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We will introduce and explain connector types, names of each part, and connector terminology related to specifications in an easy-to-understand manner.
Number
2-Point Contact structure
IRISO' "2-Point Contact structure" is a concept that has two contact structures on the same line. It removes foreign matter such as floating matter and scattered flux, and promises stable contact with reliable wiping.
4 Terminal method
A technique for accurately measuring small resistances by minimizing the voltage drop in the leads by separating the current supply and voltage measurement loops.
8b10b (10b8b)
8b10b is a coding invention developed by IBM in the early 1980s and is sometimes called 10b8b. Since it is a method of sending 8-bit "data" with 10-bit "data length", the efficiency is 80% = 20% "redundant". , 8bit (byte, octet) division (head) is understood.
A
Accelerated aging test
Since the speed of chemical reaction is dependent on temperature (active at high temperature), this test verifies the life at actual temperature by looking at deterioration at a temperature higher than the actual temperature.
Auto I-Lock
IRISO 's FPC/FFC connector "Auto I-Lock structure TM" is a connector with a structure that automatically locks when an FPC/FFC card is inserted.
Actuator
It is based on the English word meaning "drive device" and is something that "converts input energy into physical motion". The input energy can be human power, air, hydraulic pressure, or electricity, and the most typical example is a motor that converts electricity into rotary motion.
Angle type
A type of connector in which the Mating surface is perpendicular to the surface of the mounting board when mounted.
Annealing
Also called "annealing", it is a manufacturing method and phenomenon in which metal is distorted and softened under high temperature.
Arrhenius plot
This is a method of applying a calculation formula based on the temperature dependence of the chemical reaction rate to the accelerated aging test.
B
Back flip type
It is a type that knocks down the lever behind when viewed from the card insertion side. Compared to the front flip type, it is more resistant to card tilt and tends to have better holding power.
Bellows contact
The word originally meant a bellows. When a metal plate is processed into a terminal shape, the bent part is used as a contact point along with securing the spring by bending. It is mainly used when the roll surface (plate plane) side is used as a point of contact.
BERT（Bit Error Rate Test）
This is a test in which an actual digital signal is input to a certain transmission system or device and the frequency of errors for a certain period of time is checked.
Beryllium copper
Copper alloy with added beryllium. It has excellent electrical properties, mechanical properties and heat resistance, but tends to be more expensive than other spring materials due to the use of rare metals.
Blind mate
A guiding structure is a structure in which the frontage of the housing is widened and the taper on the wall surface guides the connector toward the center, or an additional part called a guide pin is provided to facilitate Mating of the connector.
Blind via
A via for connecting the board surface and the inner layer.
BMS（Battery Management System）
This is a battery monitoring (management) system used to prevent overcharging and overdischarging of lithium-ion batteries used in automotive batteries.
Board to Board Connector
Connectors developed for connecting printed circuit boards are also called board-to-board connectors.
Bottom entry
This is the name of the type of pin header Socket.
Brass
A copper alloy consisting of copper and zinc, it is inexpensive as a spring material.
C
CAE (Computer Aided Engineering)
It stands for Computer Aided Engineering.
Cardedge Connector
A Socket Connectors that connects to a board by inserting the Mating part that is simply formed on the PCB.
CASE
It is a coined word that indicates near-future trends in automobiles, and is an acronym for Connected, Autonomous, Shared & Services, and Electric. Advocated by Daimler and established.
Characteristic Impedance
This is the input impedance when a transmission line or electronic component is regarded as a transmission line, and is determined by the current value generated against the input voltage in a high frequency signal (voltage value/current value).
Coaxial cable
As the name suggests, it is a connector in the form of overlapping cylinders on the same axis, and the basic structure is that the central cylinder serves as the signal contact, and the outer cylinder is used as the ground or signal return path.
Common mode
In differential signal transmission, the in-phase component of two signals is called common mode.
Conductivity
A parameter that indicates the ease with which electricity can flow through a material, and is also called electrical conductivity.
Contact pressure
This is the pressure when the contacts of the connector are in contact.
Coplanarity
This is an index that indicates the horizontal accuracy of the terminal arrangement.
Corson copper alloy
It is a special copper alloy with Ni and Si as main ingredients, and many grades have been developed.
CPA（Connector Position Assurance）
As the name suggests, it is a mechanism that ensures the correct Mating position = mated state.
Crack
It means cracks. For example, when stress is applied to a component mounted on a board by soldering, the stress is applied to the soldering part, and cracks may occur there. This is called a soldering crack.
Creepage Distance
A term that defines the space between connector terminals and conductors. It defines the route along the circumference of the normal shortest distance (also called the clearance distance) when there is an insulator in the middle.
Crimp
This is one of the methods of attaching electric wires to WtoB connectors. In this method, a crimping terminal is placed over a conductor (mainly a stranded wire), and the terminal and conductor are fixed by "crushing" them within the specified dimensions.
Cross Talk
Noise that one signal line receives from another signal line in multiplex signal transmission/multiplex transmission line. The name of the telephone communication era remains as it is, and in Japanese it is called cross talk.
D
Data rate / bps
A parameter that indicates how much data is transmitted per second, expressed in bps = bit per second.
Delatch
It is a mechanism that releases a latch (lock) or releases a latch.
Dielectric loss
It is a phenomenon in which the energy of an electric signal in a dielectric (insulator) is lost.
Differential signal
In the transmission path, 1/2 of the signal to be sent and the inverted phase signal are sent at the same time, and the receiving side performs subtraction (difference) to restore the original signal.
Differential mode
The two signals are in opposite phase, which is the main mode in the differential signal.
Dimple
Originally, it means "indentation" (ex. Dimple of a golf ball). However, in the case of connectors, although it is a little complicated, the structure that has a dimple on the back of the contact side of the terminal and a protrusion on the contact side that stabilizes the contact is called a "dimple contact", a "dimple structure", or simply a "dimple".
DIP Type
This is a type of connector in which a through hole is made to mount a component on a printed circuit board, and the legs (leads) of the component are passed through and soldering (mounted).
Dissimilar Metal Contact Corrosion
This is a phenomenon in which when dissimilar metals come into contact with each other in an electrolyte or the like, a current flows, and electrons are lost to the metal that is more important, causing corrosion.
Dual row type
A connector with two rows of terminals. This type is the mainstream for Board to Board Connector connectors.
E
Effective Mating
It is the distance from when the Mating contacts start to make contact until it reaches the specified Mating state when mating.
Electrostatic shield
A part that is mainly composed of metal and is placed to cover the product. The electromagnetic field is canceled by inducing a current in the same part in the direction opposite to the signal transmission part.
Embossed Packaging
It is a packaging method compatible with automatic mounting, in which parts are packed in a predetermined orientation in each recess of a tape with recesses at regular intervals and used as a reel.
EMC/EMI/EMS
EMI, also known as Electro Magnetic Interference, is noise generated by electronic devices and parts during operation.
Engineering plastic
Resins that have mechanical strength, heat resistance, and chemical resistance compared to general-purpose plastics are collectively called engineering plastics/engineering plastics, and those with particularly high performance are called super engineering plastics.
ESD（Electro-Static Discharge）
ECD=Electro-Static Discharge is a discharge phenomenon of static electricity.
Ethernet
A standard for local area networks (LANs) that appeared in the 1970s.
F
Female
It is primarily a connector with holes or gaps that accept mating contacts. It mates with a mating Mating on the insertion side called a male/male/plug.
FFC（Flexible Flat Cable）
An FPC is manufactured by a method similar to electric wires, and is mainly made by arranging thin flat copper wires and laminating them with insulating tape from above and below in the longitudinal direction.
Fixing boss
A protrusion for fixing the connector to the board, in addition to positioning during mounting, it also helps withstand stress from the lateral direction after mounting.
Floating Connector
IRISO' "Floating Connector" is a general term for connectors with a Floating structure that allows Floating between rows and in the pitch direction (X-axis and Y-axis) by providing a Floating spring part on the terminal.
Floating structure
A connector designed so that the connected Mating can Floating in all or any of the pitch direction, row direction, and Mating direction to absorb misalignment.
FPC/FFC Connector
IRISO' "FPC/FFC Connectors" are connectors for connecting boards to FPC boards (Flexible printed circuits) or FFC cables (Flexibleflat cables).
FPC（Flexible Printed Circuit）
Printed circuit board = PCB (printed circuit board) is a flexible base material, mainly made of polyimide, LCP, etc., and has intermediate properties between electric wires and substrates.
Frame rate
In video data, it is the number of frames processed per unit time. Normally, it is the number of processes per second, and fps = frames per second is used as a unit.
FTP （Foiled Twisted Pair）
An abbreviation for Foiled Twisted Pair, it is a twisted wire structure with a collective (foil) shield for the entire cable.
Fretting corrosion
This is a phenomenon in which the metal contact surfaces rub against each other very small due to vibrations, etc., and abrasion powder is generated, and corrosion progresses. In connectors, there is a problem that the contact resistance increases due to the damage of the plating due to the abrasion powder generated and the oxidation of the abrasion powder.
Front flip type
Compared to the slider cover type, this type has improved workability and size disadvantages. By occupying the cover that falls to the card side, it has a mechanism to hold down the card.
G
Galinstan
A eutectic alloy of gallium, indium, and tin that is liquid at room temperature.
Gold flash
An extremely thin gold plating, usually applied by electroless plating.
Grid Connector
Grid means "lattice". Among connectors, a type in which terminals are arranged in a grid pattern is called a grid connector.
Group delay
This is a phenomenon in which the propagation time of a signal changes depending on the frequency.
H
HB
Flame-retardant grades that pass the resin horizontal combustion test based on the flame-retardant UL94 standard are certified.
High heat-resistant Connector
Among the required properties, the one that is particularly important for heat resistance is the maintenance of contact resistance in a high-temperature environment. Connector terminals, the so-called connection parts, are mainly made of copper alloy. Contact resistance depends on the contact pressure between terminals, and is usually achieved by providing a spring mechanism on one or both sides of a pair of connectors.
High-speed transmission
As electronic devices become more sophisticated and complex, the amount of information in electrical signals to be connected by connectors is increasing with the times. In other words, the frequency of electrical signals is increasing, and along with that, what is called the "length" wavelength of electrical signals is getting shorter and shorter.
High-speed transmission Connector
IRISO' high-speed transmission connectors are a product group that can support high-speed transmission while maintaining the conventional superior functions such as Floating structure mechanism and Auto I-Lock structure. Even terminals with a complex structure can achieve high-speed transmission at a high level by having a stable impedance profile.
Horizontal connection
Connection between right angle type connectors (RA-RA). This name comes from the fact that when the cross section of the connected substrates is viewed from the side, the substrates are horizontal.
Hot-plug/Hot-swap
The connection is made while the equipment is in an energized state.
Housing
Connector parts, mainly plastic parts. A connector shape is formed by inserting and fixing metal terminals for connection.
I
I/F Connector (Interface Connector)
IRISO 's "I/F (interface) connector" is a general term for connectors that enable power supply to devices and input/output of audio/video signal data. Also known as I/O connectors, we offer products that comply with various standards for each market.
I-Lock
A type with IRISO 's original lock system "I-Lock TM" structure that locks the FPC/FFC notches with temporary holding terminals at both ends of the connector. High connection reliability prevents FPC / FFC card removal.
Impedance Matching
Matching the characteristic impedance before and after connection.
Insertion loss
Especially for high-frequency signals, it becomes smaller when the input signal is output through the transmission line. The parameter that indicates the degree of this decrease is called insertion loss.
Ion Migration
It is a phenomenon in which the metal on the "anode" side is ionized under high temperature and high humidity, and the metal on the "cathode" side is eroded when a voltage is applied on the substrate. As a material, it is particularly likely to occur with silver.
low dielectric material
A general term for materials with lower dielectric constant and dielectric loss tangent than general-purpose materials in the same field.
J
Jig
A general term for tools used to fix an object during processing, and comes from the English word jig.
K
Killer foreign matter
We define foreign matter that interferes with Mating /electrical contact as "killer foreign matter," and carry out thorough management in the product manufacturing process along with product design according to each specification.
L
Lance
Lance is a word that means "spear", and it is a structure/mechanism that prevents the connector terminals from getting stuck after they are inserted into the housing.
Land
It is a "metal island" that is applied around the via surface and is the part where components are soldering.
Latch
A latch means a "latch" for a door, etc., and in the case of connectors, it refers to a locking mechanism.
LCP （Liquid Crystal Plastic）
An abbreviation of Liquid Crystal Plastic, it is a liquid crystal polymer. It is a super engineering plastic that is often used for connector housings.
LLCR（Low Level Contact Resitance）
This is the electrical resistance that occurs when electrical connections are made through a connector. It is also called LLCR (Low Level Contact Resistance).
Low profile connector
Literally short connectors. There is no specific definition of numerical value, and it is called in comparison with general-purpose products. Also called low profile, low-profile, etc.
M
Male
It is a connector on the sticking side, which mainly has contacts on the protrusion.
Mating
It refers to mating, or connecting, mating connectors.
Mezzanine
It is a word with the meaning of "two-story building", and it is one of the forms in which the sub-board is connected to the main board. Consider our parallel Board to Board Connectors.
Micro fretting corrosion
This is a phenomenon in which the metal contact surfaces rub against each other very small due to vibrations, etc., and abrasion powder is generated, and corrosion progresses. In connectors, there is a problem that the contact resistance increases due to the damage of the plating due to the abrasion powder generated and the oxidation of the abrasion powder.
MIPI（Mobile Industry Processor Interface）
Acronym for Mobile Industry Processor Interface. It was standardized as an interface standard for cameras and displays of mobile devices, but it is also used in a wide range beyond that, especially for image transmission in FA and in-vehicle equipment.
Mixed-mode S-parameters
S-parameters specified by replacing the differential/ common mode input/output ports of two ports with an even number of ports of 4 or more.
MSA（Multi-source agreements）
N
Network Analyzer
An instrument that measures S-parameters in the frequency domain. The one with only gain is called scalar type, and the one with gain and phase is called vector type. In recent years, the vector type is mainstream.
Nickel barrier
A structure applied to the solder tail to prevent excessive soldering rising.
NON-ZIF type/NON-ZIF connector （Non-Zero Insertion Force）
It is not a ZIF connector, that is, a connector that requires force (insertion force) when Mating the card into the connector. Focusing on those with relatively low insertion force, it also includes what is called LIF (Low Insertion Force).
NRZ（Non Return to Zero）
Non Return to ZERO: This is a method of improving data efficiency by eliminating the insertion of zeros in signal transmission (RZ), which always inserts zeros between each bit in digital signals.
Nyquist Frequency
Originally, it is a sampling theorem in the digitization of analog signals, which means that "only frequencies up to half the sampling frequency can be reproduced".
Nylon
A type of plastic, it is a polymer made up of many monomers linked by amide bonds.
P
Paddle card
A printed circuit board may be used as an intermediary when connecting wires to a connector, and this circuit board is called a paddle card.
Parallel connection
Connection between straight type connectors (ST-ST).
PAM4
This is a transmission method in which 2 bits are superimposed. In normal NRZ, there are 2 steps, Low = 0, High = 2, but there are 4 steps, 1st step = 00, 2nd step = 01, 3rd step = 10, 4th step = 11 (eye pattern If you write it, it will look like two normal eye patterns overlapped vertically).
Pattern prohibition area
When mounting components on a PCB, there are areas where circuit patterns cannot (or must not) be placed in order to avoid problems such as electrical shorts, and the range is usually specified for each component.
PBT（Polybutylene Terephthalate）
It is one of the engineering plastics that has good moldability and is one of the common materials for connector housings.
PCB（Printed Circuit Board）
It is a general term for a board or film on which wiring is formed, and is also called a printed circuit board or printed board.
PCIe（Peripheral Component Interconnect-Express）
An abbreviation for Peripheral Component Interconnect-Express, it is an extended interface standard for high-speed serial transmission.
Pin header
A pin header connector is the basic form of a plug (male side) connector in which pins (conductors) cut from wire are supported by a housing (an insulator made of resin). connection).
Plug
It is a connector on the sticking side, which mainly has contacts on the protrusion. It mates with a receiving mating Mating called female/ Socket. Cables are sometimes called jacks.
Polarity key
Especially for WtoB connectors, this is a mechanism to prevent mis-Mating when using connectors of the same specification at the same time.
Pollution Degree
The equipment is classified into levels 1 to 4 according to contamination such as dust in the air in which the equipment is used, and the rated voltage is determined according to the spatial distance and creepage distance between metals that generate a potential difference.
Polyamide
A type of plastic, it is a polymer made up of many monomers linked by amide bonds. Although it depends on the grade, many of them have characteristics such as high water absorption and excellent chemical resistance, while others harden under low-temperature drying and crack easily.
Phosphor bronze
A copper alloy consisting of copper and tin, a type of bronze. Phosphorus is used as a deoxidizing material, and a trace amount remains.
Power sum crosstalk
This is the most popular method for evaluating multiple crosstalk. In cases where crosstalk interference occurs from multiple lines, the sum of the crosstalk power from each line is taken to measure the degree of crosstalk.
Pressure Welding
This is one of the methods of attaching electric wires to WtoB connectors. In pressure welding, the conductor is clamped between opposing blades with a gap smaller than the dimensions of the conductor.
Pullout contact
A contact shape formed on the "thickness" surface when a metal plate is punched into a terminal shape. The contact pressure per unit area increases, and the wiping effect tends to be maintained at a high level.
Q
Qseven®
PCIe interface for mobile. The one advocated by NVIDIA became the de facto standard and became an independent standard.
R
Rated current
The rated current of a connector is determined by the temperature rise caused by the current value when the connector is energized.
Rated voltage
Rated voltage is the upper limit voltage for safe use of electronic devices and parts.
Reflow dip
This is a reflow technology for dip-mounting products that conventionally require flow mounting.
Return loss
It is expressed in dB by taking the ratio of the reflected wave to the input signal, and is also called return loss. The sign is negative and the larger the absolute value, the higher the performance (less reflection).
Rigid type
A type of connector that does not Floating in the pitch direction, row direction, or Mating direction.
Redundant connection
It's a way of maintaining connectivity through an alternate path if an unintended loss of connectivity occurs at some point.
Resistance measurement
A technique for accurately measuring small resistances by minimizing the voltage drop in the leads by separating the current supply and voltage measurement loops.
Resistance loss
The energy loss when current flows through a resistor is I^2 x R. See also voltage drop.
Resonance
A natural vibration is caused by an external stimulus. There are mechanical ones and electrical ones.
Right Angle
A connector with a mating Mating facing perpendicular to the board.
Rush current
It is a momentary large current that is different from the steady state that occurs when a device is powered on or switched.
S
Sealing treatment
This is a process that closes the pinholes in the plating.
SER/DES（SERializer/DESerializer）
SER/DES stands for SERializer/DESerializer and is a combination of two functions (chips): a serializer and a deserializer.
Shunt resistor
A resistor inserted to detect the current value of the circuit. Shunt is a word that means "to turn aside". It is also used for BMS (buttery management system).
Single row type
A connector with terminals arranged in a row. This type of FPC/FFC connector is the mainstream.
Skin effect
This is a phenomenon in which electric signals are concentrated on the surface side as the frequency increases.
SMT type（Surface Mount type）
This is a type of connector that soldering (mounts) parts directly to an integrated circuit using surface mount technology.
Slider cover lock type / Slider cover type
A type that unlocks by pulling out both ends of the slider cover (the cover slides).
Socket
It is primarily a connector with holes or gaps that accept mating contacts. It mates with a mating Mating on the insertion side called a male/male/plug.
Socket Connector
IRISO' "Socket connector" is a general term for connectors that are widely used for connection between devices and internal connections by combining with pin headers (plugs).
Solder tail
It is a leg that is soldering to a connector board, etc., and especially refers to the one that supports SMT.
S-Parameters （Scattering Parameters）
In a multiplex connection, this is a parameter that expresses the mutual relationship between the magnitude and phase of each input and output signal.
STP（Shielded Twisted Pair）
An abbreviation for Shielded Twisted Pair, it is a shielded twisted wire structure. Usually refers to a structure with shields in each pair.
STP file
A file format defined by ISO10303 for sharing data between different CAD systems. It is possible to supply 3D customer models in the same format for various products.
Straight type
A type of connector in which the Mating surface is parallel to the surface of the mounting board when mounted.
Stack/Stacking
This word means "to stack" and is another name for a balanced connector that connects boards by stacking them.
Staggered arrangement
Terminals and lead frames for mounting are arranged alternately between opposing rows.
Standoff
This is the distance between the bottom of the connector and the surface of the board, which is intentionally provided to secure the mounting surface.
Strain relief
Strain is a word that means "to release from strain", and as the meaning suggests, it is attached to relieve stress strain due to sudden bending at the base of the cable side (cable assembly product) of the I/O connector.
Super engineering plastic
Resins that have mechanical strength, heat resistance, and chemical resistance compared to general-purpose plastics are collectively called engineering plastics/engineering plastics, and those with particularly high performance are called super engineering plastics.
T
TCO （Total Cost Ornership）
Originally, it means "total amount of time and expenditure required from purchase to disposal of an asset''.
TDR/TDT measurement
There are TDR (Time Domain Reflection), which looks at reflection characteristics, and TDT (Time Domain Transmission), which looks at transmission characteristics, with measuring equipment in the time domain.
Through hole reflow
This is a reflow technology for dip-mounting products that conventionally require flow mounting.
Through hole type
This is a type of connector in which a through hole is made to mount a component on a printed circuit board, and the legs (leads) of the component are passed through and soldering (mounted).
Through hole via
A board term that refers to a via that runs through a board.
Touchstone format
A file format for storing S-parameters, the file format for circuit simulation software from EEsof (currently a division of Keysight) has become the de facto standard.
Top entry
This is the name of the type of pin header Socket. This type inserts the pin header from the surface mounted on the Socket board.
TPA（Terminal Position Assurance）
A double locking mechanism for fixing the connector terminal at the correct position after it is inserted into the housing and temporarily fixed.
Tray packing
This packaging method is compatible with manual mounting and pick-and-place pick-and-place methods.
Twinax cable
Also called two-core balanced coaxial, it consists of two insulated wires and a shield (outer conductor) covering them for differential transmission.
U
Universal type
For products with a polarity key, the type that can be mated with any polarity of the Mating part is called a universal type.
USB（Universal Serial Bus）
An abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus, it has become the most popular serial bus standard in recent years for connecting peripheral devices to information devices such as computers.
UTP（Un-Shielded Twisted Pair）
An abbreviation for Un-Shielded Twisted Pair, it is a twisted wire structure without a shield.
V
V0
It is a flame-retardant grade that is certified by passing the resin vertical combustion test based on the flame-retardant UL94 standard.
Vertical connection (ST-RA)
Connection using straight type and right angle type connectors (ST-RA).
Voltage drop
A phenomenon in which electrical signals become low after passing through conductive objects such as connectors, circuit boards and wires.
VSWR（Voltage Standing Wave Ratio）
This is the voltage standing wave ratio, and is a parameter that indicates the relationship between the traveling wave and the reflected wave.
W
Whiskers
It means "whisker-like thing" and refers to a whisker-like crystal precipitate mainly generated from tin plating in connectors.
Wiping
It is the effect of removing foreign matter and oxide film by rubbing the terminals of the connector together when Mating.
Wire Harness
It is a product that bundles wires for multiple wiring with a connector.
Wire trap
A type of connector that is intended to be fixed and connected by mounting it on a board and inserting a wire whose tip has been stripped of insulation.