As technology advances, more and more types of portable electronic devices have surfaced. Due to the limitations of current technology, the sizes of electronic products have stopped decreasing. The trend has now become being able to fit more functions into a fixed size.
In the early days of portable products, larger I/O ports were used. As the sizes of the products became smaller, the interface also needed to be smaller. For example, the mainstream USB interface of a laptop used to be the USB Type-A connector (on the right of the figure below), now it has changed to a USB Type-C connector (on the left of the figure below).
The smaller size and faster transmission speeds of the USB Type-C connector are what made it the mainstream port interface. However, the smaller size makes it less force-resistant.
In the figure below, the green arrows show the maximum force for pulling the Type-A and Type-C connectors off the PCB board. Using the port as the fulcrum (red triangle), we can calculate the torque for each position on the cable using basic physics. If a force value of F is applied to the right of the Type-A connector’s fulcrum, the connector will detach. As for the Type-C connector, it can only withstand a value of 2/3F. So as connectors become smaller in size, their resistance to force also decreases. This means that increasing the strength and durability of smaller connectors like USB Type-C will require more thought and attention.
As USB Type-C is becoming more popular, charging ports in automobiles are also adopting these types of interfaces. Has the following situation ever happened to you?
Passengers in the back seat of a car are using a USB Type-C cable to charge their phones. Suddenly, a passenger in the back seat accidentally kicks the charging cable when changing seats, putting too much force on the cable. As a result, the charging port was damaged, causing the connector port to fall out and unable to charge devices. To fix this, the vehicle must be sent to the original factory for repair. The whole process becomes very time-consuming and expensive.
To deal with the issues mentioned above, directional force strength testing can be used to test the strength of ports, verifying if they meet the standards that prevent damage. Taking care of this can prevent external forces from damaging charging or data transmission functions that require replacing the entire motherboard.
Allion is a certified laboratory that has partnered with many international associations. We have decades of work experience with connector specifications and verifications, allowing us to provide the following consulting services:
1. Connector Selection: Allion is familiar with various specifications and certifications of different connectors from different manufacturers. We can provide the best manufacturer recommendations for our clients, based on their needs.
2. Design Suggestions: Allion can help notify clients of potential risks, important considerations, and most importantly their countermeasures during product design. Using the example mentioned above, Allion can help clients confirm whether the strength of the welding and outer casing of the backseat charging port is up to standards.
3. Design Verification: Allion has complete testing laboratories, testing environments, and testing equipment to verify the potential risks for our clients, ensuring the probability of them happening is minimized.
Through above testing services, Allion can provide a faster, easier and better integrated consulting services and solutions. No matter the phase of the product, Allion can assist clients in boosting product quality, optimizing production efficiency.
Faster, Easier, Better: The Most Trusted Testing Consultant
Allion is deeply rooted in the IT industry and we have accumulated over 30 years of testing and certification experience. Through comprehensive intelligent testing suggestions and analysis, Allion can bring high-frequency cable & connector-related clients with a full range of testing solutions, assisting them to achieve strict product quality control, and provide a faster, easier and better integrated consulting services and solutions.
Faster
Allion is a laboratory that works with various associations that provide a variety of cable/connector certification services (USB, Thunderbolt, and Car Ethernet). We can also provide customizable testing, the latest technical specifications, certification consulting, competitor analysis, and quality control to help you obtain your certification as fast as possible.
Easier
Allion can also carry out customized testing for your products. We have a diverse range of USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 related products and devices such as operating systems and monitors. Having more than 3,000 different testing devices, we can cover the testing of most brands in the market.
Better
With more than 30 years of expertise, specialized technical team, and comprehensive testing environments and equipment, Allion is committed to catching potential problems and providing clients with debugging support and testing solutions to facilitate decision-making and problem-solving.
If you have any further needs for testing, verification, or consulting services, please feel free to contact us through the online form.