Beyond the construction of the connector, another factor that is crucial to the performance of the connector on the printed circuit board is the quality of the connector solder joints. This is the third in a series of three blogs, which are interviews with David Decker, the Manager of Samtec Interconnect Processing Group (IPG). In these blogs, David answers some of the most frequently asked questions about connector solder joints. As stated previously, the goal in answering these … [Read more...]

Thanksgiving has always been a time for togetherness, for being with those you care about, and for celebrating another year. However, there are times when being together is not possible. Over the last few years, travel has often been difficult, discouraged, or even forbidden, which has left many of us away from our loved ones for Thanksgiving. It is worth remembering that Thanksgiving was created by settlers who found themselves thousands of miles away from their original homes. They had … [Read more...]

Tis the season of giving thanks and showing gratitude to those in need. I'm thankful for the opportunity to tell you about my colleague Istvan Novak and his new book. I sat down with Istvan Novak, Principal SI/PI Engineer at Samtec, and discussed the reprint of his book, Power Distribution Network Design Methodologies. He explained, "During the pandemic, I received numerous questions related to power integrity, and, as a result, the book was reprinted to meet growing demand." Initially, … [Read more...]

This is installment number four in our connector plating FAQs series of blogs. Why all the fuss about connector plating? Simply put, plating greatly impacts the quality and performance of the finished product, and Samtec receives countless questions on all things plating. So it makes perfect sense to us to have a series of blogs on connector plating FAQs. If you want to catch up, here's the link to connector plating FAQs #1, here's a link to #2, and here's a link to blog #3. For the record, … [Read more...]

What was the inspiration that got you into engineering? I am sure that I followed the same path as thousands, if not millions, before me. LEGO blocks and model kits gave me the thrill of creating my own machines, and they lit the spark that makes me the geek that I am now. However much I have always been fascinated with large machines, I have never been in a position to design one. My designs have always been small – connectors and backshells. The chance to work on the next Apollo … [Read more...]

Samtec's Jim Alexander and Pete Robinson recently spoke with Judy Warner on The EEcosystem. The conversation, recorded as a podcast, discusses how increasing frequencies and shrinking footprints impact RF connectors and PCBs. They also discuss new design considerations and solutions. Here's a link to that podcast (it's free -- no registration, no strings attached) While it doesn't replace the podcast, below are a few comments, ideas, strategies, and observations that are covered in the … [Read more...]

Good things come in pairs. Peanut butter and jelly, Batman and Robin, Thelma and Louise, turkey and dressing, Kirk and Spock, terminal and socket – just to name a few. Samtec’s latest duo is another good pair that will spare you the sticky fingers (although a police chase would make for a really awesome story). Technology & New Product Overview Guide The Technology & New Product Overview Guide highlights the innovative solutions and industry-leading expertise that drive … [Read more...]

The global high-performance computing (HPC) ecosystem comes together each year at SuperComputing. SC22 offers data analysts and scientists, system architects, and design engineers the opportunity to learn, network, and explore the latest in HPC solutions. As a global high-performance interconnect solutions provider, Samtec is a long-time sponsor of SuperComputing. This year, Samtec will feature the latest interconnect solutions in real-world high-performance product demonstrations. The … [Read more...]

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...." Consider this the only Easter egg of this blog. However, don't tech bloggers love Star Wars, MCU or DCEU references? Where's Black Adam? Oops, that's two Easter eggs. In any case, it just seems right to continue with the Easter eggs in this, the official 1000th Samtec blog. Wow, 1,000 blogs. I don't think we as a team ever expected to see that number. As I write this, I am celebrating seven wonderful years at Samtec. I joined … [Read more...]