Molex unveiled MiniMix on 5 August 2026, a range of hybrid connectors designed to accelerate the transition to mass production of humanoid robots. Samples are available from the announcement for design and evaluation; ramp-up to commercial production is scheduled for late 2026.
The principle can be summed up in one sentence: a single interface carrying both power and signal. MiniMix combines power contacts rated up to 15.0 A and a 1000BASE-T1 Ethernet link at 1 Gbit/s within the same housing. The announced routing profile is 5.65 mm, available in vertical and angled mating orientations. Molex claims up to 50% less routing surface than competing solutions.
Key figures
- Power: contacts rated up to 15.0 A
- Data: 1000BASE-T1 Ethernet, 1 Gbit/s
- Routing profile: 5.65 mm
- Mating orientation: vertical and angled versions
- Claimed benefit: up to 50% less routing surface than the competition (manufacturer figure)
- Availability: samples from 5 August 2026 for design and evaluation
- Commercial production: late 2026
The declared target applications are multi-axis joints of humanoids—wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, and neck assemblies. The range also targets actuators, grippers, autonomous mobile robots, and, more broadly, industrial automation.
Brian Hauge, President and Senior Vice President of Molex’s Consumer and Commercial Solutions division, presents MiniMix as a replacement for tedious manual assembly with an integrated power and signal transmission solution.
Sources
- PR Newswire — Molex press release, 5 August 2026 (range, 15.0 A, 1000BASE-T1, availability, quote)
- Electronics Weekly — 6 August 2026 (5.65 mm profile, mating orientations, target applications)