TE Connectivity (TE) introduced its new DEUTSCH brand D-MAX high-speed copper connectors at the Paris Air Show today. The D-Max connectors offer robust reliability and high signal integrity to support current and future high-speed protocols in the most demanding aerospace and military applications. The connectors support 10G Ethernet and beyond, and are compatible with high-speed categories 5e, 6, 6a, and 7, USB, and IEEE 1394 cables.

“These revolutionary connectors were designed for the harshest environments as a high-performance alternative to RJ45 connectors,” said Andy Small, marketing director DAT EMEA, TE Connectivity, Global Aerospace, Defense & Marine. “RJ45s housed in military connectors have been widely used in military ground vehicles, but have shown intermittencies in combat deployment conditions due to the commercial grade contact system. The RJ45 modules also require a large connector shell to be used and have restrictive temperature and speed limitations. Our new D-MAX connectors answer that need for extremely high-speed and equally rugged and compact interconnects that military and aerospace OEMs demand.”

The unique shielding arrangement of the D-MAX connector helps protect each pair through the connector to provide superior impedance matching (designed to maintain 100 ohm impedance) and help eliminate crosstalk. This optimized design has little effect on the signal when the differential pairs transverse through the connector. The design and close impedance matching of the D-MAX connector give designers more margin in such critical features as near- and far-end crosstalk and return loss. Better margins can mean better signal integrity.

In addition, the connector uses standard AS39029 crimp contacts. The termination and assembly is fast and straightforward, including the ability to field terminate and repair in as little as five minutes. The D-MAX connector supports a variety of circular and rectangular form factors to allow maximum flexibility in applying high-speed protocols, and is available with aluminium or composite shells with a variety of finishes. Robust 38999 series III shell is available for single- or quad-channel configurations.