Connectors: A History of Their Technology? 598
dpbsmith asks: "It seems like a simple engineering problem--construct a device for easily and safely connecting several dozen wires at the same time--but the variety and creativity in their design over the years has been amazing, and, clearly there have been trends, fashions, and styles. In the fifties and sixties, virtually all connectors were roughly similar to the D-Sub design used for RS-232. A stiff, straight pin engaged a springy socket that contacted and bore against it on all sides. There were minor variations in shape and placement; the Amphenol Blue Ribbons (think Centronics), the connectors into which circuit boards engaged, but they were all variations on a theme. I was absolutely astounded the first time I saw a modular RJ-11 connector. Cheap, effective, and utterly unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Who invented these? Western Electric? Recently, we have the USB connector and the Firewire connector, obviously members of the same family (and a cheap-and-cheesy-seeming family it seems); on the other hand, my telephone and my digital camera have connectors that are very small and snap in with a positive lock that must be released with a squeeze, obviously yet another fundamentally different design. What do people know about the design, history, and engineering behind connectors over the years? Is it all hidden away, trade secrets of the connector companies, or is their a story that can be told?"
The eternal question... (Score:4, Interesting)
game reference (Score:4, Interesting)
Connector technology (Score:4, Interesting)
Perhaps they should rename themselves "Packard Dell."
Could Wired be any more prissy? (Score:5, Interesting)
Ignore the 'being digital' crap and read this [mit.edu]...
Re:Could Wired be any more prissy? (Score:3, Interesting)
Intrestingly, here in the UK the agency responsible for licencing telecommunications equipment insist that consumer equipment have the RJ-11 clips clipped.
As for plugging into the wall we've of these weird BT designed things which are slightly bigger than the RJ-11. The nice thing is that they are made of a less brittle plastic, so are not as prone to breaking. They also tend to lie flat so are not quite as painfull to stand on. (alas my young son has found my stash of RJ-45s, so my feet still hurt).
Favorite connector (Score:2, Interesting)
Personally, my favorite connector has to be the Camlok E-series power connector. There is just something "interesting" about a connector that is rated for 400+ amps of current flow. And just TRY to break one or pull it off the wire...
For multipin, I would have to say that the old IBM Latchback connectors are tops on my list. 240+ pins, all designed to mate at the same time, all gold plated, and designed for low level signals (unamplified audio for example). Single cam based latching mechanism, keyed, and easily maintainable.
Of course, if you have never work in a concert hall, you probably will NEVER see any of these connectors in real life....
Connectors in my PC (Score:5, Interesting)
Why can't we invent a safer electrical plug? (Score:2, Interesting)
It has a standard sized six sided shape with three holes for metal prongs to fit into.
Perhaps, you've seen a cord with a connector that is the opposite gender of these. It might, for example, but a cord comming out of a monitor with a connector that accepts a standard computer power cord.
This cord has metal prongs (male?) but a sheath around the prongs into which the bulk of the plug from the other end fits (femals?).
If you know the kind of connector I'm talking about, then why can't electrical power plugs work like this?
At present, electrical plugs have metal prongs that can be touched with your fingers while the plug is partially inserted into the electrical outlet. What if there were a plastic "fence" around the group of prongs so that it was impossible to touch the prongs while it is being inserted into an outlet? The outlet would have to have the "cutout" for this plastic fence to fit into.
Anyone who has plugged an Apple monitor's electrical cord into the Mac so that the Mac controls the flow of power to the monitor knows what I'm talking about here. It is impossible to touch the prongs while you're inserting the plug into the socket.
RP-TNC connectors (Score:2, Interesting)
They have proved very hard to find, and expensive to order. The connector or adapter cable often prove to be the most expensive part of a homebrew antenna!
Does anyone have any antenna / RF cable tips or know of stores in the SF bay area?
Andersen Powerpoles (Score:3, Interesting)
Might as well plug my favorite DC power connectors, Andersen Powerpoles [powerwerx.com] Modular, color-coded, genderless, super-easy to assemble, safe, positive click on connect, etc. Emergency services are quickly adopting them as the standard for all 13.8v (12v nominal) gear for their setups. Perhaps a few cents more than the cheap barrel connectors or Molexes, but they're definitely worth it. I've driven over 12-year-old Powerpole connectors and they're none the worse for wear.
(no connection between me and andersen besides happy customer status, btw.)
Ultrasound Connectors (Score:3, Interesting)
To prevent constant pin breakage and bending, most ultrasound machines have special guides on the ports (jacks) so that the plug can only be inserted at a precise angle. But it still happens. When you've paid up to $50,000 for an infant cardiac transesophogeal multiplanar probe and you break a half-cent pin, you tend utter words that should not be uttered near an infant needing such a diagnostic examination.
Acuson invented a new type of connector for their Sequoia line of ultrasound systems. The "MP" connector is a flat plate that rests snuggly against another flat plate in the port, held secure by a quick release knob. Imagine a very large inkjet cartridge connector. Unlike an inkjet connector, they're very rugged, and spec'ed out a heck of lot tighter. No more broken pins! And they're a lot easier to attach and detach than the old style.
Re:The eternal question... (Score:3, Interesting)
RE: AMP (Score:1, Interesting)
Ah, Tyco... what a nest of thives, crooks, and con-artists. A lovely company to be sure. Every time the CEO gets fined, they just lay off a couple thousand people and use their salaries to recoup the losses.
not 2N+1 (Score:1, Interesting)
But there are two ways you can turn a connector 180 degrees for it to mate with one identical to itself: around the axis defined by the pin tips or along an axis perpendicular to that and to the cable itself. In the first case you only need N wires (see the Anderson cable mentioned in nearby posts) but in the second case you need 2N+1 unless you want cross-over.
I tried to explain this to Jef over email, but even with drawings it didn't work out very well. I am sure that if I could explain in person with hand gestures he would have got it.
Re:Connectors in my PC (Score:3, Interesting)
These have got to be the worst designed plugs in the universe. They go in easy, and are impossible to remove.