2022/01/21
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Input/Output (IO) Connectors
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Board to Cable Connectors
The Challenge of Launching a Superior Peripheral Range Before Competitors
Background
The peripheral manufacturer, Company X, that is the subject of this case study had decided to complement its range with a new series of peripherals aimed at the latest big brand PCs. When defining the development concept, the manufacturer agreed that all input/output ports should support the USB Type-C standard. However, the manufacturer envisaged that the process of selecting appropriate connectors would be challenging due to the need to satisfy demands from its marketing division, designers, the manufacturing division, the quality control division, and the procurement division within a short development timeframe.
Challenges
Ensuring Compatibility with Latest Standards Without Sacrificing Design
To satisfy the various demands, the product development team had to rush the specification definition process so they could make a start on selecting connectors as soon as possible. In the process of finalizing the specifications, the team decided that in addition to guaranteeing data transmission performance, there was also a need to better harmonize with the design of the target PCs, which led the designers to specify precise connector positions down to the nearest 10th of a millimeter. In regard to data transmission characteristics, the USB-C® ports needed to support the latest USB4TM standard and ThunderboltTM 4 interface.
The product development division employee in charge of the project recalls the project’s early days:
“Many of those who use our products are particular about design and branding. On this project, the designers were more careful than usual because of the need to position connectors on the printed circuit boards inside the devices so that they satisfied height and depth requirements,” he says.
The manufacturing, quality control, and procurement divisions also demanded that a reputable component brand be used to ensure quality (in particular strength and ease of assembly) and reliability of supply. To keep ahead of the competition, the selection of a connector vendor was a matter of urgency. While the employee had established that many vendors manufactured and sold USB-C connectors, finding a manufacturer whose components he could use with confidence for his team’s project was more difficult than he initially thought.
Solutions
Wide Range of Connectors Suit Various Applications
In the process of gathering information, the employee made a web search for ‘USB4 certified USB-C’, which led him to information on JAE’s DX07 range of USB-C connectors. The manufacturer had not dealt with JAE before, but the product information section of the JAE website featured information on a range of high-performance connectors. After sharing this information with the purchasing division, the employee straight away set about making enquiries with JAE and learning more from a marketing representative.
“I was really fortunate to hit on JAE. Because they are directly involved in defining USB standards, they were able to provide a proposal on the use of USB connectors backed up by expert knowledge. I realized that all I had to do was say what I was trying to achieve or what specification I was aiming for and JAE would provide several options from its extensive lineup,” says the employee.
JAE also informed the employee that it had an optimized product development process due to the fact that it collaborates with major PC manufacturers from the product design stage.
The employee immediately consulted the designers on the project, and it was agreed that they would use one of the connector options proposed by JAE in the interests of quality, cost and delivery.
“I felt that the connectors we selected would both satisfy the designers’ requirements and enhance product value. Users who we had evaluate a prototype praised its design and quality. When I later told JAE about our plans to develop products for outdoor applications, they even proposed a waterproof connector solution,” says the employee.
In the future, to further refine the concept, the manufacturer will collaborate with JAE from the product planning stage on connector customization.
JAE’s USB Type-C® Connector Solutions
We are focusing on developing high performance connectors which meet each new version of the USB specifications including USB4™ and Thunderbolt™ 4.
Subject to change without notice. Errors and omission excepted.
※ USB4™, USB Type-C® and USB-C® are trademarks of the USB-IF (USB Implementers Forum, Inc.).
※ Thunderbolt™ is a trademark of Intel Corporation.