Page 47 - Power & Data Connectivity Expand Electronic Capabilities eBook

Shorter product life cycles mean that engineering processes must also be faster, more precise, and more economical. A connector that can be individually assembled down to a batch size of one still requires an adapted design process. Digital configuration tools accelerate selection, project planning, and ordering, and offer a preview of the product to check the configuration and prevent possible errors.
Customized production and delivery can take place within a few days and the connector is available to the developer for the design-in process.
environments with a lot of shock and vibration.
A new connection technology for PCB connectors
In industrial environments, there is an increasing trend towards automatic wiring. For these automatic processing steps, a corresponding connection technology is required. For example, the products must be delivered with open terminal points (wire-ready), which are ready for connection. A new connection technology for PCB connectors is the innovative SNAP IN connection technology. This technology allows flexible, fine-stranded conductors to be simply plugged into the open connection point without crimped-on wire-end ferrules. The connection is secure and withstands even difficult environmental conditions, such as operating
Tradition and future: single-pair Ethernet
Digitalization has a major impact on the development of PCB connectors. Hybrid connectors meet the needs of current systems and have the flexibility to support system upgrades and improvements in the future. Classic connectors are evolving into hybrid options that can support next-generation communication technologies such as single-pair Ethernet (SPE).
SPE communication technology, originally developed for automotive applications, is based on a single pair of wires, and ensures continuous, scalable, and deterministic networking from sensors to the cloud. SPE interfaces are a response to the need for improved industrial communications in smart factories and IIoT networks. This miniaturized and standardized interface is considered a megatrend in industrial data transmission. Without gateways or a multitude of protocols, processes can be economically visualized and optimized across the entire plant.
SPE’s advantages are especially significant in the use
of robotics, which require extremely flexible wiring in
combination with the shortest possible response times.
Newly developed IP20 connectors with a pitch of 7.62
mm are only half the size of an RJ45 connector. Thus, two
single-pair Ethernet ports can be installed in the space required for one RJ45 PCB connector, doubling the port density. These very compact interfaces can, therefore, also be easily integrated into a modular system for PCB connectors. This connection solution works for many devices and is simple, compact, and pluggable.
PCB connection technology must not only support the design-in process, but also consider future connection and communication technologies to ensure the longevity of the system. To achieve this, innovative connection technology must meet innovative modular product design.
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