In this second article in a series, Bishop & Associates identifies the Top 10 connector companies by region. Note: This article shows 2023 figures. Click here to read Connector Supplier’s most recent Top 10 coverage. Quality, design, electrical, and mechanical engineers, along with purchasing personnel, must identify the best companies with whom to partner forRead More

Meet the Connector: VITA 57.4 FMC+ 57.4 FMC+, the VITA 57.4 standard, provides specifications describing an I/O mezzanine module with connection to an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or other device with reconfigurable I/O capability. 57.4 is the latest extension of the FMC (VITA 57.1) standard and defines the FMC+ (FPGA Mezzanine Card) specification, whichRead More

The use of non-standard connectors is more common than most designers think. Many common connectors can be modified to achieve the performance, features, and format needed in high-performance systems. Designers typically try to use standard interconnects in their end products. Most cite availability as to why they stick with standard, off-the-shelf products. However, there are timesRead More

Meet the Connector: Micro TCA Connectors The rise of mobile telecommunications and text messaging in the early 2000s created a need to upgrade from existing carrier grade computing architectures. MicroTCA connectors addressed the need for more compact systems that were less expensive, but still maintained reliability and data throughput. MicroTCA (micro telecommunications computing architecture), alsoRead More

Computer-intensive applications have stimulated the growth of a large-scale purpose-built AI infrastructure. The connector industry will benefit from the AI evolution due to demands for exceptional speed, reduced latency, and energy efficiency. Artificial intelligence exploded into public awareness on November 30, 2022, with the release of ChatGPT and its influence has grown exponentially ever since. ThisRead More

The technical advances showcased at this year’s event were outstanding. More than ever, IMS is much more than an exhibition. The IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium, held June 16-21, 2024, in Washington, D.C., combined the RFIC, IMS2024, and ARFTG conferences. The event brought together the foremost entities in the global RF industry, from ICs toRead More

Meet the Cable: Multimode Cable Multimode cable is a type of fiber optic cable designed to carry multiple light modes or paths simultaneously, enabling high-bandwidth data transmission over relatively short distances, commonly used in data centers and local area networks. Optical fibers were first developed in the 1950s and 1960s by researchers such as CharlesRead More

Meet the Connector: Push-pull Connectors Push-pull connectors are circular connectors that have a spring-action cylindrical sleeve surrounding — or within — the integral connector housing that self-latches during mating. The connection is released through a squeeze-and-pull, rotate-and-pull, or other specific unlocking action that prevents accidental disconnection. Push-pull circular connectors are available in numerous sizes, voltages,Read More

Meet the Connector: Loopback Cables A loopback cable is a diagnostic tool for testing the functionality of a physical port in networking systems. They are used to assess and resolve any issues with a network interface or network interface card (NIC) without linking to an external device. The loopback cable simulates a network connection. ItRead More

This week’s Product Roundup highlights edge-card connectors from leading connector manufacturers and suppliers. Edge card connectors KYOCERA AVX’s 9159-650 series of edge card connectors provides a one-piece, board-to-board solution for use in datacom applications for a broad range of markets. These edge-card connectors are designed with gold-plated beryllium copper contacts for enhanced reliability and signal integrity,Read More

Meet the Connector: HSL/High-Speed Link Connectors HSL/High-speed link connectors are used to facilitate high-speed data communication between different components within electronic systems, such as computers, servers, telecommunications equipment, and other digital devices. The term HSL refers to a broad category of high-speed, high-performance interconnects that are capable of supporting data rates that can reach multipleRead More

From chips to connectors, from qualification to production, testing is a necessary step to ensuring that electronic components function as expected. We all love our technology until it doesn’t work properly or at all. When a tool or convenience that we’ve come to rely on fails, it’s frustrating. Sometimes, however, equipment failure is a matterRead More