How to Specify

Connector Contact Materials for Elevated-Temperature Applications

Applications that reach high temperatures require rugged connectors that can withstand these harsh operating environments. A variety of spring and contact materials should be considered.  The consumer electronics market segment dominates product manufacture. Consequently, vast sums of design, packaging, and reliability criteria are focused on meeting consumer market buying patterns at the lowest possible cost.Read More

Eight Steps to Determine the Right Rugged Connectors for Your Harsh-Environment Application

Designing for harsh-environment connectivity elicits a number of challenges. This guide will help you ask the right questions to determine the proper rugged connectors for your demanding application. Rugged connectors are built for harsh-environment conditions. Both the internal and external components of rugged connectors are made to withstand challenging environments, including exposure to moisture orRead More

Three Key Design Considerations for Wearable Medical Devices

Wearable medical devices are providing life-changing solutions for patient care and represent a major medical market trend. These medical technologies depend on specialized components and systems that are lightweight, low-profile, flexible, and comfortable. Market demand for wearable medical devices is continuing to grow across multiple medical market segments. Leading the charge are wearable, digitally connectedRead More

Strategic Connector Selection Can Reduce Power Use and Energy Costs in Data Centers

Smart component selection can help create cooler, more efficient data center architectures that save money and resources. The vast amount of energy consumed by data centers is a growing business, security, and environmental risk. Pre-pandemic estimates suggested that data centers would consume 20% of the world’s energy by 2025, but that figure will surely requireRead More

Five Factors to Consider When Selecting Rugged Fiber Optic Connectivity Solutions

Rugged fiber optic connectors are available in a range of sizes, form factors, densities, termini, cabling options, and more. Evaluate your project goals and operating environment to narrow down the field. 1. Understand Your Target and the Technology Tradeoffs Needed to Hit It  As with any project involving electronics, the kinds of components selected dependRead More

2020 Data Connectivity eBook

In our new 2020 Data Connectivity eBook, more than 25 connector suppliers with proven experience developing and deploying high-speed, high-bandwidth, and high-signal-integrity components share their unique perspectives on the best products and practices for solving today’s challenges and supporting tomorrow’s scalability. Data is the lifeblood of our digital age. Few things were left undigitized atRead More

M12 Connector Types, Uses & Applications

Rugged and durable M12 connectors have a long history, but connected industrial technologies have inspired new modifications, improvements, and utility. Although M12 connectors have been in widespread use for decades — long before the Internet of Industrial Things (IIoT) or Industry 4.0 was even a concept — they have recently become the preferred connector for IndustrialRead More

Protecting Ethernet Connections in Industrial Environments

As Industrial Ethernet brings network connections into harsh environments, it’s essential to protect connectivity products from rugged conditions.  The proliferation of digital information, the Internet of Things, and Ethernet into every facet of our lives means that network connections are in more places than ever before, including the factory floor. Industrial Ethernet is replacing manyRead More

Five Things to Consider When Specifying Metal Contact Materials

Contact materials can make a critical difference in the integrity, reliability, and durability of connectors. But not every application requires the highest-quality option. By Steve Smashey, President, and Mike Conte, General Manager, SOS Engineering, Inc. contact materials Small details in the quality and construction of interconnects can make a big difference in a system’s performanceRead More

2020 Harsh-Environment Connectivity eBook

Our new 2020 Harsh-Environment Connectivity eBook features 16 technical, tutorial articles by leading interconnect authorities that address new challenges for electronics exposed to extreme environments, new connectivity technologies developed to surmount them, and best practices for connector specification and design-in. It also features a collection of 60 ruggedized connector products from 38 suppliers with provenRead More

Three Key Considerations When Selecting EMI/RFI Shielding Solutions for Aerospace and Defense Applications

Proper shielding is necessary to protect mission-critical systems and components from interference in increasingly busy electronics environments.  By Lesa Smith, Marketing Communications Manager, and Neil Mahaffy, Senior Product Engineer, ITT Cannon  EMI/RFI shielding As aerospace and defense platforms and environments continue to evolve digitally, the proliferation of embedded electronics systems and portable electronic devices (PEDs),Read More

Plastic and Metal Connectors for Harsh-Environment Applications: A Pros and Cons Selection Guide

Metal connectors can endure the very roughest conditions. Plastic connectors offer exceptional resistance against moisture. Each material has advantages and disadvantages that make it important to select the right one for your harsh environment application. Anyone in search of a rugged connector for a harsh-environment application will be confronted with a wide range of choices.Read More

Analysis of the World’s Top 100 Electronic Connector Manufacturers
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