Molex Sets New Standard in Space-Saving Connections with Commercial Availability of Ground-Breaking Quad-Row Board-to-Board Connectors

• World’s smallest board-to-board connectors ideally suited for space-constrained smartphones, smartwatches, wearables, AR/VR devices and more
• Staggered-circuit layout offers 30% space savings over conventional connector designs
• Robust features deliver increased strength for more reliable performance
• Over 50 million units shipped since 2020 to support major smartwatch manufacturer

Molex, a global electronics leader and connectivity innovator, today announced the commercial availability of the Molex Quad-Row Board-to-Board Connectors, featuring the industry’s first staggered-circuit layout for 30% space savings over conventional connector designs. These patent-pending connectors offer product developers and device manufacturers greater freedom and flexibility to support compact form factors, including smartphones, smartwatches, wearables, game consoles and Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) devices.

“Molex continually drives connectivity innovations in support of increasingly smaller yet more powerful devices,” said Justin Kerr, vice president and general manager, Micro Solutions Business Unit, Molex. “With the high-density, Quad-Row Board-to-Board Connectors, our customers now can squeeze more features, sensors and functionality into increasingly tight spaces without compromising device performance. As a result, Molex is setting a new connectivity standard for space optimization.”

First-Ever Staggered Circuit Layout Delivers Unprecedented Space Savings

Molex’s long-standing collaboration with product developers from a major smartwatch manufacturer propelled the initial design of the Quad-Row Board-to-Board Connectors. Molex engineers also worked with experts from a global leader in the design, development and manufacturing of Flexible Printed Circuits (FPCs). Together, the engineering teams validated the first-ever, staggered circuit layout, which positions pins across four rows at a signal contact pitch of 0.175mm. The result delivers unprecedented space savings while enabling high-density circuit connectivity.

The Quad-Row Board-to-Board Connectors adhere to the 3.0A current rating, meeting customer requirements for high power in a compact form factor. Additionally, the product aligns with the standard, soldering pitch of 0.35mm to expedite volume manufacturing using typical Surface Mount Technology (SMT) processes. Reliable, robust performance is assured, thanks to interior armor and insert-molded power nail, which safeguard pins from damage during volume manufacturing and assembly. These capabilities, along with wide alignment, facilitate easy, secure mating and lower fallout rates.

High-Volume Production, Diverse Mix of Applications

More than 50 million Quad-Row Connectors have been shipped since 2020 to support the highest-selling smartwatch worldwide. Molex’s meticulous attention to design for manufacturing has led to expedited volume manufacturing ramps. The connectors also support a bigger reel size, which can facilitate production efficiencies, leading to improved production yield rates.

In addition, the compact size and reliable performance of the Quad-Row Board-to-Board Connectors make them ideally suited for a variety of applications requiring increasingly smaller PCBs and flex assembles. The ability to meet product miniaturization demands creates nearly limitless opportunities for AR/VR, automotive, communications, consumer, defense, IoT, medical and wearable applications.

Availability

Molex Quad-Row Board-to-Board Connectors are available worldwide in 32- and 36-pin configurations with 20- and 64-pin configurations coming soon. Plans are underway to support up to 100-pin counts.

Molex Consumer & Commercial Solutions

The Molex legacy of delivering critical connections extends across the entire mobile device ecosystem with proven expertise in 5G, mmWave, RF, signal integrity, antenna, power, camera and display technologies. Precision, volume manufacturing and miniaturization enable Molex to meet dynamic market demands while providing leading mobile device manufacturers and their suppliers with the smallest, densest and most advanced connectors currently available.