by Timothy Kehoe, Sinbon Technologies -- ECN
Industry demand for smaller, lighter, thinner, more durable and more powerful electronic devices that can deliver greater functionality and interoperability, coupled with the new economic reality of tighter budgets, condensed design and development deadlines and increased price competition has resonated loudly within the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) connector industry. The result has sparked a subtle, but nonetheless significant, across-the-board shift in the current and future design of PCB connectors.
Pressure on PCB connector manufacturers and designers has intensified to keep pace with demands for smaller end products with increased functionality — PCs, for example — that can interface with digital cameras, PDAs, digital printers and cell phones and drive down costs and strengthen production efficiencies. Companies with the flexibility to rapidly respond to these increased size, speed and cost demands will grab the greatest market share because they will anticipate, adapt and respond to shifting standards and applications to deliver a high-quality final customer product.
The trends most likely to shape the future of the PCB connector market can be found in the present, and the personal computer industry provides the perfect growth model for areas outside the PC industry for two key reasons:
First, PC manufacturers have always played a pivotal role in mass consumption of connectors as well as the design and development of connectors and connector standards because connectors are such an integral component of a PCs functionality. Second, the PC industry uses an immense volume of connectors. Large quantities of components are readily available from multiple connector manufacturers who can supply the same types of connectors, which drives down costs. This combination of availability, low-costs and increased competition between suppliers within the PC market has created a favorable supply-and-demand competitive environment for industries outside the PC category. If we extend this PC industry comparison further within four key areas within the PCB connector market — IC sockets, memory card reader connectors, sub-system to sub-system connectors and input/output connectors, the similarities become more obvious.
IC Sockets
The future of IC sockets lies with the micro PGA (mPGA). The use of the mPGA is being driven by the release of the Intel Pentium 4 chip, and this type of IC holder is expected to become an increasingly popular IC socket. As PC notebooks become lighter and thinner, the mPGA socket, based on the Intel specification and the Pentium 4 CPU's reach of over 1 GHz operation speed, will become "musts" for connecting Intel Pentium 4 mobile and meeting more intense density and size constraints.
DDR SO-DIMM sockets (Double Data Rate-Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module) have replaced the standard SO DIMM and RIMM as the major D-RAM interface. As size and density demands increase, so do demands for more memory bandwidth. To accommodate these constantly evolving demands, DDR 200P will become the standard, replacing SO DMM and RIMM as the major D-RAM interface.
Memory Card Readers
The primary driver behind the anticipated increase in popularity for memory card readers and the connectors for memory card readers are ever-growing 3C applications — computer, communications and consumer products. Popular memory card types include the SD Memory Card, Memory Stick Card and the XD Memory Card.
Within this segment, one of the most significant developments has been the steady evolution of secure digital (SD) cards as the next-generation interchangeability development standard for digital file transfer. The SD cards are small (roughly an inch wide), and they can be used as a medium to transfer data between PCs and many SD-compliant devices, ranging from camcorders, printers, fax machines, video games and audio players to digital cameras, most digital files and consumer smart appliances.
An additional advantage of SD is that it is an open architecture. The licensing fees are nominal, and proprietary patented technologies are not a barrier. More detailed information is available at www.sdcard.org.
Another popular entry in this space is the xCard reader for the xD picture card, which was developed jointly by Fuji and Olympus. These connectors can also be used in smaller devices such as compact digital cameras, and xD picture cards can be used for interfacing with PCs, notebook computers, printers and PDAs.
Sub-System to Sub-System Connectors
Sub systems within the notebook computers include the following: (1) the connection between the display and the notebook main board, (2) the connection of the internal hard disk drive (HDD) and the CD-ROM - DVD to the notebook main board and (3) the keyboard to the notebook main board.
(1) Flexible printed circuits (FPC) and discrete wires are now the most commonly used connector linking a notebook computer's display and main board. However, micro coaxial cable assemblies will replace FPC and discrete wires for several critical reasons. First, micro co-axial cables reduce radiated emissions more effectively and offer stronger mechanical performances to withstand the constant opening and closing of the notebook computer than FPC or discrete wires. Second, micro co-axial connectors are smaller, deliver more mechanical durability, and can be more easily customized by application than FPC or discrete wires. Micro co-axial cables consist of the micro co-axial wire, the connectors and a laminate that is applied to the cable to keep the wires in a fixed position for routing during assembly and for avoiding interferences with other notebook components.
Despite their technical superiority over flex circuits (FCP) and discrete wires in these key performance categories, micro co-axial connectors have failed to attract support as a viable, high-volume storage interface device between LCDs and PC main boards because of their high cost. Until the cost of micro co-axial cable assemblies can match those of FPC, FPC will remain a viable option. FPC will also begin to use a 0.3 mm pitch, rather than the current 0.5 mm pitch, to help free up precious circuit board space.
(2) Board-to-board connectors provide the internal connections between sub systems inside the notebook, such as the CD player and the hard disk drive. While there is no shortage in the number of board-to-board connectors, there has been a continuing push to drive the pitch of these connectors below their current 0.6 mm spacing. As technologies for bare-board manufacturing, solder processing and connectors evolve, it will become necessary to meet these new design and spacing requirements.
(3) FPC is now the most-common connector linking a keyboard to a notebook's main board. The present pitch here, typically 0.5 mm spacing, is rapidly moving to 0.3 mm spacing. Connector availability for this new pitch is currently available from such suppliers as Hirose, AVX/Elco and Molex.
For hard disk drives, DVDs and SC-R/W connections, the latest Serial ATA interface will replace the present parallel ATA. Serial ATA allows for the use of smaller connectors that are easier to route during installation, which enables the design of smaller PCs. These connectors are available in through-hole and surface mount as well as vertical and right angle mountings. The connector on the PCB can accept either the cable-mount version or a board-to-board mount connection. More detailed information is available at www.serialata.org.
Input/Output Connectors
Current I/O connectors include USB, IEEE1394, subminiature D connectors, audio jack, modular plug for modem connections (RJ 11); for Ethernet connections (RJ 45) they include base-station docking connectors and the DC power-in connectors. While all these connectors serve critical functions, USB and the IEEE1394 will continue to serve as the preferred networking interface.
The single-most substantial development within the relatively stable I/O category is that S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) has clearly established itself as the standard interface format for transferring audio files along a single wire. The most common connector used with an S/PDIF interface is the RCA connector, the same one used for consumer audio products, which enables the transfer of audio from one file to another without the need to convert to and from an analog format. Size will also become an increasingly critical factor as memory card readers and I/O interfaces will be pushed to the front of PCs to allow for easier consumer access.
Moving Forward
PCB connector designers and manufacturers must keep pace with industry trends and constantly foster innovation. By becoming a strategic partner with today's and tomorrow's market leaders, PCB connector manufacturers can play a vital and regular role in shaping technological evolution. Only those PCB connector manufacturers with the experience, expertise, infrastructure and commitment to partner with clients to deliver integrated services throughout a product's entire development life cycle — from design and manufacture to quality assurance and marketing, to sales and customer service — can assert themselves as total solution providers.
About the Author
Timothy Kehoe is General Manager of Sinbon Technologies, the U.S. affiliate of SINBON in Smithtown, NY; www.sinbon.com. Tim can be reached at (631) 979-1630; tkehoe@sinbontech.com.
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