Molex has released a new report on miniaturization in product design that highlights the interdisciplinary design and manufacturing skills needed to integrate an increasingly sophisticated set of features and functionality into ever smaller devices. The report, entitled. "Mastering Miniaturization, Expert Perspectives." (MasteringMiniaturization, Expert Perspectives), offers guidance on how to address the key trade-offs needed to meet the cost and space requirements of densely compressed electronic devices amid growing demand for lighter and smaller products.
"Design engineers must 'think big to aim small,' especially when it comes to applying high-speed connectors to printed circuit boards (PCBs) reliably," said Brian Hauge, SVP and president of Molex's Consumer & Commercial Solutions division. "Providing microelectronic interconnects that operate at higher speeds without sacrificing long-term reliability requires cross-functional expertise in electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing process engineering. Molex's industry-leading miniaturization capabilities are supported by traditionally delivering some of the most compact and advanced connectivity solutions available today, while remaining commercially viable."
As miniaturization continues to permeate every industry and application category, product designers must balance competitive factors, including:
- power and heat management
- signal integrity and integration
- integration of components and systems
- mechanical stress and manufacturability
- precision, mass production and cost
The report addresses miniaturization trends in consumer devices and wearable medical devices, as well as the demand for smaller and lighter electronic components and connectors in automotive applications, data centers, and manufacturing processes. Observations from experts in various fields shed light on the impact of miniaturization on manufacturing plants, data centers, automobiles, wearable medical devices, smartphones, the evolution of 5G and more.
Miniaturization redefines innovation
Several examples of Molex solutions help highlight the various ways in which miniaturization is redefining innovation by reducing the size, weight, and placement of components and connectors. Among them:
- Quad-Row board-to-board connectors ; these are the world's smallest, with a staggered circuit layout for 30 percent space savings to support smartphones, smartwatches, wearable devices, game consoles, and augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) devices.
- Next-generation vehicle architectures; these are zonal architectures, replacing traditional wiring harnesses and grouping vehicle functions by location using fewer, smaller, more powerful, and more durable connectors
- 5G25 flex-to-board mmWave RF connectors; combine small size with superior signal integrity to deliver a performance change to meet demanding 5G mmWave applications up to 25 Ghz
- NearStack On-the-Substrate (OTS); direct-to-chip solution that places NearStack connectors directly on the chip substrate package, enabling high-density interconnections that support 112 Gbps transmission over longer distances.
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