UHD audio/video connectivity.

Fischer Connectors has released new high-speed connectors and cable assemblies for Ultra High Definition (UHD) audio/video data transfer at 18 Gbit/s in demanding environments, matching the performance speed of HDMI 2.0.

“The speed of our audio/video connectivity solutions, 18 Gbit/s, is equivalent to the HDMI 2.0 standard widely used in 4K cinema projectors and Ultra High Definition home TVs,” explains Stéphane Antonetti, Product Data Expert at Fischer Connectors. “Because Fischer Connectors’ circular connectors are rugged by design, they combine the best of both worlds, providing design engineers with a versatile portfolio of high-speed, high-performance connectivity solutions for a wide range of harsh-environment applications.”

These new UHD solutions are available in the flagship Fischer MiniMax™ and Fischer Core product lines with 10’000 mating cycles, 360° EMI protection, different sealing performances from IP68 to hermeticity and sterilization capacities, as well as three locking mechanisms (push-pull, screw, quick-release).

Fischer MiniMax™ UHD connectors available in ‘size 08’ (12.9 mm diameter plug) have a miniature, lightweight, compact, high-density layout with 19 contacts, ensuring high-quality data transmission for digital signals in demanding applications such as aerial imaging, especially in military operations for drones equipped with high-resolution cameras.

UHD audio/video connectivity is also needed in scientific, industrial, instrumentation, test and measurement and medical applications with 4K camera devices, where Fischer Core connectors are widely used, e.g., in size 104 with 20 contacts.

A dedicated, custom cable has been developed for both Fischer Core and Fischer MiniMax™ UHD audio/video connectors, which are also available pre-cabled as plug-and-play solutions.

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@FischerConnect #Communications

Away with the wind!

Wind-powered SP80 boat setting out to reach the phenomenal speed of 80 knots, and thereby break the long-standing world sailing speed record of 65.45 knots.

During the development of its boat that is now close to its final design phase, the SP80 team has chosen Fischer Connectors for the data-transmission solutions interconnecting the various sensors that will equip the boat and its pilot to break the world sailing speed record. The technical challenge is to sail at a speed of 80 knots (148.16 km/h), powered only by the wind. This is 14.55 knots faster than the record of 65.45 knots (121.21 km/h) set in 2012.

The carbon-fibre SP80 boat looks like a Formula 1 car combined with a fighter jet designed specially to glide on the water, featuring a super-ventilating triangular hydrofoil and towed by a huge kite wing. 

“Several projects are in the running to break the long-standing world sailing speed record,” says Mayeul van den Broek, CEO of the SP80 startup based in Renens near Lausanne, Switzerland, and created in 2019 by a team of engineers and students from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). “This technological adventure is fascinating, as we’re confronted with extremely challenging physical laws. That’s why our international team of nearly 50 people, some of whom are now finalizing the innovative design of our boat which is being built in Persico Marine’s shipyard in Italy, is anxious to get the very best in terms of data-transmission performance and reliability. These technical requirements are crucial when it comes to interconnecting the various sensors with which our boat and its pilot will be equipped during the launch and the boat’s enhancement runs scheduled for the end of the year, and the record-breaking event scheduled for next year.”

The data collected by the multiple sensors and loggers monitoring the boat’s structure and the pilot’s performance will be transferred through the connectors, associated cables and electronic solutions of Fischer Connectors.

“The technology partnership with Fischer Connectors is a logical step forward in our record-breaking ambition,” explains van den Broek. “The innovations we’re putting in place to enhance our boat’s aerodynamics above water and minimize the friction of its hull and foil under water need to be monitored during the boat’s development phase as well as during the speed run itself. To ensure the efficient transfer of these monitoring data, we need a solutions provider that has not only expertise in signal integrity and data transmission and management, but also a holistic approach to electronic systems in order to provide the end-to-end connectivity solutions required for our sensing system.”

During the design phase, sensors are used to improve and control the robustness of the high-performance materials (carbon, titan, stainless steel) of the boat’s structure. Thanks to the design of the super-ventilated foil, stability is optimized and the impact of cavitation – a phenomenon in which water starts boiling around foils at extreme velocities, slowing the boat down – is avoided. During the speed run, data are collected from the various electronic modules and control sensors directly integrated into the boat, and from the monitoring sensor communications between the pilot and the technical crew on shore, including biometric data transferred through sensors worn on the pilot’s body such as vital and security parameters.

“The SP80 project is exciting and inspiring,” says Fischer Connectors’ CEO Jonathan Brossard, “as it combines innovation and performance to push the boundaries of physical laws thanks to unique solutions and daring concepts. One member of the SP80 R&D team is part of our own R&D center, making the exchange of expertise all the more efficient and easier. We look forward to discovering the technological breakthroughs on which the SP80 team is working, and which Fischer Connectors is proud to support.”

The final design of the boat for the record will be revealed to the public in spring 2022. The launching of the boat will take place at the end of 2022, while the first tests are scheduled in the South of France for the spring or autumn of 2023 – the two periods of the year that offer the best weather conditions for sailing.

@SP80_record @FischerConnect @mepaxIntPR #Connectors 

Wearable connectivity .

Fischer Connectors is enhancing the integration capability of its versatile plug & use Fischer Freedom™ Series. The product line has been extended with new products and accessories allowing design engineers to further optimize cable management in line with their SWaP (size, weight and power) requirements, and integrate low-profile connectors, cable assemblies and active devices easily into all sorts of materials, even the most flexible of fabrics.

The ruggedsewing junction of the new Fischer Freedom™ Quick Detach System allows to easily convert flexible material into a potential panel, e.g., heavy duty tarp cover/tent, sail, vehicle tire blankets, smart backpacks. The system’s adapter and retaining ring facilitate the quick fit and interchange of receptacles.

The new Fischer Freedom™ cabled receptacle in size 08 is a smaller version of the receptacle introduced to the market last year. With a metal housing, four signal and power contact tracks, IP68 sealing and EMI shielding, this new cabled receptacle is ready to use under any conditions, easy to integrate into garments or mount on panels, and quick to fit and remove.

Easy integration: two recent applications: 
The multiple award-winning Fischer Freedom™ technology platform enables design engineers to integrate more technology and functionality into fixed, portable or wearable devices and ecosystems in markets such as: defense & security, medical, instrumentation, industrial and civil engineering, robotics, wearables, the Internet of Things (IoT). 

The two following applications recently introduced to the defense and industrial markets show how the unique features of Fischer Freedom™ – easy 360° mating, easy cleaning, easy integration thanks to low-profile design and ergonomics – benefit OEM integrators.

Wearin’s connected vest (Platinum 2020 Technology Innovators Award) is a centralized, integrated connectivity system featuring six Fischer Freedom™ 7-contact receptacles fitted using the new Quick Detach System. VRaktion’s design engineers have integrated a Fischer Freedom™ 4-contact receptacle in plastic into a smart work shoe using an obstacle warning system with laser sensors.

@FischerConnect @VRaktion @mepaxintPR #Pauto #Connectors #Safety #IoT

Rugged flash drive.

Fischer Connectors has launched the USB 3.0 version of its ultra-portable, miniature, lightweight and extremely tough Fischer Rugged Flash Drive. This memory stick has been specially designed for the safe transportation and storage of sensitive data in harsh environments.

The USB 3.0 Fischer Rugged Flash Drive is even faster, smaller and more user-friendly than the USB 2.0 product introduced to the market in 2011. The read speed is now up to five times faster; standard memory sizes are 32, 64 or 128 GB; the body is shorter; and, in order to guarantee secure access, it is now available not only with the Fischer UltiMateTM Series interface, but also with the Fischer MiniMaxTM Series interface. The activity LED is a further feature of the new product to improve usability.

Miniature – the size of a key ring – and lightweight, the Fischer Rugged Flash Drive has proven to be the durable solution for people on the go who need to download and securely transfer confidential data, images or videos from devices used in extreme environmental conditions or in hard-to-reach areas. It is perfectly adapted for applications where data security and confidentiality are critical, such as the defense and security, financial, medical, industrial, energy, underwater, motor and extreme sport sectors, e.g. for civil or military UAVs, ROVs, test & measure equipment or rugged computers.

Main technical specifications
• IP68 sealed even unmated
• Unique Fischer UltiMate (size 07) and MiniMax (size 08) interfaces
• Up to 100 MB/s read speed
• High speed USB 3.0
• Memory sizes: 32, 64, 128 GB
• Resists corrosion, vibration, shock and extreme temperatures

Safe AND secure
The Fischer Rugged Flash Drive is both safe and secure. Its rugged casing provides full protection against extreme environmental conditions. The flash drive is waterproof down to 120 meters and is resistant to extreme operating temperatures (-40°C to +85°C). Thanks to the unique proprietary Fischer Connectors’ circular connector interface combined with a durable encapsulation technique, it guarantees data security in case of loss or theft.

“Performance and flexibility”
“At times when privacy and confidentiality are of paramount importance, you need the right product to protect your critical information against the elements and the potential risk of loss or theft,” explains Wim Vanheertum, Product Manager at Fischer Connectors. “Technology moves fast, and both performance and flexibility are required when designing high-speed applications using video. The new Rugged Flash Drive increases data transfer speed by five, and its flexible modular design, which includes a large selection of body styles, sizes, contact configurations and memory capacities, offers high customization.”

#fischerconnectors #PAuto

Smaller push-pull connectors!

Fischer Connectors, the worldwide innovator in push-pull circular connectors and cable assembly solutions, today launched an even smaller ultra-miniature connector, MiniMax 06, as an extension of its miniature high-density product range, the Fischer MiniMax™Series.

The MiniMax 06 connector can include up to 12 power and signal contacts in a footprint of only 10 mm. This corresponds to a density factor* of 0.83 – a unique technological feature for a connector with standard 0.5 mm contacts. The new MiniMax 06 connector also includes a new unique configuration with 2 signal and 2 high-power 1.3 mm contacts for applications needing 10 Amps or more power, doubling the standard 5 Amps current rating of the existing MiniMax product line.

MiniMax 06 is easy to use and ensures premium performance even in harsh environments. Also available as a pre-cabled solution, it is ideally suited for handheld or body-worn applications when space is limited, in such fields as defense & security, instrumentation, testing equipment, civil or military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), among many others.

Increased power & miniaturization with continued durability
With this new smaller connector, Fischer Connectors continues to drive the evolution towards combined signal and power connectors as a way of making electronics lighter and smaller. MiniMax 06 integrates fully into the ultra-miniature high-performance Fischer MiniMax™ Series, well-known for its use in limited space and lightweight applications, and for meeting the combined needs of multiple signals and power. Tested for high-speed protocols such as HDMI and data transfer up to 10Gb/s, the series also addresses the growing market need for higher data transmission rates.

“This product proves that miniaturization in connectivity can be successfully implemented in rugged high-density connectivity solutions that combine power and signal”, explains Wim Vanheertum, MiniMax Product Manager at Fischer Connectors. “We’ve extended our Fischer MiniMax™ Series to address application engineers’ need to increase the performance of their miniature rugged devices. Handling more mixed signal and power connections in a unique combination of multiple contacts also means increasing flexibility in meeting specific design challenges in miniaturization.”

MiniMax 06’s main technical specifications
• Up to 12 contacts in less than 10 mm diameter
• Unique combined power and signal configuration
• IP68 mated & unmated
• Transfer data up to 10Gb/s
• Robust locking systems: push-pull, screw and quick-release
• Also available pre-cabled with straight or angled bend relief overmold
• 5,000 mating cycles

The Fischer MiniMax™ Series connectors and cable assembly solutions allow design engineers to save up to 45% space and to reduce weight by up to 75% compared to standard connectors with a similar contact size. By replacing multiple connectors with only one, they pack more functionality into smaller devices, lowering the total cost of ownership.

These connectors are also rugged, with IP68 sealing (2m/24h), both mated and unmated, an unbreakable keying system, and over-molded cable assemblies. Available in three locking systems (push-pull, screw and quick-release), they are easy to connect and disconnect up to 5,000 times.

With its new smaller version, the Fischer MiniMax™ Series now comes in two sizes, 06 and 08, with receptacles of 10 mm and 12 mm footprint respectively. Configurations range from 4 to 24 contacts.

@FischerConnect #PAuto 

Connector with pin socket version!

Fischer Connectors continues to lead the trend of miniaturization. After the successful launch of the Fischer MiniMax™ Series in 2012, Fischer Connectors extends this miniature high performance rugged connector with a pin socket version.

With the product range extension, the series is now available both in 19 and 24 pin configuration, giving designers more flexibility, especially where space and weight restrictions play a role. This innovative, first-to-market, high density miniature solution with a unique combination of power and signal contacts enables more functionality into smaller devices and lowers the total cost of ownership. This connector is ideally suited for handheld or body-worn applications, for instrumentation and for test equipment where user-friendliness and easy handling are a must.

The pin socket version of the Fischer MiniMax™ Series is available as standalone connector, able to be mounted on a flex or cabled by the users, or as a complete pre-cabled solution.

While the 24 pin configuration is available with 4 power and 20 signal contacts, the 19 pin configuration of the Fischer MiniMax™ Series will feature 4 power and 15 signal contacts as standard, with as unique feature the possibility to increase the number of power contacts depending on the cable used. Within the signal contacts, there are 2 advanced contacts for USB power connections as available option.

The Fischer MiniMax™ Series is available in three latching systems: push-pull, screw lock and quick release. The most important specifications are as follows:

• Small profile: less than 7mm inside the box
• Sealed IP68 (2m/24h), both mated and unmated
• Unbreakable keying system withstands over 4 Nm of torque
• Over-molded assemblies able to withstand 40 kg of pull (break-away) force

Fischer Connectors will pre-launch the pin socket version of the Fischer MiniMax™ Series on its booth Hall B3 stand 219 during Electronica in Munich, Germany from 11 to 14 November 2014.

Pin socket version connector!

Following the successful launch of the Fischer MiniMax™ Series in 2012, Fischer Connectors has extended this miniature high performance rugged connector with a pin socket version.With the product range extension, the Fischer MiniMax™ Series is now available both in 19 and 24 pin configuration, giving designers more flexibility, especially where space and weight restrictions play a role. This innovative, first-to-market, high density miniature solution with a unique combination of power and signal contacts enables more functionality into smaller devices and lowers the total cost of ownership. This connector is ideally suited for handheld or body-worn applications, for instrumentation and for test equipment where user-friendliness and easy handling are a must.

The pin socket version of the Fischer MiniMax™ Series is available as standalone connector, able to be mounted on a flex or cabled by the users, or as a complete pre-cabled solution.

While the 24 pin configuration is available with 4 power and 20 signal contacts, the 19 pin configuration of the Fischer MiniMax™ Series will feature 4 power and 15 signal contacts as standard, with as unique feature the possibility to increase the number of power contacts depending on the cable used. Within the signal contacts, there are 2 advanced contacts for USB power connections as available option.

The Fischer MiniMax™ Series is available in three latching systems: push-pull, screw lock and quick release. The most important specifications are as follows:

• Small profile: less than 7mm inside the box
• Sealed IP68 (2m/24h), both mated and unmated
• Unbreakable keying system withstands over 4 Nm of torque
• Over-molded assemblies able to withstand 40 kg of pull (break-away) force