Chip-on-Flex technology stabilizes filter connectors

Chip-on-Flex technology stabilizes filter connectors

Designed for filter connectors, a new Chip-on-Flex (CoF) technology from ITT, Electronic Components (Santa Ana, CA) replaces the fragile ceramic capacitor array with a flexible circuit where chip capacitors are surface-mounted on a pad adjacent to the feedthrough contact. Because feedthrough contacts are not soldered directly to the capacitor, stress points are drastically reduced or eliminated.

Filter connectors typically use ceramic planar arrays—made up of a ceramic block capacitor with plated through-holes where feedthrough contacts are soldered. Ceramic caps were originally chosen to reduce costs (versus having individual filters on each contact). But ceramic material is susceptible to the detrimental effects caused by shock, vibration, and thermal extremes.

The connector on the left uses a standard ceramic planar array configuration, while the connector on the right displays ITT’s Chip-on-Flex filter connector.

CoF-based connectors provide all the standard filtering capabilities, including isolated pin filtering of high-frequency noise, built-in ground-plane barriers in connector inserts, and filtering at the face of system boxes. The connectors provide a stray signal barrier upstream and away from electronic devices.

ITT’s CoF approach provides designers flexibility in defining or changing individual circuit capacitance, ground, and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) performance during the design/development phase–eliminating the need to retool the ceramic planar array. Also, while ceramic planar arrays are hand soldered, solder is automatically deposited on connectors constructed with this new approach.

CoF technology also provides end-users with a customizable solution. For instance, EMP protection can be added by substituting a Zener diode for a chip capacitor. Cut-in frequency is also selectable from the performance attenuation curves. For more information, visit http://www.ittcannon.com, or contact Dom Lecce at 714-628-2067 or by e-mail at dom.lecce@itt.com.

Ralph Raiola