Harwin offers rear panel mounting for the Datamate series and Hi-Rel series cable connectors

     To give customers more choice and increase design flexibility, Harwin is now able to offer rear panel mounted cable connectors for the 2 mm pitch Datamate series and 1.25 mm pitch Gecko High Reliability (Hi-Rel) series. These connectors will complement Harwin's existing front panel mounting solutions while expanding the range of connector housings that can be connected to device housings or panels.

     The obvious advantage of a rear panel installation over a front panel installation is that the majority of the connector housing will be on the inside of the housing or panel, which means that the connector is better protected from the outside environment and only its joint surface is exposed. As a result, there is less risk of potential interconnect damage occurring and the overall design looks better.

     Harwin's Datamate J-Tek and Datamate Mix-Tek (integrated power and data pins) connector products will be available in versions with rear panel mounting screws, which will be mounted to the male cable connector housing. The more compact Gecko-SL and Gecko-MT products with rear panel mounting are suitable for both male and female cable connector housings. For all of these products, each connector supports up to 50 contacts.

     The new rear panel mounting cable connectors feature a proprietary fixed architecture. In addition to binding internal screws for joint purposes, the connector has an extension to each end so that a second hole can be supported for panel connections. All of Harwin's rear panel designs are compatible with the company's existing portfolio of paired cable connectors, so they can be retrofitted to the original deployment format. This also means that existing external cable harnesses can be replaced without further design work.

     According to Ryan Smart, Product Manager of New Product Introduction (NPI) at Harwin, "Connectors connected to the panel or housing help reduce stress on the electrical connections inside the device, which can extend the service life of the device and avoid maintenance services as much as possible." After we consulted with our customers, it became clear that many preferred the rear panel mounting solution. Placing the connectors inside the cabinet makes the device modules and connectors smoother and less prone to damage. Now that we have front and rear panel installations for Datamate and Gecko series connectors, customers can choose the right option according to their needs."