Posted to News on 19th Jul 2011, 23:10
0.25mm pitch FPC connector accepts PCB at an angle
TE Connectivity, formerly Tyco Electronics, is launching 0.25mm pitch Flexible Printed Circuit connectors (slantingly inserted FPC type) to cater for the continuing trend towards miniaturisation in consumer devices, as fine-pitch FPC connectors facilitate more complicated circuit designs on smaller printed circuit boards. This contributes to the miniaturisation of consumer electronics such as mobile phones and digital cameras. Eric Himelright, the director of product management at TE, states: "The smaller size allows you to run the same amount of lines on a smaller footprint, thus freeing up valuable board real-estate."
Besides reduced size, TE's 0.25mm pitch FPC connector boasts a box-shaped, back-flip lock actuator and a lower contact point. With a back-flip lock, the connector accommodates a pick-and-place nozzle, is easy to actuate and has better printed circuit retention. The robust, box-shaped actuator provides better protection for the connector and makes it easy to operate.
TE says the most important feature of its 0.25mm pitch FPC connectors is that they are designed to accept a printed circuit at an angle rather than horizontally, which gives designers more flexibility in PCB design. Traditionally, FPC connectors only allowed for horizontal printed circuit insertion. Because of this it was impossible to mount other components in front of the FPC connectors. As a result, FPC connectors are almost always mounted at the edge of PCBs, which is not always the most convenient location.
"This is not the case with TE's 0.25mm pitch FPC connectors," emphasises Masaki Mukasa, the product manager at TE. "Since the printed circuit can be inserted at an angle, the connector can be placed anywhere on a printed circuit board and it is now possible to place other components in front of the FPC connector."
All TE 0.25mm pitch FPC connectors are RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliant.
For more information on TE's 0.25mm pitch FPC connector, go to www.te.com/products/FPC.
