Power connectors are primarily designed to ensure a safe and reliable connection of devices to AC mains power, although they are generally specified for AC and DC voltages. AC receptacles and plugs come in various configurations with different blade widths, shapes, positions, and dimensions, designed to make them safe to use and non-interchangeable with different […]
Electronics
Why and how are medical connectors and standards different?
Medical connectors are different because medical applications are different. Medical systems require high reliability like industrial systems, but they have unique challenges where failure or unreliable operation can be life-threatening. A few examples include: Materials qualified for medical connectors are often specified to prevent bacteria growth and ensure that the connection system withstands sterilization or […]
What’s the status of EV charging connector standards?
Connectors for electric vehicle (EV) charging are both standardized and changing. On one level, EV charging connectors are standardized based on today’s technology limitations. There are standards in major regional markets, including North America, Japan, the European Union, and China. But current charging technologies are power limited. This FAQ begins with a review of EV […]
Mil-spec connectors can be adapted for commercial applications
Cinch Connectivity Systems announced the expansion of the Mil/Aero Circular MD801 Series. The Mil/Aero Circular MD801 is a lightweight, ultraminiature connector with small form factors and high-density capabilities, ideal for aerospace, military, and other harsh environment applications. With the features meeting Military Standard (MIL-SPEC) classifications, this product can also be adapted to accommodate commercial applications. Additional […]
Right-angle BNC designed for pick-and-place assembly
Samtec now offers a 75 Ohm High-Density BNC solution (HDBNC Series) with an exclusive, balanced right-angle design ideal for high volume pick-and-place manufacturing (-BM1D & -BM2D die-cast options). Designed primarily for use in advanced broadcast video equipment, Samtec HDBNC Series was tested to the latest SMPTE 2082 12G-SDI pass/fail specifications, with return loss measurements surpassing […]
A complete guide to modular connectors
First developed in the 1960s and becoming more publicly available in the early 1970s, modular connectors were born out of necessity to provide a more simple, “modular” interconnection system for phone systems, data networks, and low-speed serial connections. During that same timeframe, the FCC developed a registration system for modular connectors, known as Registered Jacks […]
Getting one wire to do more, Part 4 – headphone wire as antenna
Using one wire in two very different roles is widely done, requiring some simple circuity and basic components. Using a headphone wire as an FM antenna The earliest portable AM/FM portable radios used two antennas: an internal long wire wound on a ferrite core for the lower-frequency AM band (550-1600 kHz), and a “whip” antenna […]
Getting one wire to do more, Part 2 – Phantom power for the microphone
Using one wire in two very different roles is widely done, requiring some simple circuity and basic components. Powering microphones over the audio cable A classic engineering objective is to figure out a way to get one set of wires to provide a second function at little cost. This second part in the series looks […]
Simple double-duty: How to get one wire to do more, Part 1: The rationale
Using one wire in two very different roles is widely done, requiring some simple circuity and basic components. It makes a lot of sense to use an individual single copper cable and its connection between two points to do more than it initially intended, especially if that additional function is aligned with the primary function […]
Hirose’s BM50 series selected as a CES 2022 Innovation Awards Honoree
Hirose’s BM50 series has been selected as an Innovation Award Honoree for CES 2022, the Consumer Electronics Show held annually in Las Vegas. The CES Innovation Awards internationally recognizes noteworthy products in 28 product fields based on the following criteria: product quality, design aesthetic, value provided to users, uniqueness and newness of product specifications, and […]