The 5G industry is rapidly evolving, and 3GPP's 5G Release 18 standard is set to revolutionize the space with 5G Advanced. With enhancements to Coverage, Mobility, and Positioning, the evolution of MIMO1, and reduced energy usage, this standard will lay the foundation for the promised 5G end-to-end applications, such as Smart City, Connected Vehicles, XR or Extended Reality, and Industry 4.0. Panasonic Industry is at the forefront of this evolution, enabling the transition to 5G and 5G Advanced hardware with passive and electromechanical board-level components specialized for computing devices from Data Center to Device Edge.

Panasonic's components are particularly suited for hardware such as Power Distribution Units (PDU) and Power Supplies, Switches, Routers, Network Interface Cards, Advanced Antenna Systems (AAS), Baseband units (BBU), Edge computers, Remote Units, down to 5G mm-Wave antennas. 
 

Panasonic offers different Polymer Capacitor series that support a combination of feature priorities, from low voltage/low-profile height, high voltage/small package, or long life/high voltage, which can be used in networking hardware such as switches and routers. For instance, OSCON™ and POSCAP™ Capacitors are well-suited for the 12V input side of a circuit, with POSCAP™ offering a low profile to support a compact design. At the same time, OSCON™ Polymer Capacitors feature a large current threshold of up to 5.8Amps for a 12 Volt supply. On the output side, SP-Cap™ Capacitors provide ultra-low ESR at 3 milliohms, while POSCAP™ Capacitors can support 5 milliohms with a larger capacitance rating.

In addition to their Capacitors, Panasonic's DW Latching Relays can significantly reduce energy consumption, up to 67%, in data center Power Distribution Units (PDU) and power supplies. This feature helps lower internal heat rise, reducing overall board temperature. Moreover, the Relay's small size enables a densely packed board, sometimes up to 48 Relays per board, supporting a smaller footprint. Relays are also a key component of remote maintenance as they can switch server equipment ON and OFF without personnel to perform manually on-site, such as when power may need to be cycled.

For 5G millimeter-wave antennas, RF Connectors with Tough Contact construction provide high Signal Integrity (SI) through a built-in shield structure that isolates the rest of the device from the harmful effects of Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) and Electro Magnetic Susceptibility (EMS). This shielded structure and pin configuration support up to 15GHz. The graph below compares EMI characteristics with and without a shielded RF Connector. The Panasonic RF35 Series High Frequency 5G Connectors results as seen in blue in the diagram, achieve EMI well below the threshold standardized by the FCC. The industry-leading Tough Contact construction provides high reliability and retention force to maintain quality connections. 

Panasonic's specialized components provide a foundation for fast and reliable 5G hardware and will continue to be a trusted partner as 5G Advanced designs and applications evolve. The components, such as Relays, Polymer Capacitors, and shielded high-frequency 5G Connectors, play a crucial role in ensuring high signal integrity, reducing energy consumption, and minimizing electromagnetic interference. As new challenges arise, Panasonic's focus on providing cutting-edge technology will help drive the development of 5G applications and enable the promise of a more connected, efficient, and innovative world.