An electrical connector comprising: a connector body; a plurality of conductors passing through the connector body; a mating interface for mating with a compatible electrical connector; an energy harvesting device and a rechargeable DC power source; at least one sensor (16, 18, 20) device arranged to detect at least one parameter associated with the electrical connector and communicate at least one parameter; and an output communication channel for communicating data, wherein the connector body includes the energy harvesting device, the rechargeable DC power source, the at least one sensor (16, 18, 20) device and the output device, characterized in that: the connector body further includes a microcontroller and a power controller device having instructions programmed thereon or implemented in an integrated circuit for controlling a flow of power between the energy harvesting device, the rechargeable DC power source, and the microcontroller; the at least one sensor (16, 18, 20) is in electrical communication with the microcontroller; and configured to communicate the at least one parameter to the microcontroller; the output communication channel communicates data from the microcontroller associated with at the least one sensor (16, 18, 20); and the power controller device receives power from the energy harvesting device and provides that power to the microcontroller, and when the energy harvesting circuit generates excess power over the microcontroller load, the excess power is applied to the rechargeable DC power source, for times when the energy harvesting circuit is not generating sufficient power for microcontroller. a connector body; a plurality of conductors passing through the connector body; a mating interface for mating with a compatible electrical connector; an energy harvesting device and a rechargeable DC power source; at least one sensor (16, 18, 20) device arranged to detect at least one parameter associated with the electrical connector and communicate at least one parameter; and an output communication channel for communicating data, wherein the connector body includes the energy harvesting device, the rechargeable DC power source, the at least one sensor (16, 18, 20) device and the output device, characterized in that: the connector body further includes a microcontroller and a power controller device having instructions programmed thereon or implemented in an integrated circuit for controlling a flow of power between the energy harvesting device, the rechargeable DC power source, and the microcontroller; the at least one sensor (16, 18, 20) is in electrical communication with the microcontroller; and configured to communicate the at least one parameter to the microcontroller; the output communication channel communicates data from the microcontroller associated with at the least one sensor (16, 18, 20); and the power controller device receives power from the energy harvesting device and provides that power to the microcontroller, and when the energy harvesting circuit generates excess power over the microcontroller load, the excess power is applied to the rechargeable DC power source, for times when the energy harvesting circuit is not generating sufficient power for microcontroller. the connector body further includes a microcontroller and a power controller device having instructions programmed thereon or implemented in an integrated circuit for controlling a flow of power between the energy harvesting device, the rechargeable DC power source, and the microcontroller; the at least one sensor (16, 18, 20) is in electrical communication with the microcontroller; and configured to communicate the at least one parameter to the microcontroller; the output communication channel communicates data from the microcontroller associated with at the least one sensor (16, 18, 20); and the power controller device receives power from the energy harvesting device and provides that power to the microcontroller, and when the energy harvesting circuit generates excess power over the microcontroller load, the excess power is applied to the rechargeable DC power source, for times when the energy harvesting circuit is not generating sufficient power for microcontroller.