Engineers might already know the great advantages of EESeal® EMI Filter Connector Inserts. They reduce interference reliably and fit easily inside standard connectors.
But what if your project requires bulkier, more rugged connectors for outdoor or industrial use? Luckily, there are EESeal filter inserts that can fit any connector shape.
You might wonder how silicone inserts hold up against strong vibration, high temperatures, or getting soaked in the rain.
Across a wide array of environmental tests, labs found EESeal inserts held strong against harsh conditions.
How tough are they? Let’s look at the results:
Humidity and Moisture
Devices designed for harsh environments can be tested for various intensities of water exposure, anywhere from a few drops to complete immersion.
Rugged connectors are already rated to perform in wet conditions. Even so, if humidity or moisture somehow entered connector backshells, would EESeal inserts continue to block RF emissions?
The answer back from the laboratory was definitely yes. Under the test outlined in DO-160C, which exposes devices to long doses of 95% relative humidity, filter inserts did fine over 10 days of both 30° C and 50° C temperatures.
Total Immersion in Fluids
Quell filter inserts were installed in connectors and mated into a device and tested according to the specs of MIL-STD-1344A Method 1016, the military standard for tests of electrical connections.
The EESeal insert continued to work after complete immersion for 5 minutes in hydraulic fluid, two types of oil lubricants, and JP-5, a jet fuel.
Shock and Vibration
Maybe your end product will be integrated into large mechanical machinery that runs day and night. Or maybe it will be airborne and experience the shocks of takeoffs, landings, and turbulence.
Do EESeal filter inserts move around inside connectors when exposed to a lifetime of agitation? Labs found that the inserts do not loosen their fit under the duress of harsh mechanical forces.
Installed filter inserts were shook from 4 to 8 hours in condition simulations that varied in vibration between 10Hz and 2000Hz. Even high amplitude vibrations failed to cause a leak of radio frequencies.
Extremes in Temperature
Does the silicone material of the insert change its filtering performance with fluctuations in temperature? Let’s see what the lab says.
Temperature is tested in terms of cycles as well, like a plane rising to freezing temperatures at high elevation and then landing in the hot desert, then doing it all over again.
The EESeal filter insert was subjected to the test criteria for airborne electronics outlined in RTCA/DO-160C. Our insert endured 20 cycles, each dropping to –50° C and rising to 125° C.
Our EMC technology also passed the test for the combination of temperature extremes and high altitude, according to MIL-STD-5400 ¶4.6.2.3 Class 1A. This filter insert went through the same extreme temperature cycle at the equivalent of 30,000 feet.
Compatibility with Rugged Connectors
Sourcing for harsh environments can mean special procurements for a large number of parts, especially those exposed to the elements, like cabling and connectors. Specialty connectors will have weather-resistant and more durable backshells. Will it be difficult to find an insert that fits tightly in these components?
The good news is that Quell products are offered in sizes that fit all major connector types. And nearly every filtering capability of EESeal inserts can be custom designed for your specific application. You can try it on your project for free.
Meeting the Highest Standards
EESeal® and EESeal+® solutions are designed to withstand extremely harsh conditions. They meet or exceed the environmental requirements of most military and commercial connector specifications.
These environmental and mechanical tests show that severe environments do not affect the integrity of the EESeal® insert or the host connector.
Full test reports for these and other harsh conditions are available for download.