Have you ever wondered who the top selling cable manufacturer in the world is?  Well, wonder no more as I have a definitive list of top selling cable manufacturers, and let me tell you I was as surprised as you will be.

Reading through the list makes you realise how much hype manufactures put out and how little it reflects the volume of cable they sell. However, it's worth noting that some of the manufacturers you will never have heard of. This is because these manufactures are making the cables for well brands.

For example, when you buy a product and it comes with say USB or Audio cables, it's these little known manufacturers quietly making them in the millions, therefore selling a tonne of cable.

I hope you find this as interesting as I did!

Get the full list here:
list of top selling cable manufacturers

I have been very pleased to see the new series on the BBC "Made in Britain". I can't think where they got that idea! Anyway, the point is that UK manufacturing is now vital to our economy and after the recession, the sensible people in government realise re-balancing the economy will be partly manufacturing driven.

A good example of the importance of manufacturing is its ability to create jobs for all levels of education and abilities. In finance, typically, you need to be well educated and work in an office. That is ok for some but what if, like me, you like making things or you're passionate about having a physical achievement to the end of your day's work.

As for those with strong maths skills, then rather than working for an insurance company, working out loss adjustments, or working in IT, how about moving into electronics where you can see something you design going into the public domain? Believe me, there is nothing better than seeing a product you have helped bring to the market in your local shop.

So this is all good and, to heap more goodness onto this, China's Premier Wen Jiabao has pledged to take measures to increase trade between Britain and China.  

They have acknowledged they must address their trade deficit with the world and import more goods. This can only be good news for our industry. We all know Germany makes the machines that go into China's factories so why don't we do the same, I know many companies that manufacture specialist products that are going down very well overseas.

The result is that, as I have constantly been saying, there is a place for our hi-tech electronics manufacturing and a healthy future at that. Just think how many factories in china that will benefit from UK made sensors, testers, analyzers and automation products to list just a few examples.

This, to me, is all good and it's about time too. Lets have more of this positivity and look forward to embracing our overseas partners rather than fearing them.

It has been said, by no less of a philosopher than Kermit the Frog, that it ain't easy being green. However, for many forward thinkers the very idea of being green is essential to the survival of the human race.  For others it is a vague thing that, yeah, maybe it's going to be a problem if we don't protect the environment some day.

There is also another set of people who are thinking, "I'm worried about the environment but my job involves making things, so we perpetuate the problem of taking natural resources from the earth."

This is something that I used to think about a lot, but the secret to an easy conscience is knowing that you can do something positive that will help the environment and save the earth's precious natural resources.

You'll notice I have not mentioned connectors or interconnects yet, but rest assured I will. I think electronics manufacturing is the very best industry to be in right now.  In my view the greenest.  

The products we are working on now are more efficient, greener, smaller and take fewer natural resources than ever before. What is more, in the future we will get better and better at making technology work for us.

With this in mind, here are a few products out now that have been used in real, environmentally-friendly applications:

• Harting Connectors in Wind Turbines
• Overshot Connectors in water turbines
• Ecolibrium line of bio-based plasticizers from Dow Wire
• HUBER+SUHNER's Enviroflex

(Before we start this blog, thank you to all those who contacted my directly answering the quiz I set last week. Well the good news is that many of you did indeed do your homework and got all the answers right. It would be unfair to everyone if I were to pick one winner suffice to say you know who you are and well done you!)

A recent experience has led me to question the policy of some major connector manufacturers in the way they make their tooling and products available.

Here is the thing; we come across this problem repeatedly where an engineer flicks through the latest product catalogue or website and finds a shiny new connector and thinks "yes that's the one for me", designs it into the system, then it's passed on to the cable assembly house to manufacture prototypes, through to full production. Great, you're thinking, so what is the problem?

The issue is that on many occasions, the manufactures have not received the product range in the UK or more commonly they have the product in the UK but no tooling or the tooling is so expensive it is not cost effective to invest just to produce prototypes.

This just annoys everyone and ultimately the cable assembly house offers the connectors they have tooling for, the design is changed, and the original connector manufacturer ends up loosing out.

Seriously, recently I was talking to a major connector manufacturer who said to me, "you can buy the contacts but we are not producing the tooling for it that is available in the UK." Where is the logic in that?

This happens so much it constantly amazes me that big companies just seem to loose sight of the fact that many mass produced items start life being designed and prototyped in the UK.

We need more joined up thinking from the major players. Neglect the UK market at the risk of your new connectors being obsolete before they even have the chance to be fully appreciated.

I apologise if this sounds like a rant and I guess it is but I love new technology and new connectors. We get to see some great innovation, but we come up against a brick wall such as tooling costs and it just makes me very sad for the industry. I know that we can do better than this.

To complete my series of guides to fiber optics I am now going to give you a small quiz!  There is no prize for your efforts,  however, if you are brave enough to post your answers as a Comment below, I will give you a hero's reception in my next blog.

Multiple Choice

Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 
 1. Singlemode fiber has a ______ light-carrying core than multimode fiber.
A.    Smaller
B.    Larger
C.    Same size
 
2. What is the core size of singlemode fiber?
A.    5 mm
B.    9 microns
C.    50 microns
D.    63.5 microns
 
 3. Singlemode fiber has ________ bandwidth than multimode fiber.
A.    More
B.    Less
C.    The same
 
 4. What wavelengths are appropriate for use with multimode fiber?
A.    650 & 850 nm
B.    850 & 1300 nm
C.    850 & 1310 nm
D.    1310 & 1550 nm
 
 5. The diameter of the core in OM2 and OM3 multimode fiber is how large?
A.    50 microns
B.    62.5 microns
C.    62.5 mm
D.    9 mm
 
 6. Which of the following fiber specifications is most important to the user and is an important factor in testing?
A.    Attenuation
B.    Bandwidth
C.    Numerical aperture
D.    Core-cladding concentricity
 
 7. The largest contributor to fiber attenuation is ____________.
A.    Absorption
B.    Scattering
C.    Bending losses
D.    Microbends
 
 8. Which fiber typically has the largest core?
A.    POF
B.    Multimode Step Index
C.    Multimode Graded Index
D.    Singlemode
 
 9. The loss of a multimode graded index fiber is greatest at _________.
A.    850 nm
B.    1300 nm
C.    1310 nm
D.    1550 nm
 
 10. Which type of dispersion affects singlemode fiber as well as multimode fiber?
A.    Modal
B.    Differential
C.    Chromatic
D.    Polarization mode

Well done for completing the quiz, now go-ahead and post your answers as a comment below and I will announce the winner next week.  Remember you will be the envy of all your fellow engineers and colleagues!

For completing this simple quiz, you now have the treat of this following video on fiber optics. Enjoy!

PS.  If you just can't wait send us a mail and we'll

Lately there has been a lot of interest in Cat 7 and I'm going to give you an overview of what's available and where I believe copper is in terms of capacity of data transmission.

Sometimes new technology comes along and says 'buy me I'm new faster and better than ever before' and just like good consumers we find ourselves picking up the phone and asking for the very latest thing. In this case it's Cat 7, which has been around a while but it's only just starting to become big.

Part of the demand for Cat 7 is the possibility of 40G bandwidth. Most systems run at 600Mhz and you're thinking yep, that'll future proof me and you'd be right too.

Lets look at this in more detail - what do we need to consider? Well firstly Cat 7 is not yet a fully ratified specification and unlike with the long wait for Cat 6 (which uses RJ45 connectors) to become ratified each system uses it's own propriety connector system. And we are currently in a race for the dominant system to take the lead and become the de facto connector of choice.

Think of the Blue Ray Vs HD DVD contest which seemed to go on for ages and help back literally millions of sales because consumers we just not sure which system to go with.

Main contenders

So what do we have to choose from at the moment? These are the main contenders:

• Siemon TERA Category 7
• Nexans GG45 LANmark-7
• AMP SL TWIST-7

The Nexans GG45 will be the most familiar looking as they have styled the connector system to look like the more traditional RJ45 connectors. Don't be fooled it's not the same and you will need a whole new set of tools to assemble.

Installation and testing

This brings me to my next point, installation and testing. So you like the look of one of the systems. You then need to tool up and get the test gear not a low cost option. But then if you want the best you need to invest.

Here are some videos showing the assembly process of each system:

• Siemon: http://youtu.be/Qjr9OdVXPj0
• Nexans: http://youtu.be/zu99XP9sbTU
• AMP:     http://www.ampnetconnect.com.au/selfrun/AMP-TWIST-7AS/player.html

Connection interfaces

Another thing to consider is the active equipment and what connection interfaces they have. For example, you install the vertical cabling to Cat 7 but the switches have RJ45 inputs which effectively steps down the transmission speeds.

I have to say at this point I love new technology and I get excited about the new possibilities provided by the best and latest. It's just that I can't help thinking that if you are going to all this trouble to implement Cat 7 why not go for fibre? I know the active equipment costs more but fibre will last for ever and far exceeds the bandwidth required for today's data hungry networks.

Ultimately the market will decide and it does come down to personal choice. I hope that I have helped you to make a better informed choice. And as I always say, don't be afraid to ask your cabling experts - all the good ones will help you make the best decision that is right for you.

The future is here and it's all about carbon nanotubes! We in the cable assembly business may all be out of a job as this amazing material does the same work as traditional copper based cables but at a much smaller scale.

But don't worry you're job is safe for the moment as it is still early days for this emerging technology. Here is the blurb from Nanocomp Technology manufacture of the carbon nanotubes:

It has been long known that individual carbon nanotubes have extraordinary properties:
•    Strength
•    Conduct Electricity
•    Conduct Heat
•    Lightweight
 
However, up to now, competitive commercial manufacturing processes have generally produced only short carbon nanotubes - usually tens of microns long - with current carbon nanotubes generally available in powder formats. And, as with most powders, they can be quite difficult to incorporate into final manufactured goods. Perhaps most importantly, final products made from traditional powdery nanotubes have poor bulk properties - exhibiting less than optimal strength and conductivity.

NCTI's patent pending processes change the game. We have developed methods to continuously produce very long, pure, carbon nanotubes, in the millimetre range of length, at high growth rates. Longer nanotubes mean greater strength, higher conductivity, easier handling, and greater product safety.

They are key to providing the attractive properties exhibited by individual tubes.
Today's nanotubes are also quite expensive - usually too expensive for use in volume industrial applications. This is a result of the significant amounts of impurities generated in their manufacture. Extensive and expensive post growth purification is usually needed to remove these impurities.

NCTI's process produces very pure materials that do not require post-growth purification. High initial purity, combined with high output production rates hold the promise of achieving excellent process economics and product affordability as we scale the process

However, long nanotubes are only part of the story.

Widespread industrial use of carbon nanotubes has also been limited due to a lack of volume production methods to create long nanotube fibers or sheets, with attractive physical properties, for use in final products.

To address this, NCTI has also developed novel methods to fabricate its nanotubes into structurally strong and electro-thermally conductive fibers, yarns, and sheets. They are delivering on some of the long awaited promises of carbon nanotubes. For example our products exhibit:
•    High Strength - our spun conductive yarns exhibit breaking strengths up to 3 GPa expressed or in other terms: 1.5 Nt/Tex or 450,000 psi and with fracture toughness that is higher than aramids (such as Kevlar or Twaron). Our CNT sheets have breaking strengths, without binders, that range from 500 MPa to 1.2 GPa depending upon tube orientation. aluminium breaks at 500 MPa, carbon steel breaks around 1 GPa.
•    Electrical Conductivity - Capable of carrying more current than copper and are also more conductive than copper at high frequencies.
•    Thermal Conductivity - Capability to transfer more heat than copper or silver on a
per weight basis.
•    Thermoelectric behaviour - Demonstrate a Seebeck coefficient of greater than 60 µV/ºK
and power greater than 1 watt/gram.
•    Extremely Lightweight - Less than half the weight of aluminium
To leverage these properties we have created value added components, such as conductive cables, thermal straps, EMI shielding "skins," and high strength sheets or yarns for incorporation into final end-user products


Or you can just watch this video in which a bloke with a beard in a white lab coat explains everything you need to know about nanotubes.

http://youtu.be/ZdyKfY94L84



So there you have it the future is an exciting place full of possibilities we just have to work out where we fit into this future.

As electrically powered cars are made available and we read reports about many more being close to production, debates are still raging about a common standard for the plugs they use for charging.

Isn't there already a standard?

Back in 2001, SAE International proposed a standard for a conductive coupler which was approved by the California Air Resources Board for electric vehicle charging stations. The connector has five pins for the two AC wires, with ground and signal pins that are compatible with IEC 61851-2001/SAE J1772-2001 for proximity detection and control pilot function.

The SAE J1772, known as Type 1, is now considered the North American standard for electrical connectors for electric vehicles; and is compatible with numerous vehicles already on the market such as the Nissan LEAF, Chevrolet Volt, Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, Honda Fit EV and the Ford Focus EV.

However, the plug standardization in Europe is part of a process that also includes smart grid elements and battery recharge electronics for cars. In this area there are two broad competing standards.

International competition

German connector manufacturer Mennekes has developed a series of 60309-based connectors enhanced with additional signal pins known as CEEplus connectors, which have been used to charge electric cars since the 1990s. When Volkswagen promoted its plans for electric mobility, Mennekes contacted the company about its requirements for connectors.

In 2008, it derived a new connector, known as Type 2, with utility RWE and car maker Daimler, and this was accepted as the standard connector by other car makers and utilities for field tests in Europe.

The connector has received criticism however, with car manufacturer Peugeot comparing it to the IEC 60309 plugs that are readily available. As such, a number of field tests in France and the UK have adopted the campground sockets that are already installed in many outdoor locations.
 
In 2010, the EV Plug Alliance was formed between electrical companies in France and Italy. Together they created a new connector, known as Type 3, which provides three-phase charging up to 32 Ampere and uses shutters over the socket side pins which is required in 12 European countries but is not included in any other electric vehicle charger plug. Limiting the plugs to 32 Ampere also allows for cheaper plugs and installation costs.

According to the EV Plug Alliance, instead of having a single plug type at both ends of the charger cable, it would be better to choose the best type for each side - its plug is considered the best option for the charger side/wall box leaving the choice for the car side open.

So which option is best?

An ACEA position paper published in June 2010 ruled out a Type 1 connector because of the three-phase charging which is so popular in Europe and China - however, debates remain about whether Type 2 or Type 3 should get the nod as the new industry standard across the continent.

Much of the debate revolves around the shutters used in Type 3 that are absent from Type 2. One argument is that mode three requires the socket to be dead when there is no vehicle attached so there is no hazard that the shutter needs to provide protection from and so the shutters only have advantages in mode two (when the electric car is connected to the supply network not exceeding 32A), allowing for a simpler charging station.

However, a public charging station would expose the charging socket and plugs to a harsher environment and so it is argued that the shutter could easily have a malfunction that is not noticed by the driver.

As such it is expected that the ACEA will adopt Type 2 mode three chargers, which means the charging socket is dead if no vehicle is present. Analysts expect them to be used in home chargers after 2017 while still allowing mode two charging with established plug types that are already available.

Whatever the decision on standardization is, it needs to happen fast. Otherwise the car will be available but with nowhere to charge them except at home.

This all reminds me of just how long it took Cat 6 to get ratified, which was just far too long. The only good thing then was that we had Cat 5e to fall back on. Unfortunately for the environment regarding electric vehicles we have carbon monoxide producing engines to fall back on.

In my previous Blog "Coaxial Connector Guide" I gave you a comprehensive guide to common connector types.  I have been asked since to give a bit more information about the type of information you need to help choose the connector that is right for your application.

Here is my top 10 things to consider when choosing the coax connector.

1. Frequency of Operation
Frequency refers to the number of times a periodic action occurs in one second. The SI unit for measuring frequency is hertz. RF connectors are grouped into families, or series. Each series is designed to operate in a frequency range. SMA connectors are an ideal connector for many applications due to its wide frequency range of 0-18 GHz.

2. Characteristic Impedance
Impedance matching is a crucial consideration in the designing process. The SI unit for measuring impedance is Ohms. Most connectors operate between 50-95 ohms. RF connectors used in audio and video applications, such as BNC and F connectors usually operate at 75 ohms. Most 2400 MHz applications operate at 50 ohms.

3. Insertion Loss
Insertion loss, expressed as a ratio in dB relative to the transmitted signal power, refers to the amount of signal power lost in transmission due to device interference. Insertion loss is commonly referred to as attenuation. The farther the signal must travel, the higher the attenuation. Many factors affect insertion loss including coax cable type and length. The ultimate goal of any RF connector is to minimize attenuation.

If the power transmitted by the source is PT and the power received by the load is PR, then the insertion loss in dB is given by:

4. Power Handling
Most RF connectors used in the telecommunications industry safely operate up to 500 volts. Usually the larger the connector, the higher the power handling. For instance, N Type connectors can handle up to 2,700 volts.

5. Gender
In the world of RF connectors, plugs are typically referred to as "male" and are threaded on the inside. Jacks are usually "female" and contain threads on the outside. Not all RF connectors are threaded. MCX connectors utilize a snap on mating mechanism. A good rule of thumb is that plugs house the contact pin.   Except for Reverse Polarity Connectors that have a Mae body and female centre contact, most commonly used in wireless network systems.

6. Form Factor
Since the development of the first UHF connector in the 1930's, Coax connectors have been getting smaller. The micro-miniature IPX connector boasts a profile of only 2.5mm! Keep in mind however; there is a trade-off between size and power handling.

7. Durability
Many factors influence the ruggedness of an RF connector. How often will the connector be connected and disconnected? Most RF connectors are rated up to 500 mating cycles. Is the connector for outdoor or indoor use? At what temperatures will the connector be subjected to?

8. Environmental Considerations
The main factors to keep in mind concerning durability involve environmental considerations. Mil-Spec RF connectors undergo testing standards which simulate environmental conditions such as vibration and corrosion. These standards are usually expressed in MIL-STD-XXX format.

9. Coupling Style
The mating mechanism associated with an RF Connector is another one of the factors concerning durability. The common threaded interface provides a secure connection for SMA connectors, but is not convenient for frequent disconnects as the bayonet locking feature of the BNC connector. Snap on mating is becoming more common in more space critical applications.  

10. Cost
Most often, despite finding the perfect Coax connector for your RF application, the final decision comes down to budget. SMC and SMB connectors are on the higher end of the price spectrum , while F and BNC connectors remain on the lower end.

These considerations serve as a reference summary of top considerations when choosing a coax connector for your application. Trade off's often occur between these factors. However, each project demands its own set of requirements. Decide what works best for YOUR project.

Or talk to your friendly cable assembler who will be happy to help!

Further to my previous blogs on promoting UK manufacturing, I believe that last week's budget acknowledged we need more skilled engineers and more manufacturing, specifically with cutting edge technology. There is a major part for us in the Electronics community to play.

In response to the budget, Mike Wright an executive director at Jaguar Land Rover said they aim to add 1,000 engineers in the next 18 months as global demand recovers. Even though unemployment remains at about 8% there is still a shortage of skilled engineers.

Mr Wright argues the government needs to focus on delivering workers with the right skills and encouraging innovation.

Sir James Dyson's said "it is very important that the government does interfere. Investing in R&D is very, very risky and the government can help slightly by skewing the taxation system to encourage the right behaviour".

The point I am making is that there is no lack of innovation and business leaders willing to invest in engineers and the future of the UK electronics and manufacturing industries. If the government can help and encourage our sector then I truly believe we can once again regain our title as world leaders in technology and innovation.

We can not rely on government to support us as we have to identify the businesses and markets that can help us to realise our vision for a better future. However, a little more acknowledgement of the importance of our industry will not go unnoticed.