MacArtney used Oceanology International to launch three connectivity products aimed at one problem: getting more data through the same compact subsea interface.

Three Launches, One Theme

At its stand during Oceanology International, Danish subsea technology group MacArtney presented three additions to its connectivity portfolio:

• TrustLink Data — a data harness supporting 10 Gbit/s transmission over controlled impedance pathways;
• TrustLink Coax — a coaxial solution engineered for stable high-frequency performance;
• SubConn 9-pin — a compact, reliable wet-mate interface giving designers more data capacity within an established footprint.

Target applications cited by the company include real-time sensing, ROTV systems, AUVs, oceanographic platforms and integrated survey packages — all segments where bandwidth demand has grown faster than connector envelope dimensions.

The Engineering Rationale

Steen Ballegaard, Product Manager for Connectivity at MacArtney, noted that TrustLink Data resulted from roughly two years of development driven by customers requesting steadily higher data capacity. The commercial signal behind that effort is clearest among sonar OEMs: as multibeam and synthetic aperture systems push resolution upward, the volume of raw data crossing the vehicle-to-surface boundary rises accordingly.

Alasdair Murray, Head of Sales at MacArtney UK, framed the timing directly: clients — particularly OEMs manufacturing sonar systems — are shifting toward higher-capacity data requirements, and connector and harness hardware has to keep pace.

Paul Anthony, Global Business Development Director, positioned the two new interfaces as complementary: the SubConn 9-pin adds data capacity within the same compact envelope, while TrustLink Coax delivers predictable high-frequency signal quality where coaxial transmission is the specified path. The company emphasises controlled termination and integration as the mechanism that keeps performance predictable on systems operating down to 6,000 metres.

Reported Specifications of the 9-Contact Data Variant

The engineering details circulating around the new 9-contact SubConn data interface are worth examining, because they define what "more data in the same footprint" actually costs in design terms:

The design trade-off is honest: a shielding contact inside an existing shell means tighter insulator geometry and less margin between power and signal conductors. That is manageable at 600 bar with a disciplined contact design, but it places a premium on termination quality — the reason MacArtney pairs the product with global workshop termination and testing services rather than shipping loose components alone.

What It Signals for the Wider Market

Three observations for specifiers and buyers:

• Bandwidth is becoming the binding constraint. Depth ratings are mature across the industry; data throughput over compact wet-mate interfaces is where differentiation now sits.
• Footprint compatibility protects installed bases. Upgrades that preserve mechanical interfaces avoid re-engineering instrument housings — a decisive factor in retrofit-driven procurement.
• Termination is part of the product. At 10 Gbit/s, connector performance is inseparable from assembly quality; buyers should evaluate the termination and test regime, not only the datasheet.

MarineConn's Position

MarineConn manufactures underwater electrical connectors — including micro circular, circular, electro-optic hybrid and high-current variants — together with moulded subsea cable assemblies. For projects balancing data throughput against envelope size, our engineering team can advise on contact layout, shielding strategy and termination quality control.

Evaluating a high-speed subsea interface? Contact our engineering team for drawings, depth-rating guidance and sample evaluation.

Source: MacArtney connectivity launch communication (Oceanology International), October 2026; published product specifications. Reported figures are manufacturer claims pending independent verification.