In order to better understand the massive impact the VME (VITA) standard family has had in the electronics industry, it is helpful to review its past successes, its present values, and its plans for the future. A Brief History Lesson Since its conception in 1982, VITA has continued to focus on marketing, expansion, and integration within the connector world. Its primary focus was creating open standards for an open world. What’s an open standard you ask? An open … [Read more...]
Strength in Design: Variable Connector Material Options
Selecting the right interconnect systems helps ensure your design will meet the standards it is supposed to meet – whether it is a high-cycle application, or high shock and vibration, or an interconnect that is going to see very little stress in its life. The truth of the matter is, your design is only as good your connections. In addition to stacking height, pitch, solderability and a long list of other options, it is equally crucial to analyze which type of conducting metal or alloy … [Read more...]
The Grounds Behind Grounding
A few weeks ago, I was working on an audio amplifier with my dad in the garage. As I began to wire it up to test a new set of speakers we had bought, I received a nasty shock when plugging in an older, frail patch cable. Now, something didn’t seem to add up here; I had used this cable before on my equipment and never had problems. However, in this instance, something was different; the older tube amplifier we were using had no ground. In today’s industry and even in household use, electrical … [Read more...]
JSOM Standoffs Ease PCI/104-Express™ PCB Stacking
The term “interchangeable parts” became popular towards the mid to late 19th century. As the Industrial Revolution began in the United States, a man named Eli Whitney demonstrated this concept by disassembling and reassembling a pile of the exact same firearms in front of Congress. The idea rapidly caught on leading to weapons, farming equipment, machines etc. all using the same parts. Fast-forward to our day; interchangeable parts contribute especially with computers. … [Read more...]
Building a Solid Connection: Tin vs. Gold
Contact materials have always been a subject of debate in the electronics industry. Innovation and industrialization have both pioneered and degraded universal standards of contact designs. Although you could sit around all day to argue which conductor/metal is the better choice, any discussion of contacts must address the plating material selected for the application, primarily gold vs. tin. Demonstrating the pros and cons of both materials will allow consumers to determine … [Read more...]
Gaining an Edge in PCB Design: The Evolution of the Edge Card
1944. America was in the heat of World War II and continually seeking new and more advanced options against her enemies. One such device was the proximity sensor used to disable and destroy enemy aircraft from a distance. However, a significant problem arose; the electrical signal had to be small yet rugged enough to be able to be placed inside and fired from a gun to enable the sensor from miles away. This engineering challenge sparked the development of microelectronics and PCBs. Over … [Read more...]
Come Fly With Me
Traveling to a far-away destination usually involves a choice: do I drive or do I fly? Driving entails a slower pace and traffic while flying allows a direct connection to your final destination for around the same price. This simple analogy illustrates choices electronics designers face in getting data from point A to point B. Technology advancement drives added functionality in many of today’s popular applications. OEMs are responding by adding computing and processing power via advanced … [Read more...]