Choose the Right Industrial Connector for Embedded, Automotive, and IoT Designs: Attend Technology at Embedded World 2026

Introduction – Why Connector Selection Matters More Than Ever in Embedded Design

For a discipline that often receives less attention than the silicon it connects, connector selection has a disproportionate impact on embedded system reliability. A connector that fails under vibration, degrades signal integrity at high speed, or introduces moisture ingress will undermine the performance of every component around it. Yet the range of connector types, standards, and mechanical configurations available to a design engineer has expanded considerably as automotive electronics, industrial automation, and IoT devices each push their own distinct sets of requirements.

Attend Technology, a Taiwan-based connector and cable assembly specialist, has built its product portfolio specifically around these multi-domain demands. With a presence at Embedded World 2026 in Hall 3, Booth 3-523, the company is presenting four product families that address the most frequently encountered connector challenges in modern embedded design: automotive RF connectivity, mechanical tolerance compensation in board-to-board interconnects, harsh-environment industrial connectivity, and rugged SIM card interfaces for mobile and industrial IoT platforms.

This article covers each product family in detail, with the technical specifications and application context an engineer needs to evaluate fit.

Attend Technology's Connector Solutions for Embedded World 2026

Automotive Connector Solutions: FAKRA, Mini-FAKRA, HSD, HS-MTP, Automotive USB-C, and OBD2

Modern connected vehicles are among the most demanding connector environments in electronics design. An average connected car carries upwards of 15 FAKRA connectors alone, with further high-speed digital links required for camera systems, ADAS sensors, infotainment, and telematics. The challenge for the connector is to maintain signal integrity across a frequency range extending to 6 GHz and beyond, while withstanding the mechanical shock, thermal cycling, and moisture exposure of the automotive environment, typically across a service life measured in years or decades.

Attend's FAKRA series meets this requirement with connectors compliant to ISO 20860-1/2, SAE/USCAR-2, and USCAR-17 standards. The series offers 50 ohm impedance, rated up to 1.0A and 335 Vrms, with an operating temperature range of -40°C to +105°C and a minimum of 25 mating cycles. Colour-coded housings across 13 variants (plus one neutral option) provide mechanical keying that prevents mismating between signal types - a practical safeguard in high-density wiring harnesses where visual identification under production conditions is important.

For designs where PCB space is the primary constraint, the mini-FAKRA series delivers the same automotive-grade performance in a footprint up to 80% smaller than standard FAKRA. Available in single, dual, and quad-port configurations, mini-FAKRA is particularly relevant to ADAS camera modules, compact telematics units, and infotainment hardware where PCB real estate is tightly managed. Signal integrity is maintained to above 6 GHz.

Complementing the RF connector portfolio, the HSD (High Speed Data) series uses a 100 ohm impedance-controlled 4-pin format designed for high-speed digital video and data applications, surround-view camera systems, rear-view displays, and high-bandwidth infotainment links where the single-pin FAKRA format is no longer adequate. The HS-MTP series extends this to multi-pair configurations for higher channel count applications. Rounding out the automotive range, Automotive USB-C and OBD2 connectors cover power delivery, diagnostics, and data interfaces across the vehicle architecture.

The practical decision between standard FAKRA and mini-FAKRA comes down to two factors: PCB space and harness compatibility. For new platform designs where PCB density is the primary constraint, mini-FAKRA in dual or quad configurations offers substantial board area savings with no compromise on signal performance or environmental rating. Where compatibility with an established harness assembly or legacy vehicle platform is a requirement, standard FAKRA remains the appropriate choice given its broader base of cross-manufacturer compatibility.

Floating Board-to-Board Connectors: Solving PCB Misalignment in Vibration Environments

Board-to-board interconnects are a common source of field failures in industrial and automotive electronics. A rigid connector that experiences cumulative positional misalignment during assembly, or relative movement between boards under vibration, concentrates mechanical stress at the solder joints, ultimately causing cracking and intermittent contact failure.

Attend's Floating Board-to-Board Connector series addresses this through an engineered compliant contact architecture that accommodates X and Y-axis PCB misalignment of up to ±0.5mm. Rather than transferring mechanical stress to the solder joint, the compliant internal mechanism absorbs positional deviation between the two mated boards, maintaining stable electrical contact throughout. This capability is particularly valuable in three scenarios: automated PCB assembly, where pick-and-place tolerances introduce cumulative positional variance; vibration environments, where boards move relative to each other during operation; and thermal cycling applications, where differential thermal expansion between boards and housing generates relative displacement.

The series uses a 0.5mm fine-pitch configuration and is engineered for high-speed signal transmission, making it suitable for embedded computing, automotive electronics, and industrial control applications where signal integrity must be maintained alongside mechanical compliance. The proprietary elastic compensation mechanism operates without adding significant height to the connection, keeping the overall stack profile manageable in compact product designs.

The case for specifying a floating connector over a standard rigid alternative is straightforward when any of three conditions are present: automated assembly processes where cumulative positional tolerances between boards may approach ±0.3mm or beyond; vibration environments where boards move relative to each other during operation; or thermal cycling applications where differential expansion between substrate materials generates displacement over time. In each case, a rigid connector concentrates the resulting mechanical stress at the solder joint, eventually causing cracking and intermittent contact failure. The ±0.5mm X/Y tolerance of the Attend series covers the majority of industrial and automotive scenarios where these conditions arise.

M12 Screw-Locking and Push-Pull Industrial Connectors: Reliability in Harsh Environments

The M12 circular connector has become one of the dominant interconnect standards for industrial automation, primarily because its 12mm threaded format combines robust mechanical retention with a compact footprint suitable for panel mounting and cable routing in tight machinery enclosures. Attend offers both traditional screw-locking and the increasingly specified push-pull variants, covering the full range of installation scenarios from permanent wiring to frequent field reconfiguration.

The screw-locking M12 series uses a threaded coupling mechanism compliant with IEC 61076-2-101 that resists vibration and mechanical stress without the risk of accidental disconnection. Attend's range covers A-coding, D-coding, and X-coding configurations – respectively suited to general-purpose sensor and actuator connectivity, profibus, and Gigabit Ethernet applications – as well as K, L, S, and T-coding for industrial power. Pin counts run from 2 to 17 pins, with IP67 environmental sealing standard across the range.

The M12 Two-Piece connector variant separates the contact insert from the housing, allowing the use of different insert orientations (vertical or right-angle) within the same housing which is a practical advantage in compact PCB layouts where connector orientation must adapt to board geometry without changing the panel interface. The two-piece design also simplifies maintenance and reduces inventory complexity by allowing inserts and housings to be stocked independently.

The push-pull M12 series adds the ability to mate and unmate without tools, relevant in panel-mount applications where access is restricted or where repeated connection cycles are a maintenance consideration. Push-pull receptacles in the Attend range are also compatible with standard threaded plugs, allowing mixed installations where some connections are field-reconfigured regularly and others are permanently wired. Environmental performance matches the screw-locking series at IP67.

115U Push-Pull and Waterproof SIM Tray Series: Rugged SIM Connectivity for IoT and Mobile Applications

SIM card sockets are a component category where the gap between consumer-grade and industrial-grade products is commercially significant. A consumer SIM socket optimised for assembly efficiency may not provide the vibration resistance, operating temperature range, or environmental sealing that an industrial IoT gateway, vehicle telematics unit, or ruggedised mobile terminal requires over a multi-year deployment.

Attend's 115U series is specifically engineered for these demanding conditions. The Push-Pull tray mechanism uses a lockable design that prevents accidental SIM ejection under vibration or shock – a failure mode that causes unplanned disconnection from the network in field-deployed devices. The series supports Nano SIM, Dual Nano SIM, and stacked Nano SIM combined with Micro SD configurations, covering the range of SIM and memory card requirements encountered across IoT, IVI, and industrial handset designs.

Environmental performance is substantive: the series carries EN 60721-3-5 Class 5M3 certification for vibration and shock, with an operating temperature range of -40°C to +105°C. Optional waterproof trays bring IP67 protection to designs where moisture ingress is a risk. Tray lengths are available from 16.5mm to 23.9mm, covering both standard and waterproof variants, which accommodates the range of housing wall thicknesses encountered across different product enclosure designs. Gold-finished contacts are standard across the range.

The stacked 2-in-1 configuration, combining Nano SIM with Micro SD in a single socket footprint, is directly relevant to IoT gateway and vehicle telematics designs where board real estate is limited and both cellular connectivity and local data logging are required in the same form factor.

Detailed Specifications Overview

Product Family	Key Specification	Standards / Certifications
FAKRA Connectors	50Ω, DC to 6GHz+, -40°C to +105°C, 25+ mating cycles, IP67/IP69K options	ISO 20860-1/2, SAE/USCAR-2, USCAR-17
Mini-FAKRA Connectors	Up to 80% smaller than FAKRA, 6GHz+, single/dual/quad port	ISO 20860-1/2
HSD Connectors	100Ω, 4-pin, high-speed digital video/data	Automotive OEM compatibility
Floating B2B Connectors	±0.5mm X/Y misalignment tolerance, 0.5mm pitch, high-speed	N/A (proprietary elastic mechanism)
M12 Screw-Lock	2-17 pin, A/D/X/K/L/S/T coding, IP67, IEC 61076-2-101	IEC 61076-2-101
M12 Push-Pull	Tool-free mating, compatible with threaded plugs, IP67	IEC 61076-2-010
115U SIM Tray	Nano SIM / Dual Nano SIM / SIM+MicroSD, -40°C to +105°C, IP67 optional	EN 60721-3-5 Class 5M3

Industry Applications and Use Cases

Automotive Electronics and ADAS

FAKRA and mini-FAKRA connectors are embedded throughout the modern vehicle architecture, e.g. antenna connections for GPS, cellular, and radio; camera feeds for ADAS sensor fusion; and data links for infotainment and driver information systems. The shift toward higher-resolution surround-view cameras and multi-sensor ADAS platforms has increased demand for both high-speed variants (HSD, HS-MTP) and higher-density formats (mini-FAKRA multi-port) as system designers consolidate functions into smaller ECU housings. Automotive USB-C and OBD2 complete the interface set for power delivery and diagnostic connectivity.

Industrial Automation and Robotics

M12 connectors are the de facto standard for sensor and actuator connectivity in IEC 61131-compliant automation systems. The combination of screw-locking retention, IP67 sealing, and multiple coding configurations makes them a reliable choice for field-deployed sensor nodes, motor drives, and distributed I/O modules in environments where vibration, cutting fluid contamination, and frequent maintenance access are everyday conditions. Floating board-to-board connectors are relevant in the same environment for the PCB-level interconnects within those field devices, particularly in multi-board designs mounted on moving machine axes.

IoT Gateways and Industrial Mobile Devices

The combination of the 115U SIM tray series and floating board-to-board connectors addresses a common design challenge in industrial IoT hardware: maintaining reliable cellular connectivity and robust board interconnection in a device that will be installed in a vibrating, variable-temperature environment and expected to operate unattended for years. The -40°C to +105°C operating range covers most industrial and transportation deployment scenarios without requiring separate cold-weather or high-temperature product variants.

Transportation and In-Vehicle Infotainment

IVI systems bring together multiple connector requirements simultaneously: automotive RF connections for antenna and camera, SIM connectivity for telematics and over-the-air updates, and board-to-board interconnects within the head unit itself. Attend's portfolio covers all three in a single supplier relationship, which reduces qualification burden for platform designs that need to meet automotive environmental standards across the full connector set.

Conclusion: Complete Industrial Connector Solutions for Demanding Embedded Systems

Attend Technology's presence at Embedded World 2026 represents a supplier with notable depth across the connector types that matter most to embedded, automotive, and industrial IoT engineers. These four featurd product families will be on show, encompassing automotive RF, floating board-to-board, M12 industrial, and rugged SIM tray, addressing real design problems rather than incremental improvements to existing solutions.

For Ineltek customers working on automotive electronics, industrial automation hardware, or IoT platform designs, Attend's portfolio is worth direct evaluation. Ineltek's team will be at Embedded World 2026 alongside Attend Technology in Hall 3, Booth 3-523. To arrange a meeting, request samples, or discuss a specific design requirement, please contact us here.

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FAQs - Attend Industrial Connector Solutions

Q. What is the X/Y floating tolerance of Attend's floating board-to-board connectors?

A. Attend's Floating Board-to-Board Connector series accommodates positional misalignment of up to ±0.5mm in both the X and Y axes. This is achieved through a proprietary elastic compensation mechanism in the contact architecture, which absorbs assembly-induced and vibration-induced displacement without transferring stress to the solder joint.

Q. What is the difference between Attend's M12 screw-locking and push-pull connectors?

A. Screw-locking M12 connectors use a threaded coupling compliant with IEC 61076-2-101, providing maximum mechanical retention for permanently wired industrial sensors and actuators. Push-pull M12 connectors enable tool-free, single-handed mating, reducing installation time and making them suitable for connections that require regular field access. Attend's push-pull receptacles are also compatible with standard threaded plugs, allowing mixed installations within the same system.

Q. What certifications does the Attend 115U SIM tray series hold for industrial use?

A. The 115U series carries EN 60721-3-5 Class 5M3 certification for vibration and shock resistance, with an operating temperature range of -40°C to +105°C. Optional waterproof trays provide IP67 environmental sealing. These certifications confirm suitability for transportation, industrial automation, and outdoor IoT deployments where consumer-grade SIM sockets would be inadequate.

Q. Why choose mini-FAKRA over standard FAKRA in a new automotive design?

A. Mini-FAKRA delivers up to 80% space saving compared to standard FAKRA while maintaining equivalent signal performance above 6GHz and the same automotive environmental ratings. It is available in single, dual, and quad-port configurations, making it the preferred choice for compact ADAS camera modules, telematics units, and infotainment ECUs where PCB density is the primary design constraint. Standard FAKRA remains the better choice where compatibility with existing harness assemblies is required.