Connector design keeps up with future in-car computing
Progress in the automotive sector means that electromechanical systems are becoming more complex. In particular, the significant growth in data streams within the vehicle presents a challenge which will need new concepts for electromechanics and especially from connectors, says Yamaichi Electronics.
A second major challenge is the required power that a system of the future must be able to transmit. Continuous loads of up to 20A and peaks above 40A are not uncommon. The hot plug and always-on requirements have been part of OEMs’ specifications for some time.
In response, Yamaichi Electronics, in close co-operation with a large German OEM, has developed the Y-CCC interface, or Yamaichi Car Computer Connector.
It is a hybrid connector which accommodates the requirements for power, signals and high speed data in one receptacle size which it transmits accordingly. In order to meet the high demands of the automotive industry (vibration / shock, for exmaple), the materials and the design were internally tested according to the common automotive standards such as LV214 and VDA.
The zinc die-cast connector housing offers electrical shielding properties (signal integrity) and the required vibration resistance.
The current configuration of the Y-CCC connector system is: 56 signal contacts, 48 differential pairs for high-speed transmission up to PCIe 4.0 and eight power contacts up to 20A. The backplane connector is screw-mounted and suitable for through hole reflow solder.
The Y-CCC connector is available now although the company expects there to be iterations to adapt it for other profiles.
Yamaichi Electronics specialises in test and burn-in sockets, connectors and connection systems. It manufactures components for demanding applications in semiconductor, industrial automation, automotive, data networking, test and measurement, medical, mobile computing and embedded computing markets.
