What to consider when choosing a connector (interconnect solution)
What are you connecting?
What is being connected, both electrically and physically. Are you connecting a high current power source, a high-speed data line or a low voltage sensor output? All three of these will have different requirements and bring differing considerations to the design process.
And let’s not forget the physical aspect. You may have a limitation on board space or height based on your product. As technology advances, more features and capabilities are being designed in and products are getting smaller. This puts a spotlight on miniaturization and products like the Molex Pico-EZmate Slim connectors which have a mated height of 1.20mm.
Where are you connecting?
Is the connection going to be in an enclosure sitting in a climate-controlled environment like an office or will it be in a harsh environment? And that begs the question, what type of harsh environment? Types of harsh environments can range from temperature - extreme heat or cold; harsh chemicals - gasoline or solvents; Liquid - oceanic equipment that’s exposed to salt water; force -mechanical stress or vibration; radiation such as cosmic rays.
Each harsh environment relies on a specific type of material in the connector’s construction to combat the environment and maintain the integrity of the signal. The connector’s housing not only needs to insulate each pin or plug from one another, but also helps determine its use case(s) – resistance to oil or solvents, stability in heat and cold or withstands water.
An example of a harsh environment connector is the Molex FPC-to-board Connector for EV Battery Management. These products are anti-vibration and anti-dust/condensation.
The material and size of the contacts are equally important. For a high-power application, a larger Bus bar is necessary. In a high-speed application, gold contacts prevent data loss. Gold plated connectors work best in RF applications due to the “skinning effect” where most of the signal travels on the outer “skin” of the conductor.
How many connections do you have?
This is also referred to as circuit density, or the number of circuits a connector can accommodate per square inch. A high-density connector eliminates the need for more connectors, saving space in tight engine compartments. The Molex high-density flexible-printed circuit (FPC) cables not only pack a high number of connections into a small space but are also flexible for space-limited applications.
Wire Gauge
The gauge of wire required in the application needs to be considered as well and ties into the current rating. Heavier wire gauge is needed in higher current situations or when mechanical strength is required in the wire. Most connectors cover common automotive wire gauges of 16 to 22 AWG.
Are you approved?
Ensuring that your design’s connectors have been tested to the same specifications that your project requires will lead to an easier final approval process. Most connectors are UL (Underwriters Limited) approved. Further approvals may be required by Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or Ingress Protection (IP).
Making solid, safe connections is essential to keeping your signals, power and end users secure. Avnet has experts to help you find the products to meet your design needs and speed up. the connector selection process.