Case Study

Modified SMB connectors meet needs of military customers

Aviel Electronics modifies standard industry connector designs to meet specific requirements. Recently, a military customer approached Aviel for connector help. They had a panel designed around a competitor’s SMB connector and they were experiencing a variety of problems out in the field. The first issue was that the SMB connectors would easily disengage when minimal axial force was applied to a mated pair. To solve this issue, Aviel engineers designed a custom locking mechanism for the SMB Plug that would work on standard SMB Jacks.

Moisture entering the connector through the interface was the next issue on the customer's list and Aviel presented a simple, but effective solution. The customer's application was subject to harsh climate and no ingress of water in harmful quantity was allowed when their enclosure was immersed in water up to one meter. Aviel modified the SMB Plug and added internal o-rings to achieve an IP67 rating.

Finally, Aviel Electronics had one more issue to solve for their customer and this solution was not in any physics books. Their customer’s concern was that technicians could accidentally mismatch the input and output cables under strenuous conditions and jeopardize a mission. Aviel offered a reverse polarity version of the connector with a visually distinguishable coupling mechanism. Mating the wrong pair was now not only unlikely, but also physically impossible.

Aviel Electronics' design and manufacturing capabilities allow for quick reaction to specific needs and short lead-times for prototype components. Aviel engineers have the education and experience to solve interconnect challenges.