Military Connector Tags to Increase by 2%

Lead times held steady for most interconnect, passive and electromechanical (IP&E) components over the past month, according to Avnet Electronics Marketing’s most recent Market and Technology Trends report. Despite slight price upticks for a few interconnect and passive components, pricing trends are expected to remain generally stable.

However, tags for several types of military connectors are expected to increase by approximately two percent, including Micro D-Sub (Mil-C-83513) and circular connectors (Mil-C-38999, Mil-C-83723, and Mil-C-26482). Lead times for the circular connectors remain stable with factory deliveries from 12 to 16 weeks, up slightly compared to July. Avnet quotes a build time of three to five days with component stock for the circular connectors. Deliveries for Micro D-Sub connectors range from stock to six weeks. There are no changes in the last month for these connectors, according to Avnet.

Avnet also reported an upward pricing trend for filters including GDTs, TVS, varistors, and thyristors. However, lead times remain stable for these devices, ranging from stock to eight to 14 weeks. New products include NIC’s expansion of its NST series of negative temperature thermistors, and Bourns’ new 4 kV ITU-T SLIC Protection Design Kit and PortNote Solution.

Connectors

In general, lead times and average selling prices (ASPs) remain stable for connectors, reported Avnet. Deliveries for backplane connectors – DIN41612, Compact PCI and 2-mm Hard Metric (HM) – range from stock to 10 weeks. Rising demand for bandwidth and speed is pushing suppliers to improve 2-mm and 2.5-mm designs with new high-speed niche products incorporating power, signal, and ground planes in one module, according to Avnet product managers.

Lead times for sockets, card connectors, I/O connectors, PCB connectors, and micro/nano connectors range from stock to nine weeks. Deliveries of power connectors, board-to-board connectors, wire-to-board connectors as well as cables and cable assemblies range from stock to seven weeks. Expect slightly longer deliveries – from stock to eight weeks – for micro/nano connector systems and flexible interconnect systems.

Similarly, fiber-optic connector and cable assembly lead times are stable, holding at stock to seven weeks. Due to the complexity of cabling fiber optics, suppliers will continue to provide the majority of cable assemblies, according to Avnet product managers.

Passive Components

Avnet reports standard lead times of 12 to 18 weeks for aluminum capacitors, which matches last month’s deliveries. Lead times from some manufacturers may extend to 28 weeks. ASPs remain stable.

Similarly, lead times of metal film and ceramic axial capacitors remain stable between 12 to 18 weeks. Deliveries have extended to 32 weeks from some manufacturers, according to Avnet. Lead times for ceramic disc capacitors vary significantly, ranging from 12 to 22 weeks. Deliveries for some case size/values may be lengthier than others, and pricing remains stable for now, said Avnet product managers.

Ceramic capacitor lead times generally range from stock to 12 weeks. Buyers should expect longer lead times in the range of 18 to 20 weeks for specialty devices. Many new products focus on high-temperature applications. Examples cited by Avnet include AVX’s AT series of high-temperature MLCCs, KEMET’s HV-HT (high voltage/high temperature) series of ceramic capacitors, and Taiyo Yuden’s automotive grade AEC-Q200 qualified MLCCs.

Tantalum chip capacitor lead times vary significantly from stock to 22 weeks, depending on specifications including capacitance value and tolerance. New products include Vishay’s T42 series of fused hi-rel surface-mount solid tantalum molded chip capacitors for military/aerospace applications, and KEMET’s AEC-Q200 qualified polymer tantalum capacitors, touted as the first fully qualified automotive polymer tantalum capacitors.

Inductor lead times generally range between 10 to 20 weeks, which is slightly higher than 16 weeks reported in July. Avnet continues to report the possibility of extended lead times out to 56 weeks for some parts from TDK/EPCOS. TDK/EPCOS inductor deliveries generally range from 14 to 16 weeks.

Chip resistor lead times have extended slightly, now ranging from six to 16 weeks, up from 12 weeks in July. Deliveries for leaded resistors remain stable from six to 14 weeks. Potentiometer lead times also are stable, ranging from six to 16 weeks. Avnet reported stable pricing trends for fixed and variable resistors.

Electromechanical

Avnet also reported stable lead times and ASPs for most electromechanical devices. In general, relay deliveries range between 10 to 12 weeks. Demand continues to grow for smaller, higher current relays such as the smaller-sized PCB-mount types, according to Avnet product managers, while solid-state relays continue to outgrow electromechanical types.

Switch lead times remain stable from stock to 12 weeks. The clear trend in this market is smaller devices, driven by the proliferation of portable electronic products, according to Avnet product managers. Avnet’s switch offerings include DIP, pushbutton, slide, tactile, toggle, rocker, snap action, and rotary.

Circuit breaker lead times remain stable from stock to 14 weeks, after increasing by two weeks in July.

Avnet reported lead time instability for fans and blowers. However, deliveries for these cooling devices remain stable from 14 to 16 weeks. Avnet product managers said fan and blower products are now integrating intelligent equipment features including speed monitoring, closed loop speed control and operating monitoring. Pricing trends remain stable. Heat sink lead times range from stock to eight weeks.

AC/DC and DC/DC power supply lead times typically range from six to 24 weeks. Pricing trends are stable for all types. Tech trends include increased densities, smaller packaging, wider input voltage ranges and higher temperature ranges.