Reverse fix options added to lightweight connectors
Customers continue to pursue connector makers for products that are smaller, lighter without any compromises in performance. So Harwin has responded by extending the scope of its Gecko Screw-Lok (Gecko-SL) 1.25mm pitch connector solutions – which are mainly targeted at avionics, space, military and autosport deployment.
Andrew McQuilken, Harwin’s Technical and Marketing Director describes these new solutions as “a super compact version of the high reliability connectors.
“Even at 1.2mm , the connector is still capable of 2A per contact,” says McQuilken.
To present engineers with greater design flexibility, and ensure that mating procedures are made as straightforward as possible, a reverse fix orientation has now been made available for the robust and reliable stainless steel screw-loks incorporated into each Gecko-SL.
Here it is the male connectors that serve as the floating fixings and screw into the female connectors – as opposed to conventional Gecko-SL systems, where it is the female connectors that have the floating fixings.
The Gecko-SL Reverse Fix is available on both male and female cable housings. For this version, the female connectors can be used in a panel-mount arrangement, with a threaded stud positioned on the rear of the screw-lok. Slotted nuts and hexagonal nuts are both available separately.
Surface mount and throughboard PCB versions of both male and female connectors are also available, with the threaded stud on the female connectors for board mount strain relief.
In addition, Gecko-SL products are now supported by a range of ready-to-use cable assemblies – covering a broad spectrum of customer requirements.
Both male and female single-ended versions are offered, and double-ended male-to-male, male-to-female and female-to-female arrangements, with the possibility for numerous different pin counts and cable lengths to be specified.
And to fill out the existing range of Gecko-SL, there are additional screw-lok options being added for the male cable connectors (now with panel mount) and male PCB connectors – surface mount and throughboard – now without board mount studs.
Adds Ben Green, Head of New Business Development at Harwin, “The incredibly positive reception that we’ve had from the market for Gecko-SL over the last 18 months has driven us to further expand the portfolio, so that we can address even more opportunities for this compact, highly resilient connectivity solution. By providing Gecko-SL connectors with cable assemblies, customers won’t have to concern themselves with the engineering challenges of adding the accompanying cabling themselves – such as tooling, training staff, testing, establishing processes and suchlike – as it is all done for them,” he continues. “Furthermore, the reverse fix versions also added mean that engineers can specify the mating characteristics that best suits their application demands.”