Miniature industrial connectors for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are becoming increasingly important in today's rapidly evolving digital landscape. Companies are striving to digitally transform their industrial processes to reduce costs and improve working environments. Whether for mapping large fields, intelligent obstacle detection or fully automated operations for the precise application of water, fertilisers and more, commercial drones and quadcopters are helping to enable industrial self-control.

Size, Weight and power are crucial for enhancing the optimal performance, manoeuvrability and range of commercial drones. Industry experts refer to this as SWaP. The HARTING Han® MPC was developed according to these important requirements.

Technological breakthroughs, such as improved battery efficiency, advanced image sensors and AI-driven autonomous functions have significantly expanded the potential applications of drones in various industries. These developments have led to drones evolving significantly from hobbyist devices to regulated, mission-critical platforms in agriculture, logistics, inspection, public safety and many other segments.

As the market leader for industrial connectors, HARTING has recognised the demand for industry-proof connectivity and cabling solutions. With more than 80 years of experience, our solutions stand for high performance, reliability and scalability to ensure future-proofing. Independently tested quality ensures a longer service life, even under harsh conditions.

With its miniature design and the renowned robustness of Han® industrial connectors, the Han® MPC series delivers reliable connectivity for commercial drones in harsh conditions.

UAVs and other mobile robots, including humanoid robots, share a common topology of connection points. The widely used LiPo batteries, either regular or future-proof smart units with signal integrity, supply power to the power distribution board (PDB).

The PDB is the central interface between the battery and the electronic speed controller (ESC). The ESC ensures efficient and reliable power management. It effectively regulates the speed and direction of rotation of the electric motor to ensure smooth operation of the device. In industry, 3-phase brushless DC motors (BLDC) are often used to ensure low maintenance and long-lasting performance.

The HARTING Han® MPC30 and MPC60 are the ideal solution for the connections between these critical units to ensure high signal integrity. Additional variants such as different housing types or straight and angled PCB variants enable even greater flexibility.

Experience the Han® MPC in your own hands. Request your free product sample and discover how miniature industrial connectivity can optimise SWaP in modern UAV systems.

The series is designed to deliver maximum performance in compact form factors: the Han® MPC30 supports currents up to 30A using Han-Yellock® 4 mm² crimp contacts, while the Han® MPC60 is rated for up to 60A using Han® C 10 mm² crimp contacts.

The peak current for Han® MPC30 is rated up to 180A for 10 seconds and for Han® MPC60 it is rated up to 350A for 10 seconds The connector optionally accommodates up to four Har‑speed contacts, ensuring the need for reliable DroneCAN transmission.