TE CONNECTIVITY INTRODUCES SMALLER FLEXIBLE PRINTED CIRCUIT CONNECTORS TO MEET MINIATURIZATION TREND

Fine pitch FPC connectors facilitate more complicated circuit designs on smaller printed circuit boards (PCB). This contributes to the miniaturization of consumer devices such as mobile phones and digital cameras. “The smaller size allows you to run the same amount of lines on a smaller footprint, thus freeing up valuable board real-estate,” says Eric Himelright, director of product management, TE.

Besides reduced size, TE’s 0.25mm pitch FPC connector boasts a box-shaped, back-flip lock actuator and a lower contact point. With a back-flip lock, the connector accommodates a pick and place nozzle, is easy to actuate and has better printed circuit retention. The robust, box-shaped actuator also better protects the connector and makes it easy to operate.

The most important feature of TE’s 0.25mm pitch FPC connectors is that they are designed to accept a printed circuit at an angle rather than horizontally. This enables more flexibility in PCB design. Traditionally, FPC connectors only allowed for horizontal printed circuit insertion. Because of this it was impossible to mount other components in front of the FPC connectors. As a result, FPC connectors are almost always mounted at the edge of PCBs, which is not always the most convenient location.

“This is not the case with TE’s 0.25mm pitch FPC connectors,” emphasizes Masaki Mukasa, product manager at TE. “Since the printed circuit can be inserted at an angle, the connector can be placed anywhere on a printed circuit board and it is now possible to place other components in front of the FPC connector.”

All TE 0.25mm pitch FPC connectors are RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliant.