Interconnection
SWaP-C – the new way to consider hi-rel connectors
Figure 5: HEC series of outdoor connectors according to IP68/IP69K. Photo: binder By Robert Webber, product specialist, Powell Electronics
Figure 6: 713 series, IP68 – protective caps keep the contacts safe from the weather in outdoor applications. Photo: binder
machinery and in portable handheld welders. The outdoor and stainless-steel versions of the 713 series (Figure 6) also comply with protection degree IP68/69K. The outdoor versions are made of plastic suitable for this purpose and are equipped with protective caps that preserve the signal connectors from the effects of weather in outdoor use. The stainless steel products are particularly resistant to aggressive agents. Particular Food & Beverage versions of the binder 763 series and the stainless steel variants of the 713 series are protected to IP69K. The M12 connectors are suitable, for example, to connect sensors that monitor process parameters in bottling plants. In general, they are intended to be installed in machines and systems that are cleaned with high-pressure cleaners and aggressive cleaning agents.
Conclusion: application determines the degree of protection Protecting electromechanical interfaces against the effects of liquids is a fundamental requirement in industry. The degree of resistance required always depends on the specific environmental conditions of the respective application. In the product documentation of the component manufacturers, it is represented by the protection degrees or IP codes. binder offers connection technology in accordance with IP40 to IP68/69K, with a large part of the connector portfolio meeting the requirements of IP67 and above. The binder products are thus recommended, for example, for use in the fields of automation, building, agricultural, food and medical equipment technology.
www.binder-connector.de Waterproof connectivity solutions from binder: special features
The circular connector specialist binder from Neckarsulm, Germany, offers waterproof connectors for harsh environmental conditions that have been developed for protection degrees IP67 to IP69K. UV- and temperature-resistant material is used in selected products, and some of the connection technology is suitable for demanding hygiene requirements. In detail, the design has been optimized to prevent dirt deposits on the housings; IP69K connectors can be cleaned with high-pressure jets, special stainless steel variants are resistant to aggressive cleaning agents, and overmolded connectors for the Food & Beverage market segment are also certified according to the specifications of the test service provider Ecolab. A selection of different locking systems and materials is available for various application scenarios – such as M12 threaded rings made of plastic or stainless steel, or bayonet or snap-in mechanisms optimized for applications that require fast and frequent mating. The balance of function and design in product development is worth highlighting. Thanks to special coloring, the connectors meet typical market design specifications, for example for the Food & Beverage segment or for medical technology.
32 March 2023 Components in Electronics
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f you drill right down, industry demands can be stripped back to some bare requirements. Smaller size, lighter weight, higher performance (which can mean higher power), lower cost. There is a nice industry acronym that covers this – SwaP-C (size, weight and power – cost) – and it applies perfectly to the selection of high reliability connectors.
Interconnect is an interesting subject because connectors are required to play a dual function. They must ensure the transference of electrical signals and sometimes power from one part of the circuit to another. But they also fulfil a mechanical function, physically joining cables and boards. Sometimes they also play a structural role. Ensuring signal integrity and/ or power continuity in high-reliability (hi-rel) applications such as defence or space, where extremes of shock, vibration and temperature fluctuation are common, demands very careful consideration of the connectors used. Let’s take, for example, the CubeSat. CubeSats are a class of miniature satellite based around a cubic form factor where each side measures 10 cm (roughly the size of a milk carton), and weigh no more than 2 kg. CubeSats have been deployed from the International Space Station, or launched as secondary payloads. Currently, several
thousand CubeSats have been launched. Obviously, size and weight are of paramount importance. But since the concept of the CubeSat was to get into space at low cost - with launch costs ranging from $60,000-100,000 and construction starting at just $50,000 – component cost needs to be minimized. If we look at the consumer electronics industry – for example cameras and other portable personal electronic devices - we can find very many examples of miniature, lightweight connectors that are very cheap. But for an aerospace or space applications such connectors would not be able to withstand the levels of shock and vibration present at launch. A paper by Dave Pignatelli of the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, entitled ‘Improving Launch Vibration Environments for CubeSats’ explains that the ‘actual levels (of shock and vibration) experienced by a CubeSat will vary due to a number of factors: launch vehicle/test specification; dispenser and constraint method; isolation implementation’, but ‘internally isolated CubeSat levels ranged from 3.7 Grms to 4.4 Grms’. Other applications and configurations will be much higher. Then there is the issue of temperature change. A satellite flight path may mean that the CubeSat experiences very
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