Exoskeletons have been around for more than 50 years, but new lightweight materials have spurred growth in therapeutic and rehabilitation products that use compact, rugged connectors. By Caroline Hayes An exoskeleton mimics the insect world’s natural protection. In invertebrates, a rigid external cover protects soft body parts and organs. General Electric and the US armedRead More

Single-use equipment that can be tossed instead of sterilized is in demand for some types of procedures or environments. The connectors inside these devices must be reliable, durable, and affordable.  By Roberta Rebora, Marketing Communications Director, Smiths Interconnect Due to growing concerns about spreading disease from patient to patient via improperly or inadequately sterilized devices,Read More

A new podcast by Not Impossible Labs and Avnet explores the potential for engineering minds to help humanity solve some of its greatest challenges. Plus, nine other podcasts for the tech-minded. By Amy Goetzman You might expect that a podcast sponsored by a technology company would be focused on engineering topics. But when Avnet partneredRead More

New technology allows multiple types of data to move along the same path without any sacrifices on either end, ultimately increasing capacity and achieving cost savings. By Richard Weatherburn, Global Vertical Marketing Manager – Transportation, Belden Inc. The need for reliable transportation is greater than ever, driven by urbanization and increased business pressures for efficiencyRead More

Embraced by consumers, businesses, and governments, LED lighting is the clear winner in the battle of the bulbs and is now being integrated into an array of IoT technologies. This opens opportunities for the interconnects they rely on. It’s safe to say that LEDs have won the battle of the bulbs. In the last threeRead More

Internal combustion engines continue to fuel the market, pushing connector designers to improve reliability for components destined for harsh under-hood environments. By Terry Costlow Many factors are changing the types of connectors used in the auto industry, but for the foreseeable future, products made for powertrains are going to remain fairly immune to major changes.Read More

Smaller, more powerful handheld, portable, and wearable devices depend on a new generation of battery connectors. By Jean Thimany While many commercial off-the-shelf battery connectors remain unchanged even after many years on the market, connector companies are creating new battery connector designs to correspond with the increasing computerization and decreasing size of many battery-powered devices.Read More

Autonomous vehicles will need as many as 30 sensors, creating volumes of data. In-vehicle infotainment systems will further increase demand for high-speed networks. Self-driving cars are already on the roads. GM, Ford, Tesla Motors, Toyota, Volvo, Nissan, and other automakers are testing driverless cars and say they plan to release autonomous models within the nextRead More

As telehealth and telemedicine bring health care to new places, connectors play an important role. As health care costs continue to rise, and many people — particularly those in rural or sparsely populated areas — encounter roadblocks to good health care, consumers are looking for viable alternatives to traditional doctor office visits. One of theRead More

Advanced Connectors Enable Smart Agriculture Presented by Bulgin Modern agriculture depends on advanced technologies. Leading electronics companies are providing new solutions to the agricultural sector that help make farming more productive, precise, and profitable. Companies that make electronics for the agriculture market face a unique set of challenges, as agricultural environments are characterized by extremeRead More

Processor and SerDes speeds continue to bump up, putting pressure on input/output connectors mounted on the faceplate. Like investors running to the exit when the market tanks, the I/O panel can quickly become a serious bottleneck that limits communication and slows the system. Computers and their users hate to sit idle while waiting for requiredRead More

Connectors for portable military and high-density ranging and detection systems are set to influence the broader connector market as they lead the way for high speeds, small sizes, and light weights. By Bob Stanton, Director of Technology, Omnetics Connector Corporation LIDAR, which stands for light detection and ranging, is a remote sensing technology that usesRead More