The word sub miniature is a term most commonly used with electricaldevices like cameras or electrical connectors used in computers like RFconnectors or circular connectors available on the market today. An electricalconnector is in fact a conductive device allowing joining electrical circuit toeach other whether it is temporary like when using a portable device orpermanent when it is between wires or devices.
Those sub miniature connectors tend to be used usually to provide somemechanical support and screening actually against what we call electromagneticinterferences. Electromagnetic interferences are simply unwanted disturbancesthat will affect the electrical circuit and need to be stopped or they woulddamage or restrict the performance of the device involved. The best example iswhen using a radio transmitter or cable television.
Those connectors that differ from RF connectors or circular connectorstend to be in fact in a D shape. The D shape sub miniature connectors werefirst invented at the beginning of the fifties by a company called ITT Cannon andis now used a lot in personal computers and laptops. We had to wait later toget the screws on each side of the connector to make it work better.
Those connectors are also used a lot in communications.
On top of those sub miniature connector that have that particular shape,you can also find sub miniature circular connectors, binders and differentother elements involved in the built of a computer or any other thing.
Binders, as you may have already guessed it are another type ofconnectors different as well from RF connectors and circular connectors, andyou can even find some that will be waterproof.
Co axial products are also very often used whether they are semi rigidor completely rigid. They are actually mainly used as transmission line forradio frequency signals in the every day life or in military use. You can nowfind very high performance cables for various applications from test and measurementto military or space flights.
In the end there are plenty of different types of connectors which willbe all adapted and made for a specific use whether it is for a computer or ifit is to be put inside any other electrical device. You will find though thatfor connectors like circular connectors or RF connectors that there are a lotof different manufacturers to choose from when buying this element.