Board-to-board connectors reduce EMI
Molex LLC develops a quad-row shield connector, claiming the industry’s first space-saving, four-row signal pin layout with a metal electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield. The quad-row board-to-board connector achieves up to a 25-dB reduction in EMI compared to a non-shielded quad-row solution. These connectors are suited for space-constrained applications such as smart watches and other wearables, mobile devices, AR/VR applications, laptops, and gaming devices.
Shielding protects connectors from external electromagnetic noise such as nearby components and far-field devices that can cause signal degradation, data errors, and system faults. The quad-row connectors eliminate the need for external shielding parts and grounding by incorporating the EMI shields, which saves space and simplifies assembly. It also improves reliability and signal integrity.
The quad-row board-to-board connectors, first released in 2020, offers a 30% size reduction over dual-row connector designs, Molex said. The space-saving staggered-circuit layout positions pins across four rows at a signal contact pitch of 0.175 mm.
Targeting EMI challenges at 2.4-6 GHz and higher, the quad-row layout with the addition of an EMI shield mitigates both electromagnetic and radio frequency (RF) interference, as well as signal integrity issues that create noise.
The quad-row shield meets stringent EMI/EMC standards to lower regulatory testing burdens and speed product approvals, Molex said.
The new design also addresses the most significant requirements related to signal interference and incremental power requirements. These include how best to achieve 80 times the signal connections and four times the power delivery compared to a single-pin connector, Molex said.
The quad-row connectors offer a 3-A current rating to meet customer requirements for high power in a compact design. Other specifications include a voltage rating of 50 V, a dielectric withstanding voltage of 250 V, and a rated insulation resistance of 100 megohms. Click here for the datasheet.
Samples of the quad-row shield connectors are available now to support custom inquiries. Commercial availability will follow in the second quarter of 2026.
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