INTERCONNECTION
applications must endure numerous challenges C
by Robert Webber, European Applications Manager, Powell Electronics Connectors designed for mission-critical
onnectors serve a dual purpose unlike other electronic components, combining both electrical and mechanical functions. In ordinary conditions, this might seem trivial. For instance, the connector linking your television or desktop computer may come with locking screws, but how many people actually take the time to fasten them securely? Perhaps a few. Yet, who consults the connector datasheet and precisely torques it to the specified force? In reality, such meticulous attention is seldom necessary. However, what happens when the environment is very far from mundane? Not in your living room or office, but on a rocket which will experience high g-forces on take- off, or on an industrial stamping press as part of an Industry 4.0 installation monitoring wear, where consistent vibration is a fundamental part of the operation? Everything is very different and the connector needs to be as reliable as possible.
As well as guaranteeing signal integrity and maintaining physical connection, harsh environment applications require tough connectors for another reason. In an IT application, like a data centre, it is likely that the equipment will be installed by a qualified technician. In an industrial or defence application, it may be a machine operator or service personnel who unplugs and re-attaches for maintenance purposes. Somewhere in the operating manual there will be instructions such as ‘torque down to X Newtons’ or ‘use correct tooling’, but how many operators in this situation pay close attention to the manual?
Finally, we should consider DFM (Design For Manufacture). Will the connector need to withstand repeated mating cycles, and is
Figure 1
there any way of simplifying or speeding up the assembly process by careful connector selection? It’s actually a very common problem that design engineers only think about what a connector is being used for, and not how it’s actually being fitted together. A key lesson is always to think about the production process. It is for these reasons that manufacturers have introduced specific products that have been engineered to withstand all these challenges. Two examples are the M300, and the Kona family from Harwin, which are available from Powell.
M300 connectors deliver reliable performance in harsh environments such as aerospace, defence, and industrial applications. The compact connectors deliver up to 10A per contact, providing a lightweight, robust solution with a proven track record under extreme conditions. These 3mm pitch PCB connectors are fitted with stainless steel jackscrews to ensure that terminations are not affected by vibration and shock. With an 8.5mm pitch and individually shrouded connections, Kona family
Figure 2
connectors (Figure 2) allow designers to specify high current for maximum power in extreme conditions, enabling systems to handle up to 60A and 3000V per contact. Vibration and shock resilience are built into the design, with six-finger beryllium-copper alloy contacts ensuring electrical continuity and good spring force properties. The tough resilient housings protect the connections from physical knocks and damage. Male pin connectors are of a through-board PCB mount design with additional board fixings for strain relief. Female cable housings are supplied with thumbscrews fitted. The robust housing helps with blind mating, and the socket-head screws enable the use of ball- head screwdrivers which permit angular operation, also simplifying blind mating. Let’s take a look at a common use case: A three-pin M300 connector can be used to hook up a panel mount potentiometer. Panels are often built using a modular construction, where, during final assembly on the production line, they are connected by hand. The enclosure panel, PCBs and other component parts like power supplies, and sensors are all connected together by hand, so having a robust connector such as the M300 will help avoid damage during production.
When it comes right down to it, the humble connector that design engineers often consider last, if at all, is actually very vulnerable, due to its mechanical as well as electrical function, and also because it is the one component that personnel with varying degrees of training and aptitude handle on a regular basis. By being proactive and risk- adverse, the designer can increase product reliability and make a lifelong friend of the production and maintenance staff.
16 APRIL 2024 | ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS
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