Harwin offers rear panel-mount cable connectors for its Hi-Rel series

To provide customers with greater choice and increase design flexibility, Harwin now offers rear panel-mount cable connectors for both of its 2mm-pitch Datamate and 1.25mm-pitch Gecko high-reliability (Hi-Rel) series.

The new series will complement the company’s existing front panel-mount solutions, broadening the scope of how connector housings are attached to an enclosure or panel.

The clear advantage that a rear panel mount has over front mount is that the bulk of the connector housing is located on the inside of the enclosure or panel. This means that the connector is much better protected from the external environment, with just its mating face being exposed.

As a result, there is less risk of potential interconnect damage occurring, and the overall design looks better aesthetically.

“After consulting our customer base, it was clear that many preferred a rear panel-mounting solution. Putting the connector on the inside of the enclosure gave them sleeker equipment modules and connectors less vulnerable to damage,” said Ryan Smart, NPI product manager at Harwin. “Now we have both front and rear mounting for Datamate and Gecko, our customers can choose whichever option they need.”

Versions of Harwin’s Datamate J-Tek and Datamate Mix-Tek (combining power and data pins) connector products will be available with the rear panel mounting option. These will be fitted to male cable connector housings. The more compact Gecko-SL and Gecko-MT products with rear panel mounting are fitted to male and female cable-connector housings.

For all these products, contact counts of up to 50 per connector are supported.

“Connectors attached to a panel or enclosure help lower any strain placed on electrical connections inside the unit. This extends the working life of equipment and avoids repairs,” added Smart.