year-Old SMA Connector Design Still Popular
SMAs represent the most connector sales in the coax connector category. This early, innovative design continues to serve microwave technologies into the 5G era and beyond. Are you familiar with the SMA connector? Bet you don’t know all the hundreds of variations in use. Worldwide, SMAs have the…
Antennas: The Heart of the IoT
Antennas: The Heart of the IoT
Antennas are crucial to the function of connected devices. Address them early in the design process for a smooth and successful outcome. Antenna systems are gaining prominence as new opportunities emerge to meet the expanding telecommunications needs of IoT and 5G applications. According to a survey by TE…
Antennas Product Roundup
Antennas Product Roundup
This week’s Product Roundup highlights antennas from leading suppliers. Antennas PEI-Genesis offers ceiling and rooftop mounted rail antennas from TE Connectivity. With a high impact, flame retardant housing, these MIMO (multiple input multiple output) rail antennas are ideal for use in trains, trams, and buses.   AN01 series…
SOSA Standards to Embedded Systems Development   
SOSA Standards to Embedded Systems Development   
Updated: January 2023 The Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) Consortium has created an agile, modular, open reference standard for designers of sensor-rich military and commercial applications as they integrate these powerful connectivity components into new embedded designs. Compliance testing is now underway on connectivity products that support embedded…
Strategic Connector Selection Optimizes Electromagnetic Compliance
Strategic Connector Selection Optimizes Electromagnetic Compliance
Minimizing Electromagnetic Compliance (EMC) is a challenge for designers of digital systems who must pass FCC system tests for radiated emissions. The study of radiated electric field pattern simulations, often used for antenna analysis, helps evaluate the radiation properties of individual interconnects and aid in the selection of…
What are M-Type Sensor Connectors?
What are M-Type Sensor Connectors?
Updated: January 2023 Meet the Connector: M-Type Sensor Connectors M-type connectors were originally designed for connecting sensors and actuators in automation equipment and industrial networks. They are now used in a variety of applications, including high-frequency transmission circuits in telecommunications, measurement equipment, robotics, and transportation. The M12 standard…
Sensors for Harsh Environment Applications Product Roundup
Sensors for Harsh Environment Applications Product Roundup
This week’s Product Roundup highlights sensors for harsh environments from leading suppliers. Sensors for Harsh Environment Applications  The MSP300 pressure transducer from TE Connectivity’s Microfused line, supplied by Allied Electronics & Automation, can be used to measure liquid or gas pressure, including difficult media such as contaminated water,…
What are SMA Connectors?
What are SMA Connectors?
Meet the Connector: SMA coaxial RF connectors SMA (Sub-Miniature version A) coaxial RF connectors are single-line, threaded coupling connectors, available worldwide in many versions including termination options, different levels of environmental sealing, and electrical performance. [caption id="attachment_36799" align="aligncenter" width="500"] JAE end-launch type SMA connector[/caption] The connector has a…
Sensors Play a Critical Role in Today’s Connected Devices
Sensors Play a Critical Role in Today’s Connected Devices
Updated: January 2023 Sensor technologies are essential components in smart devices and connected systems. They can gather vital information about vehicles and infrastructure, track biometrics and health conditions, and create greater efficiency and safety in connected industrial environments. Sensors are device enablers that detect, sense, or monitor changes…
What to Consider When Selecting IoT Connectors
What to Consider When Selecting IoT Connectors
Selecting the right connector for IoT applications is critical, not only in terms of delivering reliability and performance but also for keeping the footprint of IoT sensors and nodes to an absolute minimum. Experts on the Internet of Things (IoT) believe that the technology can only reach its…
The State of the Connector Industry
The State of the Connector Industry
The EDS Leadership Summit in Las Vegas was cancelled due to COVID-19. But TTI Inc. gave its traditional presentation online, reviewing the state of the industry and previewing the headwinds and opportunities that are heading our way. The 2020 DesignCon event was the last time the industry was…
Powerful e-Textiles Promise Washable, Wearable Connectivity
Powerful e-Textiles Promise Washable, Wearable Connectivity
Small, lightweight, and wearable doesn’t cut it for designers of e-textiles. New flexible, conductive fabrics make wearable electronics even more comfortable and connected. The continuous downscaling of connectivity products has opened up new possibilities in the world of e-textiles. In this emerging area of electronic design, engineers have moved beyond small…
Sensor Technologies and Trends: A Sense of Things to Come in a Dynamic Connectivity Market
Sensor Technologies and Trends: A Sense of Things to Come in a Dynamic Connectivity Market
Sensor technologies are bringing incredible new functionality to smart devices and systems. From medical products used to fight the pandemic to sensing devices that animate the IoT, innovation is rampant across industries with the help of this vital product category. The sensor market has expanded exponentially in the…
High-Tech Women Strengthen the Electronics Industry
High-Tech Women Strengthen the Electronics Industry
Including women in tech workplaces increases innovation, operations, and profits. Organizations like Women in Electronics are working to close the gender gap. Despite years of conversation about the value women bring to the technology fields, men continue to significantly outnumber women in software, hardware, education, and leadership roles.…
Sensor Technologies Depend on Special Sensor Cables
Sensor Technologies Depend on Special Sensor Cables
Although often taken for granted, cable is a critical enabling technology. As connected and smart devices multiply, so does the need for the specialized cables that connect the many types of sensors needed to enable smart and autonomous applications across a broad spectrum of industries. Cables that connect…
Four Key Areas Where Wearable Technologies are Pushing Innovation
Four Key Areas Where Wearable Technologies are Pushing Innovation
Miniature interconnects combined with sensors and antennas give designers powerful new means of integrating Internet of Things into flexible new forms.  Tiny wearable technologies are becoming huge. The incredible miniaturization of electronic components, combined with the powerful Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities brought to these systems by miniature sensors and antennas, has resulted in a new wave of wearable technologies. Flexible,…
New Network Architectures: Cloud and Fog Computing on the Edge
New Network Architectures: Cloud and Fog Computing on the Edge
As the global volume of internet data increases, relying on the cloud for computing resources poses challenges. Edge and fog computing architectures offer alternatives.  The concept of sharing information technology (IT) resources via a network of linked devices has experienced incredible growth since the early 2000s. Instead of…
5G Infrastructure Depends on a New Generation of Antennas — and Old Ones
5G Infrastructure Depends on a New Generation of Antennas — and Old Ones
5G specifications are being implemented with the latest connectivity hardware, including advanced antenna systems, as well as ongoing investments in 4G infrastructure. The fifth generation of cellular network technology, 5G, continues its advance. In addition to providing massive service improvement, it will forever change hardware and connectivity trends…
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Unite in Powerful Connected Technologies
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Unite in Powerful Connected Technologies
Advanced computing resources and connected technologies are converging in a range of automated applications, including robots, drones, and algorithm-driven applications. What could possibly go wrong? It’s hard to read a newspaper or magazine and not find at least one article about artificial intelligence (AI) or robotics. Machine learning,…
The Robots Are Coming
The Robots Are Coming
Robotics may be one of the greatest technological innovations of all time, and their rise is just beginning. Specialty, lightweight, precision connectivity products are key to their agility and utility. As companies look for ways to reduce their labor costs and increase their ability to perform tasks in…
Elevators Take Connectors to the Next Level
Elevators Take Connectors to the Next Level
Modern elevators feature a wide variety of electronic nodes, from controls that operate the lift to sensors that count passengers and touchscreen user interfaces. These unique building transport systems function depend on unique heavy-duty industrial connectors as well as small, lightweight, consumer-type products. Today’s connected building technologies manage…
Strategic Acquisitions Continued in the Connector Industry in 2019
Strategic Acquisitions Continued in the Connector Industry in 2019
Connector-adjacent technologies were the key focus of many 2019 acquisitions as companies expanded to a whole-ecosystem approach. Once again, Amphenol led the industry in acquisitions, completing more acquisitions than any other company in the connector, cable, or cable assembly field in 2019. Amphenol has acquired more than 60…
Connector Manufacturers Expand Their Scope Through Diversification
Connector Manufacturers Expand Their Scope Through Diversification
As the Internet of Things continues to expand, connector companies are embracing diversification and establishing new areas of expertise, including antennas, active optical devices, electronic sensors, and packaging services. Financial advisors like to tell their clients that the path to success is through diversification. The logic being that…
Single-Pair Ethernet Will Revolutionize the Internet of Things
Single-Pair Ethernet Will Revolutionize the Internet of Things
The new SPE connector standard will provide a comprehensive communication protocol, a shared networking infrastructure, and produce power for sensor technologies. The T-1 industrial interface developed by HARTING is set to become the new single-pair Ethernet (SPE) connector standard. A united consortium of seven companies has approved the…
Medical Devices and Instruments Put the Squeeze on Connectors
Medical Devices and Instruments Put the Squeeze on Connectors
Rapidly evolving medical technologies are increasing demand for small, lightweight, high-density connectors that can handle high signal speeds, endure frequent mating cycles and sterilization, and play well with sensors. Connectors for electronics in medical devices, equipment, and instruments cover a very broad range of uses. They, and their…
High-Tech Medical Connectivity Products Create Smart Solutions
High-Tech Medical Connectivity Products Create Smart Solutions
Robots, Big Data, and other high-tech medical technologies will help lower error rates and set new quality standards as the next generation of medical devices integrates smaller, modular electronics into highly connected medical environments. The medical technology sector is a booming industry marked by rapid change. Miniature dosing…
The Evolution of Connected Home Technologies
The Evolution of Connected Home Technologies
The IoT is transforming consumers’ homes into hubs of hands-free functionality. The next phase of connected home development will bring artificial intelligence and data-gathering systems into household routines. The idea of “home” has greatly evolved throughout the millennia. Over the decades, technology has transformed homes into hubs of…
Short- and Long-Haul Trucking: Driving Towards an Emissions-Free Future
Short- and Long-Haul Trucking: Driving Towards an Emissions-Free Future
Trucking is getting greener as sensor-based technologies make diesel engines more efficient and lithium-ion batteries and hydrogen fuel cells offer an alternative to petroleum. Trucking is vital to the way we live. Long-haul trucks carry what’s needed to where it’s needed quickly and affordably, and short-haul trucks trek…
Five Ways the Industrial Internet of Things is Making Rail Better
Five Ways the Industrial Internet of Things is Making Rail Better
Connected technologies are making cargo and passenger rail transport more efficient, transparent, and secure. Dramatic changes are occurring in rail travel and transport as connected technologies come into use for scheduling, tracking and monitoring, autonomous systems, safety and performance systems, and passenger amenities. Examples around the world show…
Believe the Hype About the Internet of Things
Believe the Hype About the Internet of Things
Avnet’s Lou Lutostanski says the promise of full IoT connectivity has been slow to arrive, but it’s real and it’s coming. It’ll just take a little more education, simplification, and standardization to make widespread adoption happen. The Internet of Things (IoT) has been the talk of the town…
LPWAN Wireless Standards Expand Opportunities for Antennas and Connectors
LPWAN Wireless Standards Expand Opportunities for Antennas and Connectors
5G has yet to fully arrive, but low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) activity is already influencing design trends in a wide range of connected products. The number and variety of wireless devices in use across every aspect of society is increasing exponentially, creating new worlds of opportunity for electromechanical…
The NAV Alliance Wants to Bring Autonomy Closer to Reality
The NAV Alliance Wants to Bring Autonomy Closer to Reality
Fleets of autonomous cars and trucks aren’t taking over the roads quite yet, but several technology companies are combining forces to solve the remaining challenges to making autonomy a reality. [caption id="attachment_26790" align="aligncenter" width="600"] An autonomous Uber prototype in San Francisco. (Image courtesy of Dllu per CC BY-SA…
Chip-on-Tip Technology Enables Minimally Invasive Medical Devices
Chip-on-Tip Technology Enables Minimally Invasive Medical Devices
Chip-on-tip endoscopy technology relies on microminiature sensors, illumination, and lenses. Market pressures are driving these critical medical devices to shrink in diameter and cost while maintaining, if not adding, functionality. Meeting these demands requires ingenuitive engineering and manufacturing techniques. Chip-on-tip technology is dramatically improving medical care by enabling…
Rugged Mil-Spec Connectors Strengthen Military System Deployment
Rugged Mil-Spec Connectors Strengthen Military System Deployment
A tour of the West 2019 conference turns up new mil-spec connectivity products that meet size, weight, and power goals, and deliver peak performance under pressure. For military and aerospace applications, the consequences of system failures are unthinkable. To accomplish mission-critical tasks, these systems depend on the high-reliability…
The Internet of Battlefield Things is Changing Connector Designs
The Internet of Battlefield Things is Changing Connector Designs
Interconnects directly contribute to the size, weight, reliability, ruggedness, and overall performance of modern military equipment, which is increasingly interconnected via the Internet of Battlefield Things or IoBT. As Admiral John Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations, put it during the Navy’s Future Force Expo in Washington, DC, in…
LEDs Illuminate the Industrial Internet of Things
LEDs Illuminate the Industrial Internet of Things
Industry 4.0 is coming to life with the help of LED connectivity. In the past decade, the commercial and residential lighting markets have undergone a rapid shift from incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs to light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In 2018, global LED sales accounted for 40% of the lighting…
An Inseparable Duo: Wires and Wireless Technologies
An Inseparable Duo: Wires and Wireless Technologies
The evolution of the telecommunications industry began with a simple wire that expanded to become today’s fully interconnected and increasingly wireless world. Throughout human history, we have strived to improve how we communicate with each other. From foot messengers and horses to email, text, and video chat, we…
Talk to Your House: The Roadmap for the Smart Home
Talk to Your House: The Roadmap for the Smart Home
Home automation technology begins with the human voice and extends to the Internet of Things (IoT) thanks to smaller, faster, smarter connectivity products. In the past few years, certain slow-to-evolve consumer technologies have really started to work. One such technology is voice recognition. Although speech analysis, acoustic transcription,…
Seven Design Tips for Smart Appliances
Seven Design Tips for Smart Appliances
Smart appliances create new challenges for device designers, who must integrate additional components and manage power, data transfer, size, and heat considerations in compact, unobtrusive packages that satisfy consumer demands. Consumers who value the improved control, energy efficiency, reliability, and convenience of smart home devices are driving the…
Agricultural Smart Connectors Bring in High Yields
Agricultural Smart Connectors Bring in High Yields
Today, a tractor is more than an engine-driven farm machine; it can be the hub of a farm’s IoT network and a farmer’s workspace with the help of rugged, smart connectors. Today’s sophisticated farm machinery is controlled electronically with the help of a new generation of smart connectors.…
Heavy-Duty Connectors for Heavy-Duty Trucks
Heavy-Duty Connectors for Heavy-Duty Trucks
Businesses are buying more heavy-duty trucks to accommodate changing consumption patterns and interconnect suppliers are designing hardier and more functional heavy-duty connectors to help these trucks endure the rigors of the road. Heavy-Duty Connectors Help Trucks Withstand the Rigors of the Road Our consumption patterns have changed. Instead…
Use-Limiting Technology Protects Patients
Use-Limiting Technology Protects Patients
Designing electronic medical devices with use-limiting technology safeguards patients and operators by preventing unauthorized reuse or refurbishment. By David Smith, Sr. Electrical Engineer, and Tyler Yang, Mechanical Engineer, ATL Technology  It’s no secret that cost is often a critical component of medical care, so it’s no surprise that…
The Connector World Embraces Antennas and Sensors  
The Connector World Embraces Antennas and Sensors  
Acting in tandem with high-speed interconnects, antennas and sensors can collect and convey a world of data. They act as the eyes and ears of today’s connected world.   Everything is connected. But for once, we’re not talking about connectors. We’re taking a closer look at the passive technologies that enable the autonomous and interconnected…
The AI Impact: Artificial Intelligence Influences Connector Development
The AI Impact: Artificial Intelligence Influences Connector Development
AI technologies are being used to help analyze rapidly growing data sets, which is generating substantially more data and further increasing demand for ever more powerful connectors. Artificial intelligence has become a prominent element in many advanced system designs, including leading sensing and analysis tools used by data centers and military agencies. Though AI is a high-level software technology, it’s having a major impact on the…
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