CIE Components in Electronics
TE Connectivity (TE) has launched new extensions to its rugged, high-speed Mezalok mezzanine connector family. These extensions include a stack height of 15mm and a new 320 position size, which fill a height gap and adds additional pin density. The Mezalok connector family has been designed specifically for mezzanine cards in rugged applications and is standardized as the interconnect for XMC 2.0 (VITA 61).
Evolving technologies in military electronics such as signal intelligence, radar, communications, and surveillance are driving the demand for higher data rates and increasing processing power in embedded computing solutions. Mezzanine cards are often used to provide additional functionality and processing capability within a small form factor. The Mezalok connector family was developed to support these applications. Typical applications include application-specific high speed input/output (I/O) protocols, graphics, memory and digital-signal processing.
“New designs in rugged embedded computing require higher speeds and high pin counts in order to pack more functionality into smaller plug-in modules,” said Mike Walmsley, Product Manager, Global Aerospace, Defense & Marine, TE Connectivity. “TE recognises this trend and is offering new options in stack height and pin density, giving the system designer a broader solution set to work with when needing a fast, rugged, and reliable mezzanine connector for extreme environments.”
These high-reliability mezzanine connectors more than double the speed and durability of competing technology, making it a viable option for today’s military and commercial aerospace applications. At 5 GHz+, this rugged, surface mount mezzanine connector incorporates a redundant “mini-box” four-point contact system for separable interface and ultra reliability and offers excellent signal integrity up to 10 Gb/s. LCP plastic housings offer superior thermal stability and are low-outgassing. In addition, compliant BGA board attach supports standard surface mount processing and excellent thermal stability with a contact design that provides robust, uniform solder joints.
