Most people in the electronics industry have a complicated relationship with trade shows. On one hand, they sound fabulously glamorous – the chance to visit a faraway town, connect with customers and show off your latest products. The reality is a little bit more mundane. Yes, it might be exotic to visit Paris, Munich or San Fransisco, but the truth is that you rarely see much beyond the taxi, the hotel or the convention centre. Trade shows mean early mornings, long days … [Read more...]
The Future of Content
The word “revolution” is very common in today’s world. Whether it’s a revolutionary new smartphone or a revolution in personal transport, it is a phrase that is used frequently. How many of these things are truly groundbreaking, or how many are victims of marketing is a matter of debate. Marketeers never lie, of course, but we have been known to squeeze the last ounce of truth from a story to make it appear more attractive! What cannot be denied is the staggering pace of … [Read more...]
Are You In a Harsh Environment for an Electronic Device?
Modern electronic devices are getting smaller with every new generation, and as a result, they are becoming more portable. At the same time, the performance of these devices is growing as the demands of consumers become greater. We expect to be able to connect to the internet wherever we go, and so we carry our cell phones, smartwatches and portable devices everywhere. Equipment manufacturers are keen to tell us that our new device will work in harsh conditions, but what does that … [Read more...]
Understanding Contacts
In the first two articles of this series, we have looked at the amount of time and effort that manufacturers spend to produce electrical contacts. It is easy to overlook their importance, but they lie at the heart of every connector. We have seen how the contacts are formed and plated, but it is vital that we understand how these processes affect their performance. It is rare for manufacturers to produce just one type of contact for all connectors. Choosing a single … [Read more...]
The Fine Art of Contact Plating
In the first article of this series, we looked at how contacts are formed. This time, we'll investigate the next step in the manufacturing process - plating. Have you ever looked closely at an electrical contact? Contacts may be small and hard to see, but they are the most important component in any connector. With their intricate design and shiny gold plating, they have as much in common with fine art as they do with electronic components. But connector manufacturers do not invest huge … [Read more...]
Do You Care About Your Connector Contacts?
Have you ever wondered how the contacts get into a connector? Quite possibly not as they tend to be small and hidden, but the contact is at the very heart of connector design. This article is the first of a short series that looks at the life of a contact, from manufacturing to understanding its performance. Hopefully, by the end, you will have a better understanding of what the contact does and how it does it. At the simplest level, a connector is a device that allows the joining of an … [Read more...]
The Engineer’s Cheese Sandwich
Design engineers are the heroes of the electronics industry. Responsible for creating everything from cell phones to satellites, it is the creativity of designers that drives the modern world. Engineers must respond to a specification. This is where the life of a design engineer becomes a little difficult. In an ideal world, a design specification should be clear and detailed, but I'm afraid that sometimes our design engineer might be given instructions that are less than … [Read more...]