In order to improve the portability of devices in the rapid development of high-speed 5G networks, related products are facing the challenge of miniaturization, and in every market, designers are facing an increasing demand for miniaturized devices, which means that internal connectors must also be made smaller. This article will explore the challenges of miniaturization across industries and the product features of miniaturized connectors introduced by Molex for 5G applications.
Device miniaturization poses a challenge to signal integrity
Since the advent of 5G mobile phones, people have been trying to fit more functions into a small space. In every market, especially with the advent of 5G technology, design engineers are increasingly challenged to redesign electronics to accommodate shrinking devices and integrate more features into compact Spaces. This miniaturization trend requires making internal connectors smaller, and the vicious cycle continues.
In advanced applications such as RF/wireless devices, consumer electronics, and data center/edge computing, given changing user and market expectations, there are challenges in creating smaller components than ever before, such as increasing pin/signal density (whether it is I/O or power supply).
The push to use increasingly fine-pitch connectors presents some challenges, such as the lack of internal space for EMI shielding, making it difficult to manage internal EMI effects, and the fact that Signal pins are too close together may cause crosser, which will lead to signal attenuation, which in turn affects Signal Integrity (SI). This affects critical 5G speed performance.
Advanced 5G applications require maximum PCB space savings, superior cost performance, and a large number of design features suitable for customer applications, especially when it comes to reliably applying high-speed connectors to PCBS, and therefore require interdisciplinary expertise in electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing process engineering to deliver microelectronic interconnects that operate at higher speeds. To achieve miniaturization without sacrificing long-term reliability while still remaining commercially viable, designers must "think big" and redefine connectivity innovations to meet communication, power, and I/O processing requirements.
As miniaturization continues to permeate every industry and application category, product designers must balance competing issues such as power and thermal management, signal integrity and integration, component and system integration, mechanical stress and manufacturability, all of which pose serious challenges to device miniaturization.
Miniaturization is not just about connectors getting smaller
Miniaturization isn't just about making parts smaller, it's also about assembling those parts together, if possible, and ensuring that device manufacturers can take advantage of the same design approach without having to redesign the PCB, which would incur costs. Previously, many components were too small to be placed manually, forcing PCB manufacturers to turn to automated surface mount technology. Now, even with automated assembly, manufacturing processes that handle extremely fine-pitch connections on circuit boards face a similar set of challenges.
Taking the terminal pitch of a typical miniature connector as an example, that is, the distance between the centers of two adjacent pins, this distance has shrunk from well over 1 mm to 0.35 mm, and ultimately, the size of the pins limits the amount of power or frequency signal circuit they can carry. At some point, you have to compromise on size to get high-speed performance.
Mechanical limitations are also a concern, and depending on the desired application, these connectors must be robust, waterproof and shock-proof (if exposed to the environment), and cost effective. It was designed to be mass-produced and sold around the world. Collectively, these constraints are driving the need for designers to take a more holistic approach to product design before entering the production process. For example, designers can rethink connector circuit layouts instead of continuing to shrink connector pins, which is what Molex did with four rows of board-to-board connectors. This eye-catching connector features 4 rows of staggered contact pins (hence the name "four rows"), saving up to 30% of board footprint compared to the SlimStack SSB6RP variant. This is an innovative way to achieve smaller terminal spacing without compromising the physical design, resulting in unprecedented space savings while enabling high-density circuit connections.
As new features continue to emerge to drive the development of the mobile phone market, such as the number of 5G mobile phone cameras is increasing every year, so the industry needs smaller components to save space. The latest models can come with 4 or 5 cameras and are saturated in terms of the number of cameras. In addition, the challenges of 5G applications also put forward new demands for miniaturization in the telecom industry.
Currently 5G is the biggest factor, with more antenna modules and more RF capabilities needed inside smartphones. In addition, all 5G-related functions consume more power and therefore require larger batteries, which puts pressure on design engineers to reduce the size of other necessary components.
Rf connectors are a good example, in the past, engineers used coaxial cables to transmit RF signals from board to board, but these are now being replaced by smaller RF connectors as part of the new miniaturization trend. Using RF connectors of different heights allows manufacturers to optimize the placement of components on the Z-axis, but making this transition is no easy task. Due to the higher frequency of 5G, other parts must be redesigned in order to avoid signal leakage. To meet this demand, engineers had to develop new gap-free manufacturing methods for connectors, a simple demonstration of the complex interplay between engineering disciplines for the next generation of technologies.
Flexible board connectors overcome miniaturization challenges
Molex is committed to driving the path of miniaturization with decades of experience in dealing with challenges and trade-offs. Through a global engineering and manufacturing leadership team, Molex offers interdisciplinary expertise and unparalleled collaboration to support the changing needs of its customers, as exemplated by the introduction of the 5G25 series of flexible board connectors for 5G millimeter wave RF applications.
The miniature connector provides superior SI performance and powerful plug-in capabilities for high-speed, extreme RF applications, and saves PCB space required for compact 5G mobile and other communications devices to meet high frequency (25 GHz) requirements. Molex's proprietary RF terminal contact shielding and isolation capabilities maintain the high level of SI performance expected in mission-critical 5G applications.
Compared to their physical size, the complex but mechanically robust nature of these miniature connectors explains their high electrical reliability. The connector's uniquely designed shielding layer provides comprehensive EMI shielding and high frequency functionality for superior EMI reduction and SI performance while supporting insertion positioning, and it also protects against potential RF contact bending and shock from unexpected drops.
Connectors with industry-leading signal integrity
With 5G application frequencies up to 25 GHz, the Molex 5G25 series enables high-speed transmission, enabling handset manufacturers, RF module developers and chipset manufacturers to take advantage of Molex's industry-leading 5G millimeter wave connectivity technology. The 5G25 series offers industry-leading SI performance and comprehensive EMI shielding (including RF terminals and connector shielding), providing superior electrical and wireless signal performance and connectivity, and adding center shielding contacts within the socket or plug to isolate each row to further improve overall SI stability. In addition, Molex's full-shield design provides best-in-class far-field gain performance, making it ideal for connecting 5G antennas to the rest of the transceiver.
The compact size of the Molex 5G25 series enables high-speed data transfer in a space-saving solution and provides additional protection against harsh environmental conditions. The 5G25 series has a signal pitch of 0.35mm, a body height of only 0.7mm, a body width of 2.5mm, and a length of 3.6mm, which improves the flexibility of PWB design. In addition, the 5G25 enables designers of RF antenna modules and mobile devices to combine RF and non-RF signals, reducing the need for additional connectors while saving more space and costs.
The Molex 5G25 series is designed for fast and reliable assembly, with a first-class alignment allowance of 0.30 mm pitch (width) and 0.30 mm (span), providing a high degree of flexibility in alignment tolerances, speeding up the entire assembly and production process, enabling fast and trouble-free assembly, with an excellent "click" to prevent mismatches, and providing an excellent "click" to prevent mismatches. This ultra-compact connector has a strong stripping force that increases reliability and minimizes the load on assembly operators or automatic assembly machines, providing the mechanical robustness required for product and operational reliability.
The Molex 5G25 series is widely used in various industries, such as AR/VR devices, smart home devices, smartphones, tablets, wearables in the consumer field, as well as aircraft avionics, aerial cameras, drones in the military field, and the product supports the capabilities of 5G millimeter wave, Sub 6 GHz and 4G/LTE applications. This makes it highly usable in applications such as 5G and RF devices, Internet of Things, portable audio and navigation devices in the industrial sector, patient monitoring systems in the medical sector, and therapeutic and surgical devices.
Conclusion
As mobile and wearable applications continue to advance, creating design challenges for manufacturers of connected products, miniaturization has become a key element in solving some space issues, especially when PCB space is at a premium. Each new generation of RF antenna modules and smartphones brings us closer to realizing the full potential of 5G performance, and Molex has been quick to capitalize on these opportunities to deliver interconnect solutions that address high data speeds while delivering outstanding SI performance and meeting the requirements of demanding 25 GHz millimeter wave applications.
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