DIN connectors

Suppliers eye aggressive product promotion to revive the slumping connector industry. Falling demand erodes the supplier base.

China’s DIN connector industry remains in a slowdown due to the line’s maturity over recent years and sagging popularity among consumers. Falling demand for the product, coupled with economic challenges, has forced many small players to exit the business, squeezing the supplier base to fewer than 100 makers. Some companies continue production only so they can offer a full range of connectors. The line now accounts for no more than 5 percent of output at such suppliers.

Although there is no comprehensive plan for boosting the country’s connector industry, some local authorities are lending a hand to makers in expanding their market reach abroad. For instance, Dongguan city in Guangdong is funding small and midsize suppliers so they can access magazines, B2B platforms and exhibitions in promoting their products.

Some companies are also exerting efforts to prop up sales in the line. They are either improving marketing strategies to attract more export orders or focusing on the domestic market to lessen the impact of the current economic situation.

China accounts for 30 percent of worldwide DIN connector output. The major production hubs are Guangdong, Zhejiang, Wenzhou and Jiangsu provinces. Suppliers are mainly located in the cities of Dongguan and Shenzhen in Guangdong, Ningbo in Zhejiang, Yueqing in Wenzhou and Changzhou in Jiangsu.

Ningbo and Yueqing makers, typically small workshops, lead shipments due to their low-price strategy. Their DIN connectors are about 30 percent less expensive that those from Dongguan and Shenzhen. Affected by price competition, makers in the latter are reducing output, with some subcontracting orders to other makers to serve long-term clients.

China makers offer various types of DIN connectors, including mini-DIN, 41612, 41622, 43650 and RF types. The line also covers adapters and sockets.

Although most suppliers are shifting focus to mini-DIN models, some still manufacture the old big types: 41524, 45322, 45326, 45329 and 41529. These are mainly used in analog A/V applications and digital interfaces such as MIDI or IBM PS/2 computer keyboards and mouse cables.

At present, mini, 41612 and RF types account for the bulk of China’s output.

Mini-DIN versions are a family of 3 to 9-pin connectors used in a variety of applications such as PC mainboards, mice, keyboards and projectors. The demand for this type mainly comes from PC mainboards as most computer mice and keyboards adopt the USB interface.

DIN 41612 connectors are mostly used in backboards of industrial and communication equipment. The available types from China include dual-, triple- and four-row series with 20, 32, 48, 64, 96, 120, 128 and 160 pins. Shipment volumes are small but suppliers indicate relatively stable output this year.

There are three main series of RF connectors in DIN standards offered by China makers. These are 7/16, 1.6/5.6 and 1.0/2.3, compliant with DIN 47223, 47295 and 41626 standards, respectively. Products are usually adopted in communication and RF equipment. These standards, however, are nearing obsolescence due to the emergence of 3G and other communication technologies.

Currently, DIN RF connectors account for 5 percent or less of makers’ total RF connector shipments. These are mostly used for low-end products, and are sometimes made of injection-molded parts instead of copper or aluminum/zinc alloys. Most popular are the N-type models.

	Dongguan Wafe of China offers model 300, a 3 to 8-pin mini DIN socket that has 500VAC dielectric strength

With the decline in the cost of some raw materials, makers in China lowered prices of their DIN connectors by 10 to 15 percent in Q109. Currently, mini-DIN connectors are quoted generally from $0.02 to $0.05, although some small companies in Zhejiang sell these for $0.01. DIN 41612 types go for $0.15 to $0.45, while mainstream DIN RF connectors are $0.20 to $0.50.

Raw materials, including copper, plastic and gold, make up about 45 percent of the production cost of DIN connectors. These are usually sourced from local providers, but makers may also purchase high-liquidity plastic from suppliers abroad.

DIN 41612 and mini-DIN connectors typically adopt similar materials. For insulation, companies use UL94V-0 level polyester or PE and polybutylene terephthalate or PBT filled with 30 percent glass fiber. Shells are made of brass with gold or nickel plating. For the contacts, phosphor bronze with gold or tin plating over 50μin nickel is mostly adopted, but some suppliers consider brass for low-end models.

DIN 7/16, 1.6/5.6 and 1.0/2.3 RF connectors, which are mostly used in applications in extreme conditions, have more-complex structures and therefore adopt materials different from those for DIN 41612 and mini-DIN versions. They use gold-plated brass for the male contacts and gold-plated beryllium copper for the female ones. Some low-end units adopt phosphor bronze or even brass for the latter. The insulating material is usually polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE instead of PE and PBT.

There are five main choices for the gold plating of contacts: 3, 5, 15, 30 and 50μin. For thickness of 30μin and above, the gold plating alone can account for 50 percent of the production cost.

China supplies about 30 percent of the world’s connectors. There are currently more than 1,000 makers in the country, the majority of which are locally owned and the rest foreign-invested.

Half of output is exported. Products are used in automobiles, home appliances, consumer electronic devices, computers and peripherals, and communications and industrial equipment. Due to shrinking demand, however, some suppliers reported as much as 30 percent decline in exports last year.

Despite this, China connector manufacturers are optimistic about industry growth in coming years. Companies expect the government’s Home Appliances Going to the Countryside program will boost domestic demand for TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, computers, mobile phones and their related connectors. They also believe that the accelerating progress of 3G communications in China and the increasing demand for smart phones, stimulated by the rising popularity of the iPhone and the Gphone, will give them opportunities in the mobile phone segment, which covers battery, SIM card and FPC connectors.

DIN connector shipments from Hong Kong have been on the decline in past years as more computer and consumer electronic devices cease utilizing the interface. Despite this, production continues as suppliers strive to offer as many types of A/V connectors as possible so they can provide one-stop sourcing.

There are about 15 makers of DIN connectors in Hong Kong, with most also producing related electronic components such as PCB and multimedia connectors, A/V jacks and terminal blocks. Some are veteran suppliers with more than 30 years of electronic manufacturing experience.

Most DIN connectors from Hong Kong are sockets that integrate in musical instruments, DVD players, video game consoles, speakers and other audio devices. Some are used in home appliances and power supplies. Male DIN connectors are offered as plugs or cable assemblies.

The majority of models have three to nine pins, but suppliers can customize units with more than 12 pins. A number of companies also offer mini-DIN connectors for use in PS/2 computer mice and keyboards and S-Video connections.

To support connectivity with other interfaces, makers have released adapter plugs that partner a DIN socket with another connector. Various combo units are also available, with the DIN socket integrated with RCA, SCART and other connectors in the same block.

In mounting DIN connectors onto boards, most models are suitable for through-hole wave soldering. Various suppliers also offer DIN connectors in tape and reels for pick-and-place through-hole reflow process.

Among the value-added features incorporated in products are EMI/RFU screening, water-resistant design and gold or silver contact plating. Makers are also adopting rugged types of plastic such as ABS and PC for a robust housing.

Many suppliers have factories in Guangdong province, mainland China, where tooling, parts processing, electroplating, plastic injection, punching and metal forming are done in-house. Some subject DIN connectors to rigorous testing procedures such as 5,000 insertion/removal cycles. Among the common product specifications are 500V withstand voltage, 50 to 100Mohm insulation resistance, 30mohm maximum contact resistance, and 12VDC/1 to 2A or 100VDC/1A power rating.