Innovating power connectors and promoting system design

The increasing demand for performance in telecommunications, data, industrial, instrumentation, and medical equipment is driving connector design towards smaller spaces and more power signals. Maximizing linear current density means greater power, smaller footprint of connectors, and advanced functionality. These characteristics are the result of the rapid changes in the overall design of the segmented market system and the constantly growing demand mentioned above. Smaller and more portable terminal products The appearance of devices is constantly becoming simpler according to established rules, while end products are becoming more compact. Component manufacturers need to design more compact and small packages. However, due to the increasing number of processors, memory, and other integrated circuits within the system, more heat is generated, making thermal management very important in system design. For power connector manufacturers, these factors bring many unique challenges. Today, our goal is to provide a more compact package while meeting the growing power requirements. Components with smaller height and width can not only provide more space for placing other additional components, but also bring better airflow. For example, replacing rack mounted servers in data centers with dense blade servers demonstrates the industry trend towards smaller product sizes. Running these more compact systems requires higher power density and signal density. Power connector manufacturers need to focus on current density, profile height and width, and airflow, as an increase in the number of processors within a single system can result in a net increase in power consumption as processors become more efficient and consume less power. In addition, higher rack density and higher wattage power supply require connector solutions with higher power density. High current applications Connector manufacturers install power connectors with high power density on standard, efficient, and low-cost stamped power contact bases. Stamping technology makes it possible to obtain high power density. In high current applications, this efficient and low-cost technology can replace expensive screw machine contacts. The addition of high conductivity copper alloy, optimized power contact design, and ventilated casing have improved equipment performance, making it meet and exceed the requirements of current high current applications. For example, a connector supplier has designed a new power connector system that incorporates some features of existing SSI connectors. SSI connectors are standard connectors used for AC/DC power interfaces and distribution systems. However, a new and enhanced power contact design allows a single power contact to achieve 82A/℃ contact strength at 30 ℃ and zero airflow, while slightly reducing the spacing between the power contact centerlines. It is an ideal connector for high wattage power supplies, servers, storage devices, communication equipment, and hot plug redundant N+1 distribution systems. In addition, the distribution power contacts and power control signal contacts on a single connector provide great flexibility for system designers. The modular tool approach facilitates highly customizable configuration to meet the needs of different power applications. Backplane to card applications are another trend towards higher power density (such as mid board to blade or control card interfaces). Combining power output performance with signal connectors is very beneficial in high-speed applications. The signal/power connector using unshielded technology (to enhance signal density) is a product that utilizes this technology in the application versions of the base plate and orthogonal middle plate. Within a single enclosure, this high-speed/high-power combination connector allows for the mixing of signal and power "insert molded lead frame assembly" (IMLA) within the same connector, providing flexible pin arrangements to achieve maximum signal density and power density in three-dimensional space. This solution meets the thermal, mechanical, and high-speed requirements of system designers for a single configurable product, without the need for new tools or longer development cycles. Plug and play performance In some backplane to card applications, the dramatic increase in power demand has led to the use of a single independent power connector adjacent to the high-speed signal connector. For these applications, modularity will be used for high-speed plug and play, compact and cost-effective power block connectors, signal connectors, power connectors, and other types of connectors.