Custom connectors that utilize spring probe technology offer compliance, blind mating, and space savings. Gina Prieto of Smiths Connectors offers advice on how to specify spring probe connectors. Custom connectors utilizing spring probe technology offer a number of advantages over other contact types: compliance, blind mating, and space savings. Most often overlooked, however, is their designRead More
Converting an electrical signal to optic pulses has been a costly option that consumes too much PCB space and power. That’s changing now, as mid-board optical transceivers light up the datacom market. Demand for faster internal and external system interconnects has begun to push the limits of copper, especially in lengths of more than a fewRead More
The real advantages of solid-state lighting are realized when lamp designers shake off limitations imposed by traditional lamps and take advantage of the low power, low heat, and low profiles of LED light sources, as LED arrays light the way. Alternatives to the incandescent lightbulb have come a long way over the past 10 years. DemandRead More
Connectors play a variety of roles in LED lighting systems. Here, Mill-Max looks at headers and sockets used in coplanar board mating, providing a complete guide on how to specify connectors for LED applications. Connectors play a variety of roles in LED lighting systems, depending on the application. In many cases, they provide the electricalRead More
The results of Bishop & Associates’ annual distributor customer survey have been tallied and presented at EDS. Read on to find out which distributors are the best for service, breadth of product, delivery, and price. Bishop & Associates conducts an annual survey of the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), contract manufacturers (CEMs), and cable assemblers (CAs) inRead More
LED connectors are not the “sexiest” of design components in a lighting fixture, but they can have a major impact on thermal path design, efficiency of production, and LED fixture certification time. Avnet’s Mark Mousseau shares design tips for better LED connector selection. Design decisions in the eco-system of an LED fixture are numerous and haveRead More
The Molex Plateau HS Dock+ Connector System meets demand for higher data rates with superior signal integrity, providing 150% speed improvement. Molex introduced the Plateau HS Dock+ Connector System for networks that require higher data rates with superior signal integrity to meet the growth in networking and wireless device markets. Plateau HS Dock+ high-speed docking connectors haveRead More
FCI expands its HPCE product family with HPCE mezzanine connectors, an economical solution for transmitting power and low-speed signals between parallel boards. FCI expanded its power solutions with the introduction of HPCE mezzanine connectors. Building upon the existing HPCE product family, the new HPCE mezzanine connectors provide an economical solution for transmitting power and low-speed signals betweenRead More
The Amphenol Amphe-Mine EX explosion-proof connectors provide outstanding performance in harsh environments. Amphenol Industrial Products Group offers a heavy duty connector series that is explosion-proof and certified for use in IECEx Group 1 mining hazardous locations. Based on Amphenol’s Star-Line series, the Amphe-Mine EX product line is made up of environmentally sealed plugs and receptaclesRead More
JST LEH Series crimp-style, wire-to-board connectors provide a space-saving low profile for LED applications. The new LEH Series wire-to-board, crimp-style, disconnectable connector from JST offers engineers design flexibility with its low profile and space-saving design. The subminiature connector features a 1.8mm (.071”) pitch, a side-entry mating height of only 3.0mm (.118”), a secure friction lockingRead More
Every year, Bishop & Associates surveys distributors’ customers to learn which distributors provide the best service, product lines, added value, and more. This year, Bishop & Associates’ survey names Heilind as Best Distributor. For the third time in as many years, Heilind Electronics was chosen as the best connector distributor in a Bishop & AssociatesRead More
PC unit sales declined 10% in 2013 for the second straight year of contraction, as the computer market contracts and swaps PCs for tablets and smartphones. Bishop tracks 11 companies in the computer market sector and 10 companies in the peripheral market sector. This market has been in contraction, as measured by these 21 companies,Read More
