Rugged PCB connectors offer high speed and signal integrity

RS Components has introduced the Hirose ER8 series of 0.8mm board-to-board connectors for industrial and medical applications. The PCB connectors series combine rugged construction with high-speed transmission at data rates of over 10Gbps, easily exceeding the IEEE802.3ap backplane Ethernet specification. The connectors have an expanded contact wipe and insertion depth to keep the mating force low, while the extraction force is up to six times higher than for a typical micro-pitch connector. This makes the series ideal for applications demanding resistance to shock and vibration, with up to 100 mating cycles. A large mating guide on each connector enables easy insertion, with a broad self-alignment range. The contacts of the series are optimised for high signal integrity to ensure quick, reliable data transmission. Using staggered GSSG pin assignments allows 85Ohm differential impedance to be achieved, reducing crosstalk. An excellent ICR (insertion-loss to crosstalk ratio) with five-aggressor differential FEXT far end crosstalk (FEXT) comfortably exceeds IEEE802.3ap 10Gbps demands. The series incorporates a wide range of 0.8mm pitch PCB headers and sockets in parallel stacking (mezzanine) and right-angle configurations. The parallel connectors come with 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 100 or 120 contacts, and allow vertical stacking heights from 7mm to 12mm. Right-angle connectors are currently offered with 120 contacts.