Before we answer the question, "What is a JTAG connector?" let me first give you a brief overview of JTAG. What is JTAG? Joint Test Action Group, or JTAG, is the common name for IEEE Standard 1149.1. This standard defines a particular method for testing board-level interconnects, which is also called Boundary Scan. In short, JTAG was created to test for common problems, but lately, it has become a way of configuring devices. The JTAG hardware interprets information from five different … [Read more...]
Six Tips To Help You Select The Right Connector
I’ve worked with many engineers trying to select the right connector set for their board-to-board application. I felt bad for them because they had many options to choose from, and it can be a confusing, frustrating endeavor. It’s made it all the more complicated because no two applications are identical. This blog aims to give you a few design tips from a connector company veteran (that would be me). These practical, commonsensical suggestions (hopefully) will help you select the right … [Read more...]
Gold Plating On Connectors: How Much Do I Need?
Designers frequently ask how much gold plating they should specify on the connector pins. As I write this blog, (and yes, I’m old-fashioned and am actually typing it; I’m not using AI), the price of gold has increased about 28% in the last six months. So, the original question – how much gold should I use on my connectors – is extremely relevant. Gold Plating Is A Major Cost Driver The major costs in a connector set are: And on most connectors – well, most Samtec connectors … [Read more...]
Manufacturing Variation: It’s Our Job To Find The Hidden Enemy
Manufacturing high-end electronics is difficult. Making a one-time sample for a demonstration or prototype can be challenging, but the real challenge is finding out how to make it consistently and in a profitable manner. That's what Aaron Tucker, Samtec's Director of Engineering - New Ventures (R&D), said during a recent presentation about the challenges of producing high-density, microminiature connectors. Most of his discussion focused on reducing manufacturing variability. I later … [Read more...]
Discrete Wire Cable Assemblies: An Overview and Quick Tutorial
The worldwide cable assembly market is expected to hit $218.6 billion in 2023. The Automotive and Telecom industries are the two largest markets for cable assemblies, and China and North America are the two largest manufacturing regions. Interestingly, application-specific (i.e., custom) and rectangular assemblies are the two largest product groups. (1) Two of the most popular types of cable assemblies are discrete wire and insulation displacement contact (IDC) systems. Here’s a link to … [Read more...]