PCBs Plug in with confidence
Increasing complexity and portability are two of the predominant trends in electronic devices and systems. The net implication is that components such as connectors are required to be ever-smaller and lighter. Robotics, aerospace, automotive, defence, emergency, rescue and oil exploration are all helping to drive forward the market for rugged and miniaturised components, as are handheld electronic devices such as smartphones. Micro- and nano-size connectors on 0.05 inch (1.27mm) and 0.25 inch (0.635mm) pitches respectively have been developed to fit the bill. Devices on even smaller pitches are also available. Karl McGarry, marketing manager IP&E, Rutronik tells us more
T
he requirement for portability is too behind other changes taking place in connector technology. Users want to plug and unplug devices rapidly and in the field, not have to take them back to a lab to mate or release connectors. Even so, connection needs to be sure and reliable, so latching technology has been developed. Applications involving vibration or under high tensile strain are particularly vulnerable to poor maintenance of connection. A variety of different mechanisms for ensuring good and continued connection exist. The active latch mechanism ensures that modular connectors make well and lock together for integrity. Removal of the connector requires the latch to be depressed or unlocked, allowing the connection to be broken. This type of assured connection is particularly important for applications such as airbags or safety braking or traction control systems (ABS or ASR) in the automotive setting.
One type of latching mechanism is the terminal position assurance (TPA) system. This is a lever that, once the connection is made, can be used to ensure that the two halves remain locked together. The lever can only be employed if connection has been made successfully. Some of these systems latch into the housing at every position while others latch into the connector housing in just a few places. Amphenol offers a number of different mechanisms for ensuring that connection is made and maintained. The SSL1.2 series of connectors, as the part number suggests, is designed for solid state lighting and non-LED applications. Since lighting often remains in place for a considerable length of time and may well be positioned outdoors, the connectors are certified to IP65-68 requirements in terms of waterproofing as well as meeting other stringent requirements. They offer positive latching to ensure interconnection as well as a polarisation key to prevent mis-mating and a polarised design for TPA. For applications where the level of
32 April 2018
The DuraClik series from Molex is specially designed for automotive applications Source: Molex
vibration is likely to be high – for instance automotive, transportation and factory automation – the ICC division of the company, which provides interconnect solutions for the information, communications and commercial electronics markets, manufactures the Minitek Microspace range. These are available on 1.27mm and 1.50mm pitches and are approved to LV214, the German auto makers connector test specification for vibration. They offer TPA and CPA (Connector Positioning Assurance) as well as a visual mismatching prevention system, poka yoke polarisation.
The Molex DuraClik series is another
that offers high protection against vibration. These wire to board connectors are on a 2mm pitch and offer independent secondary locking as well as TPA. They are designed to provide space saving potential in comparison with other devices designed for high vibration applications. Right angle and vertically configured versions are available and there is an audible click when the connector is securely mated. The connectors can withstand an upward pull force of 100N. Given that mobility is increasingly demanded of the devices in which connectors are used, service intervals for equipment are likely to increase. As a result, connectors can be hidden away, since they are unlikely to be accessed
Components in Electronics
frequently. This allows some elements of their design to be stripped away. One key candidate is plastic, which continues to attract bad press. The substance has always played a key role in electronics, but as the boards into which connectors plug are protected from view, so the plastic insulation protecting housing and contacts can be left out.
Saving costs AVX has heeded the call from designers for cost savings and produced a unique range of board to board (BTB) and wire to board (WTB) single contact connectors that satisfy this requirement as well as simplifying design and preserving board space. The devices, the STRIPT range, originally termed naked connectors, are UL-certified in the same way as their more conventional counterparts and are available with four different contact technologies and in a variety of current ratings, pin counts and configurations. The devices’ success is proof that customers are happy with the savings in space and assembly costs afforded by leaving out plastic insulators. Another cost- and time-saving
approach is that of the insulation displacement connector (IDC). This obviates the need to strip the insulation from the conductors before connecting, by forcing a sharpened blade through the insulation. A good example is the Griplet
range of IDCs from Amphenol ICC. These are both compact and have a low profile design, making them the ideal connectors to use when space is tight and ease of installation is important. The connectors have a 5mm pitch, a 3.8mm profile and are 4mm wide. Multiple wires from 20-30AWG can be accommodated and the connection made is highly reliable since the devices offer four points of wire contact as well as strain relief. This is applicable even in harsh industrial conditions. With so many different approaches and designs on offer, and the ever-present need to make cost savings, whether through the adoption of technological solutions or volume manufacture, all parties, whether manufacturer or customer, can benefit from the wisdom afforded by distributors. Where manufacturers tend to deal with customers with high volume applications, distributors can cater for those with lesser requirements, perhaps providing advice and a different solution if a customer needs to substitute a connector part-way through manufacture. With the automotive sector as a growing user of plug-in connectors, the company is currently undergoing certification to TS16949, the automotive quality management system standard.
www.rutronik.com www.cieonline.co.uk
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