The impacts of COVID-19 illustrate the risks involved in centering too much manufacturing, assembly, and intellectual property in one region. Yet the coming implementation of connected technologies, including automation, the Internet of Things, and 5G networks, depends on connectivity products that are currently made in China. Automation may be one way out. The global electronicsRead More

The rise of the internet spawned the incredible growth of central data centers. Initially a key tool for companies that could not afford the hardware or expertise required to operate their own facility, data centers ultimately opened the door to consumer internet access. This sixth installment in the Technology Trends series by Bob Hult, a collectionRead More

New partially and fully autonomous tractors and agricultural equipment leverage the evolution of connected automotive technologies to bring e-mobility to the farm. As engineers race to fulfill OEMs’ desire to be amongst the first to have driverless cars hit the highway, the advanced electronics contributing to these innovations are making their way into other modesRead More

IPC is known as the premier standards organization in the electronics manufacturing industry. But as the industry faces tariffs, COVID, and other complex challenges, it’s also become a problem-solving enterprise. When John Mitchell became the president and CEO of IPC in 2012, the organization’s focus was on standards development for the electronics assembly industries, withRead More

The IoT, 5G, and advancing technologies across markets have led to smaller, higher performance RF coaxial connectors. There are times when economics and technical advances join to produce major changes in new applications, prompting the next generation of components to provide needed results. Even with the uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the advances promptedRead More

New connector families have evolved to meet increasing bandwidth and connectivity needs as the rollout of 5G and the era of advanced vehicle technologies approaches. Wireless 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies may eventually affect almost everything we do. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented the mobile broadband standards organization 3GPP from meeting, whichRead More

Distributors have a bird’s-eye view of the complex supply chains that serve the global electronics industry. When the COVID-19 crisis began in China, distributors were among the first to identify the vast impact the pandemic would have on the many markets that depend on the region’s manufacturing capabilities. We spoke with Allied Electronics & AutomationRead More

In 2020, the world is adjusting to new automotive use patterns and considering competing fueling strategies. Only one thing is certain: Cars are becoming more connected. The future of automotive design centers on the continued development of electric vehicles and the integration of connected technologies within non-electric vehicles. While the adoption of electric vehicles isRead More

TTI predicts that safety, automation, connectivity, and electrification will increase demand in electronic content across all modes of transportation. If the connector industry has a crystal ball, it’s probably housed somewhere in the offices of TTI. TTI monitors signals from its family of components distributors and semiconductor companies, analyzes industry sales and inventories, and sharesRead More

Advanced computing resources and connected technologies are converging in a range of automated applications, including robots, drones, and algorithm-driven applications. What could possibly go wrong? It’s hard to read a newspaper or magazine and not find at least one article about artificial intelligence (AI) or robotics. Machine learning, deep learning, neural networks, analytics, and bigRead More

A unified standard for Ethernet networks developed four decades ago still serves as the foundation of today’s incredible connectivity.  In 1973, engineer Bob Metcalfe proposed a simple but revolutionary method to connect computers in local area networks (LANs) using coaxial cable and a modular connector. Ethernet was born. But that was just the beginning. At first, systems designers were on their own and a wide variety of configurations proliferated across theRead More

Automotive and engineering companies have reworked their production lines to produce ventilators and other critical medical supplies needed to fight the virus. The medical technology companies that originally designed these devices have led the way by sharing their designs. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the COVID-19 coronavirus is an infectious disease that hasRead More