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Smart Thermostat Connectors

Designing a smart thermostat that meets today’s homeowner expectations is no small task. Creating sleek, intuitive devices with advanced capabilities that seamlessly integrate into modern smart home ecosystems means balancing compact design, reliable connectivity, and advanced functionality. With miniaturized connectivity solutions that enable high-performance features in a compact form factor, Molex empowers engineers to create the sleek and user-friendly designs that homeowners expect.

High Performance Smart Thermostat Connectors for Advanced Capabilities

Picture a smart thermostat seamlessly blending into a modern home—sleek, intuitive and responsive. But behind this effortless experience lies an intricate set of challenges for designers. Smart thermostats require compact connectors and responsive interfaces to enhance the user experience while minimizing energy consumption. Stable and secure wireless communications are critical to prevent unauthorized access. Accurate data collection and uncompromised performance must be ensured when integrating multiple sensors into a compact design. Finally, reliable and efficient power systems are essential to minimize energy loss, ensure continuous operation and handle residential power fluctuations and outages. 

To overcome these challenges, engineers can leverage connectors designed for specific needs: high-pin-density connectors for multifunctional interfaces like touchscreens and displays, low-resistance connectors for energy efficiency, RF-compatible connectors for reliable wireless connectivity and high-current connectors for dependable power supply. Additionally, connectors with environmental resistance can help safeguard against moisture and temperature fluctuations, ensuring reliable performance in household environments.

Molex connectors rise to the challenge, allowing compact, elegant designs without compromising functionality. Their miniaturized designs are ideal for space-constrained applications, facilitating sleek, user-friendly thermostats. Secure locking mechanisms and EMI shielding prevent disconnections and interference, while low-resistance, high-current connectors maximize power efficiency. Environmental sealing ensures durability against moisture and temperature changes, and high-speed data transfer enables real-time interaction and seamless smart home integration.

Smart Thermostat Connectors

Power Management Connectors for Smart Thermostats

Engineers must design efficient, reliable power systems for smart thermostats to minimize energy consumption and costs while ensuring reliable, continuous operation despite fluctuations in household power supply. Compact, high-current connectors from Molex feature fully isolated terminals, high-power delivery capabilities and secure locking mechanisms to ensure reliable and stable operation. 

Charging Connectors 

  Configuration Current (Max.) Voltage (Max.)
Micro-USB Connectors Wire-to-board 1.0A (signal), 1.8A (power) 30V
USB Type-C Connectors Wire-to-board 6.0A 30V

Battery Connectors 

  Configuration Current  (Max.) Voltage (Max.)

Pico-Lock Connectors

Wire-to-board

10.0A

150V

Mini-Lock Connectors

Wire-to-board, Wire-to-wire

3.5A

250V

Nano-Fit Connectors

 Wire-to-board, Wire-to-wire 8.0A

250V

Nano-Fit OTS Cable Assemblies

Nano-Fit OTS cable assemblies deliver high-current capacity in a small form factor. These robust cable assemblies provide secure power connections with minimal power loss, enhancing the energy efficiency of the smart thermostat. The fully isolated terminals help prevent short circuits, ensuring safe and reliable power distribution.

Explore Nano-Fit OTS Cable Assemblies

Control Unit Connectors for Smart Thermostats

To enable greater functionality in the compact design of smart thermostats, engineers require connectors that offer flexibility in integration while maintaining high performance and reliability. Molex connectors offer an ultra-low-profile, high-density design with versatile stack height options, allowing for modular, customizable solutions that enhance design flexibility and help engineers optimize space efficiency without sacrificing performance.

  Configuration Pitch Circuits Current (Max.)
SlimStack Connectors

Board-to-board

0.35 to 1.25mm

6 to 240

18.0A
Nano-Fit Connectors Wire-to-board, Wire-to-wire

2.50mm

2 to 8 (single row), 4 to 16 (dual row)

8.0A
SL Connectors

Wire-to-board, Wire-to-wire

2.54mm

2 to 25

3.0A

Wireless Connectors for Smart Thermostats

Smart thermostats depend on strong, consistent signal integrity to maintain reliable and secure wireless communication with home networks and other smart devices. Molex high-frequency connectors feature robust RF shielding and low insertion loss to minimize signal degradation, protect against EMI and optimize data transmission, helping ensure seamless high-performance connectivity. 

  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

Sensor Connectors for Smart Thermostats

For accurate environmental monitoring in smart thermostats, precise data transmission from sensors is essential, requiring connectors that handle diverse sensor inputs without data loss or interference. Molex’s high-density connectors feature increased pin count in a compact form factor to support sophisticated sensor arrays, enabling precise monitoring of environmental conditions. These connectors feature a low-profile, robust mechanical design and support high-speed data transfer, enabling compact layouts that seamlessly integrate multiple sensors in thermostats.

  Configuration Pitch Circuits Current (Max.)
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
  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 Thermostats

Smart thermostats need power-efficient, responsive interfaces and displays that enhance the user experience without consuming excessive power. High-density connectors from Molex combine robust signal integrity with efficient design, ensuring swift and accurate processing of user inputs while minimizing power consumption. By accommodating multiple data connections in a compact space, the flexible connection options enable responsive control layouts that effectively handle user interactions with energy-efficient performance.

  Configuration Pitch Circuits Current (Max.)
Quad-Row Connectors Board-to-board 0.175mm 20, 32, 36, 64 0.3A
FFC/FPC Connectors Wire-to-board 0.20 to 2.00mm 2 to 120 2.0A