Two new products for Twinax/shielded FPC connections in the CABLINE^® series of micro-coaxial connectors are now available

I-PEX Inc. (Headquarters: Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, Representative Director: Takaharu Tsuchiyama, Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market Code: 6640, hereinafter I-PEX) is pleased to announce that its micro-coaxial connector CABLINE^® series, which boasts a global market share of 60%*¹ for connecting notebook PC display panels. The newly launched products include the CABLINE^®-CA IIP PLUS, a connector compatible with both Twinax and micro-coaxial cables for SERVER SMART NIC/DPU and next-generation telecommunications equipment, and CABLINE^®-CA IIF PLUS, a connector for shielded FPC cables, making it ideal for internal connections in information and communication equipment.

Both products share a receptacle with the widely adopted micro-coaxial connector CABLINE^®-CA II PLUS for internal connections in information and communication equipment. This enables the use of Twinax, shielded FPC, and micro-coaxial cables on the same footprint as the CABLINE^®-CA II PLUS.

The CABLINE^®-CA IIF PLUS is scheduled to begin mass production in November 2024, followed by the CABLINE^®-CA IIP PLUS in February 2025.

In recent years, high-speed transmission has rapidly advanced in the enterprise market, including AI servers, leading to a growing need to improve the signal integrity (SI) performance in components used across various systems. In particular, support for long-distance transmission has become a challenge in card connections for SmartNICs and DPUs compatible with PCIe Gen 5.0.

The CABLINE^®-CA IIP PLUS uses the same receptacle as the CABLINE^®-CA II PLUS, which has a strong track record in high-speed transmission connections within information and communication equipment. In addition to 360-degree EMC shielding with ZenShield^® for noise reduction, this connector allows the use of Twinax cables optimized for long-distance transmission without changing the footprint of the CABLINE^®-CA II PLUS, enhancing design flexibility.

In the internal systems of information and communication devices, there is a growing demand for reducing transmission losses caused by higher data transmission speeds and addressing interference issues with antenna frequency bands in IoT devices. As a result, noise countermeasures are increasingly required for electronic components installed within these devices.

The I-PEX CABLINE^® series*⁴, the world's first mass-produced micro-coaxial connectors, has been widely adopted for high-speed internal connections in information and communication equipment, including notebook PCs. The CABLINE^®-CA IIF PLUS uses the same receptacle as the flagship 0.4 mm pitch product, CABLINE^®-CA II PLUS. In addition to 360-degree EMC shielding with ZenShield^® for noise reduction, this connector allows the use of shielded FPC without changing the footprint of the CABLINE^®-CA II PLUS, enhancing design flexibility.

CABLINE^® is a series of I-PEX micro coaxial/discrete cable connectors ideal for connecting displays, camera modules and servers. In 1996, I-PEX developed the world's first micro-coaxial connector, CABLINE^® I, and is a pioneer of micro-coaxial cable connectors suitable for high-speed transmission. The CABLINE^® series has secured the top market share as a connector for notebook PC panel connections.

Click here for details of the CABLINE^® Series

ZenShield^® is an excellent EMC solution for I-PEX miniature connectors. Connectors using ZenShield^® technology enable flexible board design, such as placing connectors close to antennas, especially in electronic devices with wireless communication functions that need to address intra-system EMC issues.

Click here for the details of ZenShield^®