Samtec’s Tiger Eye interconnect systems are available in three pitches (0.80 mm, 1.27 mm, and 2.00 mm) and are designed for micro rugged, high-reliability, high-cycle applications. Tiger Eye is a multi-finger, heat-treated, beryllium copper (BeCu) contact designed for rugged environments. The superior spring properties of beryllium copper make it ideal for high mating cycle applications. Once formed and hardened, BeCu will retain its shape under a wide variety of conditions.

The contact mating surface is on the flat, smooth side of each finger. Smooth surface allows more mating cycles because it does not stress the plating; this provides lower contact resistance and longer plating life. A micro slot on the tail allows solder paste to penetrate the slot, wetting a larger surface area on the lead and providing greater solder joint strength. Connectors with micro tail slots tend to adhere to the wet solder paste prior to reflow better than flat leads.

The popular SFM/TFM series is a 1.27 mm pitch mated socket and terminal set available in vertical, right angle, and horizontal orientations. SFM and TFM are polarized to ensure proper mating and are available with optional friction locks to increase unmating.