Language

BLOG

Company News

Industry News

Public Notice

Diversifying Demand, a Fierce Battle of Connector Innovation

Release time：

2021-11-12

According to a research report by Bishop & Associates, since the first half of 2014, the global connector industry has demonstrated strong growth momentum, with annual market sales revenue reaching approximately US$52.93 billion—up about 8.3% year over year. Looking ahead to the new year, industry insiders note that the mobile‑device market, including smartphones, remains in a phase of rapid expansion, while demand from industrial applications is steadily increasing. These factors suggest that the connector industry is likely to maintain steady growth, with price declines remaining relatively moderate.

　　On the other hand, localized competition in the connector market is increasingly taking on a global character. Slowing price pressures and the growing trend of production outsourcing are shrinking the world, driving the market to seek ever better, more cost‑effective solutions. In response to current shifts in supply and demand, Daryl Lim, Senior Market Supplier Manager at TTI Asia, summarizes: “Innovation in product development is paramount. Products from different manufacturers must offer distinct differentiation, resist easy substitution, and become smaller while delivering greater cost advantages. Moreover, it is essential to ensure that products can be swiftly ramped up for production right from the design stage.”

　　Miniaturization competition has entered the 0.01 mm range.

　　For connector manufacturers, the primary challenge is how to further reduce connector size. “Take mobile electronics as an example: when connecting two small PCBs, there are four industry‑recognized key dimensional specifications,” explains Zheng Xiangyang, General Manager of Shenzhen Jiemai Technology Development Co., Ltd. “These are: low profile—stacking height (H) less than 1.00 mm; shallow depth—connector width less than 3.00 mm; small footprint—end‑to‑end dimensions that vary with circuit size; and fine pitch—center‑to‑center contact spacing of 0.40 mm or less.”

　　Against this backdrop, key development priorities for connector products include the miniaturization of I/O connectors such as USB and HDMI, the miniaturization of memory‑card and identity‑card connectors, further reduction of pitch in FPC-to‑substrate and substrate‑to‑substrate connectors, the miniaturization of micro‑camera connectors, the miniaturization of battery connectors, as well as the integration and miniaturization of antenna solutions. As the Chinese distributor for TE Connectivity, Jiemai Technology introduced a 0.25‑mm‑pitch FPC connector (right‑angle type) several years ago, enabling the same number of traces to be routed on a smaller circuit board. In August 2014, TE once again reduced the height of its plug‑in Micro‑SIM card connector from 1.24 mm to 1.18 mm, addressing the risk that one edge of a Nano‑SIM adapter might inadvertently contact the Micro‑SIM connector’s contacts, potentially deforming the contacts and compromising functionality.

　　JAE Japan Aviation Electronics is a company with 61 years of experience in connector development. In October 2014, it launched the WP21 series of board‑to‑board connectors, designed for miniaturization, thin‑profile applications, and high‑density mobile communication devices. Featuring a pitch of just 0.35 mm, a mating height of 0.6 mm, and a width of 1.95 mm, this product reduces the mounting footprint by 10% compared to the previous generation, thereby enhancing design flexibility. Tomohiko Tamada, General Manager of the Marketing and Communications Planning Department at JAE Hong Kong Aviation Electronics Co., Ltd., stated: “Driven by the trend toward multifunctionality in mobile communication terminals, the number of components and modules integrated within devices continues to grow. This, in turn, is placing increasingly stringent demands on small‑pitch, board‑to‑board connectors and industry‑standard products. Customers are seeking smaller, thinner (low‑height) connectors to maximize internal space, and in the board‑to‑board connector segment, market adoption is shifting from 0.4 mm‑pitch products to 0.35 mm.” To strengthen its support for the Chinese market, JAE has established sales and marketing subsidiaries in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and other locations in recent years, while also setting up manufacturing facilities in Wuxi and Wujiang. Notably, the company has opened an R&D center in Shenzhen, offering services such as product selection and solution design to manufacturers.

　　Speaking about the key design challenges of compact interconnect solutions, Zhuo Bingkun, Director for South Asia-Pacific and Head of Marketing and Key Account Management at Molex, stated: “In space-constrained devices, maintaining high‑level signal and power integrity is critical. To address this, Molex has leveraged a range of groundbreaking technologies, including Laser Direct Structuring (LDS), to enable the production of complex three‑dimensional antennas—transforming CAD‑based 3D designs into molded antenna brackets or directly integrating them into the device’s structural framework.” By the end of this year, Molex will introduce a MicroSD/Micro‑SIM hybrid connector. This push‑pull‑type combination connector, designed for standard mounting, measures just 2.28 mm in height and consolidates the functions of both cards into a single solution, eliminating the need for an additional secondary PCB and saving up to 15% of internal space in mobile devices.

Shenzhen Linkconn Electronics Co., Ltd.

Tel：86-755-82943323
Fax：86-755-82966567
E-Mail：szlcn@linkconn.com
Add：15/F, Block E, China Resources Land Building, Hi-Tech Park, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, China