Mezzanine connectors are among the most useful in the connector arsenal to solve packaging problems. They come in many forms. This article focuses on the IEEE 1386 Mezzanine connector, one of the simplest and most-used mezzanine solutions. This simple connector had a strong influence in the direction and growth of electronic packaging. In 2001, the […]
Basics
What the heck is hard metric?
Last week, you learned a little bit about Eurocard packaging and the vertical chassis dimensions described by multiples of 1U or 1.75 in. We will call that the chassis Y dimension. The other dimension (X dimension) is described in HP dimensions where 1 HP (Horizontal Pitch) is 0.2 in. or 5.08 mm, so the Eurocard […]
Just what is a “U” in electronics design anyway?
I am sure you have encountered the term 1U packaging as you peruse catalogs of equipment for almost any field of electronics, from instrumentation to telecom, to standard computer architectures. Did you ever wonder where this architecture came from and just what is a “U” anyway? And why does it matter? Standards are wonderful things. For […]
Why use compliant pins in connector designs
You may well ask: What are the alternatives? First, I should explain that a compliant pin is one that when inserted into a plated-through hole, creates a spring force against the barrel of the hole that creates a gas-tight joint that is just as good electrically as a solder joint. It has the additional advantage of […]
IP67-rated connectors made easy
Contributed by Derek Hunt, Application Specialist at Omnetics Connector Corp. In the world of circular connectors, thousands of styles, sizes, configurations and functionality types are available. IP67–rated connectors in particular are becoming more and more common in both standard and custom configurations. These assemblies focus around a watertight seal and are specifically designed to withstand shock, […]
What makes contact beams work in connector designs
Beam design is a very important part of the job of any connector design engineer. Not being an engineer myself, I will grossly oversimplify, but I hope you will find the conclusions to be helpful and satisfying. Beams need to perform a couple of functions, including: Contact must have lead-in to ensure the parts mate […]
Connector gathering and mating designs
Connectors are almost always composed of two mating halves; a plug that mates with a receptacle. Connector manufacturers go to a lot of trouble to make sure that the connectors mate properly and cannot be mated improperly. This article describes some of the techniques used. Flying cable connections are normally the easiest. The user can […]
Plastic Connectors: what type of plastics are used?
Innovations needed by the connector industry have consistently stimulated the development of engineering plastics. The proliferation of different resins has been incredible as suppliers work to develop the right materials to match evolving needs of the connector industry and its customers. Important features to the end customers include: Ruggedness—they cannot break or be damaged in […]
Gold alternatives in connector designs
When the price of gold shot up in the ’80s, many connector manufacturers funded research into gold alternatives. In the early days, much of that work was focused on Palladium. As it turned out, Palladium is a rather brittle material that has a tendency to crack when formed after plating. But in the process, palladium nickel […]
An introduction to circular connectors
The past week, I’ve seen several press releases come across my desk for circular connectors, so it got me thinking about what they are used for. I’m working on getting materials specifically about M12 circular connectors, but here’s a quick rundown on what circular connectors are used for, mostly in part from information supplied by […]