2023/04/21

• Automotive Infotainment

• Automotive Body

JAE’s MX80 Series Suits Applications with Limited Mounting Space

In response to growing demand from the automotive and transportation markets for miniaturization of components, JAE has developed a new compact waterproof automotive connector.

Over the past several years, functions and features found in vehicles have continued to expand causing the number of electronic control units to grows as well.
The emergence of new ECU’s in the same limited space has brought the need not just to reduce the size of automotive electronic components, but also increase their performance. The space available for routing cables used to connect all the devices has become smaller as well. Thus, there is a growing need for connectors to be compact while retaining properties such as excellent waterproof sealing and the ability to withstand extreme temperatures and high vibration environments.

The side view mirror is an example of a legacy car feature that has added many additional safety and convenience functions. Side view mirrors have been equipped with blind spot monitor LED indicators to alert drivers of other vehicles in their blind spots. Many vehicles are equipped with heating elements to defog the mirror, with some luxury cars incorporating mirrors that blow off water droplets with ultrasonic waves. Also, receiving antennas of keyless entry systems can be built into the door mirror as well as puddle lights which are installed on the bottom of the mirror to illuminate the ground next to the doors.
For these reasons, the number of connectors used within door mirrors have increased compared to the past, especially within luxury cars.

Development of Compact Waterproof Automotive In-Line Connectors

As door mirrors become more sophisticated, the technical requirements for connectors within these units become increasingly greater. There is high demand for saving space, high current carrying capacity, excellent waterproof sealing, improved workability, high vibration resistance, among others.
To address these demands and new requirements, JAE developed the MX80 Series compact waterproof automotive in-line connectors. This series corresponds to wires sizes of 0.13 to 1.0 mm², has an operating temperature range of -40℃ to +125℃, and is compatible with the ingress protection class IPX7.
The performance has been confirmed with evaluation tests based on LV214 and USCAR-2 standards. Currently, JAE is mass producing the connector in 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 positions. Furthermore, the company has started developing the MX80 Series IPX9K type, which is compatible with high-pressure washing.

Innovative Structural Design

In the development of the MX80 Series, the major difficulty for JAE was not just in making a more compact connector, but also ensuring intrinsic characteristics such as water resistance, high current compatibility, and high reliability are included.
JAE was able to improve the structure of the connector by designing a retainer that is installed from in front of the rubber seal. To further reduce the size, some components had to be reexamined and revised. In the development of the MX80 Series, 2 versions of prototypes were produced. For the first prototype the goal was ultimate miniaturization. In the second prototype, improvement of the reduced retention force caused by miniaturization was addressed. This problem has been solved by adopting a unique design for the retaining features.
As a result, JAE succeeded in developing a product with high performance while maintaining a small size.

MX80’s very small size allows it to fit through tight areas

Compact Size and High Performance Make the Difference

The MX80 Series has received a high evaluation for its compact size and waterproof performance. For that reason, its use is increasing in the automotive industry. Primary applications include door mirrors, keyless entry units, license plate lighting, fog lamps, and battery management systems (BMS). It is also being used in other vehicles including agricultural machinery and electric motorcycles. Products with similar specifications have been commercialized by other companies, but the MX80 series has been developed with the aim of being the smallest. In fact, customers have evaluated it highly for being the smallest in class connector. Its applications are expanding beyond the initial expectation due to the superior design and performance.

MX80 Application Example

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