It’s that time of the year where we unveil the champions of innovation and performance in our product lineup, the creme de la creme that made waves and turned heads throughout 2023. MilesTek proudly presents our top five bestselling product lines of the year.
These five product lines represent the workhorses of MIL-STD-1553 connectivity – the data bus couplers, terminators, plugs, cable assemblies, and connectors that keep the worlds of aerospace, avionics, and defense technology rotating. Let’s see what these essential products do and what features they have that made them bestsellers in 2023.
No. 1 Bestseller: MIL-STD-1553 Data Bus Couplers
MIL-STD-1553 data bus couplers are like the translators of the avionic world. They help different devices speak the same language, ensuring smooth communication on the MIL-STD-1553 data bus. Box-style data bus couplers serve as standalone units, providing isolation and protection to the connected devices. Inline data bus couplers act as connectors in the bus, allowing devices to link up and exchange information seamlessly.
MilesTek’s box-style data bus couplers reduce reflections, protect the bus, and maintain impedance. We have models with up to eight stubs, and each size is offered with two bus jacks, a single bus jack right, a single bus jack left, or no bus jacks. They maintain impedance using a transformer and fault-isolation resistors and eliminate reflection with a built-in terminator.
Our inline data bus couplers come with one, two, three, or four stubs, each offering from four to six configuration options. Also, they are available in single-terminated, double-terminated, or nonterminated varieties. They have built-in electrical termination to reduce electrical interference by minimizing signal reflection.
No. 2 Bestseller: MIL-STD 1553 Terminations
When a digital signal hits the open end of a power bus, or individual stubs, it can bounce back and cause the signal to distort and impedance to change. What’s the cure? Installing MIL-STD-1553 data bus and stub terminators minimizes the effects of signal reflections that can cause waveform distortion. Without them the communications signal can be compromised, causing disruption or intermittent communications failures. They are particularly important in high-speed communication systems to avoid issues like signal degradation and data corruption.
MilesTek has a wide selection of bus and stub terminators. Our bus terminators (78 ohms) are used at the end of each bus. Our stub terminators (1000 to 3000 ohms) are employed to simulate a future load from an unspecified device. They are made of rugged stainless steel and have three-slot bayonet mounts to mate solidly with any TRB three-lug jack.
No. 3 Bestseller: Triaxial Cable Plugs
Our customers obviously value well-shielded cable with robust connectors, since our third highest-selling product line in 2023 was our triaxial cable plugs. These three models each mate with triaxial cable with its three layers of shielding for applications demanding high signal integrity and protection against electromagnetic interference (EMI). All three also have a TRB design with a three-slot bayonet-coupling that can withstand severe shocks and vibrations. These plugs work with cable that is 50 ohms or 75 ohms.
No. 4 Bestseller: MIL-STD-1553 Bus and Stub Cable Assemblies
MilesTek carries seven main types of MIL-STD-1553 bus and stub cable assemblies. Their features include:
- Rated for High Temperatures – Especially suitable for vehicle applications, these assemblies are made with military-grade M17/176 cable.
- Field-Replaceable – We offer both solder-clamp plugs and full-crimp plugs. Both are highly conductive and reliable, but the latter are generally easier and quicker to replace in the field.
- Dependable Connections – All the assemblies have three-slot connectors that hold fast under movement, vibration, and shock, and block out EMI and RFI.
- Bus and Scope Test Cable – These assemblies combine one center twinaxial cable with two coaxial cables and are used in labs and testing facilities.
No. 5 Bestseller: MIL-STD-1553 Connectors
The best cable in the world is only as good as its connectors. This is especially true of MIL-STD-1553 connectors, which must perform in aviation, aerospace, and other demanding applications. MilesTek’s dozens of models make up one of our most popular product lines because they offer two benefits:
- Tougher Materials: Since they are exposed to harsher conditions than most other cable connectors, our MIL-STD-1553 connectors are made of heavy-gauge stainless steel and other durable materials. This allows them to withstand severe shocks and vibrations, and they mate well with high-temperature cable.
- Tighter Connections: The form factors of our MIL-STD-1553 connectors are distinctive as well, with the main objective of having a rock-solid connection that cannot be bumped or shaken loose. TRB plugs are commonly used because they have a bayonet coupling design, usually a three-slot plug. To further beef up a connector, bend relief is an option.
The vast majority of items in MilesTek’s top five product lines from 2023 are in stock and available for same-day shipping. For help on choosing what product is best for you, contact the U.S.-based MilesTek sales team at 1-877-924-1134 or via email at sales@milestek.com.