Floating connectors with considerable tolerance compensation and high-speed data transmission
When it comes to board-to-board connectors, there are numerous versions: small and large pitches, low and tall designs, robust and simple connectors. The Finepitch FS 0,635 series connectors with floating properties are a new addition to the Phoenix Contact portfolio. What makes floating board-to-board connectors so special? Where are they used? And are high-speed data transmission and floating a contradiction in terms?
Features of a floating connector
Board-to-board connectors consist of the contacts that establish an electrical connection and a housing that protects and fixes the contacts. While floating connectors have two housing parts connected by contact metals. The inner housing contains the pin connector pattern, while the outer housing protects soldering surfaces and contacts. The floating contacts are long and curved, allowing the inner housing part to move within the limits set by the outer housing. This allows the pin connector pattern to be moved within a large tolerance range while the soldering area remains fixed. The FS 0,635 series allows a tolerance of 0.6 mm in the plug-in direction, known as wiping. The FS 0,635 floating female connector strip can be combined with three male connector strips to create different stack heights.
Advantages and applications of floating
The pin connector pattern’s movability allows for high tolerance compensation and minimizes mechanical stress, making it ideal for mating and when plugged in. Floating contacts reduce forces on connectors and solder joints, resulting in a reliable and stable board-to-board connection. They compensate for manufacturing tolerances during mating and misalignment when connectors are mated. Floating connectors facilitate automatic mounting of printed circuit boards, reducing failures and optimizing plugging speed. They also allow multiple board-to-board connections between two boards, compensating for position tolerances. Floating connectors are suited for applications where vibrations or shocks occur, such as industrial devices exposed to mechanical stress or thermal effects.
High-speed data transmission possible despite floating
The FS 0,635 series of board-to-board connectors has optimized the geometry of contacts, enabling high-speed data transmission of up to 40 Gbps, a significant innovation in the industry, despite the potential limitations of curved, spring contacts.
Read more about FINEPITCH board-to-board connectors.
