NEWS // FEATURES // NEW PRODUCTS
An integrated approach to PCB connectivity
by Kevin Canham HARTING
Fig.1. har-fl ex is a space-saving, rugged and fl exible PCB connector a range of board-to-board and board-to- cable applicationsDevice connectors are shaped by the environment in which they are used. In simple terms, any industrial electronic device can be considered as a PCB packed into a housing, and based on this approach the connector will always an integral part of the PCB. The level of integration implicit in this approach defi nes what is technically possible and economically practical in the overall application. Based on these considerations, the logical development path is to consider the connector from the PCB’s perspective. This manner of integrating the connector into the overall system is logical, but is new in the industrial arena, and is leading to completely new ways of linking connectors and PCBs.
The genuine PCB connector Consider fi rst the plain PCB connector: the connector that connects two PCBs to each other. Previously, this connection was implemented indirectly with a backplane, but today’s state-of-the art mezzanine technology also allows a device’s individual modules to be connected directly to one another, with the resulting benefi ts of miniaturisation and reduced cost. Mezzanine connectors, like other active and passive
components, are subjected to the same assembly and soldering processes as the PCB itself, which inevitably places certain constraints on the termination technology.
24 EIU
Fig.2. HARAX® allows all wires in a cable to be contacted
in one operation without strippingIn this context, the connectors are fi tted along with components in a ‘pick & place’ machine and then soldered using a refl ow process. Special assembly techniques for the connector, such as the boring of holes in the PCB for wired contacts, are not permitted in this process. Despite the stringent requirements placed on the mezzanine connector, current products offer acceptable performance. In the industrial market, HARTING has decided on
a pitch of 1.27 mm for PCB connectors, a fi gure that is acceptable from the point of view of industrial applications, while also acting as an impetus for miniaturisation. It has already proven its mechanical suitability in industry, and has also satisfi ed the prerequisites for the highest data rates. A multitude of sizes and numbers of poles are available to meet the individual requirements that industrial applications place on the connector’s design. In addition, the use of a modular tool concept in the assembly of these components turns the individual design into the standard component. In this way, the modern miniaturised PCB connector becomes the cornerstone of a new approach to device connectivity.
Contracting innovation cycles Fig.3. The Quick Lock spring-based termination technique PCBs are subject to shorter innovation cycles by comparison with installations. However, the conventional
www.electronicscomponentworld.com /
www.electronicproductionworld.com September 2011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48