It's hardly an overstatement to say that connectors make the world go around.
For example, in 2017, the average car featured 274 dedicated connectors, a rate expected to grow by 5% every year until 2022.
Most of these connectors feature several -- if not dozens -- of specific Ios, which provide critical functionality and information to the car's operations. But automotive applications have very few connectors relative to electronics-oriented products, such as computers, servers, and communication equipment.
As the world continues to integrate these highly complex electrical systems, the importance of these high-speed, reliable connectors will become more essential than ever before.
Here, we'll examine some of the most popular types of high-speed connectors on the market today, as well as the most common ways to use them.
Fiber Optic Connectors
Fiber-optic connectors are the gold standard for high-speed data transfer. They're capable of achieving data transfer speeds upwards of 1 petabit per second (125 terabytes/sec) -- the equivalent of data-transfer speeds needed for simultaneously broadcasting 10 million channels of 8K content.
While this rate of speed is a world record -- not one commonly achieved, it's an indication of the mind-boggling speeds that fiber-optic connectors can potentially reach.
Fiber-optic connectors are much more expensive than traditional conductor-based connectors (like copper). Fiber-optic speed remains unmatched – it's often used in high-end communication equipment, computer servers, critical long-distance communications, and even underwater cross-continent communication.
Learn more about the different types of fiber-optic connectors.
Backplane Connectors
Backplane connectors are used in high-performance, high-density interconnect applications, such as board-to-board connections. They often achieve data transfer rates well over 10 Gbps.
For example, the MULTIGIG RT Backplane connector 1410188-3 from TE Connectivity is capable of ultrahigh performance for complex, high-end interconnect applications. It can achieve nearly 25 Gbps across 112 independent contacts, conform to VITA vibration standards, and even qualifies for military avionic and defense applications.
Backplane connectors are often used in conjunction with high-speed, signal-based communication, computing, and networking in high-end applications where density and speed are an engineer's top-priority.
Telecom and Telephone Connectors
Telecom and telephone connectors are high-speed connectors built for the communication industry. They often employ the use of fiber-optics and conductor-based connectivity.
For example, TE Connectivity's CXP pluggable I/O interconnect 2149152-1 connector can achieve 12.5 Gbps, per channel, with a total bandwidth of 150 Gpbs. It complies with InfiniBand CXP 12x QDR and IEEE 100 Gbps Ethernet standards.
These connectors are built for high-speed data environments, meaning they often employ a multitude of EMI prevention measures, heat sinks, and a minimalized footprint.
High-Speed Internet - RJ45 Ethernet Connector
Although they're a subset of Telecom and Telephone connectors, RJ-45 connectors are synonymous with "High-Speed Internet/Ethernet" connectors. They're capable of reaching speeds up to 40Gbps.
RJ-45 connectors are limited in their speed by IEEE Ethernet cabling standards, with Category 8.2 reaching a maximum data transfer rate of 40Gpbs. The most common modern high-speed ethernet connectors are Category 6a (Cat6a) compatible, meaning they achieve around 10Gbps speeds.
For example, PX0893 from Bulgin Limited, is a Cat6a compliant-shielded RJ-45 coupler used for direct PCB mounted panel connection applications.
High-Speed Connectors
High-speed connectors are used in nearly every electronics application on the planet. Whether connectors connect your computer to the internet or connect undersea fiberoptic cables to data centers, they play a critical role in our modern lives. High-speed connectors often operate only at low voltages and utilize high-quality conductors and data transfer mediums. This means they can often be rather costly, but their importance in our way of life is priceless.
