Company insight
work. From unmanned vehicles to tablets they can grab from their backpacks, these devices are helping troops become more effective warfighters, sharpening logistics and boosting their lethality. Certainly, these trends are reflected in the numbers, with one estimate suggesting that the market for rugged electronics will enjoy growth of 7.4% through 2028. Yet if rugged electronics are becoming key to armies the world over – the US Department of Defense recently invested $154m in new electrical systems – challenges remain. Perhaps the most obvious problem is the question of cables and connectors, the wires fundamental to all electronic devices. Often more vulnerable than other parts of a machine, an exposed wire or loose connector can ruin even the most rugged of systems.
Connecting the battlefield O
ver recent decades, rugged electronics have revolutionised how militaries go about their
Rugged laptops and other new technologies are transforming how armies do battle. But without robust cables and connectors to connect diffuse systems, success in this new world is impossible. We explore how the growing sophistication of rugged electronics makes partnering with a reliable connector provider more crucial than ever, and how US company Omnetics can help.
Small, lightweight and providing high-reliability performance, the Nano-D connector is taking the lead on ruggedised portable electronics.
sophistication of military hardware is making cables even more important. Consider, for instance, the case of advanced helmets. Allowing soldiers to
“Omnetics has developed its Nano-D range of connectors, developed to meet or exceed MIL- DTL-32139 requirements.”
Even so, the situation is far from hopeless. By investing carefully in the right materials and the right designs, experienced cable manufacturers can craft machines that work flawlessly, and even under the most difficult and testing conditions – as one Minnesota company is readily proving.
Sophisticated new technology Cables and connectors are fundamental to all electronics – and rugged military devices are no exception. Moving power and signals from one part of a machine to another, they’re vital everywhere from unmanned vehicles to rugged laptops. More to the point, the increasing
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spot allies or get directions via GPS – with the relevant information beamed to a digital screen in front of their eyes – the helmets gather data from a variety of sources. Boasting new circuitry, process boards inside the helmet convert various types of analogue and millimetre data into digital information. From there, each module is linked, via miniature (so-called ‘nano’) cables, to master units inside each machine. It’s a similar story in other technical areas too, with military radios and laser-targeting devices just two of the technologies now boasting deeply integrated digital systems, a fact that inevitably requires cables and connectors
to effectively acquire, store and retrieve relevant data.
It goes without saying, of course, that these cables must also be light and compact enough to ensure devices remain portable on the battlefield – all while also being robust enough to cope with everything nature and the heat of battle throws at them.
Nor is this a merely hypothetical issue. Connectors are often the weakest link of any rugged technology, with the incursion of dirt or damp potentially fatal to the device. Quite aside from the security worries here, any breakage also has financial consequences: with some military radios now costing around $20,000, unreliable connectors can quickly prove expensive.
Connectors for every occasion Omnetics is well-placed to answer these challenges – and more. Based in Minneapolis, and with decades of experience in connector design and manufacture, the company has worked with military officials in the US and around the world.
Defence & Security Systems International /
www.defence-and-security.com
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