Many favorable attributes of fiber optic cables are readily acknowledged. However, a bias against using fiber optics in harsh environments remains. Fiber Optic Cables Fiber optic cables carry many times more data than is feasible over copper-based connectivity. This increased bandwidth is necessary for the highest definition video and other data intensive purposes, but theRead More

Upcoming industry events, as well as recent award, partnership, promotion, personnel, facility, distribution, standards, association, and certification news from across the connector industry. May 2023 Connector Industry News > Event News The HARTING charging cable used in Volkswagen electric vehicles (EVs) contributed to driver Rainer Zietlow’s most recent record-breaking achievement. Zietlow, who holds multiple GuinnessRead More

Advances in automotive lighting like laser-powered and adaptive headlights technologies, OLED panels, and micro-LEDs are lighting up the automotive world with the help of miniaturized interconnects. While transformative innovations like automation and electrification are drawing the most attention in the automotive industry, new automotive lighting technologies are also making a difference in vehicle design andRead More

This week’s Product Roundup highlights connectors from leading suppliers that are used in applications involving LEDs. LEDs The new Dialight 657 PMI from RS is designed for a 11/16” mounting hole diameter and is available with a flat or domed lens. It has 6” wire leads and comes in an array of color combinations. TheRead More

New-to-market connectivity products, including interconnects, wire, cable, and cable assemblies, sensors, antennas, materials, accessories, tools, and development kits. May 2023 New Connectivity Products May 2023 New Connectivity Products > Interconnects, etc. Hirose Electric has launched the IT14 Series, a stackable ball grid array (BGA) mezzanine connector designed for high-speed and high-density server applications. The hermaphroditic IT14 Series features a self-mating design to eliminate the needRead More

Meet the Connector: RCA Connectors Those colorful connectors behind our TVs, DVD players, stereo equipment, and gaming consoles have been around for nearly a century. The RCA connector is a type of electrical connector comprised of a male plug (RCA plug) and a female jack (RCA jack) used to carry audio and video signals. ItRead More

This week’s Product Roundup highlights personal peripheral device connectors from leading suppliers.   Personal peripheral devices Molex compact USB Type-C connectors from Heilind Electronics offer greater PCB savings while enabling high-frequency mating in consumer, data, and other I/O applications. Support for 5.0 Amps of power in plug and receptacles reduces battery-charging time by 64% versus micro-USBRead More

Industrial communications strategies are shifting in favor of real-time communications at the field device level, with automation engineers and installers preferring single-pair Ethernet-enabled devices to collect field data. Industrial field device infrastructure trends Industrial communications strategies are shifting in favor of real-time communications at the field device level, with automation engineers and installers preferring Ethernet-enabledRead More

Meet the Connector: FFC (Flat Flexible Cables) FFC (flat flexible cable) is a ribbon-type cable used to connect PCBs. It is typically used in laptops, cellphones, and other high-density electronic applications. FPC (flexible printed circuit) is sometimes used to refer to FFCs, but one important difference is that FPCs incorporate components, while FFCs are typicallyRead More

This week’s Product Roundup highlights sterilizable interconnects from leading suppliers. Sterilizable interconnects   Sterile or aseptic connectors must be sealed to allow devices undergoing sterilization processes to protect their electrical functions from pressurized steam, radiation, and chemicals. The highly pressurized steam of autoclaves delivers the heat – 250 °F (121 °C) – to kill microorganismsRead More

New-to-market connectivity products, including interconnects, wire, cable and cable assemblies, sensors, antennas, materials, accessories, tools, and development kits. April 2023 New Connectivity Products binder USA offers M12 connectors with all external parts – threaded locking ring, housing, and pressing screw – constructed of stainless steel. The cable clamp is constructed of PTFE, the seal is madeRead More

This week’s Product Roundup highlights overmolded assemblies from leading suppliers. Overmolded assemblies Nicomatic specializes in cable overmolding to provide optimal protection for electronic assemblies. Two overmolding options are available: flexible overmolding made of silicone-based resin and rigid overmolding achieved through low-pressure injection and hotmelt. Nicomatic’s solution follows MIL-STD-83513 performance standards, meets the constraints of severeRead More