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

This week’s Product Roundup highlights SPE interconnects from leading connector manufacturers and suppliers. SPE interconnects Phoenix Contact’s M12 hybrid connector for single-pair Ethernet combines data and power transmission in a compact format. The space-saving data element with two contacts enables higher power transmission in minimal installation space. Instead of separate connectors for data and power,Read More

This week’s Product Roundup highlights Rectangular MIL-spec connectors from leading connector manufacturers and  suppliers. Rectangular MIL-spec Connectors Nicomatic has an extensive range of MIL-Spec rectangular connectors. The CMM Series provides a modular rectangular connector platform that integrates signal, power, and RF contacts within a single interface. Available in multiple sizes and configurations, the CMM range isRead More

Meet the Connector: Hard Metric Connectors Hard metric connectors are a highly standardized, high-density solution for high-speed data and power transmission. The term “hard metric” refers to the exclusive use of standard metric measurements, as opposed to “soft metric” components that use metric dimensions converted from inch measurements. The highly standardized hard metric connectors areRead More

The annual Top 10 series from Bishop & Associates identifies the leading connector companies by world connector sales, geographic region, markets served, and products manufactured. This week: The top 10 companies by product types. Selecting your connector company partner can be difficult and complicated. This is especially true with over 1,000 connector manufacturers globally toRead More

The industrial and commercial equipment market is undergoing a fundamental transformation as electrification moves from the automotive sector into construction, landscaping, logistics, and maintenance equipment. Small, engine-powered equipment is transitioning to electric power. While the electric vehicle transition is progressing unevenly, with some countries pulling back and others moving forward, the same technology is findingRead More

Much of the computing equipment world — and particularly data centers — dedicated to artificial intelligence workloads have a problem. They eat too much electrical energy, generate too much heat, and consume inordinate amounts of water. Communities that once welcomed the construction of a data center now question whether the local infrastructure can support theRead More

The arrival of the single-pair Ethernet (SPE) interface marked a significant advancement in industrial connectivity. The new interface reduced wiring, power, and complexity while setting the stage for new technologies, including AI, to become part of factory, building management, automotive, and IoT systems. Now the two organizations that separately championed the interface have joined forces.Read More

As data center infrastructures upgrade to transition to higher bandwidths, LPOs are emerging as a promising solution to enable faster, more energy-efficient, and cost-effective optical connectivity. A few days before the OFC 2025 optical networking conference, the LPO MSA (Linear Pluggable Optics Multi-Source Agreement) Group announced the completion of the 100 Gb/s per lane Linear Pluggable OpticsRead More

OSFP-XD pluggables are targeting AI applications in data centers, high-performance computing (HPC), and select telecom networks. Connectors designed to transfer information in and out of a server, switch, or router have long been recognized as a potential data bottleneck. Processing chips often spend half their time waiting to receive information necessary to function, resulting inRead More

Getting faster transmission through interconnects is not as simple as just turning up the speed with a dial. It requires adjustments to signal modulation and SerDes technology, as well as advancements in interconnectivity and IC packaging. Since networking equipment operating at 100G, 200G, and 400G total data rate per port has become ubiquitous, network systemRead More