Upcoming industry events, as well as recent award, partnership, promotion, personnel, facility, distribution, standards, association, and certification news from across the connector industry. December 2023 Connector Industry News December 2023 Connector Industry News > Award News DigiKey won four MarCom Awards in the 2023 international creative competition for marketing and communication professionals, including two platinum awards (highestRead More

Meet the Connector: Pin Headers Pin headers are a type of electrical connector that consists of one or more rows of metal pins or contacts molded into a plastic base. They serve as a bridge between various elements in an electronic device, enabling the distribution of power, data, and signal throughout a device. They can connectRead More

Meet the Connector: M8 Connector Due to their design and functionality, as well as compact size and reliable connectivity, M8 connectors play a crucial role in a wide range of industries, from industrial automation to automotive applications. M8 connectors are commonly used in industrial settings as sensor and actuator connections. With an 8 mm lockingRead More

Meet the Connector: ZIF and LIF Connectors Zero insertion force and low insertion force connectors protect the IC from damage during mating and unmating. ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) and LIF (Low Insertion Force) connectors are used in electronic devices such as computer hardware, medical devices, robotics, and many other applications between two components, such asRead More

As outdoor agriculture becomes less predictable, vertical farms are bringing the farm inside, where sealed interconnects, sensor systems, smart LEDs, and connected technologies optimize every aspect of the growing cycle. The summer of 2023 brought extreme challenges to farmers around the world. Storms, droughts, wildfires, and record-breaking temperatures wiped out many crop yields. Up toRead More

A D-Sub (D-subminiature) connector is a rectangular, polarized-shell electrical connector standardized primarily under MIL-DTL-24308 for military and aerospace use and IEC 60807-3/DIN 41652 for commercial and industrial use. It features a trapezoidal metal shell and two or more parallel rows of pin-and-socket contacts. It carries signal, low-level power, or data across rack-and-panel, cable-to-cable, and cable-to-boardRead More

Meet the Connector: Low-PIM Connectors Low-PIM connectors are specialized RF connectors designed to reduce passive intermodulation distortion (PEM) or interference, which can occur when multiple signals interact within a connector. These unwanted frequencies can cause degradation in signal quality and impair performance. Maintaining high signal integrity is critical, as signal distortion caused by intermodulation canRead More

Meet the Connector: Single-Pair Ethernet Single-pair Ethernet (SPE) is a single, twisted pair of copper wires that replaces the traditional 2- or 4-pair Ethernet configurations. SPE technology has been developed to bring Ethernet the “last mile” to the factory floor — the sensor/actuator level, specifically monitoring devices at the edge of industrial networks such asRead More

Meet the Connector: FFC (Flat Flexible Cables) FFC (flat flexible cable) is a ribbon-type cable used to connect PCBs. It is typically used in laptops, cellphones, and other high-density electronic applications. FPC (flexible printed circuit) is sometimes used to refer to FFCs, but one important difference is that FPCs incorporate components, while FFCs are typicallyRead More

Data breaches are a billion-dollar problem, wreaking havoc with financial systems, medical records, businesses, and individuals. As supply chains and infrastructure also become increasingly connected, protecting cybersecurity is critical. Strategic hardware selection can help protect networks. Cybersecurity is often portrayed as a white hat hacker at a monitor, scanning code in search of vulnerabilities inRead More

Meet the Connector: BNC Connectors BNC connectors are miniature radio frequency (RF) connectors developed for low-frequency applications. This quick-connect/disconnect circular connector features a two-stud bayonet-style locking mechanism that users twist and snap into position. A tactile snap indicates a secure connection; a reverse motion disconnects the connector pair. The BNC connector famously bears the initialsRead More

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