Underwater connectors in military electronics designed for submarines and other deep-sea applications must endure pressure, temperature cycling, seawater corrosion, and different types of shock. One of the harshest environments military electronics systems must withstand is the deep sea. Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) that dive deep must stand up to high pressure, while submarines must withstandRead More

Emerging traffic management equipment represents a bright new market for advanced sensors and many types of related connectors. I like to consider myself reasonably adjusted to the challenges of living in the 21st century, except one: We continue to labor under the dictates of traffic control systems technology that dates from the early part ofRead More

Ethernet is the leading network protocol in LAN applications. Today, it’s gaining ground in transportation, automotive, and industrial applications, thanks to new cabling strategies. In the early 1980s, at the start of the Ethernet era, coaxial cabling dominated and cheap yellow Ethernet cable became ubiquitous. In the 1990s, the focus shifted to cabling solutions basedRead More

Our 2019 How-to-Specify eBook contains a collection of best practices and product solutions contributed by industry-leading suppliers dedicated to designing, developing, and delivering connector and cabling technologies with the versatility, durability, innovation, and peak performance required to satisfy challenging application demands across various markets. Topics include connector characteristics, application-specific solutions ranging from consumer to medicalRead More

In a global economy, we see many of the same cars on the roads in Europe and the US. But the electronics packages inside them may differ due to differences in standards for automotive connectors and components. The global automobile market is not constrained by borders, national pride, or even tariffs. On the streets ofRead More

The technologies that make the connected car possible are on an accelerated evolutionary path. Some technologies are already on the roads and others are heading out in the near future, fueled by component innovations and high-speed access. When General Motors first introduced OnStar on its vehicles in 1996, it marked the birth of the “connectedRead More

Changing medical standards and regulations add complexity to compliance processes required for products and component destined for the medical market. Medical Standards Regulations can make designing new products more complicated, more costly, and more time-consuming, adding steps that delay time to market. So why do standards organizations keep setting up these road blocks? Because regulationsRead More

Managing creepage and clearance is one design strategy that can help reduce risk in medical devices and systems. How to Reduce Risk in Medical Devices Medical equipment used to diagnose, treat, and monitor patients, such as electrocardiographs (ECGs), thermal cauteries, and monitors, has to meet extremely high safety requirements. The international standard IEC 60601-1 guidesRead More

As the Department of Defense prepares for the future of the military, the electronics industry is working to help it understand the complex needs and issues that affect R&D, manufacturing, the workforce, and the supply chain. In August 2018, President Trump signed the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (NDAA 2019)Read More

US-based aircraft have a new equipment mandate to improve surveillance and communications. The deadline is fast approaching, but operators have numerous options to get compliant. New ADS-B Standards Nearly a decade ago, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) set in place a timeline to transition from radar to next-generation, surveillance-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) to manage theRead More

As wireless connectivity continues to expand across business, home, industrial, and municipal environments, the demand for RF connectors is growing exponentially. A new market report details the history and forecasts a bright future for this vast product category. By Dave Shaff, Bishop & Associates, Inc. As long as there are wireless systems, there will beRead More

New technology allows multiple types of data to move along the same path without any sacrifices on either end, ultimately increasing capacity and achieving cost savings. By Richard Weatherburn, Global Vertical Marketing Manager – Transportation, Belden Inc. The need for reliable transportation is greater than ever, driven by urbanization and increased business pressures for efficiencyRead More