wiredInUSA February 2018

Assemblies will fly TE Connectivity has released a newly developed range of optical flex circuit cable assemblies. These compact, robust fiber optic circuits offer a multi-fiber management solution for high speed electronic packaging. Fully customizable for both card-to-card and backplane applications, the circuits are ruggedized to withstand the harsh environments of commercial and military aircraft. Optical flex circuits consist of thousands of individual fibers, precisely positioned on a single rugged substrate that uses crossovers to minimize stress while maximizing the opportunities for complex routing arrangements. A thin film that encapsulates each fiber provides protection from harsh environments and allows for high density packaging to save valuable space. Added durability and low insertion loss are achieved through controlled optical circuit routing using a computer numerical control (CNC) machine. “These newmulti-purpose fiber optic circuits are designed for a variety of aerospace and defense applications,” said Christophe Prel, product manager, aerospace, defense and marine at TE Connectivity.

“Multiple options in cable assembly design, connectorization and routing give designers the flexibility to help maximize performance and design a solution tailored to their needs.” Optical flex circuits manage high fiber counts in small spaces. They can accommodate up to 12 stacked layers, and up to six fiber crossings. Patent storage SeaTwirl has won a US patent for a kinetic energy storage solution, said to optimize the rotational speed of a wind turbine. According to SeaTwirl, a problem with wind power is the voltage fluctuations that result from wind speed variations; the granted patent offers a solution to store kinetic energy in a flywheel. The flywheel can be used to optimize the rotational speed of the turbine and therefore stabilize the electric grid, the company explained. The solution works by moving mass to, or from, the center of rotation by which the output power can be maintained with less wind and thus be optimized to reduce fluctuations on the electric grid. “The patent is part of our strategic work to build a broad patent portfolio. By protecting technical solutions that optimize operations and reduce the stress on the

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wiredInUSA - February 2018