For commercial applications, high speed data cable connectors such as Ethernet, USB, HDMI and others, come in a number of different shapes and sizes, typically specified as a part of the protocol standard they support. For many industrial and harsh environment applications, there is a need for ruggedized versions of these connectors to protect against malfunction caused by dirt or fluid contamination, as well as damage that might be caused by excessive external force. The traditional solution adopted by many manufacturers has been to create universal solutions that incorporate current form factors – with mixed results regarding size, performance and usability.
This paper examines the challenges faced by manufacturers in designing ruggedized connectors for high speed data transfer – not only with regard to size, but also factors such as ease-of-use, performance, durability and transmission reliability.
