Meet the Cable: Coaxial Cables Their design was first used in 1858 and patented by mathematician Oliver Heaviside in 1880, yet these reliable and cost-effective cables are still widely used to transmit data, video, and voice communication. Today, they are even used for power in certain applications. Coaxial or coax cable is used to transmitRead More

Meet the Connector: Terminals A terminal is the conductive element that provides an electrical contact point that enables electricity to flow through an electrical circuit. At its most basic level, a terminal is simply a conductive bare wire that is secured through crimping or soldering, often to a terminal block. However, the word terminal isRead More

Meet the Connector: MIL-C-24231 Connectors MIL-C-24231 specifies standards for the design, manufacturing, and testing of electrical connectors and related components for use in applications where pressure and water ingress are significant concerns, such as harsh underwater environments. MIL-C-24231 is a Navy specification that covers pressure-proof single and multiple cable connectors, plugs, receptacles, adapters, hull inserts,Read More

Meet the Connector: Gas Sensors Gas sensors are a category of electronic devices that detect and measure the presence of various gases. Also known as air or air quality sensors, these electronic devices are essential parts of safety systems, industrial operations, and pollution controls, and they identify substances that may pose a threat to humansRead More

Meet the Connector: SAS Connectors SAS connectors are used for high-speed, reliable data transfer in high-speed storage applications. SAS connectors are rectangular connectors used for high-speed, reliable data transfer in high-speed storage applications. SAS supports both serial and parallel communication and can be backward compatible with SAS 1.0 and 2.0 devices. SAS is a point-to-pointRead More

Meet the Sensor: Motion Sensors Motion sensors are integrated into electronic devices to detect movement within a specified area. Within a connected system, these sensors can activate an alert or initiate a task sequence in response to that motion. They are widely used in industrial equipment, smart lighting equipment, home or building controls, videogame equipment,Read More

Meet the Antenna: PCB-mount Antennas PCB-mount antennas are integrated directly into a PCB (printed circuit board). Rather than attaching to the PCB as a separate component, the antenna structure is part of the PCB itself. This makes the antenna less susceptible to damage compared to external antennas. Wireless communication applications such as IoT devices, wirelessRead More

Meet the Cable: Subsea Cables  Subsea cables (also called submarine cables) are specialized, highly ruggedized fiber optic cables that cross the seabed between land-based stations to carry telecommunications signals. They are the backbone of global internet and data communications and transmit data such as internet traffic, telephone calls, and private data. Subsea optical cables carryRead More

Meet the Connector: Disposable Connectors Disposable single-use and limited-reuse connectors must do the same job as reusable versions, but cost, functionality, and environmental impact play a bigger role in their design. Disposables are largely used in medical applications to maximize patient safety by preventing cross-contamination and infection. They are also used in food processing, researchRead More

Meet the Cable: Ribbon or Flat Cable Ribbon cables, also known as flat or planar cables, feature a row of conductive wires running in parallel within a wide, flat, ribbon-shaped cable substrate. Ribbon cable can be folded and bent, providing great design flexibility. The ribbon cable was invented in 1956 by the Cicoil Corporation (aRead More

Meet the Connector: MIL-STD-1760-compliant Connectors MIL-STD-1760 is a military standard developed in the 1980s out of a need to standardize weapon interface and integration requirements in military aircraft. It defines requirements for electrical connectors that establish a cross-platform interface between the aircraft and its weapons systems, as well as with other stores such as equipment pods.Read More

Blade-type connectors handle high power loads with flat, durable conductive terminal blades. Meet the Connector: Blade Connectors  Also referred to as blade-type contacts, blade-type connectors are characterized by flat, conductive, blade-shaped terminals. Blade terminals are an early and ubiquitous connectivity design and are widely favored for their ease of use and power handling ability. TheRead More