St Cross Electronics MD Dax Ward drove the company sponsored Formula Jedi race car from 20th on the grid to finish 8th overall last weekend at Rockingham Motor Speedway.

Dax Ward, Managing Director of St Cross Electronics drove the company sponsored Formula Jedi race car from 20th on the grid to finish 8th overall last weekend at Rockingham Motor Speedway race circuit. It was a huge achievement as the car is vastly under powered compared with some others on the grid. The car is prepared by the company’s Engineering Director, Adrian Jukes.

St Cross Electronics is a cable harness manufacturer and is involved in different markets from military to the motorsport sector.

Overmoulded connector series is available with three, four or five gold-plated contacts with a current carrying capacity of up to 13A each.

Binder-USA has added overmoulded connectors to its 7/8in threaded connector line. The overmoulded connectors are part of Binder’s 870 series and are fully intermateable with the 820 series. The new overmoulded connector series is available with three, four or five gold-plated contacts with a current carrying capacity of up to 13A each.

The overmoulded design ensures sealing up to IP68 which has been tested to survive water submersion to a depth of 18m for up to 24h.

The high degree of sealing is achieved through the use of a highly elastic self-sealing contact carrier made of PUR.

Binder-USA has released its 692 series overmoulded machine connectors.

Binder-USA has released its 692 series overmoulded machine connectors. Previously, the 692 series was available only in straight and right angle field attachable versions. The new overmoulded cable connectors are intermateable with all 692 and 693 series connectors.

The overmoulded option is available for straight and angled, male and female plugs.

The connectors feature 3+PE silver plated contacts with current carrying capacity of up to 13A each.

The contacts are crimped to four 1.5mm2 conductors encased in an ultraflexible UL approved PVC jacketed cable which features and outer diameter of 8.6mm.

Standard cable length is 2m.

Other lengths are available on request.

All Binder cordsets are 100% electrically tested for opens and shorts.

Belden participated in a full fledged, live demonstration of 10GBase-T technology at Solarflare Communications in Irvine, California.

Belden participated in a full fledged, live demonstration of 10GBase-T technology at Solarflare Communications in Irvine, California. The tests were performed using Solarflare’s newly developed 10Xpress 10GBase-T PHY evaluation boards. The validation trials were performed on a 100m Belden IBDN System 10GX channel in a worst-case, four-connector channel configuration (as specified in the TIA augmented Category 6 draft standard, which is currently under development in the TIA TR 42.7 subcommittee).

A seven-cable (six-around-one) configuration was used, with the Belden 10GX cables bundled every eight inches.

The 10Gbit/s Ethernet signals were generated using a traffic generator at the XAUI interface to the PHY evaluation boards.

The 10Gbit/s Ethernet signal was looped back at the far end transceiver and the receiver frames compared with the sending frames.

Live 10GBase-T traffic was transmitted simultaneously on all six neighbouring channels simulating a worst-case alien crosstalk environment.

There were no errors detected for the duration of the testing, which lasted over several hours.

The signal-to-noise ratio monitored during the testing was in excess of 25dB, providing a good margin over the standard.

This truly marks the first real life test to demonstrate the performance capability of 10GBase-T, using Solarflare’s 10GBase-T product over Belden’s 10GX augmented Category 6 cabling.

A real-life example of what this means would be the difference of transmitting high resolution pictures (600 dot/in) at 20 per minute at 1Gbit/s, compared with 200 per minute at 10Gbit/s.

The Belden IBDN System 10GX is not an improved or boosted Category 6 system, but a revolutionary new solution designed around a series of dynamic enabling technologies to ensure the highest level of alien crosstalk isolation and the best electrical performance during high frequency operation.

Customers can now buy Anixter cables and wires directly though Anixter Components.

Customers can now buy Anixter cables and wires directly though Anixter Components. As part of the world’s largest distributor of wire and cable, Anixter Components (formerly Heyco) is now able to offer total cabling and wiring solutions for all cable management needs in all markets including OEM and wire assembly. ‘We are truly able to offer a one-stop-shop for all cable supplies’, says Andrew Fletcher, Technical Director, Anixter Components.

‘Our relationship with Anixter means it is easy for customers to approach us with all their cabling needs’.

‘We are delighted to include the leading range of cables from Anixter as part of our offering’.

Anixter Components’ extensive range of over 10,000 cost effective wire and cable products includes accessories such as its new One-Wrap Brand Qwik Ties cable ties - a low cost alternative to standard hook and loop ties that can be fixed around cables easily to create an effective and secure method of bundling for light duty applications.

Its popular cost effective strain relief bushings and cable protectors offer ultimate securing of cables into panels and enclosures.

Sourced from world-class manufacturers, Anixter’s range wire and cable products are of the highest quality and are fully compliant with relevant national and international standards.

From flame retardant and fire resistant cables to low, medium and high voltage cables, Anixter Components has access to the most extensive portfolio of cables, accessories and services to satisfy any customers’ requirement.

By popular demand, Yamaichi Electronics has added a USB-B version to its Y-ConIP20Lock cable assembly family.

By popular demand, Yamaichi Electronics has added a USB-B version to its Y-ConIP20Lock cable assembly family. The Y-ConIP20Lock-10 plug and play cable assembly is the most compact USB-B solution with IP20 protection and supplementary lock on the market. This compact design also fits into 19in addon systems.

With the ergonomic locking clips, the component offers a tool-less lock guaranteeing a high level of resistance to vibration and loosening while mated.

This type of protected high-speed USB connection can be used in diverse industrial applications - on both service interfaces or as a main connection, but above all wherever increased demands for vibration resistance exists, eg industrial PCs, transport and mechanical systems.

The screw mounted locking frame on the housing side can be mounted over existing jacks and is available in 1-, 2-, 4- and, on request, 8-way versions.

The standard length for the moulded cable assemblies (which use industrial USB cable with PUR jacket) is 2 metres, but other cable lengths are available on request.

CeramOptec offers silica fibres with high numerical apertures (NA) with high transmission from the deep UV (nonsolarising) to the NIR.

CeramOptec offers silica fibres with high numerical apertures (NA) with high transmission from the deep UV (nonsolarising) to the NIR. In addition to the company’s Optran Plus specialty fibres, CeramOptec introduces Optran Ultra, which offers even higher NAs of 0.37, 0.44, and 0.53. Targeted at the industrial, sensor, medical diagnostic and specialty markets, the Optran Ultra and Optran Plus lines are well-suited for applications from industrial spectroscopy to laser welding, from medical sensing to delivering photodynamic therapy, these fibres exhibit exceptional spectral transmission from 350 to 2200nm.

For penetration to even shorter wavelengths, the Optran Plus UV offers transmission from 190 to 1200nm without solarisation.

The innovative leader of the fibre optic industry, CeramOptec manufactures its own preforms.

The company uses a proprietary PCVD process to create high-grade specialty fibres with a wide range of profiles and dopants, numerical apertures from 0.12 to 0.66, and high radiation resistance levels.

Fibres are drawn in-house before being assembled into fibre optic bundles and assemblies.

This ensures customers the finest transmission, highest temperature capability, and widest range of numerical apertures.

3M has launched a new range of connectors known as Shrunk Delta Ribbon (SDR).

3M has launched a new range of connectors known as Shrunk Delta Ribbon (SDR). This connector range has a pitch of 0.8mm and is aimed at meeting the needs of design engineers migrating to smaller interface requirements. These connectors avoid the loss of performance normally associated with this transition.

These high-density fully shielded board-mount connectors and cable assemblies have been developed to meet a multitude of high level input/output applications in a broad range of markets, eg medical imaging and diagnostics; machine vision; telecommunications; automated test equipment (ATE); factory automation; computing and security systems.

The SDR line consists of RoHS compliant board-mount connectors in 14-, 26- and 50-pin configurations and a variety of cable assemblies to customer specification.

26-way assemblies are available in standard 2, 5 and 10m lengths incorporating straight and low-profile right angle overmoulded shells and fixing screws.

The connector uses the same reliable ribbon contact system as the larger MDR from 3M, but on a 0.8mm pitch.

It also provides a polarised shell interface to prevent incorrect mating.

Within the machine vision/vision-aided robotics market, the 26-position SDR is the approved connector system in the mini-CameraLink standard.

Still utilising 28AWG cable it is an electrical drop-in replacement to the original CameraLink in applications that require a smaller form factor without sacrificing performance.

‘Based on feedback, we believe our customers will benefit from being able to order a ready-made, finished assembly in standard lengths or customised to fit their exact requirements’, said Andy Urbanczyk, 3M SDR Distributor Sales Manager, UK and Ireland.

‘We can also provide interconnect solutions in SDR-to-SDR or SDR-to- MDR configurations and extender cable assemblies to accommodate old and new CameraLink requirements with standard or custom pinouts also available’.

‘3M is well established in the interconnect market, following a 20 year history of providing global organisations with its MDR range’, added Adrian Hyner, 3M Sales and Marketing Manager, UK and Ireland.

‘The launch of our SDR family shows our commitment to providing continued product leadership in the interconnect marketplace’.

3M plans to add 68, 80 and 100 stacked types in the future.

A sampling service is in place to enable engineers to evaluate the performance of the new SDR range

A low-cost cable assembly from GTK is now available to support the IEEE1394 interface standard otherwise known as FireWire, or i.link.

A low-cost cable assembly from GTK is now available to support the IEEE1394 interface standard otherwise known as FireWire, or i.link. The standard, a high-speed serial bus which delivers data transfer rates up to 400Mbit/s, is ubiquitous on new PCs for connection to high speed peripherals and is critical for video and audio streaming over peer-to-peer networks. GTK’s IEEE1394 cable assemblies include 4/4-, 4/6- and 6/6-way cable connectors, with the 4-pin interconnect incorporating two separately shielded twisted-pair transmission lines.

Two power conductors - carrying 1.5A at up to 40V - are added by the 6-pin interconnect for an isolated remote device.

More, end connectors have been asymmetrically designed to ensure correct connection, and are supplied with retention catch on demand.

Devices are RoHS-compliant and supplied in a wide range of cable lengths and colours, with the possibility of colour-coded end and PCB connectors.

Parts are suitable for use on PC motherboards as well as set-top boxes, games consoles, camcorders, and digital TVs.

Norfolk-based Motorsport technology specialist BERU F1 Systems has been selected as a finalist in the 2006 IET Innovation Awards for its wire in composite (WiC) technology.

Norfolk-based Motorsport technology specialist BERU F1 Systems has been selected as a finalist in the 2006 IET Innovation Awards for its wire in composite (WiC) technology. The awards presented annually, promote and recognise innovation best practice in industry and across all engineering disciplines. ‘We are genuinely excited about being selected as a finalist’, says John Bailey, Managing Director of BERU F1 Systems.

‘To reach the final of such an important award is highly motivating for the whole team working on this project’.

WiC technology offers improved protection and packaging for wiring installations in harsh environments.

Conceived for motorsport applications in which wiring harnesses must be mounted as low and flat on a vehicle chassis as possible, WiC is equally suitable to aerospace, marine and other ground vehicle applications.

WiC looms can be built to virtually any shape or form offering the ability to incorporate sharp bend radii without the risk of strain or chafing found in a conventional harness.

The awards are organised by the IET, Europe’s largest professional engineering society with over 150,000 members.

The Transport Award judges are looking for genuine technological novelty, innovations that represent a significant technological advance and finally, innovations that demonstrate a technology that represents a significant advance for the industry.