Top Connector Exhibitors Set for electronica Shanghai

Recently, the mass delivery of next-generation hyperscale AI computing clusters has pushed 224G high-speed copper interconnects and liquid-cooled blind-mate connectivity into the spotlight, even triggering a severe supply crunch for high-end connector capacity. At the same time, major global auto shows that just concluded sent an unmistakable signal from OEMs: 800V and even kilovolt-level high-voltage platforms are rapidly moving into mainstream vehicle segments, while zonal architecture-centered intelligent electrical/electronic systems have officially entered mass production at scale.

Driven by the dual momentum of extreme computing power and full electrification, connectors are no longer just simple “plugs” or “sockets.” They have evolved into highly complex system-level engineering solutions. Today’s R&D engineers not only have to tackle traditional physical connection challenges, but also manage ultra-high-frequency signal transmission, extreme thermal conditions in tight spaces, and operational safety under complex and harsh working environments. To address these challenges, connector manufacturers are stepping up aggressively. The upcoming electronica Shanghai 2026 in Shanghai will serve as a key global platform for showcasing cutting-edge connector technologies and competing technical roadmaps. Rather than merely supplying standardized products, leading industry players are now leveraging foundational innovation in materials science and deeply customized structural design to deliver system-level interconnect and thermal management solutions for automakers, server manufacturers, and automation equipment integrators.

Pushing the Physical Limits of AI: High Thermal Density and Ultra-Fast Transmission

In AI servers and hyperscale data centers, exponential growth in GPU clusters and switching chip throughput has driven single-rack power density beyond the 100kW threshold. Such extreme thermal loads have rendered traditional air-cooling architectures increasingly inadequate, accelerating the industry-wide transition toward cold plate liquid cooling and immersion cooling solutions. However, liquid cooling introduces an entirely new set of engineering challenges. First, space constraints become significantly more severe. Liquid cooling pipelines occupy substantial internal rack space, leaving very limited room for data interfaces and cable routing. Second, the change of medium — in immersion cooling, the dielectric constant of the coolant differs significantly from air. As a result, maintaining signal stability while achieving efficient high-density routing in specialized cooling medium has become a major technical priority for next-generation data center interconnects.

To address the increasingly complex thermal management architectures inside AI servers, TE Connectivity has introduced its Liquid-cooled I/O interconnect solutions and ultra-low-profile PCIe Gen 7 connector systems designed specifically for high-performance computing devices. These solutions support the ultra-high-speed performance promised by PCIe Gen 7, delivering data rates of up to 128 GT/s PAM4 using the PCIe protocol. With a profile height of less than 9 mm, the connectors can be deployed in previously inaccessible tight spaces, such as adjacent to CEM connector slots, beneath heat sinks, or near chips. A centrally positioned sideband interface enables PCIe transmission, ensuring optimal signal integrity and system performance. In addition, the platform is highly versatile, covering key PCIe deployment scenarios including x4/x8/x16 configurations, as well as multiple application formats such as right-angle, vertical, and side-entry designs.

To address the high-frequency transmission challenges in immersion-cooled systems, Amphenol has introduced the specially engineered EXAMAX2^® ARK series high-speed connectors. Traditional exposed contacts, when immersed in dielectric fluids such as fluorinated liquids or synthetic oils, experience parasitic capacitance due to the changed medium, which can degrade the eye diagram for high-speed signals like 112G PAM4. The EXAMAX2^® ARK system minimizes this interference through improved terminal contact interface sealing and the use of highly compatible, corrosion-resistant plating alongside specialized insulating plastics. This design ensures that computing devices maintain stable data throughput from 112 Gb/s up to 224 Gb/s even under full-immersion cooling, effectively overcoming the signal attenuation issues introduced by changes in hardware cooling methods.

With large-scale upgrades of data center networking equipment, switch panels are increasingly crowded, significantly raising heat dissipation demands. Wenzhou Yihua Connector Co., Ltd. (Yihua)’s next-generation QSFP-DD and OSFP high-speed interface modules address ultra-high bandwidth signal interference by optimizing internal shielding structures, greatly enhancing electromagnetic compatibility and ensuring adjacent interfaces do not interfere with each other. Crucially, Yihua has directly integrated custom high-efficiency heat sinks into the connectors, enabling rapid heat dissipation from device operation and effectively preventing network throttling or system crashes caused by overheating.

Balancing 800V High-Voltage Safety with Massive Vehicle Data Transmission

The electronic architecture of new energy vehicles (NEVs) is evolving along two key paths. High Voltage: To enable ultra-fast charging, vehicle platforms are upgrading to 800V and beyond. Connectors must not only handle high currents but also offer excellent insulation, heat resistance, and EMI mitigation. Intelligent Systems: With the proliferation of automated driving, in-vehicle sensors—cameras, radars, and more—generate massive amounts of data daily. Vehicle networks must transmit this information rapidly and without delay, requiring connectors to maintain high-speed signal integrity under constant vibration and extreme temperature variations, while being as lightweight and compact as possible.

In high-voltage EV architectures, traditional busbars and heavy high-voltage cables occupy significant chassis space and add weight, directly reducing vehicle range. AVIC Jonhon Optronic Technology Co., Ltd. (JONHON)’s EVH6 next-generation sheet-type high-current connectors are designed for vehicle lightweighting and high-voltage interconnects. The EVH6 features a multi-point contact topology, effectively reducing contact resistance and controlling Joule heating at the source during high-current transmission. Thanks to deep structural and material optimization, the EVH6 system achieves up to 20% weight reduction while maintaining current-carrying capacity and mechanical robustness, providing a more feasible high-density interconnect solution between the battery pack (PACK) and high-voltage distribution unit (PDU).

Focusing on safe high-voltage energy distribution and system-level redundancy, Aptiv offers its V2X-enabled 800V bidirectional onboard charger (OBC) high-voltage interconnect system and a range of high-current low-voltage distribution products. On the high-voltage side, the connectors feature precision shielding and high-voltage interlock (HVIL) circuits, effectively isolating high-frequency emissions from silicon carbide power modules during operation. On the low-voltage side, addressing fail-operational standards for L3 and above automated driving systems, their 60A–300A high-current low-voltage power distribution solutions can dynamically balance across dual independent power rails within milliseconds. This architecture mitigates the critical engineering risk of momentary power loss to key safety loads—such as steer-by-wire, braking, and AD domain controllers—during single-circuit short or open faults.

The large-scale adoption of battery swap systems in commercial vehicles and selected passenger vehicles imposes extreme challenges on connector mechanical life and floating tolerance. Recodeal showcases its full lineup of high-voltage, high-current, and battery swap connectors for new energy vehicles, specifically designed for high-frequency mating cycles and large-tolerance connection scenarios. These products feature built-in multi-dimensional floating structures that absorb X/Y/Z-axis positional deviations generated during docking between vehicle-side and station-side equipment. This significantly reduces fretting wear on contact terminals caused by forced insertion and extraction, ensuring stable contact resistance even after tens of thousands of mating cycles. In addition, for automated driving data transmission, Recodeal has introduced its automotive-grade HSD and FAKRA multi-gigabit Ethernet connector series. Through precision characteristic impedance control, these solutions effectively minimize crosstalk and signal attenuation during high-volume sensor data transmission across in-vehicle backbone networks.

For NEV battery swapping applications, Recodeal’s 12-pin battery swap high-current connector series supports increased charging/discharging current and higher application power. While maintaining compatibility with the existing national-standard interface for commercial battery swapping, the product further improves current-carrying capacity to meet evolving market demands. As an upgraded version of the 12-pin battery swap connector family, the product delivers significantly enhanced current-carrying capacity while remaining fully compliant with national battery swap interface standards and backward-compatible with all standard 12-pin series products. It also features shielding, enhanced protection performance, and multiple cable outlet angles for flexible installation, supporting higher charging/discharging power, higher voltage platforms, and multiple wire specifications to provide customers with a more comprehensive application solution.

As the number of in-vehicle sensors continues to surge, physical space constraints have become the primary bottleneck in wiring design. Electric Connector Technology Co., Ltd. (ECT) focuses extensively on automotive RF and high-speed communication applications, with its automotive-grade Mini-FAKRA connector system taking center stage. Compared with conventional FAKRA connectors, Mini-FAKRA reduces connector size by nearly 80% while maintaining equivalent RF performance and electromagnetic interference resistance. Supporting transmission frequencies of up to 20 GHz, the product is specifically designed for direct transmission of uncompressed ultra-high-definition camera data and radar signals. Its ultra-compact form factor and tight port spacing solve the physical layout limitations faced by vehicle computing platforms that need to integrate dozens of high-frequency signal channels within limited PCB space.

Reshaping Interconnects for Extreme Space Constraints and Harsh Industrial Environments

In the deeper stages of Industry 4.0, miniaturization, modularization, and comprehensive low-level data acquisition have become mainstream trends. Edge sensors across factories are becoming increasingly compact, making traditional bulky cables impractical for routing. The industry urgently requires miniature interconnect solutions capable of transmitting both power and data over a single cable. At the same time, outdoor photovoltaic and energy storage power stations typically operate in highly demanding construction environments. To maximize battery capacity, internal wiring space inside energy storage cabinets is compressed to the extreme. Under high-voltage conditions of up to 1500V, workers face major challenges performing complex operations in confined spaces. As a result, connectors that support tool-free installation, blind mating, and robust touch-safe protection are rapidly becoming standard configurations for equipment integrators.

To address the extremely congested wiring environments inside photovoltaic and energy storage systems, Molex has introduced its SideWize series high-voltage, high-current connectors. Traditional thick high-voltage cables are highly rigid and require large bending radii during installation, wasting cabinet space and increasing cable crowding. The SideWize series supports voltages up to 1500V and currents up to 80A, while featuring an innovative side-entry/side-exit cable design that eliminates the additional space typically required for cable bending. In addition, the product comes standard with stringent touch-safe protection and anti-mis-mating design, enabling higher equipment density within energy storage cabinets while effectively safeguarding installation and maintenance personnel on site.

To make it easier to connect industrial equipment to the internet, Phoenix Contact’s ONEPAIR series of single-pair Ethernet connectors overcomes the limitations of traditional network cables, which require multiple conductors. Using just two thin copper wires, it can simultaneously transmit network data and power over distances of up to one kilometer. This effectively addresses the wiring challenges faced by compact devices such as miniature sensors and industrial cameras, where conventional network cables are often too bulky for efficient installation.

In densely packed automation lines, rail transit systems, and robotic joints, engineers frequently face limited visibility and insufficient wrench clearance during installation. HARTING highlights its M12 PushPull overmolded circular connector series. This solution eliminates the torque dependence associated with traditional threaded connections, allowing operators to achieve reliable locking through a simple push-pull action. Once fully mated, the connector provides clear tactile and audible mechanical feedback, helping operators confirm proper engagement even in visually restricted environments and reducing the risk of industrial equipment disconnection caused by incomplete mating. For high-power transmission applications, HARTING’s Han^® 34HPR VarioShell high-current housing system offers a highly flexible single-core foolproof solution, effectively addressing contact resistance fluctuations in heavy-duty cable systems transmitting ultra-high currents under continuous high-frequency vibration, such as those found in high-speed rail applications.

Connectors have long evolved beyond simple supporting components—they are now critical links that ensure stable system operation. From maintaining signal integrity for high-speed data transmission to ensuring electrical safety in harsh operating environments, today’s connector industry is providing system-level solutions that underpin innovation across multiple cutting-edge sectors. electronica Shanghai 2026 will bring together the industry’s latest interconnect technologies and innovation resources. OEMs, R&D engineers, and industry professionals are invited to stay tuned for event updates and join us onsite to explore the future development of electronics technology together.

Exhibition Dates: July 1–3, 2026

Venue: Halls N1–N5 and W1–W5, Shanghai New International Expo Centre

Visitor Registration: https://dwz.cn/f4wHhxBJ