Posted to News on 23rd Aug 2007, 16:21
Chip on Flex filter connectors offer high reliability
ITT will use DSEi 2007 (London ExCeL Centre, 11-14 September) for the European launch of the Cannon Chip on Flex (CoF) filter technology, which virtually eliminates all stress from thermal shock and vibration while providing superior protection to sensitive electronics in a new lighter weight package. In MIL-DTL-38999 configurations, the CoF connectors have passed MIL-DTL-38999 Series III testing for thermal shock, random vibration, humidity and high altitude. The filter connectors are suitable for high-reliability military, aerospace and industrial applications including integrated avionics, radio and navigation systems, fire control devices, electronic counter measures, satellite communications and data transmitters.
Chip on Flex filter connectors are just a small part of ITT's Cannon range of military connectors. Also included in the company's military product portfolio are: Micro D connectors; PT Pattern 105 circulars; POGO and Breakaway sprung pin contacts in small round and rectangular formats; composite and standard 38999 devices; Quadrax contacts for Ethernet applications in MIL-DTL-38999 and ARINCO configurations; N2 gas line connectors; RF 50ohm connectors and cables; nano-miniature connectors; ARINC connectors; and STANAG equivalent devices.
Cannon's CoF design replaces the internal and traditional ceramic planar array block capacitors with a state-of-the-art flexible circuit in which individual chip capacitors are surface-mounted on a pad adjacent to the feed-through contact. Since the feed-through contacts are not soldered directly to the capacitor, thermal stress points that impact performance in thermal shock and vibration are virtually eliminated.
The result is a very robust filter connector with superior mechanical performance and improved reliability. In addition, because the flex is significantly lighter in weight, a connector weight reduction of up to 15 per cent is achieved for the MIL-DTL-38999 configurations.
CoF filter connectors provide all the standard filtering capabilities, such as individual isolated pin filtering of high-frequency noise, built-in ground plane barriers in the connector inserts, and filtering at the face of system boxes. The approach offers the system designer complete flexibility in defining or changing individual circuit capacitance, ground and EMP performance during the design/development phase – thereby eliminating any need to retool the ceramic planar array.
The Cannon CoF design utilises readily available flex circuits and active components, leading to reduced design/development cycle times, overall hardware delivery lead times and cost.
