TE - White Papers

AEROSPACE, DEFENSE & MARINE /// WHITE PAPER PAGE 4 Figure 3. The expanded beam concept has been applied to Size 16 contacts. (Source: TE Connectivity) The Case for Copper Despite the seemingly overwhelming advantages of optical fibers, copper cables aren't going away anytime soon. Advanced cross-linked jacket and insulation materials reduce the size and weight of copper cables, while advances in modulation techniques and cable construction allow the cables to support high-speed data over distances up to 100 meters. As I/O speeds increase, issues of signal integrity and power budgeting create new challenges. Simply put, high-speed signals are harder to manage than low-speed signals. The higher the interconnection speed, the more difficult it is to manage return loss, insertion loss, crosstalk, and similar factors that can degrade signals. While an ideal cabling system would have no intermediate connections between boxes, the real-world need for production breaks and modularity necessitates connectors in the path. To address this gap in fast copper connectivity, TE Connectivity (TE) has recently introduced three families of CeeLok products capable of 10 Gb/s performance, each of which offers specific advantages to designers in performance and size. TE CeeLok FAS-X connectors (Figure 4) use an innovative method to maintain shield continuity through the connector. As a result, the connectors can be concatenated multiple times without degrading performance. The connector is somewhat larger than the other two discussed here, but has the highest signal integrity, while still offering field reparability. The connectors support a single 10G Ethernet channel in a size 11 shell or four channels in a size 25 shell. CeeLok FAS-T connectors are smaller—an eight-position connector in a size 8 shell. The connector's T-shaped contact pattern provides noise cancellation and decoupling to minimize crosstalk and increase signal integrity. The backshell is integrated into the plug body to help provide low profile, low cost, low weight strain relief and EMI protection. The connector is field terminable and repairable. CeeLok FAS-T Nano connectors use the same T-shaped contact pattern in a nanominiature size—plugs are only 0.3 inch in diameter, with a choice of push-on or threaded coupling. Unlike the larger CeeLok FAS-T connectors, the nano version is factory wired rather than field terminable. The connectors are based on the well-established NANONICS nanominiature connectors, but with an insert designed for high speeds. Figure 4. A new generation of circular connectors supports 10 Gb/s Ethernet over copper. (Source: TE Connectivity)

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