Upcoming industry events, as well as recent award, partnership, promotion, personnel, facility, distribution, standards, association, and certification news from across the connector industry. February 2026 Connector Industry News February 2026 Connector Industry News > Award News DigiKey has been ranked #171 on the 2025 list of America’s Top Private Companies by Forbes. This is the fourth consecutiveRead More

Farm country is rapidly becoming the land of automation, with sensor-led crop monitoring systems, drones that strategically apply chemicals, and tractors that navigate fields using lidar guidance. Now robotics built with harsh environment connectivity are replacing human labor in the fields as precision agricultural robots harvest crops. Agricultural robots are beginning to take on theRead More

Today’s global appliance market is undergoing a structural transition from conventional, analog designs to smart, connected appliances. Article Contributed by Ashish Ainapure, System Architecture Manager and John Marsh, Fellow R&D / Product Development Engineering, TE Connectivity Traditional appliances are typically monolithic in design, relying on centralized control boards, mechanical interfaces, and hard‑wired functionality. The globalRead More

Meet the Connector: QSFP Transceivers This high-speed optical transceiver has gone through many iterations and continues to evolve with higher port density and increased data rates. The QSFP (quad small form-factor pluggable), defined in the initial Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) in 2006, is a high-speed optical transceiver. It is small and hot-swappable with higher port densityRead More

This week’s Product Roundup highlights high-speed connectors from leading connector manufacturers and suppliers. High-Speed Connectors SV Microwave’s LiteTouch product line offers high-frequency coaxial/surface-mount PCB connectors that are ideal for precision thin substrate mounting and high-speed PCB materials. Standard solderless PCB compression mount connectors may cause trace deformation on thin (<.010) dielectric PCBs, negatively affecting RFRead More

New-to-market connectivity products, including interconnects, wire, cable, and cable assemblies, sensors, antennas, materials, accessories, tools, and development kits. February 2026 New Connectivity Products  February 2026 New Connectivity Products > Interconnects, etc. Hirose introduced the compact PO(M2) Series that supports RF performance up to 6 GHz and is engineered to meet the demands of space-constrained, high-density RF systems and advanced electronic devices. The series incorporates aRead More

A new architecture brings increased efficiency and lower cost. EV battery technology continues to advance toward the primary goal of fast charging. A new architecture incorporates three trends that address decreased charging times, greater efficiency,  and lower cost. Trend #1: Replacing modules with cell-to-pack connectivity Eliminating the modules and connecting the battery cells directly toRead More

Flat-wiping contacts are an important design feature in many battery connectors. Learn how they lead to better power transmission and improved connector lifespan. Article Contributed by Peter Resca, Director of Product Management and Marketing, Anderson Power Invented by Anderson Power in 1954, flat-wiping contacts are self-cleaning, self-securing, and deliver many other key advantages for equipmentRead More

The connector industry continues to contract, even as the demand for interconnect products increases. See what acquisitions helped change the connector industry in 2025. Demand for interconnects continues to grow, fueling a continuing wave of mergers and acquisitions that leaves fewer (and now, larger) companies left in the market. In 2025, more suppliers expanded services,Read More

Meet the Connector: Spade Connector A spade connector, also called an insulated spade terminal, is used to quickly and easily connect or disconnect a wire to a screw, lug, or battery. These simple devices provide tensile strength, thermal conductivity, and resistance to shock and corrosion. They are available with insulated housings, often color-coded, or asRead More

This week’s Product Roundup highlights FAKRA connectors from leading connector manufacturers and suppliers. FAKRA connectors Adam Tech’s FAKRA, HSD, and Mini FAKRA connectors are engineered to meet the demands of today’s high-speed, high-frequency applications. Designed for automotive and transportation environments, these connectors support data, signal, and RF transmission for systems such as infotainment, ADAS, cameras,Read More

Humanoid robots running marathons and performing domestic chores are making an entertaining splash on the internet, but robots that work safely and efficiently alongside people are rapidly advancing from sci-fi novelty to everyday reality. Demand is growing for machines that operate in human-centric environments and perform similar tasks as humans (e.g., open doors, navigate stairs,Read More