Rosenberger and ST develop high-speed contactless connector

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STMicroelectronics and Rosenberger, a manufacturer of impedance-controlled and optical connectivity solutions, have collaborated on a contactless connector.

The connector has been designed for ultra-reliable, short-range, point-to-point full-duplex data exchanges in industrial and medical applications.

The RoProxCon, leverages ST’s 60GHz RF transceiver, the ST60A2, to deliver high-speed data transmission while providing immunity to movement, vibration, rotation, and contaminants such as moisture and dust, which can disrupt conventional pin-and-receptacle interconnects.

The ST60A2 combines high-data-rate transmission at Bluetooth-like power consumption and promises a new range of medical and industrial applications that are no longer constrained by physical connections.

“Pairing ST’s contactless connectivity technology with our interconnect expertise and antenna-design knowledge enabled us to create a first-of-its-kind module that transmits full duplex data at up to 6 Gbps with complete rotational freedom. Much less expensive than alternative optical connectors and using much less power than other RF technologies, the RoProxCon will let innovators loose to create new applications,” said Folke Michelmann, Executive Vice President Medical & Industries at Rosenberger. “In working with ST, we see limitless application possibilities for our connector, which provides high-reliability and high-throughput at low power.”

The ST60A2 offers reliable, point-to-point, high-data-rate transmission of up to 6.25 Gbps over distances of a few centimetres and at exceptionally low power.

Operating over an extended temperature range of -40 to +105°C, the chip is suited to industrial markets. With a 2.2 x 2.2 mm package footprint, the chip is also said to be the smallest device currently available on the market with ultra-low power consumption of 70mW delivering a reliable and completely contactless link.

In the RoProxCon, ST’s transceiver is paired with an appropriate antenna, which offers a number of options for different areas of applications like smart factory, medical technology, connected devices, office equipment, conveyer technology, renewable energies, and other high-bandwidth applications.