RF Transceiver Takes Place of Traditional Physical Connectors
A new series of high-speed “contactless connectors” from Molex can enable device-to-device communications without the use of physical cables or connectors. Since every inch of real estate counts in electronic devices, the MX60 chips feature RF transceivers and antennas in a single package that’s small enough to fit in everything from video displays to medical wearables as well as sleek and light consumer electronics like mobile phones, tablets, and augmented- and virtual-reality (AR/VR) glasses.
The MX60 series is based on a proprietary wireless high-speed chip-to-chip connectivity technology that operates at speeds from 1.0 to 5.4 Gb/s on the 60-GHz band to avoid interference. Molex said the first offerings in the new series are high-speed replacements for traditional DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet, and USB SuperSpeed connectors. The integrated retimer improves signal integrity at higher data rates.
The MX60 also improves the durability of electronic devices exposed to harsh environmental conditions, ranging from dust and moisture to corrosion, said Molex. These contactless connectors offer advantages over physical metal-to-metal contacts, which can degrade over time and, thus, impact performance and reliability at a system level. The MX60 and other chips in the lineup are less prone to risks associated with ingress and repeated motion, including high-vibration and rotational products.
According to Molex, the MX60 chips can also be used to completely remove connector ports on electronic devices that use wireless charging, reducing development and production costs while boosting overall reliability.