MILITARY & DEFENCE SUPPLEMENT FEATURE COMPACT, FAST AND GREAT IN THE WET
Alec Sluce, Aerco Connector Product Manager, describes how interconnect technology has changed to meet the needs of modern soldiers and military operations in high reliability applications
M
odern electronics play a major role in improving the effectiveness and
efficiency of today’s military operations and personnel. As the military market calls on a diverse range of electronic components Aerco supplies relays, switches and sensors from Honeywell, RFI discrete filters, LED indicators, data capture products and LED night vision compatible indicators from Oxley and military fuses, switches and Mil-spec cable and wire from other leading suppliers to fit these needs. However it is the company’s range of
military connectors and accessories from TT Electronics (the AB connector range), Smiths Connectors (Hypertac), TE connectors (Deutsch) and Glenair that represents the largest proportion of the company’s business in this field. The modern soldier needs an array of
sophisticated equipment to ensure that they maintain a high level of inter- communication with both comrades and commanders to remain updated on situational and tactical awareness. This involves carrying head-up displays, GPS, computers and communication systems in addition to the normal military weaponry and targeting equipment. Moreover, battlefields are becoming increasingly networked and military connectors and cable assemblies must be capable of carrying modern high-speed data protocols.
SIZE WEIGHT AND CONTACT DENSITY The trend towards smaller and lighter interconnect is remorseless as weight and size are vital considerations for cables, harnesses and connectors required to meet continuous demands of faster data throughput, greater bandwidth and increase in performance. Hand in hand with the reduction of size
is the requirement for increased contact density and this has been a driving force in military interconnect over the past few years. However, saving space and weight has to be reconciled with the requirement for robustness, reliability and ease of use across a wide range of environments. Modern connector systems must
combine lightness with extreme ruggedness and durability, have simple and secure orientation alignment, high levels of sealing when mated or un-mated and be simple yet secure to assemble. Manufacturers with serious ambitions
in the military and defence arena are working on a continuous development programme to improve interconnection technology by increasing the density of terminations while improving operating speed and ease of connection; vital factors for rugged field-based communication equipment such as portable and handheld radios and personal navigation systems.
Figure 1: RJ45 and USB connectors from TT Electronics
Figure 2: Hypertac PCB connector for defence applications
that of the standard hyperboloid design. Manufacturers also recognise that wall
thickness of the connector shell is a key factor in reducing weight and are continually seeking new alloys and materials to use. The struggle to reduce weight and size is a demanding and challenging process but it is essential. High speed communication is a must in
many defence applications and Quadrax contacts, which consist of an outer contact with four inner contacts forming two 100 or 150ohm matched pairs, are widely considered to be the best electrical solution for high-speed electrical network applications in harsh environments.
K
At Smiths Connectors, a significant new development is a new contact technology that has evolved from its hyperboloid contact system, called Tortac. Reducing the difference between the internal and external diameters of the contact allows a contact density of up to 60 contacts/cm2 to be achieved - twice
/ ELECTRONICS “Hand
in hand with the reduction of size is the
requirement for increased contact density and this has been a driving force in
military interconnect over the past few years
. . .”
TIMES ARE CHANGING There are fundamental changes occurring in the industry regarding interconnection both in the type of products used and how they are purchased. Increased complexity has created a demand for multi-purpose connectors that carry power, signal, high-speed contacts, RF and Ethernet within a single connector like the Harwin Datamate Mix-Tek. The demand for power, signalling and transmission of high-speed data in the most rugged environments has seen the extension of Quadrax and fibre optic technology and the development of RJ45 and USB connectors in D38999 and AB05 formats as these allow high performance interconnect under virtually any climatic conditions. The ubiquitous D38999 has also been made available as a PCB connector and this is a valuable space saver in compact designs. These and similar developments have led to the growth in the demand for commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products that offer similar performance to traditional products but are not released to Mil-spec. While it has to be considered that OEMs may not be able to second source an exact equivalent to a COTS device, avoiding the time-consuming and costly development and approval programmes required to launch a new Mil-spec component reaps significant financial and technical benefits. There is an important and encouraging scenario that helps, manufacturer, distributor, OEM and customer alike. This will ensure that high performance products continue to be developed and made available at competitive prices to all sectors.
Aerco
www.aerco.co.uk 01403 260 206
Enter 210 ELECTRONICS | SEPTEMBER 2014 S5
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