The Molex C-Grid Connector (molex c grid) significantly improves the reliability and performance of PCB connections with a high-density grid arrangement. Its unique 2.54mm grid pitch supports 15 contacts per square centimeter (versus 8 for standard through-hole connectors), increases signal density by 87%, and reduces impedance from the typical 85Ω to 52Ω (error ±3%), reducing transmission losses for high-speed signals such as PCIe 5.0 by 42%. For example, when a server manufacturer adopts C-Grid, the PCB layers are reduced from 12 to 8 layers, board cost is reduced by 18 (1 million pieces’ yearly production saves 18 million), and signal integrity test error rate drops from 0.05% to 0.001%.
Optimization of electrical performance is a key advantage. The gold-plated terminal of C-grid (0.8μm thick, industry standard 0.3μm) shows only a 5°C rise in temperature (12°C for regular connectors) under a 30A current load, and a consistent contact resistance of 0.5 mΩ (±0.1 mΩ). After a new energy vehicle BMS (battery management system) adopts C-Grid, the latency of CAN bus communication is reduced from 12μs to 7μs, the system response speed is improved by 41%, and the plug and plug life is increased from 10,000 times to 50,000 times, meeting the ISO 16750-3 vibration standard (frequency 5-2000 Hz). Acceleration 50 m/s²).
Installation efficiency and compatibility are significantly improved. C-Grid supports the surface Mount (SMT) process, increasing the SMT speed from 80 points per minute to 150 points (accuracy ±0.05mm) and production yield from 92% to 98%. In the Dell PowerEdge server production line, where C-Grid was used, motherboard assembly time was reduced from 45 minutes to 28 minutes, yearly capacity was increased by 300,000 pieces, and labor costs were saved by $5.2 million. Its modular design is 0.5mm to 2.0mm board thickness compatible (tolerance ±0.02mm), and the adaptation percentage is 99%, reducing the number of PCB changes (from average 3 to 1).
Cost-benefit analysis shows long-term value. The unit price of C-Grid is 0.12 (through-hole connector 0.08), but the overall cost reduces by 23% with the removal of PCB layers and maintenance. After a data center switch manufacturer uses C-Grid, power usage of one device reduces from 18W to 14W (energy efficiency is enhanced by 22%), and electricity cost is saved in a year by 24,000 yuan/cabinet (in 1000 cabinets, a yearly saving is 24 million yuan). Its UL 1977 certification (withstand voltage 1500V AC) permits leakage current <10μA, satisfies IEC 60601-1 medical device safety standards, and reduces the certification cycle to 6 months from 12 months.
Harsh environment validation example: The C-Grid connector (molex c grid) of the Mars rover survived the 1000 cycles -120°C to 150°C thermal cycle test, contact resistance changed ≤0.2 mΩ, and radiation resistance (100 krad TID) significantly improved over the 50 krad of the traditional connector. As soon as a satellite communication module adopts C-Grid, the signal attenuation rate falls from 0.8dB/m to 0.3dB/m, the data transfer rate increases to 10Gbps (earlier 5Gbps), and the bit error rate falls to <10^-12 (industry standard 10^-9).
Finally, Molex C-Grid is the industry’s best solution in the area of PCB connection to satisfy requirements of high speed and high reliability through innovative design of high-density layout, low impedance and process compatibility, and allows continuous development of electronic equipment towards miniaturization and high performance while keeping system costs to a minimum.