Application
Note - 45
Several types of
connectors are in use:
1) Composite Video
2) VGA - A single cable with fifteen
pins in three rows
3) RGB + H/V - Five cables with BNC
connectors
4) Component Video - Three RCA Type
connector
5) DVI - Special connector
6) Firewire - or (SB1394 -
Soundblaster - Audigy Platinum)
7) S-video - A special video cable -
8) USB
9) Fiber Optical Cable
The first type - Composite
video
An older
standard - major problems in differentiating
color as well as line crawl.
The second type - VGA
This is the
usual video connector used on most computer video cards
The third type- RGB + H/V - Five cables with BNC connectors
This type of connector was used for many years in CAD/CAM
applications where high resolution was needed. It is also used in many
projectors where long runs of cable are employed.
The fourth type -Component Video -Three wires with RCA - type
connectors.
1) Green marking on shell - Y
2) Blue
marking on shell - B-Y
3) Red
marking on shell - R-Y
This is used
on many HDTV and line doubling sets. It is also used on DVD players.
The fifth type
DVI - Special connector
This finds increasing use in flat screen TV's as well as in high resolution
monitors.
The sixth type - Firewire
Can
Firewire-equipped devices be added to and removed from a (Sound Blaster Audigy
or Audigy 2 via the Firewire / 1394 / SB1394 connection without turning off a
computer?
Yes. All Firewire-equipped devices are hot-swappable.
They can be added to and removed from a system without turning it off.
Firewire contacts as
mounted on any PC boards.
Two
examples are shown, the first one is generally used on cameras where space is
at a premium, and the larger size, that is used on a PC board in a computer
They generaly have a high speed transfer rate; from 25 Mbytes to 60 Mbytes a
second in the future. They are limited to a cable length of about 4.5 Meters
and limited to 65 devices.
They have to be connected to a
Firewire compatible device; such as a
Burner, a Hard drive, or for example, a Camera.
The seventh type - S-video
A special video cable - S-Video - Better than
"composite video", as it seperates the luminance
(white level) and chrominance (color information).
The eighth type
The PC Host USB -
Limited (in USB 2) to 127 devices,
cable length of 5 Meters and a speed of 1.5 Mbytes a second.
The ninth type -
Fiber Optical cable
Made with a sqarish outer housing with optical cable inside,
Caution -
do not attempt to bend the cable into a small radius as it might fracture.
I have not mentioned the various types of power supply or hard drive connectors
for the data transmission. There are several common types in use. The most
common is the parallel-port class of conections. This ranges from the
connection to a 3 1/2 " floppy disc, through the
basic parallel-port connections to a hard disk drive. Then their
is SCSI one, SCSI two and SCSI three. The oldest was SCSI one, that used
a connector much similar to a printer connector. SCSI two and
beyond used still higher density connectors.
Then serial-port hard disk
drives began to be more common in 2002. Initially, the power-supply connectors
were the familiar four-pole. With demands for higher density packaging, a
special power-supply connector began to be used. This one was polarised with a
rib/recess at one face. Some of these had problems that
led to a change in the standards.
Then consider audio:
This can be two speakers set-up for Stereo -using two cables with RCA Type
connectors.
or surround sound with this arrangement of speakers.
5.1 Channel surround sound - Left, Center and Right; all at the front +
Left rear and Right rear, or
6.1 Channel surround sound - Left, Center and Right; all at the front +
Left side, Right side, Center rear,or
7.1 Channel sorround sound - Left, Center and Right; all at the front +
Left side Right side +
Rear speaker (may be more than a single unit).
In all cases the (1) refers to the
non-directional sub-woofer. This may consist of one speaker, or several.
This connector has mixed support. Initially it did not support Dolby 5.1. Other
prospective consumers,
regarded it as another attempt by the RIAA to
control the use of computers to handle play media.
Note: The connectors
used in mixers, patch bays or microphones are not listed here!
All of these problems
(except for the fibre optical cable) can be treated by the use of Stabilants:
There is no need to flood the connector, just apply it with a soft brush so
that the contact surface is barely wet.
That is why we suggest that you start with a diluted form, such as Stabilant
22A or Stabilant 22E.
What
is Stabilant 22?
Stabilant 22 is
an initially non-conductive block polymer which when used in a thin film
between metal contacts becomes conductive under the effect of an electric
field. This occurs at an electric field gradient such that the material will
remain non-conductive between adjacent contacts in a multiple pin
environment. In addition Stabilant 22 exhibits surfactant action as well
as lubrication ability providing a simple component resident solution to
virtually all contact problems.
When
applied to electromechanical contacts, Stabilant 22 can provide the connection
reliability of a soldered joint without bonding the contact surfaces.
Where
can Stabilant 22 be used?
Stabilant 22 can
be used in all types of connectors, at frequencies from to DC to several Gigahertz, on faders or potentiometers, or in non-inductive
(non-arcing power-interrupt switches. The number of uses are
almost limitless.
Is
Stabilant 22 just another contact cleaner?
No, Stabilant 22 is a resident
potentially electrically active material which through synergistic
combination of effects enhances conductivity within a contact without causing
leakage between adjacent contacts. Thus large quantities of the material d not
have to be "hosed" on as is the case with cleaners.
Is
Stabilant 22 cost effective?
As Stabilant 22 can be
quickly applied to all contacts and connectors in a system the often difficult
diagnostic determination as to which one of many contacts are erratic, can
often be eliminated. This can significantly reduce service time in the field
and in many cases eliminates the need to return boards for shop service or
re-manufacturing. As any service manager knows, the diagnosis of electronic
problems especially where intermittent failures are concerned, is often much
more difficult than the actual part replacement; as well as requiring service
personnel of exception caliber. In many cases the use of Stabilants can
thus increase the efficient( o existing staff as well
as allowing many connector harness related problems to be handled at a much
lower cost.
How
can Stabilants correct electrical contact problems?
In many electronic applications
demodulation (detection) of RF signals in connectors exhibiting thin-film
rectification effects can either reduce the signal-to-noise ratio or introduce
artifacts which can disrupt data flow. Stabilants can cure these.
While
Stabilants have demonstrated that they can cut the cost of both shop and
field maintenance; their use in the manufacturing of electronic systems can
speed up production as well as reducing rejections.
How
does Stabilant 22 work?
Contact failure is rarely caused by
a single factor. Thus, treatments that solve only one problem don't necessarily
offer a reliable long term solution. For example, cleaners do not prevent the
re-entry of contaminants or the reformation of contaminant films; nor do they
offer any lubrication. They must be used each time a connector gets dirty.
Lubricants in themselves are rarely cleaners. Corrosion inhibitors are neither
cleaners nor lubricants and are often specific to one type of metal or plating.
Unsaturated oils used as contact treatments can cross-link under the influence
of elastomer or thermoset plastic curing agents and accelerants.
While
resident in the connector, Stabilant 22 performs several concurrent
functions. Its very presence in the contact gap will prevent the entry of
outside contaminants. It has sufficient surfactant action to lift surface
contaminants and hold them in suspension. In cases where corrosion products are
present Stabilant 22 will penetrate them and prevent rectification
effects. Due to its high dielectric constant it will act to form a capactive
layer which is in parallel with whatever residual resistance exists in the
contact increasing the passage of AC signals. Given sufficient DC bias within
the gaps of the contact the thin film of Stabilant will
"switch", conducting by quantum tunneling and thus limit the
resistance of the contact to a serviceable level.
In
what forms is Stabilant available?
The Stabilants are available in
several forms; as a concentrate (Stabilant 22) and as an isopropyl
alcohol-diluted form (Stabilant 22A). In a similar fashion, we produce Stabilant
22E Because of the 4:1 dilution, a given size container of Stabilant 22A
will cost about one-fifth the amount of a container of Stabilant 22 as
it contains only one-fifth the amount of the concentrate.
What
is the difference in use of these materials?
Stabilant 22
is most useful where the connections are out in the open - such as card-edge
connectors or where the lubricating properties of the material are useful such
as an aid to installing microprocessor IC's or on switches. Where the
connections are not too easy to get at or where the user wishes to apply the
material to something such as a socketed IC (without removing the IC from its
socket) it is easier to use the alcohol diluted form (Stabilant 22A or Stabilant
22E). The isopropyl alcohol diluant serves ONLY to carry the concentrate
into the connector.
The Stabilants
have proven to be very effective in improving the reliability of connectors
in general and are developing a reputation for ease and speed of use under
field conditions. Not only are many OEM's pre-treating sensor connectors during
manufacture, many are providing the Stabilants to their service
technicians either as Standard-Store items, or recommending them for field
procurement.
The Stabilants
are presently used in applications ranging from Avionics through Process
control, including such critical fields as Bio-medical electronics, Air Traffic
Control, Police & Emergencies (such as communications and the like).
How
are the Stabilants applied?
The application of the Stabilants
is exceptionally easy. Just use a drop of two o Stabilant 22A on one
of the electrical or electronic sensor connectors, including an
other in-signal-path connector in the wiring harness, and reconnect the
system.
What
packaging is available?
We can supply the concentrate (Stabilant
22) in 5 mL, 15mL, 5OmL, lOOmL, 250m 5OOmL and 1 Liter bottles. The dilute (Stabilant
22A) is available in 5OmL, 100m 25OmL and 5OOmL containers. We do not have
a 1 liter container of the dilute as 500 mL is the largest size bottle that can
be shipped by air (in single or multiple packages) without additional
restrictions. We maintain our stock in depth, and ship most orders the same day
they are received. The 15 mL and 50 mL sizes are in dropper bottles and these
are available on request for the ) 0.5 mL sizes as
well.
Is
it available in a spray can?
No. Why waste the material? We would
like to think we are environmentally responsible and safety conscious. We use
no CFCs, HCFC's or any other ODC (Ozone Depleting Chemical) either in or in the
manufacture of Stabilants.
In
addition even Stabilant 22A has only about 1/200th the solvent impact as
conventional contact cleaning solvents over a three year time span. As
Stabilant 22 contains no solvent it has absolutely minimal environmental impact
and is, therefor becoming the treatment of choice for many service
organizations!
Just
how much should be used?
Normally, a final film thickness of
from 0.5 mils to 1 mils of the concentrate is all that is necessary. In other
words, you want just enough to fill up the interstices between the contact's
faces. When using Stabilant 22A, use enough so that once the alcohol
evaporates the desired 1/2 to 1 mil film of Stabilant 22 remains.
In
applications to moving surfaces, such as in slip-rings or potentiometers, film
thickness should be minimized to the point where "hydroplaning" won't
occur.
What
is the 15mL service kit?
This was made up at the request of
several manufacturers who wanted a standard kit that they could issue to their
service personnel. It consists of a 15mL dropper bottle of Stabilant 22A and
some applicators, all in a small capped cardboard tub that can be tossed into a
tool box without damage.
Does
the action of Stabilant deteriorate with age?
In some field trial applications
lasting over ten years Stabilant 22 has shown no sign of reduced
effectiveness. With a high molecular weight and a very low vapor pressure,
almost none of the material will be lost by evaporation. Unlike some other
contact protection oils, Stabilant 22 will not cross-link when exposed
to free-machining materials such as high sulfur brass, or when used on contacts
where agents used to promote cross-linking of thermosets or elastomers are
present in the environment or in the actual connector components. Thus Stabilant
22 does not form a scum or "varnish".
Revision
3
Stabilants are a product of
Dayton Wright research & development and are made in Canada
NSCM/Cage Code - NATO
Supply Code 38948
15 mL of S22A has NATO
Part # 5999-21-900-6937
The
Stabilants are patented in Canada - 1987; US Patent
number 4696832. World-wide patents pending. Because
the patents cover contacts treated with the material, a Point-of-sale License
is granted with each sale of the material.
MATERIAL
SAFETY DATA SHEETS ARE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST.
Stabilant,
Stabilant 22, and product type variations thereof are Trade Marks of D.W.
Electrochemicals Ltd.
© Copyright
2003 - D.W. Electrochemicals Ltd. This note may be reproduced or copied,
provided its content is not altered. The term "contact
enhancer", © 1983 Wright Electroacoustics.
NOTICE: This Application
Note is based on customer-supplied information, and D.W. Electrochemicals is
publishing it for information purposes only. In the event of a conflict between
the instructions supplied by the manufacturer of the equipment on which the
Stabilant material was used, and the service procedure employed by our
customer, we recommend that the manufacturer be contacted to make sure that
warranties will not be voided by the procedures.
While
to our knowledge the information is accurate, prospective users of the material
should determine the suitability of the Stabilant materials for their
application by running their own tests. Neither D.W.
Electrochemicals Ltd., their distributors, or their dealers assume any
responsibility or liability for damages to equipment and/or any consequent
damages, howsoever caused, based on the use of this information.
Stabilant,
Stabilant 22, and product type variations thereof are Trade Marks of D.W
Electrochemicals Ltd.