Learn more about the best new products available from your favorite suppliers in this week’s new product roundup.   Mill-Max has expanded its selection of wire termination products with the addition of new wire crimp and solder cup receptacles. The three new wire crimp receptacles can accommodate wires from 22 – 26AWG and accept matingRead More

The need to transmit more data at higher speeds is changing system design. New strategies include developing connectors specifically for high-speed operations, maintaining signal integrity at high speeds, and using new protocols. Today, interconnect technology has morphed to meet the need for speed.   The continuous growth in IP services and access speeds has ledRead More

With the first half of 2016 behind us, Bishop & Associates’ Dave Brearley takes a look at the hot products and technologies that are dominating the year so far.   The Hottest Connector Technology of 2016 (So Far!) Writing about connector innovations is always fun; recent developments are no exception. Innovative connector solutions have beenRead More

The development of the 2mm Metral connector changed the telecom industry forever.   The connector industry is very interesting, in part, because of exciting inventions developed by engineers – some of which have such an impact that the direction of the industry is changed. In the late ‘80s, telecom OEMs were outgrowing the capabilities ofRead More

Compliant press-fit pins are a key achievement in the development of backplane connector technology. Here’s how they work. Compliant pins, waferized connector designs, modular connectors, egg-crate shielding, air-dielectric designs – we can now look back on inventions like these and put them in perspective. It is interesting to see how a real understanding of the technologyRead More

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh are giving light fixtures the ability to transmit data to digital devices, with the goal of turning lamps everywhere into access points. For LED components, this could mean elevation from humble light bulb to essential wireless technology.      LED lighting is finding a new and somewhat surprising applicationRead More

DesignCon 2016 featured 33 interconnect manufacturers, all concentrating on ever-higher speeds and improved signal integrity.   DesignCon 2016 opened in the shadow of preparations for Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium, directly across the street from the Santa Clara Convention Center. With more than 160 exhibitors and 4,800 pre-registered attendees, the exposition and conference continuesRead More

Traditionally employed in heavy industrial applications, robots are moving into other industries. In the medical field, they are used for surgery, therapy, diagnostics, and much more.   Robots for specialized medical applications such as surgery bring together robotics and biology, and we’re seeing an increase in the number of robots specifically designed and developed for thisRead More

The rapid growth of cloud computing requires data centers to scale up, but traditional copper presents limitations in distance, bandwidth, and efficiency.   The business of today’s data-driven world is being conducted in the Cloud. The rapid growth of cloud computing requires data centers to dramatically scale up in order to handle the oceans ofRead More

Pure tin plating has been almost universally adopted, but the looming expiration of a critical exemption is poised to bite manufacturers of screw machined contacts. Bob Hult examines the continuing impact of RoHS. Just when you thought the connector industry had bit the bullet and removed all lead from its products, the looming expiration ofRead More

Need to brush up on the latest info about USB 3.0? John MacWilliams explains the pros, cons, history, and future of USB 3.0 technology at a glance.   The Universal Serial Bus standard has been one of the most successful connector specifications ever, shepherded by the USB Implementers Forum. USB dates back to 2008 andRead More

Elimination of solder from electronic circuit assembly has been suggested as one way to avoid solder’s many shortcomings. Here, Joe Fjelstad makes the case for solderless assembly.   Soldering is a key step in the manufacturing process of electronic assemblies and has been since the earliest days of the electronics industry. It is also one ofRead More