New Screw-Lok for tougher demands
- Metal back-shells for maximum
strain relief and RF shielding
- Up to 45% smaller and up to
75% lighter than Micro-D
- Resists extremes of shock,
vibration and temperature
- Excellent out-gassing properties
Higher Reliability
smaller footprint
Harwin ECN Gecko SL May 17.qxp_Layout 1 07/04/2017 21: 26 Page 1
manufacturers have introduced larger 3.2mm M. 2
connectors. Designed to accept dual-sided module cards
and module cards outfitted with additional components,
the minimal height these connectors add to a design
enables improved functionality that 2.3mm M. 2
connectors are unable to deliver.
Figure 3: Kyocera’s mid-plane
mounted M1.8 connector (top),
standard H2.3 connector for
single-sided module cards
(middle), and H3.2 connector
(bottom).
Largely driven by the thinning of electronic devices
like tablets and notebook PCs, several connector
manufacturers are developing M. 2 connectors with a
module seating plane slimmer than the 2.3mm version.
By cutting into the host PCB, designers have developed
an innovative workaround solution that maintains
compatibility with the universal M. 2 requirements, which
isn’t possible with further adjustments to the size of the
actual connector. Measuring just 1.8mm high, these latest
M. 2 card edge connectors are half a millimeter shorter
than the standard device, which provides a significant
reduction in the connector’s height. With these, engineers
are afforded extra space to run a cable or populate
components—including FFC/FPC cables with thicknesses
of 0.3mm or less and capacitors with profile heights
as low as 0.18mm—where there once wasn’t room,
providing another effective solution for simultaneously
shrinking PCB size while increasing functionality.
Designing for smart home electronics requires
combined efforts from several links in the electronics
supply chain, but innovative, reliable, and cost-effective
component-level solutions like the new M. 2 card edge
connectors available in various mounting positions with
respective benefits are one way device designers can
achieve sleeker, subtler, and more attractive designs while
simultaneously increasingly its functionality. ECN
