What does miniaturisation mean for connector selection?

By Paul Jones   |   February 9, 2022

Within various key application areas there are heightening demands for electronic systems to be more densely packed. To meet expectations with regard to extra functionality alongside streamlined form factors, a greater quantity of component parts must be fitted into what are increasingly space-constrained environments.

There are a multitude of different market segments in which the need for miniaturisation is now particularly acute, which can pose difficulties for engineering teams when selecting the right interconnect technologies for their design.  

The following sections examine how the need for smaller, more functional connectivity is impacting a multitude of innovative market trends.

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)

IIoT will be pivotal to the digital transformation of manufacturing and processing sites encompassed by Industry 4.0. Through data acquired by dispersed sensor nodes, it will be possible to get continuous updates on different operational parameters. This will enable productivity levels to be boosted and wastage reduced. So that they are convenient to install, these sensor nodes need to have small physical dimensions, with little PCBs on which all the constituent components can be accommodated. Nevertheless, the quality of the data has to remain high, so selected connectors need to support elevated levels of signal integrity despite them being compact.  

Automotive

The electronics content featured in the average car model continues to rise. A variety of new functions are being integrated into modern vehicle designs, to address the need for either heightened safety or greater comfort. Consequently, the amount of data being acquired by all the different sensors and camera units distributed throughout the chassis and on the car exterior is at least an order of magnitude beyond what was called for only a few years ago. Likewise, the speed at which this data is being transferred has accelerated dramatically. With very little available room, compact interconnect solutions that are capable of attaining strong performance benchmarks plus long-term reliability will be mandated.

Home-based healthcare

There is a major shift in how medical care is provided to the population, with less focus being placed on the clinical environment and more activities being conducted at patients’ homes instead. There are several motivations behind this. Firstly, it is to reduce costs and try to relieve some of the pressure that under-resourced healthcare systems are currently under. Equally important though is that it can improve patients’ quality of life, as they will not have to spend so much time visiting hospitals, but can instead stay within their own living spaces. Through the use of the latest wearable technology, it is possible for medical professionals to monitor the condition of patients remotely, thereby making certain that their situation is still stable. Any concerns that may require a change in the treatment plan being administered can be flagged, or an immediate response actioned if things are judged to be more serious. Monitoring devices that will be worn on the body, possibly on a continuous basis, will need to be comfortable and lightweight. This places constraints on the components employed including the connectors specified. Reliability, once again, is paramount given the critical nature of the application. The high volumes involved also makes cost-effectiveness of the connectors a major concern.

Figure 1: SlimStack 0.35mm pitch board-to-board connector from Molex

Designing connected devices with microminiature solutions

Molex has established itself as one of the leading suppliers of interconnect solutions for the sectors just discussed, providing a compelling mix of compactness, ruggedness, cost-effectiveness and industry-leading electrical performance. Avnet Abacus stocks an extensive range of these products, so that customers are able to quickly source them.

SlimStack board-to-board connectors from Molex are offered in pitches as low as 0.35mm, with profile heights of just 0.60mm. This means they are fully optimised for high-density deployments in medical, IIoT and automotive contexts. Despite their inherent compactness they are able to handle currents of up to 5A. Furthermore, the innovative design structure employed prevents short circuits (even with such small dimensions being involved), while proprietary housing protection safeguards against damage during assembly.    

Incorporating heavy-duty nickel-plated contacts, Easy-On FFC/FPC connectors have also proved extremely popular in demanding application scenarios where there is only minimal space. The smaller examples of these products have pitch sizes going all the way down to 0.20mm and stack heights of 0.96mm. They can still handle 0.2A currents however. Both right-angle and vertical configurations are available, so that the specific layout challenges of the application can be attended to. The spring terminal mechanism used increases contact retention, with mating cycle durability and a wide operational temperature range both being assured through the choice of advanced materials. 

To complement its portfolio of Molex connectors intended for space-limited design implementations, the Avnet Abacus team is able to provide customers with in-depth technical knowledge that will assist them with their development work. This means that even the most difficult of engineering problems may be solved, and the best results achieved with space saving design concepts being realised in the shortest possible time frame.

Find out more about Molex’s range of micro and signal connector solutions, or if you would like to discuss your design in more detail, get in touch with our team of field applications engineers in your local language.

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Paul Jones

As Supplier Development Manager, Paul is responsible for supporting and managing key supplier relati...

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