In my previous blogs I have discussed how important UK manufacturing is and how the Electronics industry can be a pivotal part of reinvigorating the UK economy.

While I am against jingoistic protectionism I do believe that we have over the last 15 years under valued the importance of having things manufactured in the UK.  

A person who shares my view is Mary Portas and in her new TV show, Mary's Bottom Line, she finds out the stark reality of how the textile industry has all but been demolished by cheap off-shore labour. I try very hard to put into words why UK manufacturing is so important for a whole range of reasons but really, I can't get anywhere close to it compared to this first episode of the TV series.

I urge you to watch this first episode and think about how this totally compares to the electronics industry.

Truly you have to believe that we can make UK made great again.

Here is a link to the TV Programme: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/marys-bottom-line/4od

In a meeting last week with a sales manger of a very well known connector manufacturer, I was told his prediction of the mains cable becoming obsolete in the next 10-15 years.

Furthermore, according to him, the whole interconnect industry is under threat as new technologies are making electronics smaller and the need for cables becoming a thing of the past.

That is quite a depressing thought especially if your job is to sell connectors! I personally don't agree with the first point as the ability to charge products without a cable requires a manufacturer to sell products that most people can't use because they don't have the means to power it. That's not really the point however; I understand what is being said. In the future at some point most products will probably not require cables as we know them today. For example, the mobile phone is fast becoming the do-it-all device that we all use and that is pretty much the point with regards to personal electronic devices.

So where does this leave us in the interconnection business? In my opinion the answer to this question is the same as it has always been for all industries that are mature. The textile manufacturers working from home that had to give way to the industrial might of the water-powered loom that eventually gave way to lower cost labour from overseas is exactly the same problem we face today.

Change and how we cope with it has and will always be our biggest challenge. When I first entered into the industry we were in the middle of a mass exodus of work being sent to the Far-East so I have only seen the industry in flux with many good companies being lost in the process.

There is a future for us and I believe a very good one. To take the example above of the textile industry we can turn the whole thing on its head. The idea of a bespoke garment being manufactured in the UK by an artisan and instantly we are thinking about high fashion and big prices. What a change.

This is where I see the future of our products turning away from mass production that is nice work if you can get it but the real future is in the specialist companies producing high quality parts using traditional methods. There will always be a demand for this, and a healthy one too. After all, you can't yet build a submarine or aeroplane without using cables.

Our challenge is to work out where we are different than the others and to focus of our individual strengths. It's always been the same in business and never more so than now. So I am not going to predict the end of our industry I am instead going to celebrate out ability to continue to produce high quality products to world class standards.

Something we get asked a lot is what we think of copy or generic connectors. In other words, connectors that are direct copies of branded connectors such as Molex, Tyco, JST and many more.

For many people looking to reduce costs generic connects often enable you to make savings anywhere between 30-50%.

Greater availability: the generic connectors generally do not have the same supply issues that mainstream manufacturers sometimes have so you are still able to maintain production.

Less susceptible to change: surprisingly enough, branded manufactures do like to introduce design changes to their products without letting you know, often cosmetic, sometimes physical. With generic connectors there is usually little or no design input so the design is very unlikely to change.

Some people like buying generics simply because they don't like paying what they consider to be over the top prices just for the label, just like in fashion.

Never wanting to show bias I do have to defend the branded connectors and while there are good reasons to buy generic the most powerful defence is design.

Part of the true cost of the connectors from brands is the R & D that goes into them. A great example of this is the 2.54MM pitch KK Connector from Molex. We call it industry standard. There are plenty of other 2.54MM pitch generic versions however, Molex was first.  All the costs for producing the newest innovation driving electronics smaller can only come from the premium price we pay for the branded connectors.

The choices are many, however. As usual, your expert cable assembly company will help you make the best decision for you. I personally believe that in this area as long as the generic connectors do not infringe on any IP or pertinent and is legal then the answer is what is best for you

In other words what is right for you is not necessarily right for someone else so get expert advice. After all, it's what we, the experts, are here for!

_ Back in 1952 when Cannon first introduced the D-Series connector to the market they could not have imagined that they are still being used as the connector of choice for many interconnect application.

 This simple yet ingenious design has stood the test of time simply because they are so useful for a married of connectivity solutions.

We all know the d-connector but how well do you know it? Leaving aside the different number of ways and densities there are many different types.  How many do you know?  Well here is a simple guide to what is available and to enable you to make better design choices in the future.

D-connectors (Mil Standard 24308) come in many different versions and I have chosen the top 5 you are moist likely to use.  

1:         Stamped & Formed Pin

The pins & sockets that are manufactured from a flat piece of metal (usually tinned brass) that is formed into the cylindrical shape of the contact.  This is the most common type of contact used in commercial connectors and typically has a 50 mating cycles.

2:         Machined Pin

Contacts are manufactured from a solid piece of metal (usually gold plated copper) that is machined into the shape of the contact.  This is a high quality contact designed for demanding applications.  These connectors carry in excess of 500 mating cycles.

3:         Crimp Contact

Crimp Contact D-Connectors are very popular in the high end harsh environment specifically in the military market.  Crimpling as apposed to soldering is generally seen as the termination method of choice for high end however, the arguments for and against are equally strong.

4:         IDC Connector

The IDC D-type is just about the easiest to terminate and has the added advantage of being quick to assemble making this a extremely popular choice for simple data transfer.  The main disadvantage is pin-outs are limited and cable choice is restricted to ribbon cable.

5:         Filtered Connector

Filtered connectors offer greater protection from EMI/RFI.   The connectors feature ceramic capacitor planar arrays and ferrite inductors to prevent interference and typically used in environments where clarity of signal is critical.  Connectors with filtering are by far the most expensive however, if interference is an option then filtering is a must.

I hope this information has been useful and will enable you to make better designs in the process.   When working with your approved cable assembly company be sure to ask them to offer their advice on which connector will be best for you.

_ In this weeks’ Blog I am going to show you how easy it is to understand UL ratings on Cable.  This is often an area of confusion as we have the BS Standard CSA (Canadian Standards Association) & UL (Underwriters Laboratories) Ratings it’s hard to know where to start of which standard to adopt.

For many the default standard of choice is the UL for cable & wire.  The main reason for this is the international association of the standard.  Pretty much everywhere in the world recognisees the standard.  What’s more the leading brands such as Belden & Alpha use UL ratings as standard.

Assuming we are also going to adopt UL as the standard of choice what do we need to know.  Here is a quick guide to UL marking on cable direct from the UL website:

What is the relationship between the UL Standards for wire and cable and the National Electrical Code?

The large majority of UL's wire and cable Standards are intended to be compatible with the installation requirements of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Some exceptions are boat cable, marine shipboard cable, and appliance wiring material. UL staff devotes significant resources to the development of the NEC, which is published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).  

Does an E-number on a product mean that it is UL Listed?

No. The UL E-number is a valid identifier for the organization responsible for a product but not an indication that the product is Listed, Classified, verified or Recognized. Only the appropriate UL Mark -- on the wire or cable or on its packaging -- is a valid indication of UL certification. UL assigns a unique E-number (E and a 3- to 6-digit number for wire and cable products) to each applicant in every product category. To find the responsible organization for a product when the E-number has been used for identification, go to UL's Online Certifications Directory, select "Search By UL File Number" and enter the E-number.

Why are ampacity markings not permitted on UL Listed wire and cable, and not shown in UL wire and cable Standards?

The ampacity of a wire or cable is the amount of current that the wire or cable can transmit without exceeding its rated temperature. An ampacity marking on a wire or cable or a reference to a specific ampacity for a wire or cable in a UL wire or cable standard is not feasible since ampacity varies according to the actual conditions under which the cable will operate. These conditions include the ambient temperature, installation environment (e.g., free-air), conduit or directly buried in the earth. The National Electrical Code provides two methods for the cable user to determine ampacity for a cable based on the installation conditions.

What does the term "verified" mean?

The term "verified," when used in a UL marking, means that the product has been tested and complies with one or more specific requirement. These requirements may be safety- or performance-related. In the UL system, the words "Classified" and "verified" mean the same thing. For a complete explanation of "Listed," "Classified" and "Recognized," read more on the UL Mark.

What is the best source of information on the intended use of a UL Listed wire or cable product?

The guide information for most of UL's product categories provides valuable information regarding intended use and installation requirements. To view this information, go to UL's Online Certifications Directory. Use the keyword search to determine the links to files that are appropriate. Each file contains an additional link to the guide information.

Do the style numbers for Appliance Wiring Material (e.g., 1015) have any significance?

The significance of the numbering systems is as follows:

Style range     Description

1000-1999     Single conductor, thermoplastic-insulated wire

2000-2999     Multi-conductor, thermoplastic-insulated and jacketed wire

3000-3999     Single conductor, thermosetting-insulated wire

4000-4999     Multi-conductor, thermosetting-insulated and jacketed wire

5000-5999 Single and multiple conductor specialty item    s

10000-19999 Continuation of Section 1

20000-29999 Continuation of Section 2

For additional information, refer to the guide information for category AVLV2 -- Appliance Wiring Material.

The Appliance Wiring Material style pages include text such as "Marking -- see page 13." What document does this reference?

The UL appliance wiring material style pages are currently being revised. References within the style pages are obsolete. Instead, refer to the guide information for AVLV2 -- Appliance Wiring Material.

I hope this has helped yopu and look out for my future blogs on this subject designed to help you improve your knowledge and build better products!

_For my fist blog of the year I thought I'd start with a new product innovation from 3M.  For those of you who are into high-speed data then this is for you!

The 3M Internal Twin Axial Ribbon Cable SL8800 Series is a new ultra low-profile, high-speed, high signal density cable. The products in the SL8800 Series are only the first of a new family of high-performance cables from 3M.

The information in the 3M tech specs state the SL8800 Cable Series is a longitudinally shielded cable construction and is made to exacting tolerances. The cable suffers little to no resonance or "suck out," where traditionally spiral wrapped twin axial cables exhibit an enormous loss of signal at a particular range of frequency.

The cable is also low skew, and the ribbon construction allows customers to further control any skew that can sometimes be introduced when trying to manage individual channels. This is especially critical at speeds beyond 10 Gbps. High speed applications continue to demand more performance out of the cables, and the SL8800 Series Cable will deliver that performance for years to come.

_As signal speeds continue to increase, cable can improve but the termination can still be a weak point. The SL8800 Series Cable standard ribbon format supports high performance termination, repeatability, and a reduced possibility for pinout error. When stripped in parallel, and then applied in parallel, each channel results in an identical termination length. Control and placement of individual channels is not required, eliminating the variation in performance and rework due to incorrect placement.

Ok, now my take on this is that this cable really is quite special, apart from the obvious space saving this cable really does seem to be very special and offers design engineers the opportunity to save more space and increase their data throughput.  

My only criticism is the cable is virtually impossible to strip and prepare for termination. The tooling is massively expensive so until the costs come down it will be difficult for many smaller OEMs to adopt.  Still that is always the way with any new technology.

For more information and very interesting technical information check out the promotion video.

_Last week I set you a little test on your soldering skills and, on the same subject, have you ever wondered what NASA recommend for standards of soldering techniques? Well wonder no more here is a document on the NASA website on soldering electrical connections.

As you can imagine it's very detailed and fairly identical to the IPC Class 3 standards that are probably most familiar to most of us. What is interesting is that the document reads like a legal paper!
I find these types of documents fascinating because it's like a window into a whole other world, a world where commercial pressures don't exist and you can have all the time in the world to do the job as well as it is possible to be done. Using only the very best tools and equipment in facilities that are cutting edge.

I am sure the reality is probably somewhere closer to a usual high-Tec workshop under time and budget pressures but it's great to imagine being part of the best of the best. I also like to secretly imagine that one day that call is going to come through and the voice on the line says "we've heard good things about you and would like you to join our team". I know a guy can dream but the important thing is that we have this vision of being the best that we can be.

What NASA does inspire is the idea that we all want to go further to produce better quality of workmanship to provide the very best and most reliable equipment available. Striving to reach better standards to find that nirvana the point of perfection is a most admiral target.

_Many of my previous blogs have referred to the design or products used in interconnection and cable assemblies. This week I want to talk about the standards used in wire and cable assembly.

Many people working in electronics assembly design & manufacture are familiar with the IPC 610 Standard (Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies) however; the dedicated standard for Cable & Wire Harness Assemblies is IPC/WHMA-A-620.

Many of you will be aware of the standard and very familiar with the acceptability requirements but there are some myths and misconceptions' regarding what is acceptable and what is not.

With this in mind I have a small test for you. The following questions are taken from the IPC Training DVD Seven Deadly Sins of cable assembly. Let's see how you get on, there is no price just the smug satisfaction of being a "know it all" if you get all the questions right.

Fourteen correct answers are the minimum requirement for a pass in the official IPC Exam.

Here is a link to the questions >>

_
As first reported by my colleagues over the pond @ www.interconnectionworld.com, the FIA have released a white paper on the use of CCA (Copper Clad Aluminium) cables in Ethernet cables (pdf).

In the last couple of years those of us in the networking interconnection industry have seen the introduction of CCA cables largely because of the downward pressure customers have on prices, and in no small account to the fact that copper prices have been going through the roof.

CCA is as the name suggests it's a small amount of copper bulked up with aluminium to create the 24 AWG required for most Ethernet applications.  We in the business have known for some time that CCA cables do not perform as well as pure copper conductors and now the FIA have come out and shown us the facts and it looks quite ugly.

In short the report is scathing over the performance of CCA cables and warns over the use of them on PoE networks.  Long-term life span and network data through-put bandwidth are seemingly highly compromised.

Now at this point I have to declare an interest.  We so supply CCA Cables alongside pure copper cables, simply because many clients want a cost-effective solution for today that saves them money in the short term, baring in mind the economic situation.  However, we know that copper conductors are better and always make the case for them.  Hopefully this new FIA report will help us to educate our customers and avoid us all using scare tactics and focus on the pure facts.

A copy of the report can be found here: http://www.fia-online.co.uk/pdf/Whites/wp-IAN002-01.pdf

Ultimately it is not that our customer have been cheap to take the low cost cables it is simply our job to educate them of the benefits to steering away form CCA.  This report will make our argument based on fact and be very hard to resist.

If you use power then you use the IEC connector. It's been around for a while now, since 1970 to be precise. As mentioned in previous blog posts, good design stands the test of time, that's why they are still around. They do the job really well.

There is usually a little confusion around the connector types and their uses. So to keep things simple for this blog post I am only going to talk about the IEC 60320 series. That's the C-Series to you and me!

Here is a list of connectors and their common uses:


C1/C2 connector  used on electric shavers and other low voltage devices, not in use so much these days, normally replaced by the DC connector.  C5/C6 connector (Clover Leaf or Mickey Mouse, pictured right) used on laptop power supplies and portable projectors, and on the Apple desktop computer iMac G4.


C7/C8 connector. This connector is often used for small cassette recorders, battery / mains operated radios, some full size audio-visual equipment, laptop computer power supplies, video game consoles, and similar double-insulated appliance.

C13/C14 connector. The most popular of all power connectors. Most desktop computers use the fifteen-amp panel-mounting C14 inlet to attach the power cord to the power supply, as do many monitors, printers and other peripherals.

C15/C16 connector. Some electric kettles and similar hot household appliances like home stills use a supply cord with a C15 connector, and a matching C16 inlet on the appliance; their temperature rating is 120 °C rather than the 70 °C of the similar C13/C14 combination. The official designation in Europe for the C15/C16 connector is a 'hot condition' connector.

C19/C20 connector. Earthed, 16 A, polarized. This connector is used for some IT applications where higher currents are required, as for instance, on high-power workstations and servers, UPSs, PDUs, large network routers and switches and similar equipment. It is rectangular and has pins parallel to the long axis of the connector face.

So there you have it IEC connectors explained. I hope you found this guide useful and has gone some way to making sense of all the connectors out there!