TE Connectivity Sliding Power Connector First Look

Welcome to First Look, brought to you by DigiKey and TE Connectivity. Designers working on server equipment are faced with the challenge of reducing costly downtime, improving energy efficiency, and increasing reliability. However, the cables and cable management systems typically used in these applications work against all of these goals. This can be replaced with TE Connectivity’s Sliding Power Connector. The sliding power connector helps eliminate the need to shut down entire racks to service one component; it provides a direct power path between the source and the equipment, increasing efficiency and reducing voltage drop; and it helps reduce the risk of damaging or accidentally disconnecting moving cables. The sliding power connector transmits power over PCBs instead of cables. It’s mounted with compliant pin termination to a sled PCB on the equipment to be powered, and the connector slides onto a stationary baseboard that is connected to the power rail. Two exposed pads or tracks on the baseboard mate with the spring finger, gold-plated copper alloy contacts on the sliding power connector, providing a simple power connection that can deliver up to 75A. This arrangement also provides the designer with freedom to place the baseboard and sled where the length of the power connection is as short as possible for maximum efficiency. The efficiency improvements minimize heat generation, and the low-profile design improves airflow compared to cabled systems, leading to reduced cooling costs. The design also simplifies hot swapping equipment, to keep the rest of the rack powered and maximize uptime while servicing individual devices.