Backplane connectors are designed to decrease signal rise while increasing data rates. It delivers more dependable high-speed transmissions with enhanced clarity.

Although these components are used in various devices, they’re most often found in networking equipment with integrated daughterboard modules. Selecting the right connectors for your needs will result in a significant difference in signal integrity.

When you’re searching for high-speed backplane connectors, you’ll encounter various:

• Signal integrity graphs in datasheets
• Connection counts
• Form factors

So, let’s take a closer look at what these components are and what you need to consider when investing in them.

What’s a Backplane Connector?

A backplane is a unique type of printed circuit board (PCB) housing a parallel connector set. It serves as a base structure for connecting several other PCBs, forming a complete computer system. These components increase mechanical stability and strength. Simultaneously, it acts as a medium for the integration of various system components, known as daughterboards.

As mentioned by the professionals at Octopart.com, a backplane is differentiated from a motherboard by the fact that it lacks on-board storage and processing elements.

What Do You Need to Consider When Choosing a Backplane Connector?

Some of the factors you need to consider when looking for a backplane are explained below.

Primary Requirements

Some of the critical factors to consider when selecting a backplane includes:

• High-speed data rates (differential or single-ended)
• Low-speed signals (single-ended)
• Power
• Physical size (length, height, depth)
• Gross alignment or guidance requirements

System-Level Requirements

System-level requirements that may influence your choice of component include:

• Available space
• Aspect ratio limitations
• PCB thickness
• Power management
• PCB routing limitations
• Cooling potential

Component Design

Design engineers are consistently working toward meeting the demand for communications applications, which includes:

• Enhanced port density
• Bandwidth
• Speed

To keep up, manufacturers started offering more innovative architectures. The idea behind it is to lower costs associated with intricate midplane designs and improve channel performance. These models include:

• Right-angle-to-vertical. These solutions promote cross-connections between all system data points. It’s a common choice for device construction as they’re manufactured for use in industry-standard rack sizes.
• Orthogonal midplanes. This design is unique as it eliminates the necessity for signal traces channeled through the midplane. It enhances signal integrity and lowers production costs. Its shorter channel lengths show less attenuation and reduced energy reflections resulting in lower crosstalk.
• Coplanar or mezzanine devices. These components usually get used for core processing and memory expansion, backward compatibility, and I/O flexibility. It features the same electrical and mechanical properties as traditional backplanes. These resources include compliant pins, separable interfaces, power options, and guidance.

True Channel Performance

The entire mechanism dictates system-level performance, regardless of how much care gets put into enhancing a connector’s electrical parameters. This results in the need to quantify channel behavior and includes aspects such as:

• PCB interface
• Board traces
• BGA attach
• DC blocking caps

To Wrap Up

There’s a sizable number of backplanes available on the market. Yet not all the solutions are compatible with all systems. To ensure you choose the right component for your needs, you’ve got to consider the design and various primary and system-level requirements. Selecting the wrong device may result in it being incompatible or reducing the system’s performance.

Technology has become an integral part of the modern workplace. It has revolutionized the way people communicate, collaborate, and access information.

With the right technologies, businesses can save time, money, and resources while improving their overall productivity.

Imagine you come to work and your computer is no longer on your desk table. Do you think you will become more productive? Only if you used it for entertaining purposes. The amount of work will increase and it will get so much harder to perform daily tasks.

Let’s take a look at different ways technology can increase productivity in the workplace.

1) Automation

Automation tools help streamline processes and free up resources that were previously spent on manual tasks.

This can include tasks such as data entry, order processing, customer service inquiries, payroll, and invoicing, among others. Automating these tasks reduces the time needed to complete them, resulting in increased efficiency. Additionally, automation can reduce the chance of human errors and costs associated with manual labor.

Automated systems can also provide insights into areas of improvement and create more accurate reports for decision-making purposes. All of these benefits lead to enhanced workplace productivity and profitability.

2) Communication

New technologies make it easier for employees to stay connected and collaborate, from cloud-based file sharing to video conferencing. Not only does this allow to work on team projects more efficiently, but it also eliminates the need for tedious travel or hours of back-and-forth emails.

With advanced communication tools like instant messaging and VoIP, colleagues can quickly and easily connect from anywhere in the world. This not only improves team cohesion but also helps to save time and resources. In addition, colleagues can also get more contact information about each other on Nuwber to ease communication.

New collaboration technologies, such as interactive whiteboards and virtual reality systems, can provide creative teams with innovative solutions. By leveraging these technologies, teams can stay connected and collaborate more efficiently than ever before.

3) Data Analysis

Using tools such as spreadsheets, charts, graphs, and databases can help businesses better understand their operations and make decisions based on hard facts.

Data analysis helps identify areas of inefficiency, pinpoint problems that need to be addressed, and identify areas where improvements can be made. By analyzing data, businesses can get a clearer picture of their processes and make informed decisions that will increase productivity.

Additionally, data analysis helps optimize workflow by prioritizing tasks and ensuring that the right resources are allocated to the right projects. By leveraging data analysis to improve operations, companies can save time, money, and increase overall efficiency.

4) Employee Training

Technology has revolutionized the way companies train their employees. With virtual training platforms, employers can provide more comprehensive, interactive training programs than ever before. By incorporating video, audio, and interactive elements, businesses can now create engaging training materials that are easy to access and understand.

Furthermore, companies can now track employee progress and performance through these platforms, providing a better understanding of how workers respond to training and helping ensure everyone is on the same page.

Virtual training provides the opportunity for remote learning, allowing workers in different locations to receive the same quality of instruction as those in the office.

5) Increased Collaboration

Collaboration is essential to any business that wants to be successful, and technology has made it easier than ever to get teams working together on projects. With the help of modern devices, workers can communicate with each other in real time and share ideas and updates quickly and easily.

Additionally, cloud-based storage solutions allow all team members to access shared documents and files from anywhere, so everyone stays updated with the latest project information. The increased access to collaborative tools makes it easier for team members to work on tasks and brainstorm creative solutions.

6) Mobile Workforce

With the use of modern devices, it is now easier than ever to work from anywhere. By accessing important information, making decisions, and communicating with team members remotely, employees can get more done in a shorter amount of time.

Companies can also save on office space and other costs associated with having an on-site team by implementing technology solutions. For example, cloud-based software solutions can enable workers to access data from their mobile devices and work remotely with the same speed and efficiency as if they were in the office.

With customer relationship management (CRM) software solutions, service teams can update customer accounts, access product information, and even track orders remotely, improving consumer satisfaction and overall productivity.

7) Remote Working

In recent years, remote working has become a major trend in the workplace, with more and more companies offering the option of working from home or another offsite location. This can be beneficial for both employers and employees in terms of productivity.

For employers, it reduces costs associated with physical space and allows them to hire people from around the world. For employees, it offers greater flexibility, allowing them to work from anywhere and manage their own schedules, leading to increased productivity.

Another benefit of remote working is that it allows people to work in an environment that suits their individual needs and preferences. For example, a comfortable and quiet home office is often more preferable to a crowded and noisy open office. Working in a welcoming environment allows workers to focus better on their tasks.

Additionally, remote working enables people to take frequent breaks throughout the day and disconnect from responsibilities when necessary.

It can facilitate collaboration and communication between teams. With tools like video conferencing, instant messaging, and project management software, colleagues can stay connected and keep projects on track without having to be in the same place.

8) Time Tracking

Time tracking is a great way for businesses to measure productivity and understand where employees spend most of their time. By tracking the time employees spend on specific tasks, managers can analyze where time is allocated and identify areas that need improvement.

Time-tracking tools can also help businesses track billable hours and optimize employee schedules. It helps to identify which employees are most productive during certain times of the day and make adjustments accordingly. Additionally, it provides useful insights into which areas or tasks require the most attention and focus.

By leveraging time tracking tools, companies can ensure that workers use their time efficiently and maximize their productivity. This can be especially helpful in remote working environments, where it is difficult to monitor employee performance without physical supervision. With accurate data, managers can more easily identify bottlenecks, distractions, and other factors negatively impacting work flow.

9) Wearable Devices

The use of wearable devices is becoming increasingly popular in the workplace. Wearable technology allows employees to collect and access data from various sources quickly and conveniently. For example, wearables can monitor health, track productivity, and provide feedback on various tasks.

You can use them to gather certain data to increase efficiency and streamline processes. For example, a supervisor can use a smartwatch to collect data on employee performance which you can then analyze to identify areas for improvement.

Wearable devices are becoming an important tool for increasing productivity. By providing real-time data and feedback, they can help you stay on track and ensure you get the most out of your workday.

Final Thoughts

Technology has become an integral part of the modern workplace. Businesses can increase productivity and efficiency thanks to the technological progress.

Technology allows companies to operate smarter, faster, and better by reducing manual labor and providing employees with the necessary tools to get their jobs done more effectively. As modern devices continue to evolve, so does their ability to improve productivity among workers.

No matter what kind of business you operate, the bottom line is always going to be the driving force behind each decision. Ensuring the bottom line is healthy is what keeps the business afloat and ultimately successful. With that said, it is a constant struggle for business owners to ensure they are making the best and most cost-effective choices when it comes to operating their business. Nowhere is this more evident than with a manufacturing business that has so many different wheels turning at once.

So, what are the costs worth keeping an eye on?Here’s one you may not have thought of immediately, but it definitely deserves attention -did you know that the energy costs can not only balloon out of control but can also end up taking a serious bite out of profits if you aren’t careful? Here we’ll take a closer look at why exactly business energy costs can prove to be such a drain on a manufacturing business, and what you can do about it.

It’s a Simple Case of Usage

When it comes to why business energy costs can be a drain on your manufacturing business, the answer is as simple as you may have thought – a lot of energy use leads to high bills. And this is exactly where so many businesses stop and don’t question the cost any further. They have a large manufacturing space with plenty of machinery, equipment, and staff, so it seems completely normal that the energy bills should be high.

But here’s the thing, businesses shouldn’t just accept this as fact. It’s time to start looking at your manufacturing business’s energy costs in a new light, and look for ways that you can lower them and make processes more efficient without any sort of sacrifice to the quality and productivity of your company.

Conduct an Energy Audit

So, you can’t just turn off the utilities and operate your business without using energy, so what’s the solution? A great place to start is with an energy audit. It is extremely difficult to know what your costs are, what are the biggest drains and offenders, and which areas are actually doing well if you don’t do an audit. Here in the UK you can bring in professionals to conduct a thorough energy audit of your entire business and operation, highlighting all the details and pointing out potential areas for savings.

Compare Energy Prices

You may also be under the impression that the utility provider you are with is the only option out there, and energy rates are universally set and everyone offers the same pricing. Neither of these assumptions is correct.

Utility Bidder acts as a business energy comparison brokerwhich will take a look at business energy rates from some of the top UK suppliers. It will find you the best price out there, which can result in hundreds if not thousands of pounds worth of savings. This especially important in today’s landscape where energy prices constantly seem to be on the rise. As an energy broker, they can help businesses of all sizes, and in all industries.

Replace Energy Guzzling Equipment

This is also a great time to start replacing all that equipment that is known as an energy guzzler. This can be minor things like computers and printers, all the way up the chain to the actual machinery on the manufacturing floor. Energy star rated appliances and machinery will offer massive savings on your utility bills.

Run Machines in Off-Peak Hours

This particular tip can offer huge savings on energy costs, and can be taken straight from the playbook of homeowners. Whenever possible, try to run machines and production outside of the peak hours of the day. This may mean it makes more sense for you to run production in the overnight hours. It is something to at least consider as you look at way to cut down on costs.

Put an Energy Management Team in Place

And if you want to get really serious about your energy consumption, you can put a permanent energy management team in place. This department will constantly be monitoring the energy usage and finding ways to make improvements. It can help your long-term plans and budgeting where energy is concerned.

Lowering the Costs and Raising Profits

At the end of the day, any time you can lower energy costs, you will effectively be able to raise the profits – which is what any manufacturing company aims to do. It’s a matter of investigating your energy usage, looking for areas of potential savings, and then taking all the necessary steps.

Google didn’t mess around when it came to updating its algorithms this past year. Although the year is almost over, who knows if they’ll sneak in a major update or two before it’s through. We’ll say this much though: if they do slip in further updates, we’ll certainly tell you about them.

At the time of this writing, Google has performed 9 major algorithm updates in 2019, and likely countless minor updates that don’t have such a big impact. We’ll briefly describe each update below to help you better understand exactly what Google is looking for these days.

To not only survive but thrive in SEO, you have to think and act like Thunderhawk SEO company. They recognize the importance of keeping up with Google updates and you should too. It’s the only way to stay ahead of the game. So, without further ado, here are the algorithm updates that took place this year from February to October 2019.

Featured Snippets Freshness Update – Late February 2019

The purpose of this update is quite simple. Google wanted its featured snippets to have the freshest, most relevant content. So they implement a new system designed to ensure these snippets had the most accurate information, whether the content was brand new or older but still valid.

March Broad Core Algorithm Update – The Week of March 13, 2019

To stay up-to-date with the top SEO rules for blogging success, you need to better understand the March 2019 broad core update from Google. This is especially true if you and/or your SEO clients work in the health niche.

The overall reason for this update is simple. Google implemented changes that allowed them to fine-tune the way they rate health sites. During this update, some websites including verywellhealth.com and everydayhealth.com lost major rankings and traffic. On the other hand, sites including draxe.com gained a 300% bump in traffic, which is huge.

June Broad Core Algorithm Update – Announced June 2, 2019

While information about this update isn’t entirely clear, SEO experts predict that this update was in conjunction with the Quality Rater Guidelines. These new guidelines were released not long before this core update, so it makes sense that Google would use these guidelines to broadly implement their QRG.

Site Diversity Update – Announced June 6, 2019

On June 6, 2019, in an unusual turn of events, Google announced its diversity update. It used to be rare for Google to announce and explain their latest update, but it seems to happen more and more lately.

Ultimately, this update was geared toward diversifying the search engine results. Instead of searching for a term or phrase and getting 5 results from the same website, Google will now provide a listing of diverse options from multiple sites because of these changes.

“Lesbienne” Google Algorithm Tweak – Mid-June 2019

This reason for this update was pointed out by the French website Numerama. They told Google that when you search for the term “lesbienne” and similar French words and phrases, the results were pornographic. They also noticed wonky results when searching the word “homosexuelle”. Google took the necessary steps to rectify this situation.

Review Rich Results Update – Announced September 16, 2019

Google decided to limit the types of schema capable of triggering a rich review result. In the past, they believed that some of the schema types weren’t providing really useful information for the user. Hence the need for this update.

Preview Content Control Update – Announced September 24, 2019

With this algorithm update, Google now offers webmasters more freedom to choose the text and images seen in their snippets. In the past, Google chose the relevant text and/or images. Now webmasters can use a robots meta tag or a data- nosnippet HTML attribute to control the info from their site seen in the search engine results.

September Broad Core Algorithm Update – Released September 24, 2020

This update focuses on making a wide range of sweeping changes. It’s designed to improve Google’s overall search results. Some sites that were previously hurt in the June Core Update – like Dailymail.co.uk – are now seeing their rankings and traffic restored. The biggest niche impacted by this update was health and wellness.

B.E.R.T Update – Released October 25, 2020

This is the biggest Google update since 2015 when they released Rankbrain. Pandu Nayak, the vice-head of search at Google, says the update will impact 1 in 10 searches, which is huge.

B.E.R.T stands for Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers. This complicated-sounding name means that Google has a new technique specifically developed for processing natural language. This means Google will now do a much better job answering searches that currently remain unknown to them, which accounts for 15% of all daily searches.

Bottom Line

Google will continue to update its search engines, so webmasters and SEOs might as well get used to it. Their mission is to provide the best user experience possible. To do so, they have to make updates from time to time.

For some websites, these updates will be a major boon. For others, they will cause more harm than good. Keep on top of these updates if you intend to continue showing up in the SERPs.