The automotive industry is witnessing massive development in the field of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and smart vehicles in recent years.  The use of cutting-edge digital sensors on the exterior of the car also helps with safer driving and higher autonomy.

Most connectors face challenges of disconnection, caused by the vibration of vehicles on the move. This affects the performance of all the electronics associated with the vehicle.

 

Standard BTB Connectors

 

Generally, many board-to-board connectors go into the display and instrumentation panels in the automobile. However standard board-to-board connector pins are soldered directly to the PCB and need not be designed to withstand continuous vibrations and stress. They perform adequately in applications free from stresses such as misalignments responsible for the failure of the specific component. Stress and continuous movement over a long period of time in such a manner will eventually cause wear and tear to the contact surfaces. This is called fretting and it can lead to oxidation of pins and thus increase resistance.

This is where the floating connectors play their role. Stacked PCBs are used within all modern cars that support various infotainment facilities. The traditional board-to-board connectors are replaced with the advanced floating board-to-board connectors, which increase the reliability, performance, and durability of the entire automotive electronics.

 

Floating Connectors in Consumer Applications

 

The case of the consumer industry is also not different. For many consumer applications like washing machines, blenders, grinders, and dishwashers, continued vibrations affect performance. Replacing board-to-board connectors with floating connectors that provide a large floating range and high-speed transmission in miniature sizes helps to create a new arena for sleek and sophisticated consumer appliances that are also durable and reliable.

 

How Do Floating Connectors Work?

 

Floating connectors are designed with a built-in spring. This design supports movements in the X and Y axis and the spring takes the stress protecting the solder joints and pins. Higher vibration leads to PCB resonance and movement of the boards. With floating connectors, the horizontal vibrations will not affect the contacts or joints.

In floating connectors, the pins come with a bend that flexes allowing movements in both left and right directions. The housings in these connectors also have a floating element suspended by the contacts, enabling reliable mating even under adverse conditions.

 

The New Z-Axis

 

The modern floating connectors come with an additional Z-axis, meaning the connector can tolerate X (pitch), Y (vertical), and Z (mating) vibrations or misalignment. The connector with a Z-axis is capable of adjusting and absorbing various forces from the flexing of the boards or improper mounting, in a way that no strain falls on the connector.

 

 0.50mm pitch floating board-to-board connector

 

Amphenol’s latest, 0.50mm pitch floating board-to-board connectors offer an advanced solution with a reduced PCB footprint. These connectors come with independent power pins supporting 5A current per pin in 0.50mm pitch making them ideal for advanced automotive and consumer applications. That results in large current and space savings. With an operating temperature ranging from -55°C to 125°C, and a large floating range of X, Y±0.60mm, and Z ±0.50mm, these floating BTB connectors comes with anti-fool mating design and direction guides for easy mating.

Read more on Amphenol’s range of floating board-to-board connectors suitable for next generation consumer and automotive applications.