Interplex: Stackable Multi-Row Board-to-Board Connector Products Offer Flexibility
December 1, 2022
Interplex is successfully addressing the growing market demand for high-density interconnects in challenging application scenarios. The company has just released its multi-row board-to-board (BTB) connector product.
Thanks to the proprietary snap-in biscuit design, this ingenious interconnect concept will disrupt the industry – allowing multiple connector units to be stacked together. This means interconnections can be appropriately sized while avoiding the need for them to be custom built. The unique cost-effective approach which Interplex has taken will enable different pin count requirements to be attended to via the same basic interconnect platform, without any extra expense or engineering effort.
The new multi-row BTB connectors feature 0.4mm miniPLX™ press-fit pins, so the need for soldering is eliminated. These pins are made from a copper alloy and exhibit very low levels of contact resistance (<1mΩ). Each pin has a 3A current carrying capability. The optional coating of these pins with the company’s patented IndiCoat™ plating technology mitigates tin whisker build-up, in order to prevent the risk of short circuits and extend operational lifespan.
Interplex multi-row BTB connectors are available in board stacking heights from 7mm to 30mm. They can have between 1 and 6 rows, with up to 30 contact terminals being incorporated into each row. Conforming with automotive performance requirements, these rugged products can withstand high humidity levels (8 hour cycling up to 10% RH), shocks (35g for 5 to 10ms across 10 axes), and vibrations (8 hour per axis). A working temperature range of -40°C to +150°C is supported.
“Being able to fit enough interconnect terminal pins into a small space, while not having any excess, is a priority for any of our clients. At the same time, keeping their total cost of ownership down is also vital,” explains Ralph Semmeling, Product Portfolio Director at Interplex. “This means that the companies we are dealing with want access to off-the-shelf products at attractive price points, but with the inherent flexibility that following a custom-based strategy offers. Our new stackable interconnect platform gives them the best of both worlds. Allowing them to design to cost.”
There are a broad variety of applications that the robust, high-density, scalable multi-row BTB connectors will be targeted at. Among the most prominent of these are going to be electric vehicles (EVs), particularly for electric power steering and electronic control units functions. There are also opportunities for these connectors to be used in industrial automation systems (robots), transportation hardware (trains), medical instrumentation (such as imaging scanners), and more.
