Feature Interconnection The need for reliable high speed
Wes Morgan at ITT Cannon uncovers the new technologies in high-speed copper and fibre-optic interconnect systems and how they are significantly increasing data transfer for ruggedised applications
W
hether through voice, video, images or text, modern soci- ety has become increasingly dependent on seamless,
high-speed data transfer. The prolifera- tion of data sources and enabling tech- nology has touched all facets of civilization- including the world of aerospace and defence. While most scientific and commercial intercon- nect systems don’t carry the burden of mission- or life-critical purpose, those deployed in aerospace and defence do, and adequate ruggedisation of those systems is fundamental to ensuring high reliability.
The paradigms of ruggedness and signal integrity at high speeds are often contradictory. A connector built to withstand harsh environments tradi- tionally hasn’t performed to meet high- speed requirements. Thus, there exists the need for a connector system that offers signal integrity at high speeds while withstanding extreme shock, vibration, corrosion and temperatures. Currently, robust high-speed copper interconnect systems deliver about one gigabit per second (Gb/s) of data rate. Although seemingly sufficient, this amount doesn’t cover emerging applica- tions. These require a single termini that delivers significantly higher data rates (up to 10Gb/s) - all housed within a ruggedised interconnect system that’s qualified to operate in adverse physical and environmental conditions.
High-speed copper optimisation The primary challenges facing designers of high-bandwidth data systems for aerospace and other high-reliability applications are reducing size and weight while enhancing performance. Increasing numbers of today’s in-flight entertainment systems require high- bandwidth multicast HD video, result- ing in multi-Gb/s bandwidth standards. Many advanced sensor and imaging systems on aircrafts also require multi-Gb/s data rates. New copper termini systems support the use of class 6/6A cable,
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terminated to either individual con- nectors or termini used within ruggedi- zed connectors designed to carry uninterrupted data at high speeds with minimal loss under extended use under adverse shock, vibration, thermal, and environmental exposure. Because copper is frequently used in lieu of fibre optics - due to the ease of performing field termination and repair - manufacturers and standards organisations are currently working on new high-speed copper termini and connectors that support 10Gb/s data transfer rates and are designed to make field termination and reparability easier than previous lower-bandwidth termini used in these applications. Functionally, fibre-optic systems are similar to copper wire interconnect systems. The principal difference is that fibre-optic connectors use light pulses (photons) to transmit data down fibre lines, instead of electronic pulses to transmit data down copper lines. While the benefit of using fibre optics is that they’re lightweight, the drawbacks are that field termination and repair can be difficult, resulting in the need to purchase complete cable assemblies with connectors included as part of the finished assembly. This significantly increases cost, installa- tion and repair time. To overcome this, one solution is to use standard or precision connectors that can have field-serviceable and removable termini installed. In cases where high-bandwidth copper service loops are installed off of a fibre-optic backbone, the result can be a hybrid copper-fibre network that offers the ease of serviceability of copper, with the weight savings and performance of fibre. ITT Cannon is currently involved in developing and servicing fibre-optic and hybrid copper-fibre systems that allow for low cost field reparability and ease of installation. Driven by increased demand, recent technological advances have yielded cost-effective and reliable high-speed copper and fibre-optic interconnect
Figure 1: ITT Cannon MKJ5 TT RS Series
systems that support a range of high reliability applications.
Connecting to the future Building on the current Quadrax copper termini system for high-speed Gb data, the company is developing a new multi-Gb copper termini system called Octorax, a next generation high- speed, copper-based 10Gb termini system for aerospace. This device is designed to deliver high-performance, high-speed data transfer in accordance with evolving high-speed data network protocols in high-reliability applications.
Wes Morgan, ITT Cannon, Director of Product Management
Figure 2: ITT Cannon 38999 Quadrax
This latest product range uses exist- ing connector technology from the company that is qualified to high-reli- ability requirements, and allows for single-termini solutions to be installed in existing insulator layouts currently available in the company’s standard connector product range. By doing this, costs can be minimised and use of standard inventory is maximised, which decreases the overall cost to the end user.
Where a single connector solution is desired, this new design has been inte- grated into a stand-alone connector to allow for a dedicated, high-bandwidth data channel. ITT’s MKJ HD product line supports the Octorax termini per- formance within a single high-reliability circular connector, creating a dedicated high-bandwidth connector solution. As more complex systems that utilise this technology emerge, these high-bandwidth copper and copper- fibre hybrid systems are anticipated to become more prevalent. By adopting high-bandwidth termini that allow users easier installation and mainte- nance as well as lower acquisition and inventory costs, we can expect the adoption of products such as this interconnect system to proliferate mul- tiple markets as a versatile solution to any high-bandwidth, high-reliability interconnect requirement. ITT Cannon
www.ittcannon.com
Enter 210 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014 Electronics
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