Industrial mini I/O connector provides superior performance

TTI, Inc now stocks the Industrial Mini-I/O connectors from TE Connectivity. The Mini I/O range of connectors provides excellent vibration, shock and EMI resistance in a compact size to deliver reliable high performance in rugged industrial applications, particularly in IIOT and collaborative robotics.

These connectors provide superior performance over conventional RJ45 connectors in industrial environments, particularly in applications such as motor drives that are susceptible to shock and vibration. When equipment vibrates or shakes, contacts commonly move. The design of the Mini-I/O has two separate contact points so that if the contacts move, at least one point always remains connected to avoid complete signal interruption.

The connectors offer good signal integrity, and the connections support PoE, PoE+, PoE++ (IEEE802.3at and IEEE802.3bt), with data rates from 10Mbps up to 10Gbps. The mini connectors have outstanding EMI resistance, thanks to 360-degree metal shielding. Also, the EMI and signal integrity are optimised by the signal path design, and the 360-degree shielding brings the next generation to Cat6A performance.

These connectors are a space-saving solution, only 25% of the size of a traditional RJ45 plug. As such, they offer critical space saving on a PCB and are a compact wire-to-board connector system for industrial communications. In this case, the connectors are excellent for robotics applications with limited interior space and control cabinets where space is a constraint.

Mini-I/O cable assemblies are compatible with existing systems and have been developed to connect Mini-I/O to Mini-I/O and Mini-I/O to RJ45 as needed by the application. This also allows easy retrofitting where required. Furthermore, the connectors can be fitted simply on eight or four-wire legacy cabling without special tools.

"The industry keeps asking for smaller, more reliable solutions that go beyond what is currently available in the market for IIoT. We are extremely pleased to now offer the industrial mini I/O to our customers," said Markus Lorenz, director Industry Marketing – Industrial Europe, TTI. "These durable products are fast becoming an integral part of industrial network implementations thanks to their excellent reliability.

"Additionally, they are easy to install in less than a minute since they support automatic wire cut-off, rather than having to terminate the wires with soldering. This is a significant advantage compared to similar competing technologies. They are an excellent example of the wide range of solutions we offer as part of our 2022 Smart Factory – Industrial Network initiative."

The connectors portfolio comprises various board and cable connectors, including jack, plug or receptacle styles, and cable-to-board or cable-to-cable connector systems.