A popular interconnect solution, especially with our customers in the industrial sector, is power / signal combination (“combo”) connectors. Of course these are mated connector sets that incorporate both signal and power pins in the same connector system.
Designers use these power / signal combo connectors for a variety of reasons, including:
- It’s usually less expensive to purchase, procure, and inventory two connectors instead of four or more.
- It’s easier to process two connectors on your PCB than four or more mating connectors.
- I can’t believe I’m typing this, but in some cases, the fewer connectors on your board the better. For example, it’s much easier to align two mating connectors for a board-to-board connection than trying to align four or even six.
- For that matter, it’s easier to unplug two mating connectors that to unplug four or even six.
Since this is a Samtec blog, you’ve probably already figured out that we have a variety of power / signal combo connectors. They’re available in a variety of centerlines (from 6.35 mm pitch down to 2.00 mm pitch), a variety of power ratings (from 60amps / blade to 12-15 amps / blade), and in a variety of orientations (vertical (mezzanine), right angle, and coplanar).
And, just about all of these products are available in power-only configurations.
Before I get to the list of all of these power / signal connectors, let me tell you about a soon-to-be-released product that is garnering a lot of attention: the new Ultra Micro Power system. The UMPT and UMPS series offers design flexibility as a power-only interconnect system or a two-piece system for power/signal applications. Mated heights of 5, 7, 8, and 10 mm allow UMPX connectors to be used for power with other popular Samtec high-speed connector systems. They are rate at 17.1 amps per blade, on 2 mm pitch, with tin or 10µ” gold plated power blades.
Anyway, here’s a list of our more popular power / signal combo connectors:
- EXTreme Ten60Power™ (about 60 amps / power blade)
- PowerStrip™/40 systems (up to 58.7 amps / blade)
- PowerStrip™/30 systems (about 30 amps / blade)
- Ultra-Micro Power (12 – 15 amps / blade)
- High-Speed Q2® with integral ground planes
Here’s a link to all of our power / signal combo connectors.
EXTreme Ten60Power™ is a trademark of Molex Incorporated and is dual sourced by Molex®
