Product category:
Connectors, Terminals, Busbars and Slip Rings
News Release from: ODU UK | Subject: Mac and Mini-Snap
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 10 August 2005
Bus-based connectors don industrial
guises
Two connector systems from ODU can now be supplied to provide security in demanding bus-based industrial applications.
Two connector systems from ODU can now be supplied to provide security in demanding bus-based industrial applications An increasing number of industrial automation designers are using high-speed Ethernet or other bus-based protocols for their control network designs, but the electrical connectors can be a problem area
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 15 Feb 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Connectors ideal for computerised auto-testing
The ODU-MAC connector system from ODU consists of a range of customisable, rugged frames, plastic insulation bodies with various insert patterns, and crimpable, removable contacts
Plastic push-pull connector costs 6% less
ODU has introduced a plastic-bodied version of its Mini-Snap push-pull-locking, circular connector that can give cost savings of up to 60% over metal-bodied variants.
Existing PC-style RJ45 I/O connectors, FireWire or USB connectors are not suited to use in demanding industrial situations because their lack of environmental protection, insufficient mechanical ruggedness and complicated or nonexisting locking systems represent major hurdles for device manufacturers.
Two product ranges from ODU, the Mac and Mini-Snap, can meet industrial requirements, and independent test laboratories have verified the products' use for bus-based networks.
Measurement of connector parameters such as signal attenuation, impedance, interference and crosstalk at 400Mbyte/s has confirmed that the connector performance exceeds the requirements of FireWire standard IEEE1394-1995.
Further reading
High-quality, low-cost, reusable plastic connector
ODU's Mini-Snap plastic bodied push-pull connector has been developed for reliability, cost-effective assembly, quick and easy cable termination and short supply schedules
Connector for PCB to PCB ribbon cable linking
The ODU Mini-Fix card-to-cable connector system has been developed to connect printed circuit boards, such as mother and daughter boards, to one another with ribbon cables.
Depending on the application, the ODU Mac can be equipped with a quick-lock spindle or a latching system based on locking levers.
In either case, the locking system is very reliable, and connector mating or demating is done quickly and easily.
The modular concept of the connector, with many different modules and contact types, makes it very easy to design connectors for a wide range of industrial uses.
High-density modules with a large contact count are suited for bus systems with low data transfer rate requirements.
A special EMI-shielded bus module is available for use in faster, more modern bus system based on the FireWire or USB 2.0 protocol.
The Mac can have electrical contacts for various voltage or power levels, pneumatic couplers, or fibre-optic contacts or coaxial side-by-side in the same connector housing.
The company's Mini-Snap cylindrical push-pull connectors offer another solution for critical applications in industrial bus systems.
The metal housing of the Mini-Snap provides EMI shielding and its push-pull locking system makes mating and demating easy and quick, with accidental demating virtually impossible.
Many insert arrangements, contact styles, and connector sizes are available, together with protection to IP68.
Several different designs of panel-mounted receptacles allow crimp or solder termination to wires or even direct soldering to PCBs.
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