Advancing Smart Lock Design: Balancing Space, Power, and Protection
Design engineers often grapple with the challenge of incorporating more advanced features into increasingly compact smart lock designs. These devices must not only provide secure and reliable access but also connect seamlessly with the rest of consumers’ smart home ecosystems. Their sleek, compact form factors limit available space, while an abundance of wireless connections create signal integrity challenges. Optimizing power management and charging efficiency layers additional complexity into the product design process.
Components that maximize space efficiency, minimize power loss and provide strong connectivity are required for modern smart locks. Parts chosen for these designs benefit from enhanced reliability features that ensure cable retention and accurate connector mating from assembly throughout the product’s life. Navigating this balance of performance and size is crucial for delivering powerful user experiences that smart lock customers have come to expect.
Molex solutions are designed to meet the challenges of advanced smart locks. Our miniaturized connectors are engineered with innovative configurations that offer up to 30% space savings. Molex connectors minimize power loss and support efficient battery recharging, enhancing the smart lock's operational life and user experience. To ensure consistently reliable wireless connectivity, Molex offers advanced EMI shielding to help maintain signal integrity even in densely packed environments. Our versatile product line enables the integration of diverse camera, audio and sensor components, ensuring that engineers can innovate and enhance the functionality of next generation smart locks without compromising on performance.
Featured Products
Electronic Control Unit (ECU) Connectors for Smart Locks
As smart lock designs become increasingly compact, design engineers face the challenge of fitting more advanced features into smaller form factors. Molex offers innovative connectors featuring compact pitch sizes ideal for the miniaturization demands of smart lock ECUs. The staggered-circuit layout of Molex's Quad-Row Connectors offers up to 30% space savings compared to traditional connectors, ensuring that engineers can integrate advanced capabilities without compromising on size.
Configuration | Pitch | Circuits | Current (Max.) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wire-to-board |
0.20 to 2.00mm |
2 to 120 |
2.0A |
|
Wire-to-board, Wire-to-wire |
2.50mm |
2 to 8 (single row), 4 to 16 (dual row) |
8.0A |
|
Pico-EZmate Connectors | Wire-to-board | 1.00, 1.20, 1.80mm | 2, 4 | 5.0A |
Quad-Row Connectors | Board-to-board | 0.175mm | 20, 32, 36, 64 | 0.3A |
SlimStack Connectors | Board-to-board | 0.35 to 1.25mm | 6 to 240 | 18.0A |
Wire-to-board |
0.80mm |
2 to 20 |
2.5A |
Power Management Connectors for Smart Locks
When designing smart locks, efficient power management is crucial to extending battery life and ensuring reliable operation. Molex offers a variety of power-efficient connectors that help engineers minimize power loss. Additionally, Molex USB connectors, with enhanced 3.0A and 5.0A current ratings, allow end users to rapidly recharge the unit’s batteries with a standard charger. Together, these solutions enhance the seamless user experience for modern smart lock systems.
Battery Connectors
Configuration | Pitch | Circuits | Current (Max.) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
SlimStack GCB7X Battery Connectors | Board-to-board |
0.35 to 1.25mm |
6 to 240 |
18.0A |
Wire-to-board |
0.20 to 2.00mm |
2 to 120 |
2.0A |
Charging Connectors
Configuration | Current (Max.) | Voltage (Max.) | Durability (Min.) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wire-to-board |
1.0A (signal), 1.8A (power) |
30V |
10,000 cycles |
|
Wire-to-board |
6.0A |
30V |
10,000 cycles |
Wireless Connectors for Smart Locks
Today’s smart locks rely on an ever-expanding array of wireless communication technologies such as Z-Wave, Thread, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC to provide seamless connectivity with smart home ecosystems and mobile devices. However, the compact design and integration of multiple RF signals can lead to electromagnetic interference (EMI), compromising signal integrity and speed. Molex's 5G mmWave RF Flex-to-Board Connectors address these challenges with cutting-edge EMI shield-in-contact and row isolating features enhancing design flexibility and ensuring robust, reliable wireless communications for smart lock applications.
Configuration | Pitch | Intermediate | |
---|---|---|---|
5G mmWave RF Flex-to-Board Connectors | 2 to 4 (Signal), 4 to 6 (Ground), 4 to 0 (Power) | 0.35mm | 15 GHz, 25 GHz |
Camera, Audio and Sensor Connectors for Smart Locks
Designing advanced smart locks means incorporating a diverse array of camera, audio and sensor components, each with its own specific connectivity requirements. Today’s engineers need versatile connector options to ensure smooth integration of these components into their designs. Molex provides a comprehensive portfolio of connectors that accommodate various circuit sizes, pitch size, configurations and current requirements, enabling designers to create exciting new features for the next generation of smart lock systems.
Configuration | Pitch | Circuits | Current (Max.) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Board-to-board |
0.175mm |
20, 32, 36, 64 |
0.3A |
|
Board-to-board |
0.35 to 1.25mm |
6 to 240 |
18.0A |
Configuration | Pitch | Circuits | Actuator Style | |
---|---|---|---|---|
FFC/FPC Connectors | Wire-to-board |
0.20 to 2.00mm | 2 to 120 | Front flip, back flip, non-ZIF, slider, flexi-latch, one-touch |
Premo-Flex Flat-Flexible Cable | Cable | 0.25 to 2.54mm | 3 to 120 |
User Interface and Display Connectors for Smart Locks
Modern smart locks require robust user interface and display connectors to maintain reliable performance and responsive controls. Molex Quad-Row Connectors provide enhanced protection with their integrated interior armor and insert-molded power nail, safeguarding pins during manufacturing and assembly processes. Additionally, Molex FFC and FPC Connectors help ensure secure cable retention over the product's lifetime, thanks to positive locking-latch and an auto-lock nail system that affords engineers confidence in the longevity and reliability of their smart lock designs.
Configuration | Pitch | Circuits | Current (Max.) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Board-to-board |
0.175mm |
20, 32, 36, 64 |
0.3A |
|
Wire-to-board |
0.20 to 2.00mm |
2 to 120 |
2.0A |