A new generation of more powerful unmanned aerial vehicles carry a payload that includes sensors, cameras, processors, and other electronics. Small, lightweight connectors help make their missions possible. Small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for military use are getting even smaller and more powerful as trends toward miniaturization in modern military equipment extends to the skies.Read More

New battlefield strategies that network dismounted soldiers for “any-sensor, any-shooter” tactics are driving technological changes in digital gear enabled in part by advanced interconnects. By Matt McAlonis, Engineering Fellow, Aerospace Defense and Marine, TE Connectivity, and Franck Kolczak, Senior Business Development Manager-Defense Market, TE Connectivity combat Today’s entertaining real-time-strategy (RTS) games and virtual-reality (VR) headsetsRead More

The demand for micro- and nano-miniature military connectors is increasing as the military adopts Nett Warrior and future soldier technologies. The military wearables market is expanding rapidly, driven by continuous innovation in small, lightweight products that can be used for navigation, communication, and computing systems, vision and surveillance, and biometric monitoring. These products have typically beenRead More

The connected vehicle brings freedoms for drivers and passengers but takes a toll on in-vehicle network design and performance. A new Ethernet standard enables lighter, more powerful systems. The old cliché about a car being only a means of getting from A to B doesn’t apply in the 21st century. Today’s cars do so muchRead More

As automotive applications expand to include complex sensor, camera, and infotainment capabilities, a more powerful, design-friendly connectivity specification will help manage the required power and data. As the connected car continues to evolve, essential operational systems are being augmented with new capabilities, such as autonomous functions, driver-assist technologies, advanced safety features, and infotainment systems. ElectrificationRead More

Summary coverage of upcoming industry events, as well as recent award, partnership, promotion, personnel, facility, distribution, standards, association, and certification news from across the connector industry. July 2020 Connector Industry News July 2020 Connector Industry News > Event News Phoenix Contact’s fifth annual Smart Communities conference will be presented as a three-part, online-only series ofRead More

Summary coverage of new-to-market connectivity products, including interconnects, wire and cable, cable assemblies, materials, accessories, tools, development kits, and connector-adjacent technologies, such as sensors and antennas. July 2020 New Connectivity Products July 2020 New Connectivity Products > Interconnects, etc.  TE Connectivity’s new EB16 expanded-beam optical pin and socket termini are available in single-mode and multimodeRead More

Innovations from the electric vehicle world, like refined battery systems, sensor-rich technologies, and data gathering capabilities, have helped electric bicycle sales boom in 2020. Electric bicycle manufacturers expected 2020 to be a subdued year, as tariffs pushed up prices on their products. Instead, it has turned out to be a record-setting time for sales. PeopleRead More

Miniature interconnects combined with sensors and antennas give designers powerful new means of integrating Internet of Things into flexible new forms.  Tiny wearable technologies are becoming huge. The incredible miniaturization of electronic components, combined with the powerful Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities brought to these systems by miniature sensors and antennas, has resulted in a new wave of wearable technologies. Flexible, stretchable circuits and interconnects bring additional possibility toRead More

As the global volume of internet data increases, relying on the cloud for computing resources poses challenges. Edge and fog computing architectures offer alternatives.  The concept of sharing information technology (IT) resources via a network of linked devices has experienced incredible growth since the early 2000s. Instead of investing in local computing and storage equipment,Read More

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

Summary coverage of new-to-market connectivity products, including interconnects, wire and cable, cable assemblies, materials, accessories, tools, development kits, and connector-adjacent technologies, such as sensors and antennas. Supplier names are generally linked to product announcements and product names are generally linked to product pages or datasheets. June 2020 New Connectivity Products June 2020 New Connectivity ProductsRead More