Industrial rectangular connectors have been a mainstay of heavy-duty and automation applications since the 1950s. Tomorrow’s rectangular automation connectors will look much the same as they do today — on the outside. But inside, these connectors are becoming more powerful, capable, and versatile.     The foundational need for proven durability ensures that tomorrow’s industrial rectangularRead More

Meet the Connector: Industrial RJ45 Connectors Industrial RJ45 connectors are essentially an RJ45 Ethernet connector in a protective housing. The standard RJ45 is the most common twisted-pair connector. It is an 8-position, 8-contact (8P8C) modular plug and jack. RJ, or registered jack, is a standardized telecommunication network interface designed to connect telecommunications and data equipmentRead More

EV batteries are improving and the new interconnect products that support them are optimized to manage the high voltage flow of power throughout the vehicle with great safety and efficiency.  Range anxiety — the fear that an electric car’s battery will run out of power and leave you stranded on the side of the roadRead More

Meet the Connector: FFC/FPC Connectors FFC connectors are used to mate ribbon-type flat flexible cables (FFCs) to PCB circuitry in cable-to-board applications. They are also available in cable-to-cable configurations. These connectors have a high-density, very narrow form factor and fit in tight spaces. They are commonly used in consumer applications such as laptops, cameras, computerRead More

Meet the Connector: Wire-to-Board Connectors Wire-to-board connectors bring power and signal to a printed circuit board (PCB) by connecting a group of discrete wires to the board. There are no standard wire-to-board connectors; the various types are specific to the manufacturers who produce them. Wire-to-board connectors can be specified based on several features. These includeRead More

New-to-market connectivity products, including interconnects, wire, cable, and cable assemblies, sensors, antennas, materials, accessories, tools, and development kits. August 2022 New Connectivity Products August 2022 New Connectivity Products > Interconnects, etc. TE Connectivity (TE) released an additional configuration of its KILOVAC CAP120R contactor. TE’s KILOVAC CAP120R contactor is ideal for defense, marine, UAM (urban air mobility), UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) commercial and military aerospace applications requiring lightweight latching coilsRead More

Smaller, more powerful, and connected new device designs call for more antennas, PCB connectors, and other components. The challenge is to make them all fit. Strategic antenna selection and positioning is the first step in preserving performance and reliability. Electronic devices are increasingly utilizing one or more wireless technologies to become connected to the InternetRead More

This week’s Product Roundup highlights high-speed cable assemblies from leading suppliers. High-Speed Cable Assemblies  Cicoil, a Trexon company, offers a wide range of high-speed standard cable assemblies using an exclusive, patented extrusion process. Cicoil’s process combines multiple elements into a single flat cable and in continuous lengths, including single conductor, shielded conductors, tubing, Cat 5e/CatRead More

Meet the Connector: RAST Connectors RAST connectors are an international standard originally developed for the home appliances market. The initial design featured a crimp-style contact, but today most iterations employ insulation displacement contact (IDC) technology, which simplifies the installation process, eliminates mis-mating errors, and improves connection quality by eliminating the need to cut, strip, andRead More

Upcoming industry events, as well as recent award, partnership, promotion, personnel, facility, distribution, standards, association, and certification news from across the connector industry. August 2022 Connector Industry News I > Event News ODU honors its 80 years in operation with celebrations and an investment of almost 60 million euro in the company headquarters, including aRead More

Vertical farming operations bring food crops indoors for protection from extreme weather, continuous growing seasons, and increased production. Guided by sensors and enabled by LEDs, these smart farming strategies offer a solution amid growing climate challenges. Indoor agriculture may be our last hope for a flavorful future. Severe drought plus pesticide-resistant insects have decimated theRead More

This week’s Product Roundup highlights DIN-Rail mount terminal blocks from leading suppliers. DIN-Rail Mount Terminal Blocks  Phoenix Contact has added function blocks to its popular line of PTFIX distribution blocks. The new PTFIX Function features Push-in Technology that can connect, disconnect, and protect terminal blocks. Disconnect levers are available for both -MT screwdriver operation andRead More