5G & 6G, SATCOM, UAVs, quantum computers, and test equipment all push for higher performance. David Shaff’s review of this year’s premier microwave industry event finds new RF interconnects are ready for the next advancements. All sections of the RF/microwave industry came together at the IEEE International MTT Symposia (IMS) in Boston the week ofRead More
The PCIe 7.0 specification was released in 2025, with speeds of 128 Gigatransfers per second, doubling the maximum rate of PCIe 6.0. PCI-SIG promises to double bandwidth every three years, and last month’s preliminary 8.0 draft release shows that progress is accelerating to meet the high-speed needs of the AI era. In June 2025, PCI-SIG released theRead More
Meet the Connector: CopprLink Cables CopprLink is a PCIe cable specification introduced in 2024 by PCI-SIG to standardize high-speed cabled interconnects for modern computing architectures. It defines both internal and external copper cable assemblies for PCIe systems, covering signaling rates from 2.5 GT/s through 64.0 GT/s (PCIe 5.0 and 6.0), with development underway for PCIeRead More
This week’s Product Roundup highlights high-speed connectors from leading connector manufacturers and suppliers. High-speed connectors The Amphenol R-VPX Evolution Series, available at PEI-Genesis, offers high-speed modules capable of 16+ Gb/s data rate transfers. The series supports the latest high-speed protocols while still meeting OpenVPX requirements. The R-VPX Evolution Series meets VITA 46 and 47 requirementsRead More
Meet the Cable: Coaxial Cables Their design was first used in 1858 and patented by mathematician Oliver Heaviside in 1880, yet these reliable and cost-effective cables are still widely used to transmit data, video, and voice communication. Today, they are even used for power in certain applications. Coaxial or coax cable is used to transmitRead 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
To reduce heat and improve speeds, twinax cable assemblies are replacing PCBs in next-generation datacom equipment. The links inside a switch that connect the quad small form factor pluggables (QSFPs) at the faceplate to application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) at the heart of the box have become signal superhighways. The capacity and the number of I/ORead More
New-to-market connectivity products, including interconnects, wire, cable, and cable assemblies, sensors, antennas, materials, accessories, tools, and development kits. March 2022 New Connectivity Products March 2022 New Connectivity Products > Interconnects, etc. Sager Electronics now stocks Cincon’s TR220M single-output 220W AC-DC desktop medical adapter. Cincon’s reliable, compact, high power density adapters are fully protected against short circuit and over-voltage conditions within a universal 80VAC to 264VAC inputRead More
Technology advancements and material selection play an important role in the evolution of today’s innovative power, signal, hybrid, copper, and fiber optical cable designs. The trends influencing cable design today begin with material options, extend to performance and capability, and continue to evolve as applications become more demanding. As more powerful and precise connected technologiesRead More
To address performance requirements for next-generation equipment, an ideal solution would be the ability to double the data throughput using legacy hardware. Replacing traditional NRZ signaling with PAM4 is exactly what the industry needs. Design engineers have been dealing with the challenges of ever-increasing data rates for many years. Each iteration of computing equipment requiredRead More
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 sensors are designed to optimize the performanceRead More
System architects are using over-the-board technologies to extend signal reach and density and achieve high-speed data rates by routing signals through ultra-low-skew twinax cable instead of through expensive, lossy PCBs. Industry observers have noted that emerging high-speed system requirements of 28Gb/s and 56Gb/s, and now 112Gb/s, are nearing the physical limitations of traditional electronic hardwareRead More
This week’s Product Roundup highlights mil-spec cable and cable assemblies from leading connectivity suppliers. Mil-Spec Cable and Cable Assemblies Mouser Electronics stocks TE Connectivity’s Raychem Cat 5e cable for high-data-rate, harsh-environment military, marine, and aerospace applications, including shipboard, satellite, C4ISR, weapons, avionics, soldier-worn, and in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems. The mil-spec cable is designed in accordanceRead More
This week’s Product Roundup highlights cables and cable assemblies for transportation applications from leading suppliers. Cables and Cable Assemblies for Transportation Applications Power & Signal Group supplies COFICAB cables for automotive and transportation applications including personal vehicles, light-duty and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, and agricultural and construction equipment. The range includes lightweight, small-diameter cables like theRead More
A unified standard for Ethernet networks developed four decades ago still serves as the foundation of today’s incredible connectivity. In 1973, engineer Bob Metcalfe proposed a simple but revolutionary method to connect computers in local area networks (LANs) using coaxial cable and a modular connector. Ethernet was born. But that was just the beginning. At first, systems designers were on their own and a wide variety of configurations proliferated across theRead More
Fiber optic, shielded copper, and foil-shielded, unshielded-twisted-pair (UTP) cables are among the hardware solutions implemented to meet stringent data security networking protocols. Critical computer networks dedicated to the storage and transmission of sensitive government, military, and national security data safeguard such information with robust security parameters and processes including firewalls, passwords, biometrics, and access cards.Read More
As more robots and other connected devices join the factory floor, the challenge is to protect sensitive electronics from dirt, debris, vibration, and other barriers to performance. As the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) continues to expand, it brings more electronic devices to the factory floor. There, they are exposed to harsh environments including dust,Read More
Summary coverage of new-to-market connectivity products, including interconnects, wire and cable, cable assemblies, materials, accessories, tools, development kits, and connector-adjacent technologies, such as sensors and antennas. Supplier names are generally linked to product announcements and product names are generally linked to product pages or datasheets. February 2020 New Connectivity Products February 2020 New Connectivity ProductsRead More
The demand for twisted pair differential signal cable has skyrocketed to serve a new generation of high-speed military products ranging from surveillance devices to portable computers. By Bob Stanton, Director of Technology, Omnetics Connector Corporation Twisted Pair Cable for High-Speed Interconnections As high-speed digital circuit design evolves for use in portable and other environmentally challengingRead More
Summary coverage of the latest, new-to-market connector and cable products. New Product News: August 2018 Interconnects, etc. AVX Corporation developed a cost-effective, ultra-high-reliability, three-piece STRIPT™ contact system for linear LED and coplanar PCB connections in off-road vehicle lighting applications. Designed to absorb broad end-to-end mating tolerances, handle up to 20A of continuous current, and exhibitRead More
