Interconnect innovations span mmWave to fiber-optic communications

Makers of interconnect products are striving to meet customers’ demands for high performance in a variety of applications, from intrafacility fiber communications to 5G mmWave deployments. Commenting on the latter at the International Symposium in June in Philadelphia, Joe Rowan, Junkosha president and CEO for the United States and Europe, said, “The demand for mmWave frequencies is no longer the preserve of military and research applications. 5G and high-speed data applications are now driving innovation.” He placed his company at the forefront of the development of high-frequency interconnects, based on its expertise and pedigree in expanded-PTFE tape wrapping, which “…has enabled us to deliver a flexible phase-stable cable that endures.”

Connectors for aerospace applications

The PSM connector series optimizes size and power-handling characteristics for space-flight, high-altitude-platform, and thermal-vacuum (TVAC) environments. The PSM connector family has the size and weight of an SMA (SubMiniature version A) connector and the power-handling capabilities of a TNC (Threaded Neill–Concelman) connector per MIL-PRF-39012 and MIL-STD-348, enabling customers to maximize power-handling performance while minimizing overall system weight and size. This series is space-qualified per MIL-PRF-39012 and ESCC 3402, offering multipaction-breakdown and corona-withstanding capabilities meeting or exceeding those of the TNC interface level. The hermetic, multipaction, and corona-free-design product portfolio includes a variety of cable connectors, flanged/panel-mount connectors, and adaptors, ensuring a compatible solution when incorporating the PSM product range in new and existing systems.Huber+Suhner

1.25-mm-pitch connector

Improvements to the PicoBlade connector are designed to meet the growing needs in the consumer, healthcare, and industrial markets for a secure connection in rugged applications. The 1.25-mm-pitch PicoBlade connector offers a reliable connection in both wire-to-wire and wire-to-board applications. With four header options, the PicoBlade is versatile, compact, and flexible enough to meet the design needs of products ranging from automotive media systems to healthcare applications. The 2-point connection design delivers a secure electrical connection, even under low-current, low-voltage, and high-vibration conditions. The crimp receptacle has two latching ramps to minimize uncoupling due to shock or vibration. The PicoBlade is offered in both vertical and right-angle versions in a variety of wire-to-board and wire-to-wire connections as well as 2-, 8-, and 15-circuit configurations. It also features an off-the-shelf assembly in a variety of cable lengths.Molex

mmWave interconnects

With its next-generation MWX051 and MWX061 interconnects, the vendor has designed mmWave cabling solutions up to 67 GHz to meet the higher-frequency demands of tomorrow’s 5G networks. Available with ruggedized NMD connector assemblies to deliver reliable and robust connections to a vector network analyzer, these new interconnect solutions have been created to withstand rigorous of testing environments for periods of approximately three and a half years, based on an internal Tick Tock test of 30,000 cycles, which equates to 30 tests per day, five days per week, for 3.8 years. Features include high tensile strength, a low dielectric constant, and high flex life,0 thanks to the vendor’s precision-engineered expanded-PTFE wrapping technology.Junkosha

40-GHz skew-matched cable pairs

A new line of skew-matched cables finds use in high-speed digital tests at 10 Gb/s to 28 Gb/s, including differential-signal testing, bit-error-rate testing, and eye-diagram measurements. The new line is made up of three new models that are flexible and have 1-ps delay match. These cables deliver VSWR of 1.4:1 and are 100% tested for skew match. They also include polarity indicators and restraint bands to keep themselves paired up. These delay-matched cables have a frequency range of DC to 40 GHz, covering two channels with 50-Ω nominal impedance. They are made of microporous PTFE cable dielectric and feature triple-shielded outer conductors, 2.92-mm male connectors, and finger-grip coupling nuts. They are suitable for networking, semiconductor-test, and supercomputing industries where skew match is important. The new skew matched cable pairs are in stock and ready for immediate shipment with no minimum order quantity. Pasternack

Hybrid active optical cable assembly

A new intrafacility fiber cable (IFC) assembly system supports bidirectional and unidirectional optical transmission of 6.25 Gb/s and up to 12.5 Gb/s (6.25 Gb/s x 2), respectively. The high-speed BF4-IFC Series cable assembly integrates the BF4M Series active optical connector into a rugged circular shell with a push-pull design for quick and easy mating/unmating operation. The high-speed BF4-IFC Series cable assembly system features built-in E/O on the Tx (transmitter) end and an O/E on the Rx (receiver) end. Simplifying designs and increasing ease of use, the hybrid active optical cable system also delivers power up to 3.3 V. The BF4-IFC active optical connector and cable assembly system enables high-speed data transmission at cable lengths of more than 50 m. The user-friendly optical cable system features an internal wiring system that offers the benefits of fiber-optic signaling including high signal quality, low power consumption (less than 250 mW), and EMI noise prevention. Reducing system size and cost, the hybrid BF4-IFC active optical cable assembly streamlines wiring by integrating four electrical wires for power delivery and signal transmission control into one cable interface. The BF4-IFC active optical cable plugs into a panel-mount receptacle that solders to the PCB. Combining strength with flexing properties, the BF4-IFC cable is suitable for any application that requires long reach, high speed, and limited wiring space, including broadcasting equipment, datacenters, medical equipment, and security cameras.Hirose Electric USA

Board-to-board pin jumper

When used in conjunction with the new 2.5-mm 70-9296 Series STRIPT horizontal, poke-home contact without a wire stop—which, the company reports, is both the first industrial poke-home connector available without an integral wire stop and, currently, the only industrial poke-home connector with a 2.5-mm profile—the new 1- and 2-position 10-9296 Series board-to-board (BTB) pin jumpers are allowed to pass straight through the contacts, completely unrestricted, until the final, user-defined mating dimension is achieved. Unlike traditional BTB pin jumpers—which are made to mate with traditional connectors and are thus closed on the back end, limiting the depth to which a pin can travel and restricting the amount of BTB or module-to-module mating tolerance that the jumper can absorb—the new 10-9296 Series BTB pin jumper and contact combination absorbs the maximum amount of component and assembly tolerances during the mating process, effectively eliminating the PCB and housing tolerance stack-up issues common to traditional connector systems in linear and coplanar applications. The new 10-9296 Series BTB pin jumpers are rated for 9 A, 300 VAC based on contact spacing, 3-cycle durability, and operating temperatures spanning -40°C to +105°C, and they are currently available in 1- and 2-position versions in two different pin lengths. The 26-mm pins are designed to support linear BTB connections, while the 38.15-mm pins are designed to support linear module-to-module connections in which the contacts are embedded within plastic housings. All four variants have a standard 1-mm diameter pin that is mating-compatible with competitors’ traditional 4-mm-pitch poke-home connectors, as well as the company’s own 70-9296 Series 2.5-mm STRIPT contacts—but offer two advantages: a shortened insulator (just 5.1 mm) and a unique insulator geometry with dual-chamfered ends that provide a watertight connection when seated within a corresponding housing cavity. The new 10-9296 Series BTB pin jumpers have a glass-filled Nylon PA-66 insulator approved to UL94 V-0 and lead-free, tin-over-nickel-plated brass contacts.AVX

Right-angle cabled backplane connectors

New right-angle cabled STRADA Whisper backplane connectors are designed to help engineers improve the overall efficiency of their network equipment designs. They are primarily used to connect GPUs within a switch or server, opening up another avenue of options for system architects when designing equipment for high-density applications such as AI datacenters. At the same time, these new connectors continue to offer the same electrical and signal-integrity (SI) performance as the rest of the STRADA Whisper family. These products can support 56-Gb/s PAM4 with future expansion to 112-Gb/s PAM4. TE Connectivity

High-density edge card

The MEC5 0.50-mm-pitch edge-card socket with justification beam meets demands for decreased size and increased speeds while also optimizing cost, the vendor said. The socket’s justification beam is designed to shift the card into proper alignment with the contacts, allowing for standard board tolerance on cards that would typically not work with ultrafine-pitch connectors. The density of this ultrafine 0.50-mm-pitch edge-card socket provides space savings compared to more common 0.80-mm pitch solutions. Available in both vertical (MEC5-DV) and right-angle (MEC5-RA) versions, this socket features up to 300 total I/Os for high-density applications. To meet the industry’s demands for speed, the vertical socket is designed for 28-Gb/s NRZ or 56-Gb/s PAM4 performance. Both orientations are designed to handle PCIe Gen 4 signaling. Rated to 1.5 A per contact, this system accepts .062” (1.60-mm) thick cards and features standard alignment pins and card polarization. A choice of through-hole or surface mount rugged weld tabs are available for a secure connection to the board.Samtec

Airframe cable assemblies

GORE-FLIGHT Microwave Assemblies 6 Series are lightweight cable solutions that deliver low insertion loss before and after installation, ensuring reliable performance for the life of the system. The robust construction of these assemblies reduces total costs by withstanding the challenges of installation, reducing costly production delays, field-service frequency, and the need for purchasing replacement assemblies. These lightweight assemblies improve fuel efficiency and increase payload.
Physical damage to the cable assembly during installation can result in impedance changes. The 6 Series airframe assemblies maintain a consistent impedance of 50 ±1 Ω.
W. L. Gore & Associates Inc.