1394 Trade Association sets new connector compliance tests
The 1394 Trade Association, a worldwide organization seeking the advancement of the IEEE 1394 standard, has established a cable and connector compliance program for 1394a products. The program, effective immediately, covers all 1394a cable and connectors. A similar procedure for 1394b cable and connectors is under development and is expected to be ready by January. Two independent test companies, Electronics Testing Center (ETC) of Taiwan and NTS (Calabasas, CA) have been certified as official testing organizations, chosen on the basis of international certification, non-alignment with any cable or connector manufacturer, experience in testing products for standards organizations, and at least five years of experience testing products designed for high-speed connectivity. The compliance suite includes electrical, mechanical, and environmental tests. Testing can be completed in less than 60 days. Cables and connectors that meet the compliance procedures can use the 1394 Trade Association’s compliance logo.
www.1394TA.org
Phoenix Contact expands distribution, manufacturing facility
Connectivity manufacturer Phoenix Contact marked its 25th anniversary of U.S. operations by breaking ground this summer for a $12 million expansion project at its Middletown, PA headquarters. The expansion will include a new 45,000-square-foot distribution center, and enlarging the manufacturing facility from 28,000 to 90,000 square feet. Slated for completion next year, the company says expansion is needed to address rapid growth in product distribution, while the manufacturing expansion will accommodate growth in product development. The U.S. subsidiary of Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co., based in Blomberg, Germany, opened in Harrisburg, PA in 1981, employing five people. In 1986, the company moved to Middletown, where most of its 415 employees are located.
www.phoenixcon.com
HDMI 1.3 spec adds mini-connector
The seven HDMI Founder companies (Hitachi, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. (Panasonic), Royal Philips Electronics, Silicon Image, Sony, Thomson, and Toshiba) have released a major enhancement of the High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) specification. The companies contend that, as the standard digital interface for high definition consumer electronics, HDMI 1.3 will allow the next generation of HDTVs, PCs, and DVD players to easily transmit and display content “in billions of colors with unprecedented vividness and accuracy.” Significantly, for small portable devices such as HD camcorders and still cameras requiring seamless connectivity to HDTVs, the new specification also offers a new, smaller form factor connector option. The HDMI specification provides for an uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface for consumer electronics. The specification provides an interface over a single cable between any audio/video source, such as a set-top box, DVD player, or A/V receiver, and an audio and/or video monitor, such as a digital television (DTV).
www.hdmi.org
Pin technology targets automotive interconnects
Delphi Connection Systems (Warren, OH) has developed press-fit compliant pins that can be integrated into automotive vehicle manufacturers’ device interconnect applications and integrated connector/module housings. According to the company, as a termination approach more widely exhibited in the telecom and aerospace industries, press-fit compliant pin technology provides a solder-less electrical connection, bringing together a connector component and a printed circuit board (PCB). A press-fit connection is made between a PCB with a plated through-hole and a connector incorporating comparatively oversized compliant pins. The company notes that the technology’s elimination of the soldering process may help automakers’ efforts to conform to existing and impending regulations, specifically the imperatives to eliminate lead in products and manufacturing systems.
www.delphi.com
Check for RoHS compliance at Web site
Anderson Power Products’ (Sterling, MA) Web site now lets you enter a part number to determine a product’s compliance status to the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive. The company develops power interconnect solutions. By clicking on the RoHS icon on the home page, you will be walked through a brief series of steps to acquire status information. Certificates of Compliance for individual part numbers can be obtained by contacting the company’s customer service department via a Web site link.
www.andersonpower.com
