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TE Connectivity has unveiled its new Mini-ETH single pair Ethernet system for commercial aerospace applications such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The new system offers more bandwidth, simpler installation and maintenance, and up to 73% weight savings in cables and up to 41% weight savings in connectors compared to standard eight-wire cables and rectangular connectors.
Using Ethernet over single pair protocols derived from the automotive market, the Mini-ETH system delivers its weight savings by employing a two-wire cable design, which was recently standardized under the ARINC 854 cabin equipment network bus standard. Two-wire cables and corresponding 369 connectors help reduce termination time by up to 50% compared to standard quadrax connectors. The reduction in wires within TE’s Mini-ETH system can also simplify maintenance when compared to quadrax connectors.
The system is qualified to 100Mb/s with the ability to support up to 1Gb/s in future applications. Components include a range of proven TE products, including:
- 369 shielded connectors
- DEUTSCH DMC-M connectors (EN4165)
- Cheminax twinax high speed copper cables
- End to End Ethernet assemblies
Russell Graves, global aerospace business development manager for TE’s Aerospace, Defense and Marine division, commented: “The Mini-ETH single pair Ethernet system adapts to what customers need from it, so they can retrofit an existing aircraft with Mini-ETH products to achieve savings or design it in to a future system as some customers are doing. TE is pleased to be one of the first manufacturers to offer an Ethernet over single pair solution for the commercial aerospace market.”
