Ultra rugged USB connections.

Fischer Connectors has brought its world-renowned Swiss engineering expertise to the universal USB-C standard. The Fischer UltiMate™ Series, the company’s flagship range for harsh environments, now includes a pre-cabled USB-C connector equipped with Fischer Connectors’ new Ratchet Locking System (RLS). This connector provides unmatched resistance to vibration and shock, ensuring safe connections for high-speed data transfer under extreme operating conditions in sectors such as defense, mining, construction, motorsports and railways.

UltiMate™ USB-C RLS connector pre-cabled plugs and sockets.

The newly released UltiMate USB-C connector with the Ratchet Locking System (RLS) combines high-speed data transmission with the robust mechanical performance Fischer Connectors is known for.

“As part of our technology and innovation strategy, our Group R&D team offers engineers designing applications in extreme environments a versatile technology platform with various standards and connector types,” explains Alvaro Goncalves, Technology Director at the Conextivity Group, of which Fischer Connectors is a part. “This new USB-C connector with RLS is a good example of how we combine our technology ‘bricks’ – high-density miniaturization, high-speed data, and ruggedness – to increase integration capability, compatibility, and interoperability across customer markets. Conextivity has the innovation, agility, and precision skills needed to meet the most stringent requirements in demanding environments.”

Leveraging its core competencies in ruggedisation, sealing, miniaturisation, and data transmission, Fischer Connectors designed the connector to provide optimal reliability in mission-critical environments, ensuring safe and stable connections in demanding applications and markets, such as defense armored vehicles, UAVs, and UGVs, mining, heavy machinery at construction sites, motorsports, and railways. These environments are characterised by high levels of vibration and shock.

Ratchet Locking System (RLS) designed to resist high vibration and shock.
At the heart of this innovation is the new Ratchet Locking System (RLS). Its fastening mechanism uses an asymmetrical tooth profile to securely lock under load and resist loosening under high vibration. Key benefits include exceptional vibration resistance (by maintaining lock under high-frequency vibration), tool-free operation (easy mating and unmating in the field, even with gloves), and durability with high rates of mating cycles.

Logically, Fischer Connectors has introduced the RLS to its most robust product line, UltiMate. In the Fischer UltiMate’s classical size 15 contact block (with up to 27 pins and 25.8-mm receptacle diameter), the RLS system achieves the best vibration and shock resistance in the entire Fischer Connectors product portfolio, withstanding 37.8 Grms of random vibration and 300 g of shock amplitude.

Ruggedized USB-C connector for harsh environments.
The new UltiMate USB-C connector with RLS has been independently validated to withstand 5.35 Grms of random vibration (50–2000 Hz, 3x1.5 hrs, no discontinuity >1 μs), 10 g of sinus vibration (10–500 Hz, 3x3 hrs, no discontinuity >1 μs), and shock up to 100 g (half sine pulse, 6 ms, no discontinuity >1 μs).

Additional features include an IP68 sealing for the plug; hermeticity for the receptacle. <10 -30="" 350="" 360="" 3="" an="" and="" corrosion="" cycles="" emc="" hours="" l="" mating="" mbar="" mist="" of="" operating="" p="" range="" resistance="" s="" salt="" shielding.="" temperature="" to=""> “Our new USB-C RLS connector offers environmental and mechanical performance in compliance with IEC and MIL-STD norms,” says Alexandra Monchâtre, Head of Product Management at Fischer Connectors. “This new product truly offers the best of both worlds: the ultra-standard and the ultra-rugged.”

Part of a versatile portfolio of rugged, compact and high-speed connectors.
With its new USB-C interface supporting high-speed data, video, and power transmission over a compact connector footprint, the new Fischer UltiMate USB-C RLS connector complements Fischer Connectors’ existing range of rugged, high-speed data transmission solutions designed for signal integrity, mechanical endurance, and space-constrained environments.

The UltiMate USB-C RLS is available as a pre-cabled plug and receptacle (28 mm diameter) with a flex PCB. This all-in-one solution provides robust connectivity and flexibility in various design configurations for modern electronic devices, especially in applications where space, speed, and reliability are critical. It offers a compact design and supports USB 3.2 Gen 1x2 transmission with data rates up to 10 Gbit/s.

The new USB-C RLS connector expands Fischer Connectors’ offerings across its high-speed Core, MiniMax, and UltiMate series, which support data protocols such as USB 3.2, Ethernet up to 10 Gbit/s, Audio/UHD Video up to 18 Gbit/s (HDMI 2.0 type), and Single Pair Ethernet (SPE).

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Ultra-rugged connectivity for IIoT.

Ultra-robust Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) and USB 3.2 Gen 2 connectivity solutions have been released by Fischer Connectors. They are designed to meet the specific requirements of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications in rugged environments.

With the increase in sensor density, actuators and controllers in Industry 4.0 and IIoT operational settings, high power levels and massive amounts of data must be securely and efficiently managed through ultra-fast transmission lines with cables running over long distances. Miniature connectors and cables are needed to interconnect smaller and smaller devices and sensors in areas that are sometimes confined and hard to access. And connectivity must be ruggedized to resist shock, vibration, extreme temperatures, water and corrosion when exposed to demanding environmental and chemical conditions, both indoors and outdoors.

To address these challenges, Fischer Connectors has developed new high-speed data and power connectivity solutions combining Single Pair Ethernet and USB 3.2 Gen 2 high-speed protocols with the rugged, high-density and miniature features of its flagship product lines. They enable space-saving and cost-efficient integration in industrial automation and robotics, chemical plants, food processing, automotive production lines, outdoor sensing and unmanned systems.

The Single Pair Ethernet solutions from the Fischer Core and Fischer UltiMate™ Series allow for 1 Gbit/s data transfer per IEEE 802.3bp - 1000Base-T1. Exceptionally rugged by any market standards, they outperform other suppliers’ SPE solutions in terms of security, durability, as well as environmental and mechanical performance. Fischer SPE is compliant with MIL-STD norms (through Fischer UltiMate™) and offers 10,000 mating cycles, three locking mechanisms (push-pull, screw, quick-release), and hermetic sealing in addition to IP68/ IP69 ratings. SPE is also featured in the ultra-miniature Fischer MiniMax™ connector in ‘size 06’ (Ø 10 mm receptacle).

The demand for USB 3.0+ protocol is high in Industry 4.0 operations, as it offers high data transfer rates with low latency for IIoT control applications, nearly twice the power output than USB 2.0 (900 mA vs. 500 mA), better power efficiency due to lower consumption in idle state, and larger bandwidth. Fischer MiniMax™ connectors with USB 3.2 Gen 2 allow for 10 Gbit/s data transfer, offer additional power contacts up to 8 A, and are half the size of some competitor connectors with similar speed but no power.

To accompany its product release, Fischer Connectors has published a trend paper entitled “The Connectivity Challenge – Connecting Industry 4.0”. It describes three challenges facing OEM engineers designing IIoT applications, as well as three innovation practices addressing cybersecurity, global logistics and Edge/Cloud infrastructure.

The innovation-driven IIoT market is growing exponentially. With billions of smart sensors, computers and machines connected and operating across the Internet, experts expect an annual increase of over 20%, reaching CHF 1.5 trillion by 2030.

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Meeting the connectivity challenge!

The Fischer family founded Conextivity® Group to meet the connectivity challenge posed by the emergence of new cross-functional and scalable ecosystems, from locally interconnected devices and sensors to cloud-managed IoT platforms. The group's R&D department, which has doubled in size over the last five years, is now strengthening its teams with new expertise, especially in signal integrity engineering, embedded electronics, the cloud and the IoT.

The family-owned technology group is accelerating the development of its two business activities, Fischer Connectors® and Wearin’®, towards the same entrepreneurial vision. The former is broadening its scope of activity to include electronics and building a production site in Portugal (see picture below!).

Wearin' is expanding its IoT solution and signing technology partnerships to improve the safety and efficiency of the connected human. In May Wearin was at the heart of a European civil protection exercise to test technologies available to first responders in the event of large-scale disasters.

‘Conextivity’: the family group’s new identity denotes an ambitious entrepreneurial and technological vision, since it refers to the future of connectivity that Fischer Connectors and Wearin’ are cocreating in partnership with their customers. With double-digit annual growth, Conextivity Group is aiming for a billion Swiss francs in revenue within 10 years.

With this vision, summarized by the motto ‘Reimagining Connectivity’, the family-owned company, founded in 1954, is transforming itself from a connector supplier into a full-service partner for high-performance connectivity.

Jonathan Brossard, CEO

“Connectivity is of crucial importance in our hyper-connected world,” explains Jonathan Brossard, CEO since 2016 and belonging to the 3rd generation of the Fischer family. “When it is as efficient, reliable and innovative as ours, and when it is applicable to extremely demanding operating environments, connectivity plays a critical role. In this respect, our system-level engineering approach and our holistic vision for our industry expresses nothing less than our sense of responsibility: to reimagine connectivity that creates lasting value in the group's traditional and new markets.”

The connectivity challenge to be met
With its two business activities, Conextivity Group offers a suite of products, solutions and services that span the entire connectivity value chain. The goal is to meet the challenge posed by the ubiquitous rise of connected devices and sensors. These generate massive and exponential amounts of data and information to support decision making, especially in mission-critical applications as well as in the Internet of Things (IoT).

The first technology challenge is to integrate end-to-end connectivity that establishes the physical connection between sensors and communication devices but ensures their need to be interoperable in increasingly demanding environments. There is the challenge of optimizing and harmonizing power and data flows at increasingly high performance and speed, and transmitting these data to the cloud infrastructures that enable them to be processed.

This combination of requirements in terms of performance, reliability, robustness and interoperability applies in particular in the cross-functional and scalable ecosystems found in mission-critical industries such as defence and security, medical, high-precision test and measurement instrumentation, robotics, first responders and wearables for the connected human.

New Portuguese plant near Oporto 

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Red Dots for connectors.

The Red Dot Design Awards stand for outstanding achievements in product design. The jury evaluates thousands of entries each year. For its Fischer LP360™ connectors from the Fischer Freedom™ Series, which have already won numerous industry awards, Fischer Connectors has now been awarded the prestigious Red Dot Award for Product Design in two categories: the "Mobile Phones, Tablets and Wearables" category, and the new "Smart Products" meta-category. The judges praised the connectors’ unique design concept, which makes them both appealing to users and particularly easy to use.

What was rated "smart" in the Fischer LP360TM is the connectivity solution’s multifunctional integration capability and modularity. The new connector is indeed truly multi-talented. It is a miniaturized active device, a fastening mechanism and an electrical signal and power connection all in one.

The rugged, low-profile connector was expanded in 2019 into a versatile technology platform that serves as an enabler for wearables and connected ecosystems in the Internet of Things and of Humans (IoT/IoH). The breakthrough plug-and-use technology benefits both engineers and end-users. Multiple configuration options facilitate application design. The panel plug can easily be extended to multifunctional wearables, such as biometric sensors, communication systems, GPS, lighting and bodycams. These can be snapped quickly and easily onto the cabled receptacle, which is integrated into flexible structures like ready-to-use smart personal protective equipment (PPE) vests. Since the connector has no key code, it can be plugged in any position, optimizing cable routing and power management. Contacts are IP68-sealed with a membrane, ensuring that the connector is fully cleanable. The low-profile design enables easy integration into any application, such as smart work vests. Mobile workers thus benefit from lightweight equipment without cable clutter, faster and more intuitive setup, easy handling and cleaning, reliable connectivity, and fast data transmission for enhanced safety and performance.

The winners of the Red Dot Awards 2021 will be announced during the virtual Red Dot Design Week from June 21-25, 2021. During the entire week, the award winners will be given a digital stage. The event will center on a web special on the Red Dot website. All the award-winning products will be presented there. Moreover, the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen, (D), will display impressions from its two special exhibitions.

These features also convinced the Red Dot Award jury. In the citation for the award in the Smart Products category, the jury said: "These connectors impress as a miniaturized and, at the same time, versatile technology platform with innovative 360-degree plug-in connectivity." For the award in the Product Design category, the LP360’s user-friendliness was particularly highlighted: “The LP360 is impressively intuitive to use. It can quickly be inserted into the socket and is integrated into a connected vest, forming a hub."

Jérôme Dabonneville, CTO and R&D Director of the Fischer Connectors Group, explains: "Initially the Fischer LP360TM design had to solve users’ pain points in a way that helped unify the connector’s form and function, transforming “how it works”. On that journey, our teams went beyond our heritage as a connector manufacturer and ended up proposing a connectivity solution platform. The Fischer LP360TM connectors are indeed more than just connectors. They are also smart devices which are opening new doors for designing devices, contributing to the development of the Internet of Things, smart electronic ecosystems, as well as wearable technology and its networking and digitalization. We are very honored to receive these two Red Dot Awards as a testimonial of the Fischer Connectors Group’s connectivity solution that goes beyond the connector."

Jonathan Brossard, CEO of the Fischer Connectors Group: “At Fischer Connectors, we have always seen ourselves as innovation drivers. The development of the Fischer LP360TM is a real milestone in our company history. We’re very proud that our developers’ outstanding performance has now been honored with two Red Dot Awards. This recognition of our achievement in industrial design by renowned experts is also an incentive for us to continue developing our connectivity solutions in such a way that they contribute to a networked industry and to the connected human".

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Fitting for drone!

Hexadrone  - "La boutique du drone" - unveiled its first serial drone, the Tundra, a ruggedized, multi-functional, modular drone that is to be industrially manufactured in a factory under construction in France. The Tundra uses ultra-rugged, miniature Fischer UltiMate™ and Fischer MiniMax™ connectivity solutions, able to withstand the harsh environments the drone may need to operate in.

Resulting from more than three years of development, the Tundra is the first French modular, multi-rotor drone. Designed in Hexadrone's workshops in the Haute-Loire in an open innovation logic, this collaborative tool carrier, in its beta version, won the prestigious Red Dot Design Award in 2018.

Unveiled on April 30, 2021 in its serial version, the Tundra is a unique 100% modular, multifunctional unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), designed and manufactured as a development hub for integrators. The body is equipped with numerous interfaces that allow the integration of accessories, sensors and other modules already available on the market, or the development of new ones. This enables the Tundra to adapt to custom features and rapid changes in the state of the art, which also helps it combat obsolescence. The drone's arms are interchangeable and easy to remove. The user can choose from three different types, depending on the various missions and flight scenarios planned. With the most durable arms, the Tundra can carry a payload of up to four kilos for a flight time of 30 minutes – a high performance in the world of multirotor drones.

Fischers UltiMate™Series
interface onTundra’s body.

The serial production of the Tundra, made possible thanks to the construction of an industrial building underway in Saint Ferréol d'Auroure in the Haute-Loire, is the logical next step in this drone’s development that meets the market needs analyzed by Alexandre Labesse, Hexadrone’s Chairman and Founder: "With this multifunctional, modular tool carrier, our customers are opening up the field of possibilities in their collaborative projects and lowering their development costs when they adapt the drone to users’ new needs and new technologies on the market. This is not possible with most of today's drones, which are designed for a single type of use and quickly become obsolete due to rapid technological advances. In response to obsolescence, we’ve opted for adaptability and durability."

The Tundra’s durability is ensured through a robust design that allows for intensive use in the field. The drone is waterproof and can cope with harsh conditions. Moreover, transportation and assembly in the field are easy, as the landing gear can be fitted and the arms screwed on in less than a minute.

Two types of robust, miniature connector for intensive, durable use To fulfill the drone's technical requirements for modularity, reliability, durability, ruggedness and ease of use, Hexadrone chose Fischer Connectors' high-performance, ultra-robust, push-pull connectivity solutions. The Tundra comes equipped with a rugged Fischer UltiMateTM USB 2.0 connector that is waterproof and reliable in all conditions. The standard interfaces can accommodate external modules linked, among others, by Fischer MiniMaxTM connectors and cabling, which optimize the high-density miniaturization of on-board electronics, such as a companion computer, a storage module, a security key or a lidar that the Tundra can be fitted with for certain aerial remote-sensing missions using lasers.

Guy Lacroix, Director of Fischer Connectors France, is very happy with the technological partnership established throughout this rugged drone’s development: "We’ve been supporting the Tundra's innovations from the outset. Our experts are gratified to have been able to see the project through to serial production with suitable connectivity solutions. Since connectivity lies at the heart of this rugged UAV, our high-performance solutions proposed in this modular offering cover the whole range of integrators’ technical requirements in terms of robustness and reliability, miniaturization, sealing up to IP68, and data transmission".

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