Northwire's New SMPTE and ARIB HD Cables Expand LEMO's Field-Proven Broadcast Range

Osceola, WI, April 13, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Northwire’s New SMPTE and ARIB HD Cables Expand LEMO’s Field-Proven Broadcast Range

One-Stop-Shop for Connectors, Cables, Assemblies, Media Converters and MRO Services

Cable engineering company, Northwire, Inc., (NWI), in collaboration with precision cable connector market leader LEMO complements their field-proven family of broadcast solutions with the addition of a new range of ruggedized fibre optic hybrid HDTV SMPTE and ARIB camera cables.  Well-known in the high-tech broadcast marketplace, LEMO’s suite of products, including the SMPTE 3K.93C Series, media converters and its families of Push-Pull connectors, have seamlessly enabled some of the world’s most watched venues including the Olympics, The World Cup and US Open.  Tune-in to any technically-advanced programming and it is likely that LEMO is operating behind the scenes ensuring the best quality of audio, video and data transmission with the highest reliability.

Hundreds of years of expertise amongst The LEMO Group Subsidiaries and Northwire have combined to accomplish the SMPTE and ARIB hybrid fibre cable launch.  The following seven points highlight the background, developments and resources supporting the launch of this new product package with all components, be they connectors, cables or complete assemblies, meeting LEMO’s high standards for quality, reliability and performance.

No. 7. A TALE OF TWO SOCIETIES – SMPTE & ARIB – AND LEMO

SMPTE, the US Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) and ARIB, the Japanese Association of Radio Industries and Business (ARIB), have created the two primary global standards for hybrid fibre broadcast camera cables currently in use. LEMO’s 3K.93C connector formed the basis of the connector standard for both and, following extensive development, Northwire’s new SMPTE 311 cable and ARIB versions have been proven to  meet or exceed their respective standards also. In tests, the AWM UL Recognized product from Northwire outperformed traditional manufacturers in two important categories:  resistance to cut and abrasion and VW-1 flame testing. Made in the USA, Northwire’s HD hybrid fibre solutions are available in black, grey, and blue.

No. 6. NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS… LEMO – NWI EUROPEAN CENTRAL & LOCAL STOCK

As ubiquitous as LEMO is in the high-definition world of television, it has a similar physical presence around the globe. With almost 20 subsidiaries and close to 20 distributors easily-accessible, the likelihood that LEMO is just around the corner is high – and odds are getting better. Impressively quick and ultra-convenient, The LEMO – Northwire European master distribution centre is now open for business. Strategically located at LEMO Connectors Benelux, the state-of-the art facility will serve all of LEMO’s European outlets in addition to their local marketplace – Netherlands and Belgium. Working collaboratively with you, LEMO will create a flexible supply chain designed specifically to meet your needs including special service arrangements for five day lead-times for the new LEMO-Northwire SMPTE and ARIB hybrid fibre cables. Contact your local LEMO company for further information.

No. 5. MEDIA CONVERTERS FROM LEMO ENHANCE BROADCAST SYSTEM FLEXIBILITY

LEMO’s range of fibre media converters feature a wide selection of options, are lightweight, and portable, and are compatible with SD, HD, and a range of SMPTE standards, providing extra flexibility to Broadcast operators and the challenges faced at events.

View data sheets and review the product benefits below:   

●    MEERKAT™  triax to fibre converter encodes the camera’s triaxial signal and converts it for transmission using Northwire’s SMPTE 311M cable.
●    SERBAL™ features a four channel multiplexer for HD/SDI to fibre conversion also using SMPTE fibre cable. The 3G version is suitable for 4K transmission.            
●    SHACK™ coverts unit from SMPTE fibre cable to duplex single mode fibre, enabling the use of existing single mode fibre building infrastructure.
●    HD Z Link fibre camera back changes a camcorder into a system camera that can be connected to SMPTE fibre links

No. 4. LEMO F.O.U.R. [Fibre Optics Unit of Research] AND OTHER LEMO PERSONNEL LEND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE TO THE NORTHWIRE PROJECT TEAM

Every successful project requires an experienced Project Manager. Mr. Keith Beckman, Senior Director of Corporate Projects at Northwire, collaborated with a team of experienced individuals to ensure optimal functionality and high-reliability in NWI’s new SMPTE and ARIB cables. Keith and the project team successfully balanced competing Critical-To-Quality Characteristics (CTQCs) to optimize the cable designs. Keith explains, “End-users demand strong cable that is robust enough to protect the glass fibre from crushing, bending and abrasion abuse in the field. However, the same users want cables to be flexible for ease of deployment and field handling.” The Northwire Team, combining over 100 years of collective industry expertise to complement the extensive fibre optic knowledge amongst several locations within the LEMO Group including colleagues at LEMO F.O.U.R., offers more than four decades of technical expertise as well as test and development services.

No. 3. 3K.93C FIELD-PROVEN SERIES PAVES THE WAY FOR LEMO’S ENTIRE SUITE OF RUGGEDIZED BROADCAST INTERCONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS…

LEMO developed the 3K.93C Series connectors in the early stages of the introduction of HDTV in the 1990s, becoming the global standard for high-definition camera systems. It is one of the only connectors being used worldwide that complies fully with SMPTE, ARIB and EBU standards and is specified in many national and international broadcast companies. Waterproof to IP68 rating, LEMO’s self-latching Push-Pull connectors can operate in extreme environments with temperatures ranging from -40° C to +80° C. The stainless steel 3K.93C cable connector can sustain 20,000 mating cycles, making it a very robust solution.  The LEMO 3K.93C series is available in 11 different shell styles with applications ranging from studios to sports arenas, outside broadcast to concert halls and many others.

Where customers continue to use copper infrastructure, LEMO’s long established range of triax camera connectors are also employed around the world

●    3T SERIES watertight coaxial and triaxial connectors for cameras in France
●    4A SERIES ensures water-protected triaxial connectors for US broadcast cameras
●    4M SERIES water-protected BBC standard triaxial camera connectors in the UK
●    4E SERIES offer water-protected triaxial connectors for European cameras 
●    3K.93C SERIES meets hybrid electrical-fiber optic connector requirements for HDTV standards including:  ARINC | ARIB | EBU
●    REDEL® F SERIES  water-protected triaxial connectors compatible with 1051 A004 Series camera connectors

No. 2. TWO HYBRID FIBRE CABLE OPTIONS AVAILABLE TODAY… PRODUCT FAMILY EXPANSION PLANS ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION                                         

With the continued evolution of broadcast technologies, 4K and 8K on the horizon, live holographic television, computational photography and more, Northwire will endeavour to expand its current SMPTE and ARIB offerings to ensure that early adopters of breakthrough technology have advanced cable solutions. In the short term, Halogen Free Flame Retardant (HFFR) and Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH) product extensions are under development.

Engineered and manufactured for harsh-duty applications, Northwire’s hybrid cables are fully compatible with LEMO’s 3K.93C hybrid connector. Featuring signal, power, control and a low coefficient of friction to ensure the smoothest end-user experience, click the link for the data sheet to learn more about materials and construction of the new cables including braid and shielding, auxiliary and signal conductors, and fibres and strength members. With a bend radius of 6x cable diameter, Northwire’s harsh-duty SMPTE and ARIB cable is built for optimal flexibility including torsional, rolling, variable, bend and continuous.  Check out some of the highlights for Northwire’s SMPTE and ARIB ruggedized cable. The heavy duty cable meets or exceeds the following standards:

●    SMPTE 311 and ANSI
●    ARIB​
●    RoHS2 Compliant
●    UL 758 AWM​
●    CE Mark Approved
●    REACH Compliant
●    Impact Resistant
​●    Crush Resistant
●    Cut Resistant
​●    Use in Wet Locations
​●    Oil Resistant
​●    VW-1 Flame Resistant
●    Wash-down Resistant
​●    Low/High Temp                 

No. 1. ONE STOP SHOP OF VERTICALLY-INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS… FROM OEM TO MRO SERVICES

Joining their MRO equipped colleagues with fibre termination facilities within the LEMO Group in the United Kingdom, Germany, Benelux, Japan, China, Singapore, and the United States, Northwire is in the process of completing LEMO’s Certified SMPTE Cable Assembler requirements to build and repair SMPTE 311M fibre optic cable assemblies. With a suite of offerings of connectors, cable and media converters, LEMO and NWI are your innovative solutions provider for a wide variety of custom and standard cable assemblies:

●    Coaxial and Triaxial cable
●    Audio and Video Cable
●    Multi-conductor 
●    PTFE and PUR Cable
●    Silicone Cable
​●    Silicone-Free Cable
​●    Special…Viton®
●    Computer Cable
●    High Voltage Cable
​●    Hybrid Cable
​●    Retractable Cable
​●    Fibre Optic Cable
​●    Plastic Optical Fibre Cable
​●    Miniature Cable
​●    Base-station Cable
​●    Cat 5 | Cat 7 Cable
​●    Flat Cable
​●    And much more…​

Efficiently and effectively consolidate your supply base with LEMO and Northwire’s comprehensive broadcast solutions. Schedule a joint ‘Lunch and Learn’ with LEMO and Northwire or contact Northwire for free wire and cable samples. Connect with the Customer Care TEAM at 800.468.1516, [email protected], or via live chat.

About LEMO

LEMO is an acknowledged leader in the design and manufacture of precision custom connection and cable solutions. LEMO’s high quality push-pull connectors are found in a variety of challenging application environments including medical, industrial control, test and measurement, broadcast, and telecommunications.

LEMO has been designing custom connectors for over six decades. Offering more than 100,000 combinations of products that continue to grow through tailored, specific designs, LEMO and its affiliated sister companies REDEL, NORTHWIRE and COELVER currently serve more than 100,000 customers in over 80 countries around the world. In 2014, LEMO Group acquired Northwire, Inc.

About Northwire

Cable manufacturer, Northwire, Inc., celebrating over 43 years of innovation, has corporate headquarters and manufacturing in Osceola, Wisconsin and engineering and manufacturing in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The cable engineering company is the premier partner for the design, manufacture and contract services of custom technical products including custom technical wire and cable, retractable cable, cable assemblies, connectors, harnesses, injection moulding, over-molding and contract engineering and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) for diverse applications in broadcast, life sciences, energy, MIL-Spec defence, industrial, machine vision, architectural lighting, underwater and beyond.

In addition to ISO 13485:2003, ISO 9001:2008, SAE AS9100C:2009 certifications and qualification to ISO 17025:2005, Northwire is a member of NDIA (National Defense Industrial Association), NCMA (National Contract Management Association), RIA (Robotics Industries Association), AIA (Automated Imaging Association), FieldComm (fka Foundation Fieldbus), ODVA (Open DeviceNet Vendors Associations) and WAI (Wire Association International), among others.

For more information, visit www.northwire.com.