HARRISBURG, Pa., January 13, 2025 – TE Connectivity, a world leader in connectivity and sensors, today revealed its MULTIGIG HD connector was selected by the VITA Standards Organization (VSO) as the Next-Generation VPX plug-in module connector and will become a defense industry standard. The redesigned MULTIGIG HD connector builds on the previous variants of TE’s MULTIGIG HD product family, while bringing significant technical advances including doubled pin count, 112 Gb/s data rates, increased current capacity and support for rugged environments. The release date is planned for mid-2025.
“Selection as the VITA Standard for our next generation MULTIGIG HD connector is the culmination of two years of dedicated research and development by our innovative cross-functional team,” said Michael Walmsley, senior project manager at TE Connectivity. “This connector brings with it a foundation for future expansion and will uphold TE’s leadership position in VPX for decades as we extend the MULTIGIG HD product line into higher-speed embedded systems.”
The MULTIGIG HD connector’s integrated wafer technology builds on the success of VITA 46.x connectors but with double the pin count, enabling it to support higher data rates with speeds up to 112 Gb/s. TE developed it to meet the requirements for Next-Generation VPX and support the rugged environmental requirements of VITA 47.3, and VITA 72 standards for extreme vibration levels. The redesigned MULTIGIG HD connector is segmented to fit with existing RF and optical connector modules while optimizing pin density. It is compatible with 3U, 4U (latest) and 6U OpenVPX form factors. The advanced wafer technology will support direct termination of AC coupling capacitors and eventually optical transceivers, packaged within the connectors.
The VSO selection means the new MULTIGIG HD connector design will be incorporated into the VITA 100 Next-Generation VPX system architecture used widely across rugged embedded computing systems in the defense industry.
For decades, TE has served defense customers in a wide range of applications including ground vehicles, military aircraft, naval vessels and space technology. TE’s MULTIGIG HD 2 connectors were adopted as the VPX backplane connector interface almost 20 years ago. Since then, MULTIGIG HD connector variants have evolved in ruggedness and speed to support a broad VPX ecosystem.
The latest MULTIGIG HD connector successfully addressed the needs and feedback of VITA members and won the VSO connector selection vote in July 2024.
For more information on TE’s MULTIGIG HD connector product line and VPX interconnects, visit te.com/embeddedcomputing.
About TE Connectivity
TE Connectivity (NYSE: TEL) is a global industrial technology leader creating a safer, sustainable, productive, and connected future. Our broad range of connectivity and sensor solutions enable the distribution of power, signal and data to advance next-generation transportation, renewable energy, automated factories, data centers, medical technology and more. With more than 85,000 employees, including 9,000 engineers, working alongside customers in approximately 130 countries, TE ensures that EVERY CONNECTION COUNTS. Learn more at www.te.com, LinkedIn, Facebook, WeChat, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
