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 […]
Basics
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 […]
How much gold is enough in connector designs?
Precious metal plating on connectors protect the surface from corrosion. Sounds pretty basic, but there is a bit more to it. There is the perception that gold is good and more gold must be better. Not necessarily so. It depends upon the application. Corrosion typically occurs when corrosive elements in the air reach the connector contact […]
Special Considerations for Connectors in Medical Applications
We have all been in the doctor’s exam room and have probably looked at, or even played with equipment available in the room. Fortunately, in the operating room where the really important equipment is, they put you to sleep. It is easy to see, however, that medical connectors and cables are special because: They must […]
Aircraft connectors
Next time you are in an airplane next to the galley when the ground staff gently restocks the galley with pluggable containers, consider the interconnect environment found in aircraft and be impressed by the industry’s success in managing it. Aircraft are heavily used, going through multiple thermal and humidity cycles every day. They must live […]
Special considerations for military connectors
A colleague in the standards community once pointed out that “The nice thing about standards is that there are so many of them.” Military standard connectors clearly illustrate the wisdom in his statement. Military standards bodies have done their best to specify individual connectors in such a way that multiple sources can be used without […]
Are tin-plated connectors OK for my application?
Many electronic connectors are gold plated. Gold plating increases conductivity, especially at low voltages, protects the surface from corrosion, and increases the connector cycle life. But with gold at more than $1400 per ounce, using gold adds expense, especially if it can be avoided in your application. For example, you won’t find gold plating on […]
Understanding connector spec sheets
I have great sympathy for the design engineer who must rummage through the mass of information found on connector sites to find the right connector for his or her application. Inevitably you eventually get through the configuration issues (number of pins, basic connector type, and key dimensions) to arrive at the page that has the […]
Wave Solder vs. Press Fit vs. SMT
Many board-to-board connectors are available in three different versions to meet the needs of a broad range of system designs. This article will discuss some of the considerations that are important to making the right connector technology choice for your design. First, let’s address the obvious: Backplanes nearly always use press fit connectors because: Thick […]
Why have connectors at all?
Wouldn’t system design be a lot easier if everything were in one box, on one board? The schematic becomes the board design and the world can be much simpler. One pass through the SMT line, test the box, and ship. Connectors seem to only complicate the situation because they: Add a point of failure in […]
