Connecting System Power

In addition to the increased amount of data communicated in the newest products, power transfer requires increasingly efficient and reliable connectors and cables to handle high current and voltages. Innovative approaches for power distribution and connections within, between, or to the system have driven the design of new connectors. The operating environment and system can require watertight, hot-pluggable or card edge connections.

BUS BAR POWER CONNECTOR

To meet the increasing power requirements of telecommunication and high-end computing equipment, Molex developed a high-current Bus Bar Connector (BBC). The hot-pluggable BBC provides an easy blind-mate connection for direct mating the perpendicular power bus bars typically found in power supply or switching power supply applications. Rated for interruption and operation up to 320A (at a 30C temperature rise), the free-floating parallel contacts in the BBC housing facilitate blind mating with a standard 25.4-mm (1-inch) wide by 3.18-mm (0.125-inch) thick bus bar. For laminated bus bars, isolated left and right contacts provide an option for power feed and return. Specific applications for the BBC include networking hubs, switches and routers, high- and mid-range computing applications, such as servers, data storage and power supplies, and operating base stations in cellular communications. Get more information on Molex’s Bus Bar Connector.

Available in five different housings and two connector configurations, Lapp USA EPIC LS1 circular power connectors are designed to DIN specification EN61984. The male coupler, female connector, and male inlet configurations meet simple cable-to-cable and cable-to-machine requirements. All connector models consist of a nickel-plated zinc body, plastic contact insulation body and sleeve, and gold-plated electrical contacts. Cable mounted versions include an EMC shield ring and IP 68 cable clamp and seal. For power distribution, the 5+PE contact configuration has contacts plus ground rated at 630V and 22A. For the mixed power and signal applications of servo motors with brake and feedback requirements, the 3+PE+4 design has three contacts plus ground rated at 630V and 22A and four contacts rated for 250V and 7A. Designed as a compact watertight connector with high voltage and current capability, target industrial or commercial applications include power transmission and servo drives in the plastics, printing, analytical instrument, robotic, and machine tool industries. Get more information on Lapp USA EPIC LS1 Circular Power & Mixed Power Connectors.

To connect the dc power output from embedded ac/dc power supplies or for power distribution between boards within an enclosure, FCI developed the Power Card-Edge series. Design options include right-angle, vertical, or straddle-mount solder termination with various circuit counts and a full complement of power contacts. With a connector body width of 9 mm or less, the connector can be used in 1U rack-mount servers or on power distribution boards inside 1U redundant power supply assemblies. The right-angle connector has versions that combine power and power control signal contacts or power contacts with an ac pass-through port. Manufactured using a high-conductivity copper alloy, adjacent power contacts have a 2.54 mm pitch along the card edge with a rating of up to 7A (measured at 30C temperature rise in still air). Signal contacts have a 1.27 mm pitch. The connector’s low profile allows increased airflow through a power supply for improved cooling. The design targets servers and external storage systems in enterprise data or communications equipment. Get more information on FCI’s Power Card-Edge connectors.