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Swap sensors in 10s — 10 Gb/s, IP6X, one click.
Swap sensors in 10s — 10 Gb/s, IP6X, one click.
10 Gb/s • 8 A • IP6X • 30 N retention • < 20 g
10 Gb/s • 8 A • IP6X • 30 N retention • < 20 g
PROBLEM
Swapping a RealSense or Pi-Cam on the COBRA snake means hunting for a USB-C plug, a JST power lead, and two tiny screws—usually while kneeling in desert sand. Three minutes tick by, dust crawls into every port, and a single bent pin can kill the 10 Gb/s video link the mission relies on.
INSIGHT
If a single blind-mate bayonet could align, lock, power, and seal the payload in one motion, sensor changes would take seconds, not minutes. By combining pogo pins for 5 V / 3 A power, leaf-spring contacts for USB-C-class data, a Cu-Be latch that grounds and retains, and an O-ring + EMI bezel that blocks dust and RF, we can deliver a tool-less, IP6X, sub-20 g connector that keeps high-speed vision clean and alive in the harshest field conditions.
DESIGN GOALS
Blind-mate, one-hand swap — align and fully seat in < 1 s, ≤ 25 N insertion, ≥ 30 N retention.
High-speed integrity — carry a USB-C 10 Gb/s differential pair with ≥ 20 % eye-mask margin after 10 k mate cycles.
Reliable power — deliver 5 V @ 3 A continuous (8 A surge) through gold pogo pins, < 10 mΩ total path.
Harsh-environment seal — meet IP6X dust protection and ±8 kV air-ESD; Ni-Ag bezel < 50 mΩ shell-to-shell.
Ultra-light package — plug + receptacle ≤ 20 g, overall stack height ≤ 6 mm.
Production-ready — stamped Cu-Be + LCP housing, critical-dim Cpk ≥ 1.33, BOM < $2.30 at 10 k pieces.
SOLUTION OVERVIEW
SOLUTION OVERVIEW
Snap-Shield-V combines all the functions of a full sensor harness into one sub-20 g bayonet:
A self-centering funnel guides the plug so the user can push straight in without looking.
A Cu-Be dual-leaf latch clicks on contact, grounding the shell and holding ≥ 30 N while keeping insertion under 25 N (verified in latch-force FEA and DOE).
Leaf-spring contacts carry the USB-C 10 Gb/s differential pair; HFSS shows 22 % eye-mask margin after a simulated 10 000 mate cycles.
Four gold-plated pogo pins deliver 5 V @ 3 A with < 10 mΩ path resistance and < 30 °C rise in a Joule-plus-thermal model.
A silicone O-ring and Ni-Ag EMI bezel seal dust to IP6X and hold shell-to-shell impedance < 50 mΩ; CFD particle flow predicts zero ingress at 1 kPa pressure pulses.
The entire stack fits within a 6 mm Z-height and uses stamped Cu-Be plus single-shot LCP molding—costed at $2.30 in 10 k volumes and statistically capable (Cpk ≥ 1.33) on all critical tolerances.
EXPLODED VIEW
EXPLODED VIEW
COMPONENTS OF THE CONCEPT
COMPONENTS OF THE CONCEPT
MECHANISMS IN MOTION
SIGNAL-INTEGRITY SIMULATION
DUST-SEAL CFD & FEA
INSERTION-FORCE DOE
TOLERANCE & CpK
ROADMAP TO HARDWARE
ROADMAP TO HARDWARE
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