发布日期：2022-04-20 点击率：29
July 15, 2021
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Interconnect Passives & Electromechanical
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It’s no secret that electronic products contain many electronic parts. Despite their diminutive size and often because of it, these parts are integral to the function and performance of the products they make up. You could say that the development of the electronics industry is underpinned by the development of electronic parts.
Among all electronic parts, IP&E is one of the most basic yet most important categories. In case you are wondering what IP&E refers to, it stands for interconnect, passive and electromechanical parts. Let’s look at the different types of IP&E components and the roles they play in the electronic products we use.
Interconnect parts are the basic components that electrically interconnect wires, cables and components in electronics and electrical systems. Connectors, wires and cables, and circuit boards are all interconnect parts.
Connectors are coupling devices that connect electrical terminals to a circuit. They are the basic component for signal transmission or conversion in electronic products. Through the connection and separation of wires, cables, printed circuit boards and electronic components, they transmit signals and exchange information. The four most common types of connectors are: contact components (terminals or pins), coating, contact elastic components (fixed terminals or pins) and plastic shells.
Wires and cables are like the blood vessels of electronic products. They are placed between connectors and equipment, or between multiple connectors, and play a key role in conveying electricity, transmitting information and realizing electromagnetic conversion.
A circuit board is a substrate on which various discrete components are soldered to form a fixed circuit. Compared with electrical connectors and cable harnessing, the circuit board is an irreversible electrical connection.
Passive devices refer to devices that require no power supply for the operation of their electronic components. In the absence of a power supply, these devices can only passively respond to electrical signals, not intercept or alter them. They are also known as passive components. The three main types of passive components are: resistors, capacitors, and inductors, all of which we are very familiar.
A resistor is a passive two-terminal electrical component made of resistive materials with a specific structure that can limit the flow of current in the circuit. Resistors can be fixed resistors, variable resistors or special resistors (mostly sensitive resistors). In electronics, fixed resistors are the most widely used of the three.
A capacitor is typically composed of two metal plates separated only by thin insulating materials. The main function of the capacitor in a circuit is to block the flow of direct current and allow the flow of alternating current.
An inductor is a component that converts electrical energy into magnetic energy and stores it. Inductors are generally classified as plug-in inductors or chip inductors. They are often paired with capacitors to form LC filters and LC oscillators. In addition, inductors are incorporated in choke coils, transformers, and relays.
In recent years, with the acceleration of 5G, the demand for passive components in downstream fields such as network communications and automotive has increased significantly. Thus, high-performance passive components are in high demand.
Electromechanical components are used extensively in the manufacturing and assembly of electronic products. They include motors, relays, transformers, filters and contactors.
A relay is an electronic control device that has a control system (also called an input loop) and a controlled system (also called an output loop). When the input (voltage, current, temperature) reaches the specified value, it will either open or close the controlled output circuit.
A transformer is a device that uses the electromagnetic principle of induction to change the AC voltage. Its main components are the primary coil, secondary coil and iron core (magnetic core). In electrical equipment and wireless circuits, transformers are often used for voltage step-up or step-down, impedance matching, and isolation for safety.
A contactor comprises an electromagnetic system (iron core, static iron core and electromagnetic coil), a contact system (normally open contact and normally closed contact), and an arc-suppressing device. When the electromagnetic coil of the contactor is electrified and de-electrified, it generates an electric field that causes the static iron core to generate electromagnetic attraction that attracts the armature and drives contact action.
With the increasing popularity of portable and patient-wearable devices, the demand for connectors in the medical market continues to grow. Higher-density devices in particular have seen great improvements in performance and functionality. A high-density electrical connector is a connector that has a large number of individual contacts, such as pins, in a relatively small body. Compared with standard connectors, high-density connectors have a larger number of contact points distributed over the same housing size.
A high-density design can facilitate improved performance while maintaining size and reducing additional weight, which is very important for devices in demanding medical fields such as patient monitoring and imaging equipment. Cardiac electrophysiology equipment is a good example. Patients with arrhythmia need timely and accurate diagnosis and treatment to prevent stroke and thrombosis. The most common diagnostic process is the doctor inserting a catheter into the blood vessel of the heart. The catheter contains small wires with electrodes attached that can be unfolded after reaching the atria. There, they come into contact with the heart tissue and draw an electrical pulse diagram to help the doctor find the root cause of the arrhythmia. In order to improve the diagnostic process, medical device designers need to increase the number of electrodes on the catheter. They are using high-density connectors to ensure the proper size, weight and flexibility of the device.
The continuous improvements in automotive electronics that we have seen in recent years owe much to multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs). In addition to the general characteristics of capacitors, MLCCs boast a small profile, large specific capacitance, long life and high reliability. They also have the advantage of being able to maintain stable performance under harsh environmental conditions, which is exactly what electrical and electronic circuits in vehicles require.
Applications of MLCCs in automobiles include satellite positioning systems, central control systems, radio navigation systems, chassis stability control systems and ADAS systems. The number of MLCCs required by a given vehicle depends on its degree of electrification. An entirely electric vehicle requires as many as 18,000 MLCCs, and even an engine-based vehicle without autonomous driving functions still requires about 3,000 MLCCs.
Applications of MLCC in automotive electronics (Image source: Internet)
Home appliances add convenience and quality to our everyday lives. Many of them feature relays. Since energy conservation, compactness and smart functionality have become almost standard in modern home appliances, the relay has become indispensable.
Most home appliances use solid-state relays. They deliver logic circuit compatibility, low input power, high sensitivity, good electromagnetic compatibility, low noise and high operating frequency. In the control system, solid-state relays can control the working status of actuators such as electrical controls and water pumps, and electrically isolate control devices from actuators. They are often seen in automatic washing machines, air conditioners, refrigerators and other popular electrical appliances.
Many smart home scenarios and functions require stable and durable relays. These include lighting control, smart sockets, smart panels, smart curtain controls and temperature controls. With the diversification and proliferation of smart functions, the range of power requirements is also expanding. Devices such as lighting, electric curtains and audio systems use very little power, while devices such as air conditioners and water heaters use a lot. The use of high-performance solid-state relays can achieve both low-power loop control and high-power single-channel control, thereby meeting the switching control needs for various power devices in the system.
Applications of relays in smart homes (Image source: Omron)
In electronics as in life, the whole is the sum of many parts. The incremental performance improvements and diminishing size of these basic components are behind – and within – the smaller, lighter and more convenient electronic products in our everyday lives.
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