European cities are meeting the call to expand the electric vehicle charging network with some creative ideas — and versatile charging connectors — where space is tight. The widespread adoption of electric vehicles has hit several bumps in the road. However, things are changing rapidly; sales in Europe more than doubled in 2021 over 2020,Read More

From RAST to SKEDD: Insulation displacement technology (IDT) offers solutions for crowded PCBs, including direct mating, flexible placement, compatibility with numerous cable types, and other benefits.  The international terminal block standard for consumer appliances, RAST (Raster Anschluss Steck Technik or Raster Connection Plug Technology) connectors have been in widespread use since their invention in 1986.Read More

Meet the Connector: FAKRA Connectors FAKRA connectors have been a mainstay of automotive connectivity for the past two decades. An average connected car contains at least 15 FAKRA connectors, and these versatile connectors are designed into telematics, GPS navigation, entertainment systems, Bluetooth, cellular, keyless entry, climate controls, radio antennas, safety systems, communications applications, and sensorRead More

This week’s Product Roundup highlights connectors for electric vehicles from leading suppliers. Connectors for Electric Vehicles Allied Electronics & Automation supplies the SurLok Plus compression lug from Amphenol. SurLok Plus for EVs and HEVs is a field installable, highly reliable alternative to common compression lugs. Using industry-standard crimp, screw, and busbar termination options, it eliminatesRead More

Specialized test connectors and equipment help new products meet ruggedness, outgassing, and other performance and compliance requirements.  Instrumentation connector technology is evolving to serve higher speeds and bandwidths, RF technologies (including microwave and mmWave), and the analog-to-digital transformation. Test & Measurement and instrumentation processes have become essential to the development and regulation of equipment usedRead More

COTS connectors have an attractive price point and availability, but they may not hold up to harsh environment challenges. Rigorous testing helps engineers specify non-MIL-Spec connectors that can provide high reliability. By Brian Niehoff Electronic devices are proliferating in harsh operating environments across every industry. As a result, many OEMs require extensive testing on theRead 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

This week’s Product Roundup highlights IC Sockets from leading suppliers. IC Sockets for Datacom Test Applications Mill-Max IC Sockets, supplied by Allied Electronics & Automation, provide a variety of options for making device-to-board connections. These IC sockets utilize the Mill-Max receptacle as the connection between the IC device and the circuit board. The precision-machined receptacleRead More

The shift from tin lead to lead-free solder has created an unintended consequence that has experts exploring multiple avenues for solutions. Soldering is the process used to secure connections on a printed circuit board using metal alloys and heat. The two most common types of soldering are reflow and wave. Traditionally, solder was made fromRead More

Cold forming miniature metal components provides cost savings, waste reduction, faster processing, and superior finished component quality compared to traditional machining and cutting processes. Cold forming, also known as cold heading or cold forging, is a manufacturing and metalworking process that forms miniature metal components such as connector pins without the use of heat orRead More

This week’s Product Roundup highlights the advantages of various platings and housings from leading suppliers. Connector Materials: Platings & Housing Intercompact from Smiths Interconnect features insulators in proprietary Liquid Cristal Polymer material and hyperboloid contact technology for an optimized insulation resistance in severe environment conditions. The very low contact resistance of the Hypertac socket ensuresRead More

For special installations like the Winter Olympics, as well as applications such as vehicles and devices that routinely operate in cold climates, electronics must be ruggedized against low temperatures. The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics showcased human endurance in the most extreme cold conditions as athletes performed on ice, in snow, and in frigid air. TheRead More