Traditional connectors need to fulfill three primary performance criteria: mechanical performance, electrical performance, and environmental performance. Mechanical performance refers to the assurance of functionality during connector insertion and extraction. Electrical performance includes requirements for contact resistance, insulation resistance, and dielectric strength. Environmental performance necessitates that connectors possess basic resistance to temperature, humidity, vibration, and shock. These fundamental requirements must also be maintained in emerging markets.

In addition to the basic requirements mentioned above, new application markets also impose new demands on connectors: newer connectors must be smaller, more reliable, possess stronger wireless capabilities, and incorporate a degree of intelligence. These are the new market demands. For companies, only by meeting such requirements can they seize new market opportunities. Overall, the technological development trends for connectors in the coming years are as follows:

The Six Major Development Trends of Connectors

I. High-Frequency and High-Speed Connector Technology
In many 5G communication applications, connectors bear the critical responsibility of converting optical and electrical signals. With the advent of the 5G era of the Internet of Everything, the high data volume and transmission speed requirements of 5G inevitably necessitate performance upgrades for connectors, making high-frequency and high-speed characteristics new essential requirements.

II. Wireless Transmission Connector Technology
In the era of the Internet of Things, wireless technology will become ubiquitous. While connectors will continue to provide traditional contact-based connection methods, ensuring wireless transmission connectivity in various scenarios such as industrial and automotive applications will also serve as a backup, as dual protection offers the highest security.

III. Smaller and More Convenient Connector Technology
Previous connectors often involved numerous contact points and filled many expansion slots. In the 5G era, a single optical fiber device might contain dozens of connectors, demanding smaller connectors that deliver higher performance.

IV. Higher Precision and Lower Cost
Given the extremely high safety requirements in automobiles, automotive connectors already represent a very large market. With the development of electric vehicles, connectors will require even higher precision and lower cost, leading to their wider adoption compared to previous generations.

V. Smarter Connector Technology
With the arrival of the AI era, connectors may evolve beyond simple transmission functions. In the future, within switch-mode power supplies, in addition to ensuring electrical signal data, connectors might perform simple intelligent judgment and protection, outputting correct data while preventing power supply damage. This, of course, will require support from IC technology.

VI. Automated Production Technology for Connectors
In traditional connector design and production, manual labor played a major role. With the development of industrial automation, especially in precision machining, molds, and CAD for connectors, these advanced machines are becoming the mainstay of the industry.

Connector Companies Welcome New Development Opportunities

As a fundamental electronic component, compared to slower-growing application markets like computers and mobile devices, new markets will provide companies with new profit growth points. These are specifically the 5G communication, automotive, and industrial markets. Currently, China's connector market capacity is gradually expanding, maintaining a double-digit growth rate annually, indicating significant potential.