Connector Types and Technologies Poised for Growth new report addresses a list of 19 specific connector types that are expected to experience greater than average growth in either volume or sales based on the rapid expansion of markets for existing and new products that utilize these interfaces.  New technologies already driving the market as well as emerging technologies that are poised to influence connector design and/or application are reviewed. A discussion of market trends that are changing the way electronic connectors are used is included.

Each connector type is defined with a product description including key mechanical and electrical performance characteristics, as well as the rational for its selection. Typical applications are also identified. A global market value and forecast to 2013 documents our growth expectations for each connector type.

Many of the selected interfaces have existed in the market for several years, but emerging applications will propel their growth well beyond that of the general connector market. Some legacy connector types, for instance, are being adapted to high-speed differential signaling, which will allow implementation in next-generation equipment. In other cases, entirely new interfaces will show logarithmic percentage growth from near zero as they are implemented in new high-volume applications.

Issues covered in this report include:

• Which existing connector types are poised for exceptional sales growth?
• What new electronic products and technologies are driving this connector growth?
• How will the current global economic recession and recovery impact the adoption rate of new interfaces?
• Which industry segments will utilize these connectors? Which segments will require the development of entirely new interfaces to address specific applications?
• Who are the leading manufacturers of these connectors?
• How are power connectors being adapted to provide greater power and signal density while supporting system thermal management strategies?
• How do connector manufacturers differentiate their products defined by an industry specification?
• What specific applications will drive the growth of these connectors?
• What is the forecasted global market value of these growth connectors over the 2009 through 2013 period?
• How much of this growth will be influenced by formal, defacto or special-interest-group-generated standards?
• What is driving increasing interest in electronic system design that conforms to standardized hardware platforms?
• Which exiting connectors, defined by an industry standard, will continue to evolve in terms of bandwidth and signal density?
• Will new system packaging techniques such as orthogonal midplane designs become widely adopted over the next three to five years?
• Will new material technology change the way connectors are designed, fabricated and utilized?
• Will systems based on 85-ohm impedance dominate the industry or co-exist with 100-ohm systems?
• How will system designer demand for higher speed and density interfaces influence the development of next-generation connector technology?
• Are one-piece, high-performance edge connectors experiencing a resurgence? Why?
• Has the performance/cost curve of fiber-optic connectors finally tipped the advantage to fiber over copper in I/O applications?How will global environmental mandates influence the design of future interconnects?
• How is the convergence of computing, communications and consumer entertainment influencing the design of interconnects?
• What new classes of products, such as wireless video, light-emitting diode illumination and alternative energy generation, will require the development of new interconnect systems?
• What technology gaps exist that must be addressed in order to satisfy next-generation equipment interconnect requirements?
• What effect will the adoption of wireless devices have on copper cabling and connectors?
• How are design engineers addressing potentially conflicting objectives of signal density, power density and thermal density?
• How is the trend toward mobile computing, communication and entertainment influencing the ability to deliver power?
• Will smaller semiconductor geometries suffer from reduced resistance to ESD damage?
• In what applications are high-speed Ethernet and Infiniband protocols most effectively applied?
• How are global demographics influencing the development of new electronic products as well as overall market size?
• How are high-speed backplane and I/O connectors evolving to address the issues of 40 to 100 Gb/s bandwidth? Are copper 40+ Gb/s interfaces a viable solution, or has copper finally reached its practical bandwidth limit?
• How will connector manufacturers address potentially conflicting requirements for identical second sources and protection of intellectual property?
• Will Serial ATA and SAS continue to dominate the storage interconnect landscape?
• What new interfaces will dominate emerging automotive applications including infotainment, networking, power management and battery charging?
• How will cloud computing and hardware virtualization influence the markets for computing equipment in the future?
• All of these topics and others are discussed in this new report on Connector Types and Technologies Poised for Growth.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 - Report Scope and Methodology
Issues explored
Methodology & approach

Chapter 2 - Introduction
Introduction
Product selection process and criteria

Chapter 3 - Universal Serial Bus Connectors
Growth drivers
Product description / performance ratings
Product application / market data

Chapter 4 - DisplayPort Connectors
Growth drivers
Product description / performance ratings
Product application / market data

Chapter 5 - HDMI Connectors
Growth drivers
Product description / performance ratings
Product application / market data

Chapter 6 - Battery Connectors
Growth drivers
Product description / performance ratings
Product application / market data

Chapter 7 - FFC/FEC/FPC Connectors
Growth drivers
Product description / performance ratings
Product application / market data

Chapter 8 - High-Speed Backplane Connectors
Growth drivers
Product description / performance ratings
Product application / market data

Chapter 9 - High-Speed Mezzanine Connectors
Growth drivers
Product description / performance ratings
Product application / market data

Chapter 10 - SAS Connectors
Growth drivers
Product description / performance ratings
Product application / market data

Chapter 11 - SATA Connectors
Growth drivers
Product description / performance ratings
Product application / market data

Chapter 12 - Small Form Factor Pluggable Connectors
Growth drivers
Product description / performance ratings
Product application / market data

Chapter 13 - Power Connectors
Growth drivers
Product description / performance ratings
Product application / market data

Chapter 14 - PCI Express Connectors
Growth drivers
Product description / performance ratings
Product application / market data

Chapter 15 - Fiber Optic Connectors
Growth drivers
Product description / performance ratings
Product market data

Chapter 16 - Connectors for Embedded Computing
Growth drivers
Product description / performance ratings
Product application / market data

Chapter 17 - Environmental Resistant / Ruggedized Connectors
Growth drivers
Product description / performance ratings
Product application / market data

Chapter 18 - Medical Connectors
Growth drivers
Product description / performance ratings
Product application / market data

Chapter 19 - Alternative Energy Connectors
Growth drivers
Product description / performance ratings
Product application / market data

Chapter 20 - Automotive Connectors
Growth drivers
Product description / performance ratings
Product application / market data

Chapter 21 - Evolving Interconnect Technologies
Introduction
RJ45 Connectors in 10/40/100 Gigabit Ethernet applications
Surface mount technology
Connectors designed for 85-ohm impedance
Power / thermal management
System-On-Chip technology
EMI / ESD protection
Nano technology
Orthogonal midplane architecture
Solid state illumination
Increasing demand for high-speed design support
Conflicting system packaging mandate
Advancing technologies impacting connector utilization
Ethernet and InfiniBand

Chapter 22 - Significant Market Trends
Introduction
Licensing of second sources
Growth of mobile devices
Impact of material prices on connectors
Proliferation of industry standards
Key new product design objectives and challenges
Environmental protection mandates
Economic recovery

Chapter 23   Major Findings and Conclusions Summary

Appendix A - Connector Definitions

Appendix B - Levels of packaging

Appendix C - Report contributors