News from ept

January 2025ept takes part in the trade fair series for industrial automation, robotics and digitalization.

At "all about automation" in Friedrichshafen, users and decision-makers from the international Bodensee region and beyond will come together with manufacturers of automation technology, providers of robotics solutions, system integrators, digitalization specialists, software developers, service providers and distributors.

Modern, environmentally friendly energy alternatives from wind, solar, hydropower and tidal shifting are developing rapidly and constantly presenting engineers with new challenges. We show you how artificial intelligence, machine learning and the Internet of Thought are shaping the clean energy of the future.

August 2024Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik GmbH & Co. KG ("Rosenberger") and ept GmbH ("ept") are joining forces to develop hybrid connectors for automotive applications. Modern automotive E/E architectures use both high-speed data connectors for differential data transmission, for example for automotive Ethernet, as well as classic signal and power connectors, for example for CAN or LIN bus.
The cooperation between ept and Rosenberger integrates both types in combined hybrid connectors which can be assembled on the printed circuit board using either conventional soldering technology or the advantageous press-fit technology.

Modern vehicle electrical systems are changing, particularly due to the requirements of e-mobility, autonomous driving and 4K HD infotainment. Board-to-board connectors with their special properties play a key role in coping with this change, ensuring high data transmission rates with short latency times. 

In the medical technology sector networked medtech devices with an increasing number of smart sensors will dominate the scene. The strictest regulations and the highest level of failure protection set the path that the products and components used must follow. Miniaturization, data transfer rates and electromagnetic radiation are the explicit requirements to which board-to-board connectors are exposed. For hardware developers these are criteria that have a decisive influence on device design.

Modern, environmentally friendly energy alternatives from wind, solar, hydropower and tidal shifting are developing rapidly and constantly presenting engineers with new challenges. We'll show you how artificial intelligence, machine learning and the Internet of Thought are shaping the clean energy of the future.

August 2023For the sixth time, the Bavarian connector manufacturer ept GmbH has achieved an excellent result in the customer satisfaction survey conducted by market researchers Bishop & Associates. In the overall European ranking, ept takes second place and thus continues to improve its score compared to the 2019 result.

Industrially manufactured goods are being put to the test more and more. In addition to high quality standards and compliance with technical specifications, the environmental compatibility of all elements of the supply chain is becoming increasingly important. And the connector market is no exception. ept GmbH traditionally coordinates all production and supply processes in such a way that, in addition to the highest level of quality, all conceivable sustainably oriented corporate management criteria come into play.

Plating coated with gold is still the number one choice in situations where a connector needs to be fully reliable over the long term – even under demanding operating and environmental conditions. However, the performance required in many applications can also be achieved with a coating system that does the job with a lower gold content.

Increased electrical costs due to the electromobility transition, autonomous driving, and infotainment systems with high-definition 4K resolution call for new electrical system architectures in automotive engineering. The traditional decentralized electrical system architecture is reaching its limits due to its complexity and the high-speed properties required for it. ept offers the right board-to-board connectors to meet these challenges.

February 2023With a new basic specification named ModBlox7 for modular box PCs, a working group of PICMG® has agreed on a new manufacturer-independent standard in order to connect modules that are primarily used in bus and railroad technology. This new cross-manufacturer standard enables users to implement a wide range of device combinations in modular design through interoperable functional units.

We explain how board-to-board connectors achieve robustness and which factors influence the robustness of a connector. This will arm your board-to-board connector against any stresses.

Trends in industrial automation place new demands on connectors

Zero8 PCB Connectors with Maximum Scalability! Benefit immediately from maximum efficiency, contact reliability, signal protection, speed, and robustness.

Battery management systems and power electronics play a key role in electromobility because they connect different components in electric vehicles. Connectors are what provide the connection function within inverters. These are needed to control and transmit signals, data, and high currents reliably, safely, quickly, and without losses despite demanding operating conditions. To do this, the connectors have to meet a number of requirements in terms of temperature resistance, compactness, and flexibility, as well as performance and robustness.

October 2020The high-speed Zero8 connectors featuring ScaleX technology will be available in different heights, as well as shielded and unshielded designs, following electronica in November 2020.

October 2020In which applications can connectors be found? Come with us on an exciting journey into the world of connection technology!

March 2020The One27 with a 1.27-mm pitch is now also available with lagging contacts. Developers will be able to get the angled 12- to 80-pin male connectors starting March 2020. This makes it possible to simply change modules in industrial applications during live operation.

January 2020We are at the embedded world once again! This time we will focus on HighSpeed, EMC, press-fit technology and much more.

December 2019The Colibri® 0.5 mm-pitch SMT connectors from ept have guaranteed reliable data transfer rates between printed circuit boards (PCB) for high-speed applications for years. Pin counts of 40, 80, 120, and 160 will be available for applications of up to 16 Gbps as of the 2020 embedded world.

November 2019Readers of the DESIGN&ELEKTRONIK magazine were impressed by the new ScaleX technology

Together with Phoenix Contact, ept was chosen as ‘Innovator of the Year’ in the electromechanics category for its ScaleX technology used in the new Zero8 connectors. The DESIGN&ELEKTRONIK glass trophy was handed over by the magazine’s editor, Ralf Higgelke, to Claus Guglhör from ept, who was beaming with joy, and Markus Sonderer from Phoenix Contact during the awards ceremony that took place at the Seehaus restaurant in the English Garden in Munich, Germany.

September 2019The Zero8 board-to-board connector series is now available in the mid-profile and low-profile versions. The device design allows users to flexibly choose between different pin counts, types, and stack heights. Different heights allow board-to-board distances between 6.00 and 20.00 millimeters to be implemented.

July 2019
The Bavarian connector manufacturer ept GmbH achieved outstanding results for the fifth time in a row in the customer satisfaction survey conducted by the market research firm Bishop & Associates. ept came in second place in the European rankings and scored even higher than it did in the 2017 survey.

February 2019The Christmas raffle organized by ept’s apprentices and employees raised 4,727 euros. 2,000 euros of that were donated to the St. Nikolaus Children’s Hospice in Bad Grönenbach in the German district of Unterallgäu. Another 2,000 euros were received by the mountain rescue team of Steingaden and Peiting. Finally, the Steingaden Middle School received a donation in kind in the form of a scroll saw valued at 727 euros.

January 2019From March, the Colibri connector in the 16 Gb / s version is available

January 2019EC.8 – Easy-to-Use HighSpeed Connectors: That's the motto of the new ept HighSpeed edge card connector EC.8.
Find out more in the following article.

November 2018ept is again exhibiting at electronica, the world’s leading electronics convention. Our experts are free for consultations for visitors and interested parties who would like to have more information about our entire range of ept products within the printed circuit board and automotive sectors. Convince yourself of our wide range of solutions for your application and the outstanding quality of our products.

October 2018Phoenix Contact and ept are launching a new series of robust board-to-board connectors with 0.8 mm pitch. The jointly developed connectors will be shown at the world's leading fair for electronics, electronica, in Munich for the first time.

August 2018ept invested in its first electroplating system back in 1985. Thanks to the boom in the telecommunications industry and the accompanying high demand for connectors in this sector, the company brought a second system into operation just five years later. During this period, ept significantly expanded its experience and expertise in the field of strip electroplating

Learn how surface coating works at ept GmbH.

August 2018ept GmbH has been singled out as best supplier by the Continental Automotive Group. The ‘Supplier Day 2018’ served as a venue for the reception of the supplier award for outstanding achievements in the “Plastic and Rubber” materials group.

July 2018Construction of a new expansion for ept GmbH in Peiting is underway. The connector manufacturer is increasing its working area by 4,600 m², spread over two floors.

June 2018The 27th edition of the ept connectors catalog just arrived hot off the press – and you can get your very own copy!The 27th edition of the ept connectors catalog just arrived hot off the press – and you can get your very own copy!

May 2018All of the unit height and pin count combinations of the straight One27 connectors can be delivered to your doorstep within two weeks!Do you need reliable SMT PCB connections with a pitch of 1.27 mm, and do you need them fast? The straight One27® SMT PCB connectors from ept are now available with a shipping time of just two to four weeks. With a pitch of only 1.27 mm, they can be used to connect mezzanine PCBs. Are you already purchasing your 1.27 mm-pitch SMT connectors from another manufacturer, but are you needing to complement them with straight male or female connectors? The One27® connectors are proven to be compatible with all currently available SMT connectors with a pitch of 1.27 mm from other manufacturers.All of the unit height and pin count combinations of the straight One27 connectors can be delivered to your doorstep within two weeks!

Do you need reliable SMT PCB connections with a pitch of 1.27 mm, and do you need them fast? The straight One27® SMT PCB connectors from ept are now available with a shipping time of just two to four weeks. With a pitch of only 1.27 mm, they can be used to connect mezzanine PCBs. Are you already purchasing your 1.27 mm-pitch SMT connectors from another manufacturer, but are you needing to complement them with straight male or female connectors? The One27® connectors are proven to be compatible with all currently available SMT connectors with a pitch of 1.27 mm from other manufacturers.

January 2018Colibri high-speed connectors will soon offer even moreEpt’s Colibri PCB connectors, which have a pitch of 0.5 mm, are already a reliable choice in COM express and high-speed applications up to 10 Gbps. Now, ept is looking to add a new, high-speed variant to the connector series. The new connector will be suitable for data transfer rates of up to 16 Gbps and beyond.Colibri high-speed connectors will soon offer even more

Ept’s Colibri PCB connectors, which have a pitch of 0.5 mm, are already a reliable choice in COM express and high-speed applications up to 10 Gbps. Now, ept is looking to add a new, high-speed variant to the connector series. The new connector will be suitable for data transfer rates of up to 16 Gbps and beyond.

June 2017ept Colibri SMT connectors are now optionally available with a thicker gold coatingept’s Colibri PCB connectors, which have a pitch of 0.5 mm, are a reliable choice in COM express and high-speed applications up to 10 Gbps. In response to customer demand, these high-speed connectors are now also available as a Heavy Au version for deployment in challenging environments. ept Colibri SMT connectors are now optionally available with a thicker gold coating

ept’s Colibri PCB connectors, which have a pitch of 0.5 mm, are a reliable choice in COM express and high-speed applications up to 10 Gbps. In response to customer demand, these high-speed connectors are now also available as a Heavy Au version for deployment in challenging environments.

June 2017Pilz GmbH & Co. KG presented its ‘2016 Pilz Award’ to the connector manufacturerAutomation company Pilz announced the recipients of the Pilz Award and lauded connector manufacturer ept GmbH, based in Peiting, Germany, as one of the five suppliers of the year for 2016. Thomas Pilz, managing director at Pilz, presented the award to Claus Guglhör, Sales Director and shareholder of ept GmbH, at the awards ceremony. In so doing, Thomas Pilz paid tribute in particular to the excellent level of quality of the products that ept supplies, the superior on-time rating for deliveries, and the spirit of cooperation with ept.Pilz GmbH & Co. KG presented its ‘2016 Pilz Award’ to the connector manufacturer
Automation company Pilz announced the recipients of the Pilz Award and lauded connector manufacturer ept GmbH, based in Peiting, Germany, as one of the five suppliers of the year for 2016. Thomas Pilz, managing director at Pilz, presented the award to Claus Guglhör, Sales Director and shareholder of ept GmbH, at the awards ceremony. In so doing, Thomas Pilz paid tribute in particular to the excellent level of quality of the products that ept supplies, the superior on-time rating for deliveries, and the spirit of cooperation with ept.

May 2017Electronic developers are frequently tasked with adapting parallel PCB connections to a wide range of spatial requirements. With ept’s One27® SMT PCB connector, which has a pitch of 1.27 mm, the distance between any two stacked PCBs is variable by up to 5.8 mm.Electronic developers are frequently tasked with adapting parallel PCB connections to a wide range of spatial requirements. With ept’s One27® SMT PCB connector, which has a pitch of 1.27 mm, the distance between any two stacked PCBs is variable by up to 5.8 mm.

March 2017Effective immediately, all versions of the Colibri® high-speed connectors with a pitch of 0.5 mm are now also available with the pin counts 40, 80, 120, 160, and 200.Effective immediately, all versions of the Colibri® high-speed connectors with a pitch of 0.5 mm are now also available with the pin counts 40, 80, 120, 160, and 200.

February 2017The 3.0 release of the successful COM Express computer-on-module standard includes a new pinout type. This enables a faster data transfer rate of up to 10 Gbps, thereby expanding the applicability of COM Express in terms of server applications. Of course, the PCB connectors required to connect the baseboard and the COM module need to meet these increased requirements.The 3.0 release of the successful COM Express computer-on-module standard includes a new pinout type. This enables a faster data transfer rate of up to 10 Gbps, thereby expanding the applicability of COM Express in terms of server applications. Of course, the PCB connectors required to connect the baseboard and the COM module need to meet these increased requirements.

December 2016In Habartov (Czech Republic) a new ept plant with 5000 m² production area and 1000 m² storage area and office space is built for the connector production.In Habartov (Czech Republic) a new ept plant with 5000 m² production area and 1000 m² storage area and office space is built for the connector production.

December 2016ept GmbH, headquartered in Peiting, Bavaria, Germany, has been a family-owned business for more than 40 years, supplying not only the automotive industry, but also the industrial and communications sector with PCB connectors. All products are produced in-house, as ept GmbH is capable of handling all important manufacturing steps. These include product development, project planning, tooling and equipment, production (punching, electroplating, assembly, etc.) and also the provision of a comprehensive “all-in-one” service. With its plants in Germany, the Czech Republic, the US, and China, ept GmbH is also a major player in electrical connectors around the world.ept GmbH, headquartered in Peiting, Bavaria, Germany, has been a family-owned business for more than 40 years, supplying not only the automotive industry, but also the industrial and communications sector with PCB connectors. All products are produced in-house, as ept GmbH is capable of handling all important manufacturing steps. These include product development, project planning, tooling and equipment, production (punching, electroplating, assembly, etc.) and also the provision of a comprehensive “all-in-one” service. With its plants in Germany, the Czech Republic, the US, and China, ept GmbH is also a major player in electrical connectors around the world.

September 2016Assemblies can be designed with more flexibility thanks to a variety of model heights, up to 80 pins, and various connection options.Assemblies can be designed with more flexibility thanks to a variety of model heights, up to 80 pins, and various connection options.

April 2016The connector specialist ept guarantees to its customers the long-term availability of VarPol pin headers and female sockets with a pitch of 2.54 mm. For years, hardware developers have sworn by the product, which allows you to reliably and flexibly connect circuit boards together or connect a cable to a circuit board.The connector specialist ept guarantees to its customers the long-term availability of VarPol pin headers and female sockets with a pitch of 2.54 mm. For years, hardware developers have sworn by the product, which allows you to reliably and flexibly connect circuit boards together or connect a cable to a circuit board.

January 2016Are you looking to speed up your COM Express application? Colibri® connectors from ept deliver first-rate signal integrity even at 10 Gbps, making the COM Express connector system the top choice for your applications at these speeds and higher. They are ideal for PCI Express Gen3 applications with 8 Gbps or 10 Gbps Ethernet (10GBase-KR). S-parameters are available on request from ept for use in simulating your proprietary designs.Are you looking to speed up your COM Express application? Colibri® connectors from ept deliver first-rate signal integrity even at 10 Gbps, making the COM Express connector system the top choice for your applications at these speeds and higher. They are ideal for PCI Express Gen3 applications with 8 Gbps or 10 Gbps Ethernet (10GBase-KR). S-parameters are available on request from ept for use in simulating your proprietary designs.

October 2014ept is introducing a new board-to-board connector range based on the press-fit system: flexilinkb-t-b connectors provide high-quality, non-pluggable connections between PCBs at a pitch of 2.54 mm, making use of the successful 'Tcom press' press-fit system.ept is introducing a new board-to-board connector range based on the press-fit system: flexilinkb-t-b connectors provide high-quality, non-pluggable connections between PCBs at a pitch of 2.54 mm, making use of the successful 'Tcom press' press-fit system.

October 2014After adding a 440-pins version to the COM Express connector system Colibri®, ept now releases the Colibri Plug for 5 mm board-to-board distance. After adding a 440-pins version to the COM Express connector system Colibri®, ept now releases the Colibri Plug for 5 mm board-to-board distance.

October 2014A groundbreaking ceremony led by the Guglhör family back in 2012 marked the symbolic beginning of the expansion of ept’s Buching plant. The founder, Bernhard Guglhör, and his son Thomas Guglhör, who is currently president of ept, made this move in response to increasing demand and a growing influx of orders for connectors.A groundbreaking ceremony led by the Guglhör family back in 2012 marked the symbolic beginning of the expansion of ept’s Buching plant. The founder, Bernhard Guglhör, and his son Thomas Guglhör, who is currently president of ept, made this move in response to increasing demand and a growing influx of orders for connectors.

October 2014ept GmbH received a Supplier Award from the Continental Automotive Group for its outstanding achievements in the area of ‘electromechanics/plastic-mechatronics.’ The award was presented to Thomas Guglhör, President of ept GmbH, by Dr. E. Degenhard, CEO of Continental AG, on 17 July 2014 during a suppliers conference in Prague.ept GmbH received a Supplier Award from the Continental Automotive Group for its outstanding achievements in the area of ‘electromechanics/plastic-mechatronics.’ The award was presented to Thomas Guglhör, President of ept GmbH, by Dr. E. Degenhard, CEO of Continental AG, on 17 July 2014 during a suppliers conference in Prague.