Molex is also ramping up a team of more than 25 engineers in the U.S. and India to develop next-generation products based on this technology
US-based electronics company Molex has said it has acquired core technology and intellectual property (IP) from Keyssa Inc, a manufacturer of high-speed contactless connectors. The acquisition will accelerate Molex’s strategy to further expand and diversify its micro connector portfolio with highly flexible, cable-free connectors for near-field, device-to-device applications, the company said in a release.
Through this acquisition, Molex will be privy to Keysaa’s chip-to-chip technology, including over 350 filed patent applications.
“As mobile and consumer products become smaller, thinner and sleeker, there is a growing need to streamline device-to-device communications… In addition to eliminating the need for physical cables or connectors, the acquired technology also alleviates concerns over pairing and reliability. Design for manufacturability is also enhanced with fully encased, dust- and water-proof packaging with wide alignment tolerances,” the company said in a statement.
The acquired technology operates at data rates up to 6 Gbps on the 60 GHz band with no WiFi or Bluetooth interference. The tiny, low-power, low-latency, solid-state contactless connectors can solve critical data transmission needs with minimal overhead. Molex plans to advance these current capabilities by supporting exponentially higher data rates and full-duplex communications.
Additionally, Molex is ramping up a team of more than 25 engineers in the U.S. and India to develop next-generation products based on this technology. The company said the initial focus will be on the connectivity needs of high-volume mobile applications where contactless connectors offer potential benefits in design for manufacturing, serviceability, reliability, signal aggregation and security.
Over time, Molex will apply this technology to address emerging application areas, encompassing smart factories, automotive advanced safety, medical robotics and more.
“Keyssa’s wireless chip-to-chip technology complements Molex’s developments in mmWave antenna connectivity to meet the growing demands for high data rate transmissions,” said Justin Kerr, vice president and general manager, Micro Solutions Business Unit, Molex.
Eric VanAlstyne, director, Corporate Development, Molex, said, “The decision to acquire Keyssa’s technology and IP strengthens our position as a supplier of choice with innovations in both mechanical and contactless connectivity.”
