Instrumentation Connectors and Product Applications | Samtec

Overview

Robust instrumentation is critical for developing and maintaining complex systems and architectures across a broad range of industries. From automation to infrastructure, and IIoT to 6G networking, instrumentation helps ensure performance, uptime, cost management, safety, and quality. Samtec's high-performance and rugged interconnect solutions, such as our Rugged High Power Connectors & Systems, COM-HPC®, PCI Express® and our High-Speed Cable Solutions, help advance the state of the art for instrumentation applications.

Samtec's instrumentation customers count on Sudden Service® to support them throughout the design process, as well as for prototyping samples and volume production.

Here are some reasons why customers select Samtec interconnects for their instrumentation designs:

Industry-leading performance
Support for industry protocols: PCIe®, CXL®, Ethernet, InfiniBand™
Certified ISO-9001
Sudden Samples for prototyping
Short lead times and managed inventory for volume
Rapid customization options
Ruggedizing options
Reserve® stock - products ship in 1-day
Multiple levels of testing options (including Severe Environment Testing, Extended Life Product™)
Full custom product development capabilities

Download Now

Product Overview Guide

Get the PDF

Read More

Get all the latest Instrumentation news and product updates from Samtec's blog.

Visit Blog

Upcoming Shows

Visit Samtec at an upcoming event

View Schedule

Applications

Samtec offers a wide variety of solutions for any type of instrumentation application.

Safety & Security

Test & Measurement

Data Acquisition & Control

Inspection & Detection

Signal & Power Generation

Choose from some of Samtec's most popular products for Instrumentation Applications

Edge Rate® Rugged, High-Speed Connector Strips

These Edge Rate® rugged high-speed connector strips feature contacts optimized for signal integrity performance, increased durability and cycle life.

Features

Edge Rate® contacts optimized for signal integrity performance
1.5 mm contact wipe
Robust when “zippered” during unmating
Up to 56 Gbps PAM4 performance
0.50 mm, 0.635 mm or 0.80 mm pitch systems
Stack heights from 5 mm to 18 mm
Extremely slim 2.5 mm body width on 0.635 mm pitch system
0.50 mm pitch system for up to 40% PCB space savings vs 0.80 mm pitch system

Products

Edge Card Twinax High-Speed Cable Assemblies

These edge card cable assemblies feature Eye Speed® twinax cable for high-speed optimized performance.

Features

Performance to 14 Gbps (ECDP), 16 Gbps (FEDP) and 64 Gbps PAM4/32 Gbps NRZ (GC6)
100 ohm differential pair signal routing
Micro 0.50 mm, 0.60 mm and 0.80 mm pitch
.062" (1.60 mm) thick card
Rugged metal latching and shielding
Vertical and right-angle PCB connectors

Products

Product Family Image for Edge Card Twinax High-Speed Cable Assemblies

SEARAY™

SEARAY™ High-Density Open-Pin-Field Arrays

These high-speed, high-density open-pin-field arrays allow maximum grounding and routing flexibility.

Features

Maximum routing and grounding flexibility
Lower insertion/extraction forces vs. typical array products
56 Gbps PAM4 performance
Up to 560 I/Os in open pin field design
1.27 mm (.050") pitch
Rugged Edge Rate® contact system
Can be “zippered” during mating/unmating
Solder charge terminations for ease of processing
Meets Extended Life Product™ (E.L.P.™) standards
Analog Over Array™ capable
7–18.5 mm stack heights
Vertical, right-angle, press-fit
Elevated systems to 40 mm
85 Ω systems
Standards: VITA™ 47, VITA™ 57.1 FMC™, VITA™ 57.4 FMC+™, VITA™ 74 VNX™, PISMO™ 2
IPC J-STD-001F, requirements for soldered electrical and electronic assemblies – meets class 3 acceptability criteria for high-performance/harsh environment electronic products (SEAM/SEAF series only)
IPC-A-610F, acceptability of electronic assemblies – meets class 3 acceptability criteria for high-performance/harsh environment electronic products (SEAM/SEAF series only)

Products

SEARAY™ High Density Array Cable Assemblies

These high speed, high density array cable assemblies feature micro coax cable and rugged Edge Rate® contacts for performance up to 14 Gbps.

Features

Performance to 14 Gbps
Edge Rate® contacts reduce broadside coupling
Positive latching system
Terminal end options
Designed for rugged micro pitch applications
36 AWG coax high-speed cable
50 ohm single-ended signal routing

Products

Product Family Image for Searay™ High Density Array Cable Assemblies

AcceleRate® Slim Direct Attach Cable Assemblies

AcceleRate® is the industry's slimmest cable system with direct attach technology and ultra low skew twinax cable for 64 Gbps PAM4 (32 Gbps NRZ) speeds and PCIe® 6.0/CXL® 3.2 capable.

View the full line of AcceleRate® products.

Features

Incredibly slim 7.6 mm width
High-density 2-row design
Supports 64 Gbps PAM4 (32 Gbps NRZ) applications
PCIe® 6.0/CXL® 3.2 capable
8, 16 and 24 differential pair options available
16 differential pair option can support PCIe® x4 plus sidebands
24 differential pair option can support PCIe® x8 plus sidebands
34 AWG, 100 Ω Eye Speed® ultra low skew twinax cable
Improved signal integrity by eliminating transition board and its variability
Mating board level socket (ARF6 Series) features standard rugged weld tabs for increased stability on the PCB
Rugged metal latching and shielding
“Reversed Polarity” pinout option for reduced Far-End Crosstalk
View the full line of AcceleRate® products

Products

Product Family Image for AcceleRate® Slim Body Direct Attach Cable Asemblies

NovaRay® 128 Gbps PAM4, Extreme Density Arrays

NovaRay® combines extreme density and performance for 128 Gbps PAM4 per channel in 40% less space than traditional arrays.

Features

128 Gbps PAM4 per channel
PCIe® 7.0 capable
4.0 Tbps aggregate data rate - 9 IEEE 400G channels
Innovative, fully shielded differential pair design enables extremely low crosstalk (beyond 40 GHz) and tight impedance control
Two points of contact ensure a more reliable connection
92 Ω solution addresses both 85 Ω and 100 Ω applications
Analog Over Array™ capable

Products

Novaray 112 Gbps Pam4, Extreme Density Arrays

Bulls Eye®

Bulls Eye® RF High Performance Test to 90 GHz

Compression interface, small footprint and high cycle count make Bulls Eye® ideal for high-performance test applications.

Features

90 GHz, 70 GHz, 50 GHz and 40 GHz test assemblies
Enables smaller evaluation boards and shorter trace lengths
Compression mounts to the board for placement directly adjacent to the SerDes being characterized
Solderless design improves cost and is easy to use within a lab setting
Microstrip/CPW or Stripline PCB transmission types
Test boards available for performance verification
1.00 mm, 1.85 mm, 2.40 mm and 2.92 mm connection to instrumentation
Single or double row
High-density, space-saving design
Complete list of applications: SerDes characterization, clock/data recovery (CDR), mmWave radar, automated test equipment, FR2 5G networks
RF Group: dedicated RF engineers provide personal support for meeting specific RF challenges

Products

FireFly™ Optical Transceivers

Samtec's FireFly™ Micro Flyover System™ embedded and rugged optical transceivers take data connection "off board" for up to 28 Gbps per lane with a path to 112 Gbps PAM4 via optical cable at greater distances, or copper for cost optimization.

Features

High-speed performance to 28 Gbps per lane
x4 and x12 designs
Interchangeability of copper and optical
Variety of integral heat sink and End 2 options
Micro rugged two-piece connector
Extended temperature and PCIe®-Over-Fiber solutions

Products

Product Family Image for FireFly Active Optical Transceiver

Rugged Tiger Eye™ Systems

Tiger Eye™ High-Cycle, High-Reliability Connectors

Tiger Eye™ high-cycle, high-reliability connector systems feature Samtec's most rugged contact system rated to 1,000+ mating cycles in 0.80 mm, 1.27 mm and 2.00 mm pitches, with a variety of ruggedizing options.

Features

High-reliability Tiger Eye™ three-finger BeCu contact system
Choice of 0.80 mm, 1.27 mm and 2.00 mm pitch
Optional locking and latching systems for higher withdrawal force
Standard and cost-saving designs
Extended Life Product™ testing available
Severe Environment Testing (SET) available (Visit samtec.com/set)
Discrete wire cable assemblies, components and tooling available

Products

Q Strip® High-Speed Ground Plane Connectors

Q Strip® High-Speed Ground Plane Connectors, Mezzanine

Samtec Q Strip® high-speed ground plane connectors are designed for high-speed board-to-board applications where signal integrity is essential.

Features

Performance: Up to 14.0 GHz /28 Gbps
Integral ground/power plane
Connector to connector retention options
Vertical, perpendicular, and coplanar applications
Contacts: Up to 180 I/Os
Stack height: 5 mm–25 mm

Products

Q Pairs® Differential Pair Mezzanine Connectors

Samtec Q Pairs® differential pair mezzanine connectors are designed for high-speed board-to-board applications where signal integrity is essential.

Features

Performance: Up to 10.5 GHz / 21 Gbps
Optimized for 100 ohm systems
Integral ground/power plane
Stack height: 5.00-25.00 mm
Contacts: Up to 100 pairs

Products

Q Rate® Slim High-Speed Connectors

Q Rate® slim high-speed connectors feature an integrated power/ground plane and rugged Edge Rate® contacts for high-reliability and performance.

Features

Performance to 28 Gbps
Rugged Edge Rate® contacts
Integral ground/power plane
Up to 156 positions
Slim footprint (less than 5.00 mm wide)

Products

Q Series® High Speed Ground Plane Cables

Q Series® high speed ground plane cables feature an integrated ground and power plane, micro coax, and twinax cable, and offer performance up to 14 Gbps.

Features

Performance to 14 Gbps
Surface mount, edge mount or panel mount terminations
50 ohm single-ended and 100 ohm differential pair signal routing
Rugged screw mounts or retention pin options

Products

Product Family Image for Q Series® High Speed Ground Plane Cables

Generate® High-Speed 0.80 mm Pitch Edge Card Sockets

Samtec's Generate® 0.80 mm pitch edge card sockets feature Edge Rate® contacts optimized for signal integrity performance. Available in vertical, right-angle, edge mount, pass-through and power/signal combo for design flexibility.

Features

56 Gbps PAM4 performance
Rugged Edge Rate® contacts
Card slot: 1.60 mm (.062")
Single-ended and differential pairs
Vertical, right-angle, edge mount
Optional board locks and cable latching features
Optional weld tab for mechanical strength
RU8 system for elevated board stacking

Products

Product Family Image for High-Speed 0.80 mm Pitch Edge Card

Testing & Certifications

Samtec's products are tested to or beyond industry standards to ensure quality and performance in instrumentation applications.

Design Qualification Testing

All Samtec series undergo Design Qualification Testing

All Samtec series undergo Design Qualification Testing (DQT), which includes:

Gas Tight
Normal Force
Thermal Aging
Mating/Unmating/Durability

IR/DWV
Current Carrying Capacity (CCC)
Mechanical Shock/Random Vibration/LLCR
Mechanical Shock/Random Vibration/Event Detection

TEST	SET	E.L.P.™	DQT
Gas Tight	X*	X*	X
Normal Force	X*	X*	X
Thermal Aging	X*	X*	X
Mating / Unmating / Durability (240 Hrs)	X (100% RH, 250 Cycles)	X* (90-98% RH, 100 Cycles)	X (90-98% RH, 100 Cycles)
IR / DWV	X (At Altitude of 70,000 Feet)	X*	X
CCC	X*	X*	X
Mechanical Shock / Random Vibration / LLCR & Nanosecond Event Detection	X (40 G Peak, 11 ms, Half Sine & 12gRMS, 5 - 2,000 Hz, 1 Hr / Axis)	X* (100 G Peak, 6 ms, Half Sine & 7.56gRMS Avg, 2 Hr / Axis)	X (100 G Peak, 6 ms, Half Sine & 7.56gRMS Avg, 2 Hr / Axis)
Temperature Cycling (500 Cycles)	X	N/A	N/A
Non-Operating Class Temperature	X	N/A	N/A
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)	X	N/A	N/A
10 Year MFG (Mixed Flowing Gas)	N/A	X	N/A
Mating Cycles (250 to 2,500)	N/A	X	N/A
*Completed as part of initial Design Qualification Testing (DQT). E.L.P.™ and SET testing are performed in addition to DQT.

Extended Life Product

Rigorous testing to evaluate contact resistance in simulated storage/field conditions

E.L.P.^™ products are tested to rigorous standards, which evaluate contact resistance in simulated storage and field conditions.

10 year Mixed Flowing Gas (MFG)
High Mating Cycles (250 to 2,500)
Certain plating and/or contact options will apply

For complete details on Samtec's E.L.P.^™ program, a list of qualifying products and test results, visit samtec.com/ELP or email the Customer Engineering Support Group at ASG@samtec.com

TEST	SET	E.L.P.™	DQT
Gas Tight	X*	X*	X
Normal Force	X*	X*	X
Thermal Aging	X*	X*	X
Mating / Unmating / Durability (240 Hrs)	X (100% RH, 250 Cycles)	X* (90-98% RH, 100 Cycles)	X (90-98% RH, 100 Cycles)
IR / DWV	X (At Altitude of 70,000 Feet)	X*	X
CCC	X*	X*	X
Mechanical Shock / Random Vibration / LLCR & Nanosecond Event Detection	X (40 G Peak, 11 ms, Half Sine & 12gRMS, 5 - 2,000 Hz, 1 Hr / Axis)	X* (100 G Peak, 6 ms, Half Sine & 7.56gRMS Avg, 2 Hr / Axis)	X (100 G Peak, 6 ms, Half Sine & 7.56gRMS Avg, 2 Hr / Axis)
Temperature Cycling (500 Cycles)	X	N/A	N/A
Non-Operating Class Temperature	X	N/A	N/A
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)	X	N/A	N/A
10 Year MFG (Mixed Flowing Gas)	N/A	X	N/A
Mating Cycles (250 to 2,500)	N/A	X	N/A
*Completed as part of initial Design Qualification Testing (DQT). E.L.P.™ and SET testing are performed in addition to DQT.

Severe Environment Testing

Initiative to test products beyond typical standards for extreme applications

Severe Environment Testing is a Samtec initiative to test our products beyond typical industry standards and specifications, many set forth by common requirements for rugged industries. Several of our products undergo additional testing to ensure they are more than suitable for industrial, military, automotive, space, and other extreme applications.

TESTING INCLUDES:

VITA™ 47.1 Module Insertions
VITA™ 47.3 Humidity
VITA™ 47.1 Operating Shock Class OS2
VITA™ 47.1 Vibration Class VS3

Exceeds VITA™ 47.1 Temperature Cycling Class C4
Exceeds VITA™ 47.1 Non-Operating Temperature Class C4
VITA™ 47.1 Electrostatic Discharge Resistance
Exceeds VITA™ 47.1 Altitude for DWV

Samtec's SET products are approved for NASA Class D missions that require high-reliability, quick-turn and cost-effective solutions for LEO satellites, SmallSats, CubeSats and other space exploration applications.

Samtec also utilizes NASA outgassing data to determine if certain products meet NASA's ASTM E595-77/84/90 test requirements. Visit outgassing.nasa.gov for data.

Please visit the Severe Environment Testing page or contact set@samtec.com for more information.

TEST	SET	E.L.P.™	DQT
Gas Tight	X*	X*	X
Normal Force	X*	X*	X
Thermal Aging	X*	X*	X
Mating / Unmating / Durability (240 Hrs)	X (100% RH, 250 Cycles)	X* (90-98% RH, 100 Cycles)	X (90-98% RH, 100 Cycles)
IR / DWV	X (At Altitude of 70,000 Feet)	X*	X
CCC	X*	X*	X
Mechanical Shock / Random Vibration / LLCR & Nanosecond Event Detection	X (40 G Peak, 11 ms, Half Sine & 12gRMS, 5 - 2,000 Hz, 1 Hr / Axis)	X* (100 G Peak, 6 ms, Half Sine & 7.56gRMS Avg, 2 Hr / Axis)	X (100 G Peak, 6 ms, Half Sine & 7.56gRMS Avg, 2 Hr / Axis)
Temperature Cycling (500 Cycles)	X	N/A	N/A
Non-Operating Class Temperature	X	N/A	N/A
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)	X	N/A	N/A
10 Year MFG (Mixed Flowing Gas)	N/A	X	N/A
Mating Cycles (250 to 2,500)	N/A	X	N/A
*Completed as part of initial Design Qualification Testing (DQT). E.L.P.™ and SET testing are performed in addition to DQT.

Rugged Features & Custom Solutions

Ruggedizing Options

Friction Locks
Guide Posts
Screw Downs
Alignment Pins

Contact Flexiblity

Tiger Claw^TM
Tiger Eye^TM
Tiger Buy^TM
Power Eye

Custom Solutions

Pin Modifications
Body Modifications
Special Plating
Qualification Testing
Custom Connectors
Prototyping

Instrumentation Resources

Learn More

Blog Posts

Online Tools

INSTRUMENTATION

HIGH-PERFORMANCE, RUGGED Interconnects

Overview

Applications

Samtec offers a wide variety of solutions for any type of instrumentation application.

Popular Products

Choose from some of Samtec's most popular products for Instrumentation Applications

Features

Products

ERM8

ERF8

ERM8-RA

ERF8-RA

ERM8-EM

ERF8-EM

ERM8-S

ERF8-S

ERM5

ERF5

ERF5-RA

ERF6

ERM6

GPSK

GPPK

Features

Products

GC6

HSEC6-DV

ECDP

HSEC8-DV

FEDP

FCDP-DV

FCDP-RA

GC6RF

Features

Products

SEAF

SEAM

SEAF-RA

SEAM-RA

SEAMP

SEAFP

SEAFP-RA

SEAR

SEAMI

JSO

GPPK

GPSK

Features

Products

SEAC

SEAFC

Features

Products

ARC6

ARF6

ARF6-RA

Features

Products

NVAC

NVAM-CT

NVAM

NVAF

GPSO

NVCF

NVCM-RA

NVBF

NVBM-RA

Features

Products

BE90A

BE70A

BE40A

Features

Products

ECUO

PCUO

ETUO

ETMO

PTUO