We are accelerating into the 5G era! According to data released by the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), the number of 5G networks put into commercial use worldwide has reached 106 by September 2020, and 14 new ones have been added in the most recent month alone. It seems that this year's new crown epidemic has not slowed down the pace of 5G commercial use. According to GSA's analysis, the current penetration rate of 5G in the global population has reached 7%, and it is estimated that by 2025, 20% of the world's devices will be connected to 5G networks.
Different connectors
The above-mentioned changes in the 5G network architecture will of course also be transmitted to the upstream hardware, and new hardware solutions are needed to adapt to this change. Among them, connector products are no exception.
In a hardware system, the connector does not generally occupy the most important "C bit", but as the transmission of data and power interconnection member, the operation of the system to ensure the stability and reliability of the connector is critical, selected from Mistakes in model and application tend to bury hidden dangers that are difficult to detect.
The application scenarios of connectors on 5G are mainly concentrated in the following aspects:
1. Coaxial RF connector required for 5G antenna system and test board .
2. The signal and power connectors required for outdoor antennas and baseband systems are used to connect antennas installed at high places with base stations on the ground.
3. High-performance servers and storage connectors required by base stations and edge data centers to realize the connection between the system and the outside.
4. Connectors for network edge node devices, including high-performance PCB connectors that can be used in automobiles and communication equipment , as well as commercial connectors such as board-to-board, wire-to-board, and IO with a wider application range .
Although these connectors have different application scenarios, they need to meet some additional constraints if they want to be "worthy" 5G.
1 . High performance
The first is the improvement in performance. As mentioned above, the 5G distributed network architecture enables edge data centers to undertake more computing and processing tasks. Some high-performance interconnection solutions that were previously only seen in cloud data centers will also land in edge data centers.
Cellular infrastructure, hubs, switches, servers, etc. QM push-pull self-locking connector and related cable assembly interface can support 25Gb/sNRZ or 56Gb/sPAM4, the total bandwidth capacity is 200/400G, and it has excellent signal integrity performance. These solutions can provide strong support for 5G edge data centers.
2 . High reliability
As 5G base stations need to adapt to the challenges of different environments, connectors need to be superior in reliability and durability.
QM's push-pull self-locking RF connectors (single-core coaxial connectors) and related cable assemblies are widely used in applications such as remote radio heads, small cell base stations, macro cell base stations, microwave links, and distributed antenna systems. Said to be a forward-looking product, it can obviously give it a try in 5G.
3 . Miniaturization
The functions of 5G equipment are more complex, which requires more things to be accommodated in the unit space, which also puts higher demands on the connection density of the connectors.
QM electrical signal self-locking metal push-pull connector may be provided with a robust mechanical strength and sustained signal integrity, 5G connector is worth noting that the selection of a product.
4. Diversity
The 5G use cases are characterized by diversity, which means that a diverse portfolio of connector products is needed to deal with it in order to achieve the best results. This requires locking the most suitable connector product according to the specific application.
For example, in terms of meeting high-performance automotive and communication equipment applications, QM connectors provide a compact and durable interconnect solution. With higher connection density, it can reduce the PCB package size by 50%; Provides top and side locking options to make installation easier, and also uses keying visibility to prevent mismatches . It has high vibration resistance and lock resistance, and is suitable for extreme application environments.
In short, 5G has brought many new design challenges for hardware interconnection, and its large-scale commercial deployment has also brought huge business opportunities. This requires connector products to be adaptively optimized around 5G requirements, to develop "different" products, and to find a new application foothold in this key wireless technology upgrade iteration.
If you feel that there is too much clues in the choice of 5G connectors and too much consuming experience, visit www.qmconnectors.com, no matter where you are in the 5G network architecture, I believe it can help you find a satisfactory interconnection solution. Program!