Reliability just got smaller

Hi-Rel connectors just get smaller and smaller as

Mike Richardson

discovered when he spoke to Harwin's marketing manager, Ben Green about the company's new 1.25mm pitch connectors for demanding aerospace applications.

 


Like Sir David Attenborough whispering quietly in the vicinity of wildlife, I'm crouched low examining Harwin's latest high reliability connector product, the Gecko. Said to save space and deliver high performance at commercial price levels, this highly adaptable and evolved species of connector is, as the name suggests, green and extremely small, which just might make it ideal for space saving applications in the latest UAV, civil and defence aircraft programmes.

As one of the leading manufacturers of interconnect solutions and cost-saving PCB hardware products, Harwin's November 2012 introduction of the Gecko high-reliability, safety-critical focused G125 connector family based on a 1.25mm pitch has been designed to offer high performance in a miniature package.

The 1.25mm pin spacing results in a 35% space saving over other high-performance connectors such as Micro-D and also accommodates 2A-2.8A simultaneously per contact at 25°C. Tested and proven to allow high performance in extreme conditions, the G125 family can operate within a wide temperature ranges and under extreme vibration. So why the name Gecko and will there be more reptile-based connector models to follow?

“One of the reasons for the launch of Gecko was that we tried to look closely at what a connector really needed to achieve,” begins Harwin's marketing manager, Ben Green. “Like any reliable connector, it should be small and effective, and almost sit unnoticed in the background. A gecko is a highly adaptable and evolved predator, which is a similar ethos to what we thought a hi-rel small connector should be.

“Connector manufacturers all realise that component footprint has become increasingly smaller over time and this is being driven by customer demands to reduce space and weight. Obviously this demand has become more noticeable in the aerospace sector UAV programmes, where size and weight is paramount, and also in the civil aerospace sectors where there is a need to reduce the huge swathes of copper wiring throughout the aircraft. Although we've been very successful with our 2mm pitch Datamate connector, we know from our own customer base that whilst a 2mm pitch offers a very compact performance, customers still desire smaller, higher performance connectors. We've measured Gecko against the 2mm pitch metric of our Datamate range and we can demonstrate a 45% space saving. Going from 2mm down to 1.25mm, plus a sleek latch connector design has enabled to offer these huge space savings.”

Star performers

Harwin claim this higher performance is made possible by the Gecko's four-finger patented Copper Alloy contact. Indeed, the heart of the connector system demonstrates Harwin's commitment to investment in the latest capital equipment, such as the purchase of state-of-the-art Star Micronics' automatic sliding head lathes located in its Portsmouth, Hants-based machine shop.

“We have a policy of investing the profit back into the business and we believe that there should be no machinery older than five years in our factory,” continues Green. “As a vertically integrated company, we can control all the production processes throughout our high specification turning shop. This is unique for a UK-based connector company to possess all the stages of connector design and manufacture, including turning, moulding and plating all in one central location.”

With so many of Harwin's Datamate connectors already being used in harsh environment applications, the company has incorporated all the features it has developed over the years. Thanks to user feedback on the 2mm Datamate series within the new Gecko 1.25mm pitch products, Harwin confidently expects a wide market uptake in applications including UAVs and aerospace – in fact anywhere where performance and safety is paramount. “We've had the chance to get some really positive customer feedback and they've told us the things they like and don't like,” adds Green.

Harwin says that the G125 connectors are manufactured to withstand high numbers of mating cycles and also feature low insertion and extraction forces. Mouldings are manufactured from RoHS-compliant, environmentally-friendly materials, eliminating harmful chemicals even before they are added to restricted substances lists. Pre-assembled cable configurations are available in a variety of layouts featuring male and female single and double ended in a variety of standard lengths. Both SMT and through hole devices are packaged in in tape and reel format.

“We believe we've achieved an industry ‘first' with our moulding material,” claims Green. “It comprises a glass-filled plastic material that actually exceeds RoHS and REACH legislation requirements and as yet, no connector manufacturer has ever used it. We've eliminated any brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and red phosphorous; both common in moulding materials, and while these materials are not on the banned list at present, the likelihood is that within the next 5-10 years they may well be added, so we're actually ahead of the curve on this.




“And in order to meet outgassing requirements, we're working with a company to get Gecko designed into space applications. We are well experienced in space applications, as Datamate is extensively used by NASA and other space companies. Our first Gecko design is for a satellite application and should provide a great stepping stone for further space projects that require NASA and the European Space Agency certification.”

The right tools for the job

According to Green, Harwin aim to overcome any barriers in getting the product designed into the latest aerospace programmes by providing design engineers with the application tools to crimp and assemble the product themselves. Furthermore, Harwin also offer videos, tutorials and product CAD models to cover any design issues that may arise.

“Customers can buy the loose contacts, the moulds and the tools and build it themselves or we can provide it with pre-crimped wires so all they need do is locate the wiring into the back of the moulding,” Green concludes. “Alternatively, they can buy a complete assembly, which is what we would prefer because we can guarantee the quality of the crimp.

“Ultimately, we want to give design engineers the confidence they need by making the Gecko product as adaptable as possible. The Gecko range is available as cable to cable, cable to board and board to board in both through-hole and surface mount, to suit all requirements. As with Datamate, customers will be able to select fully-shielded, mixed layups of signal, power and contacts, latch connectors or jack screws. Gecko offers a broad market offering to satisfy the markets it operates within, but there will be further significant developments based upon ever-changing market needs.”

www.harwin-gecko.com