When they started the design of their first products, for example the ML-2 amplifier, the team decided to use a "no compromise" approach: only the best component should be used, price would not matter.
Thanks to this strategy the MLAS products still works very very well after more than 25 years.
Another impact of this decision was to use the "best" type of connectors available. Two readily available industry standards, named NIM and CAMAC, used in the instrumentation world were a satisfying choice. They are used - among other - in physics laboratories, like the CERN.
What does NIM and CAMAC mean exactly ?
NIM: Nuclear Instrumentation Module standard TID 20893.
CAMAC: Computer Automated Measurement And Control. CAMAC is standard number 583 of the IEEE (IEEE 582-1982).
CAMAC is the specification of a bus (a given number of electrical wires which carry different signals) used on the backplane on the rear of a crate or chassis where the user can plug modules (cards).
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| Empty CAMAC crate. The space below is where the power supply fits. |
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| A CAMAC module. |
Modules have connectors on the back that connects to the crate backplane and also several connectors located on the front panel. A"loaded" CAMA/NIM system could look like this one :
There are several manufacturers which sells the connectors which allows the modules to connect to the external world through wires :
But usually people would say "LEMO connector" rather than "a standard NIM/CAMAC connector made by LEMO". Yes, it's a bit weird to say "I bought a LEMO connector from Fischer".
CAMAC connectors have a lots of advantages compared to the usual RCA connector, the main one being that the ground will connect first before the live signal wire. With the RCA connector it's just the opposite which generates a very unpleasant noise in your speakers when you connect/disconnect it to a "live"system.
There are several manufacturers which sells the connectors which allows the modules to connect to the external world through wires :
- LEMO stands for LÉon MOuttet, the Swiss engineer who founded the company. This is the most famous one.
- The US based, named Fischer, which also design NIM-CAMAC connectors. And guess the name of its founder ? Walter Werner Fischer, a Swiss engineer !
- Huber+Suhner, another Swiss company, created by two Swiss.
But usually people would say "LEMO connector" rather than "a standard NIM/CAMAC connector made by LEMO". Yes, it's a bit weird to say "I bought a LEMO connector from Fischer".
CAMAC connectors have a lots of advantages compared to the usual RCA connector, the main one being that the ground will connect first before the live signal wire. With the RCA connector it's just the opposite which generates a very unpleasant noise in your speakers when you connect/disconnect it to a "live"system.
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| RCA "cinch" connectors. |
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