Connectors provide significantly higher mating integrity for automotive applications

Developed for rugged, reliable connectivity in automotive LED / lighting applications, the MiniBridge Koshiri Security connector from ERNI has a novel housing design with distinctive guides that prevent mis-mating and protect contact pins. Also known as 'scoop proof', the pin contacts are recessed sufficiently so they cannot be damaged if the mating connector shell is scooped into it during the mating process. More specifically, the MiniBridge Koshiri design prevents pins from being bent and contacts from being shorted during mating. Connectivity is vital in automotive LED/lighting applications, such as intelligent LED headlight systems, which actively direct the headlights based on the road conditions and environment including curves, oncoming vehicles and pedestrians. These advanced LED lighting systems automatically control a vehicle's beam state -- low or high beam -- based on the detection of oncoming vehicles and leading vehicles via video captured by a camera. The single row, wire-to-board MiniBridge Koshiri connector features a compact, scalable design with a fine 1.27mm pitch. This, combined with a highly reliable active latch that ensures proper and secure mating, makes the MiniBridge Koshiri connector system ideally suited to space saving connections between PCBs and decentralized function units, particularly important in the automotive market, says the company. "The automotive industry has high demands on process reliability for connectors. For example, during a skewed connection process of the male and female parts, it is imperative the male connectors are not damaged," said Sam Hines, product coordinator, ERNI Electronics. "The single row MiniBridge Koshiri connectors offer significantly higher mating integrity and protection from improper skew insertion." Offering design flexibility, MiniBridge Koshiri variants are available with 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 pins, and have a high current carrying capacity extending up to 4A per contact depending on the cable plant employed. The male connectors feature SMT termination, while the female parts offer IDC terminations, accepting either ribbon or discrete wire cable. Single wire stranded cables ranging from AWG 22 to AWG 26 can also be used. For these LED lighting applications, a white version is available to eliminate shadowing effects that can be caused by the connector system, says the company.