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from the problems-for-existing-infrastructure dept.
The HDMI connector has shrunk to mini, then micro. USB has shrunk to mini, then micro. The wired Ethernet connector has stayed the same since 1988. On the Raspberry PI, it's the largest of the standardized connectors. Is the time ripe to for a smaller version? What would be a good complement to the clunky 8P8C port? It should not be easily dislodged, but the 8P8C locking mechanism can be really fragile. And forget "RJ45" it's a telephone system connector. Not a networking connector for computers.
This size sometimes becomes a problem when designing really small or flat devices. Sometimes one can (ab)use other connectors that has a similar impedance. One could however take a hint from how VGA cabling works. Where the source, cable and destination are all 75 ohm. But the common VGA connector DE-15 is 30 ohm (ouch!) so it's reflection galore.. Thus it's possible to cut some corners. With a smaller connector the highest speeds of 40 Gbit/s should perhaps not be expected. The point is to enable a really thin but still sturdy and versatile connector.
(DB13W3 is really the only properly designed connector besides BNC for a 75 ohm VGA connection)
One solution that is used is the RJ.5, another is the micro SFP.
The current status of copper media Ethernet is 10GBASE-T that were released in 2006 and allows for a 100 meter length using Cat.6a. 40GBASE-T is to be released in spring 2016 to allow a 30 m length over a Cat.8 cable.
(Score: 2) by Squidious on Tuesday March 22 2016, @01:04AM
I've disposed of a LOT of electronics because those tiny sockets on the device went crufty. I've never had to dispose of a network card for that reason. I've repaired some network cable connectors easy peasy. These old eyes aren't getting any better with age, eff that teeny tiny stuff.
The terrorists have won, game, set, match. They've scared the people into electing authoritarian regimes.