What are rack and panel connectors?

Rack and panel connectors are square or rectangular-shaped connectors specifically designed to establish an electrical connection between a device and the equipment rack. They are usually available in a range of series and provide different options of contacts, including those of power, signal, RF, Quadrax, and fibre optic. 

Rack and panel connectors are generally designed with blind mate designs to enable easier installation. Typically used for installing avionics program boxes in airframes, they have extensive applications in both commercial and military sectors encompassing defence and aerospace industries, particularly for their exceptional performance capabilities, durability and quality. 

Features

The features of rack and panel connectors include:

• Being manufactured as industry-standard connectors. 
• They are exceptionally dependable. 
• The hermaphroditic designs of the connectors ensure zero possibilities of connection failures. 
• These types of connectors usually feature gold over nickel plating. 
• Some rack and panel connectors are available in plastic and metal covers possessing an additional cable clamp for maximum strain relief. 

Applications

As mentioned above, rack and panel connectors are used extensively in different industries, including military, defence, aerospace, and commercial electronics. However, the most common applications of these types of connectors include:

• Industrial automation panels
• Refinery systems 
• Automotive test panels 
• Energy control panels 
• Media patch bays