[Report] The Market for Filtered Connectors in Commercial and Military Applications

Bishop and Associates, Inc. has released a thirteen chapter research report providing the factors associated with the utilization of filtered electronic connectors in both military and commercial applications. Basic EMI, ESD, and EMP filter technologies are reviewed as well as current products from a variety of connector manufacturers. Filter effectiveness test procedures as well as international standards involving emissions and susceptibility are discussed. Alternatives to the use of filtered connectors are also included. An extensive analysis of the markets for these products is detailed from a variety of perspectives including current market size, market share estimates of major suppliers as well as market forecasts extending to 2008.

Although a great variety of custom connectors have been produced in filtered configurations, this report focuses on more common industry interfaces, which are available from multiple suppliers. Filtered connectors are currently being produced by a large number of global suppliers, many of which serve small niche markets with custom fabricated products that may be an adjunct to their primary business. This report recognizes the fractured nature of the filtered connector market while focusing on the larger manufacturers that lead in technology and sales.

The key objectives of this report are to explore the issues associated with electromagnetic interference, electrostatic discharge, electromagnetic pulse and the technologies available to minimize their negative effects in electronic equipment.

Issues addressed include:

What are the differences between EMI, ESD and EMP?
How does EMI enter and exit a electronic system?
How does a filtered connector work?
Why is electromagnetic compatibility still considered something of a gblack arth?
How is filtered connector performance measured and quantified?
What are the most common filtered connector configurations?
What differences exist between the commercial and military markets for filtered connectors?
Who are the major suppliers of filtered connectors, what products do they offer?
What global standards regulate emissions and susceptibility of electronic products?
Are Military electronic systems required to meet the emission and susceptibility requirements of commercial products?
How do designers determine the proper filter type and values to meet individual system requirements?
What is the current size of the global market for military and commercial filtered connectors?
What is the future growth potential for filtered connectors?
What products or market segments represent the best growth potential for filtered connectors?
Why is transient voltage suppression becoming a more critical design issue in new systems?
Why are production lead times for military filtered connectors typically measured in months?
Are filtered connectors considered a system reliability issue?
What new technologies and products are being introduced to address EMI/ ESD/ EMP?
What is driving the trend toward incorporating multiple signal line conditioning features into one connector?
With all of the emphasis on design reliability and time to market, why do the majority of electronic systems fail first round emission tests?

The filter connector market is a relatively small segment of the overall electronic connector arena. Information regarding manufacturing processes, marketing objectives and market forecast data is considered highly sensitive and in some cases inhibited the collection of data for this report. Every effort was made to verify information presented in this report from multiple sources.