Card headers save space

More memory in tighter spaces is in demand for portable device applications, such as handheld computers and medical equipment. CompactFlash^(R) right-angle card headers for such devices feature a low-profile height of 4.30 mm (0.169 inch) and perform for a minimum of 10,000 mating cycles, says their maker. These 50-pin headers come in bottom-mount and top-mount types. Header features include 0.635-mm (0.025-inch) pitch in-line surface-mount PC tails that are flush with the connector body to offset damage to solder tails during assembly. Solder pads minimize movement of the header during mating and unmating to prevent the assembly from rocking.

Molex Inc.: Product Code 4826

Connectors accommodate diverse wires

Series 773 push wire connectors can connect solid, stranded, and tinned wire, an industry first, says WAGO Electrical Products Manager Mark Oakes. He says that previously "many push-wire designs would use a spring nut for holding and the current path as well. For low current, this dual use is fine, but for higher currents, an additional current bar is needed. The patent-pending 773 technology uses secure holding 'metal-to-metal-to-metal' contact for reliability, robustness, and low resistance." Features include clear housings for visual confirmation of connections, and a test port for continuity testing, leading to reduced wiring time. The connectors are available in two-, four-, six-, and eight-point connections and accommodate #12 to #18 AWG copper wire. Applications include not only industrial assembly, but also residential and commercial wiring because the product is UL/CSA rated (600V for building wiring).

WAGO Corp.: Product Code 4827

SMT connectors designed dense

B2B^(TM) high-density SMT (surface-mount technology) board-to-board connectors use Advanced Interconnections' field-proven pin-in-contact design featuring eutectic, 0.030-inch diameter solder ball terminals. Applications engineer Gary Eastman says the design also brings together the company's proprietary ball-grid array (BGA) contact processing, for positioning and co-planarity, with its reduced insertion force technology. The result is in standard mated height connectors with high contact densities. "By controlling the length of the male portion into the contact sufficient for a gas-tight connection, no insertion force beyond that need be applied," he notes. The shrouded design protects the exposed male pins during handling and provides positive keying to aid in blind-mate applications. Features include more than 400 contacts per square inch, low inductance, standard mating heights from 5 to 19 mm, gold-plated contacts, and 0.050-inch (1.27-mm) pitch.

Advanced Interconnections: Product Code 4829

Optocoupler offers precision matching

The SLC800 is a linear optocoupler designed for high signal coupling precision--better than 0.1% precision matching (transfer gain linearity) between forward output loop and servo feedback loop (to input) optocouplers across a high-voltage isolation barrier, according to Juan Kadah, optoelectronics division manager for Solid State Optronics. He adds that conventional devices only have values down to 0.25 to 1%. Keys to such precision, Kadah says, are how well the optocoupler's photo transistors are matched, which comes from the company's process control and circuit design. The device is geared for telecommunication sensors, instrumentation, and power-supply isolation circuits.

Solid State Optronics: Product Code 4828

Connector links Fibre Channel drives

A simpler alternative to cable assemblies and adapter boards, the Single Connector Attachment-type (SCA 2) connector interfaces Fibre Channel disk drives directly to a backplane or motherboard. For cost effectiveness, no cable connector need be soldered to the PCB, according to Bob Thornton, product manager for Fujitsu Takamisawa America. The 40-position, 0.050-inch pitch FCN-244 series consists of a surface-mount, straddle-mount plug and a vertical-mount socket which meets ANSI T-11 Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) standard. Features include gold plated bellows contacts with three-stage sequential mating (that is, three levels of contact--power, signal, and ID signal--in the single connector), allowing hot swapping to a backplane. With a housing made of UL94V-0 high-temperature polyester, the connector is reflow solder compatible. Connector current rating is 1A, voltage rating 240V ac, and the operating temperature range is -55 to 105C. Applications include Internet servers now moving toward Fibre Channel.

Fujitsu Takamisawa America: Product Code 4830

Headers are solder-process compatible

High-temperature through-hole terminal block headers are designed to maximize production efficiency. Because they are compatible with SMT (surface-mount technology) solder processes, secondary solder operations can be eliminated. The ELFH pluggable terminal blocks' high-temperature plastics (UL94V-0) can withstand reflow soldering. The series is part of the ELF and Flexiplug (TM) lines of 0.200-inch and 5-mm spaced pluggable terminal blocks, providing an industry standard connector interface in two to 24 circuit configurations. ELFH headers come in open- and closed-end versions for end-to-end stackability and to prevent racking during plug attachment and demating. Screwdriver slots at the header ends allow simple unplugging and minimize contact damage. Ratings are 15A at 300V ac and the devices are CSA and VDE rated, with UL rating pending.

PCD: Product Code 4831