Selecting The Right Contact For Your Board-to-Board Interconnect System
Samtec’s new product development focuses on high-performance, high-data-rate connector systems. For example, we have six product families rated at 112 Gbps PAM4, and we’re already demonstrating 224 G systems.
But does your system require those data rates? Chances are it doesn’t. You are likely more concerned about identifying reliable, cost-effective board-to-board connectors or cable assemblies. Selecting the right contact for that connector or cable system helps ensure your product meets the standards it’s supposed to meet – whether it is a high-cycle application, high shock and vibration, or an interconnect that will see very little stress in its life.
This blog serves as a quick reference to help you sort through the myriad of product choices to identify the right connector, contact system, and product series for your application.
Samtec has more ways to connect two or more boards than any other interconnect provider, so let’s dig in …
THE RIGHT CONTACT FOR HIGH RELIABILITY, HIGH CYCLE
The Tiger Eye™ contact system is designed for high reliability, high cycle applications. Tiger Eye is a multi-finger contact — with either three or four points of contact — made of heat-treated beryllium copper. BeCu provides a strong combination of mechanical and electrical properties for high-reliability interconnections.
Popular Tiger Eye Products
1.27 mm Pitch:
- Board Stacking: SFM socket strips | TFM terminal strip
- IDC: FFSD cable assembly | FTSH, EHF terminal strips
- Discrete Wire: SFSD cable assembly | TFM terminal strip
2.00 mm Pitch:
- Board Stacking: SMM socket strip | TMMH, LTMM, TW terminal strip
- Board Stacking: S2M socket strip | T2M terminal strip
- IDC: TCSD cable assembly | EHT, TMMH terminal strips
- Discrete Wire: S2SD cable assembly | T2M terminal strip
Below are a few examples of Tiger Eye test reports pertaining to high cycle, high reliability:
Samtec has other Tiger Eye products available; the ones listed here are our most popular series. For a more complete list of products, please visit our picture search. Select “Rugged/Power,” then “Rugged Tiger Eye Systems.”
THE RIGHT CONTACT FOR LOW-PROFILE OR PASS THROUGH
Samtec’s Tiger Claw™ contact is a low-profile, dual-wipe, pass-through contact. The Tiger Claw contact is available in 1.00, 1.27, 2.00, and 2.54 mm pitch socket strips. The profile of the SMT version is usually 2.29 mm (.090”). Also, Tiger Claw is a pass-through contact, which allows the mating terminal strip to pass through the top or bottom of the socket strip, and to connect three (or more) boards together.
Popular Tiger Claw Products
- 1.00 mm Pitch: CLM socket strip | FTM, FTMH terminal strips
- 1.27 mm Pitch: CLP socket strip | FTS, FTSH terminal strips
- 2.00 mm Pitch: CLT socket strip | TMM, TMMH terminal strip
- 2.54 mm Pitch: SSM, SSW socket strips | TSM, TSW terminal strips
HIGH RETENTION & COST-EFFECTIVE
The Tiger Buy™ contact is popular because it is a simple dual-wipe design, high retention, and cost-effective. It’s not the most rugged contact we have but it’s durable. It’s not the least expensive contact we offer but it’s cost-effective. The long beams / extended insertion depth make it rugged. It is a big seller for Samtec because it’s one of the workhorses of our product line.
Popular Tiger Buy Products
- 2.54 mm Pitch: SSW, SSQ socket strips | TSW, HW terminal strips
- 2.54 mm Pitch: ESW, ESQ socket strips | TSW, HW terminal strips
- 2.00 mm Pitch: SQW, SQT socket strips | TMMH, TW terminal strips
BEST COST (BUT STILL RELIABLE)
Tiger Beam™ is a post-and-beam contact design. Being a single beam, it is our most economical contact. But economical does not mean it’s unreliable; they are tested to 100 cycles. Tiger Beam is available in five pitches; most contacts are gold-plated BeCu.
Popular Tiger Beam Products
- 2.54 mm Pitch: HLE socket strip | TSM terminal strip
- 2.00 mm Pitch: TLE socket strip | TMMH terminal strip
- 1.27 mm Pitch: FLE socket strip | FTSH terminal strip
- 1.00 mm Pitch: MLE socket strip | FTMH terminal strip
- 0.80 mm Pitch: CLE socket strip | FTE terminal strip
THAT’S NOT ALL
The contact systems discussed above are four of our more popular pin-and-socket systems for “basic” board stacking. We have not even discussed our high-speed connectors and cable assemblies, but you can check those out on your own. Check out the best search tool for board-to-board connector products in the industry.
Here’s an overview of all available Samtec contact systems.
