High-speed connectors

Abstract

The present invention provides an interconnect system having a lossy material of a first connector adjacent to a ground conductor of a second connector. The lossy material can suppress resonance at the mating interface of the first and second connectors. In some embodiments, the lossy material can be attached to the ground conductor of the first connector. In some embodiments, the lossy material can be shaped into a flare that extends along a cavity configured to receive the ground conductor of the mating connector.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This patent application generally relates to interconnection systems for interconnecting electronic components, such as interconnection systems including electrical connectors. Background Art

[0002] Electrical connectors are used in many electronic systems. It is generally easier and more cost-effective to manufacture the system as separate electronic components, such as printed circuit boards (PCBs), that can be connected together via electrical connectors. A known arrangement for connecting multiple PCBs is to use one PCB as a backplane. Additional PCBs, known as "daughterboards" or "daughter cards," can be connected via the backplane.

[0003] One known backplane is a printed circuit board (PCB) on which a number of connectors can be mounted. Conductive traces on the backplane can be electrically connected to signal conductors in the connectors, allowing signals to be routed between the connectors. Daughter cards may also be mounted with connectors. The connectors mounted on the daughter cards can be plugged into connectors mounted on the backplane. This allows signals to be routed between the daughter cards through the backplane. The daughter cards can be plugged into the backplane at right angles. Therefore, connectors used for these applications can include right-angle bends and are often referred to as "right-angle connectors." In addition, boards of the same or similar size can sometimes be aligned in parallel. Connectors used in these applications are often referred to as "stacking connectors" or "mezzanine connectors."

[0004] Connectors can also be used in other configurations to interconnect printed circuit boards and other types of devices, such as cables, to printed circuit boards. Some systems use a midplane configuration. Similar to a backplane, the midplane has connectors mounted on one surface that are interconnected via conductive traces within the midplane. The midplane also has connectors mounted on a second side to allow daughter cards to be plugged into either side of the midplane.

[0005] Daughter cards inserted from opposite sides of the midplane typically have an orthogonal orientation. This orientation positions one edge of each printed circuit board adjacent to the edge of each board inserted on the opposite side of the midplane. Traces within the midplane connecting a board on one side of the midplane to a board on the other side can be short, resulting in desirable signal integrity characteristics.

[0006] A variation of the midplane configuration is known as "direct attach." In this configuration, daughter cards are inserted from opposite sides of a rack that encloses the system's printed circuit board. The boards are also oriented orthogonally, so that the edge of a board inserted from one side of the rack is adjacent to the edge of a board inserted from the opposite side of the system. These daughter cards also have connectors. However, instead of plugging into connectors on the midplane, the connector on each daughter card plugs directly into a connector on a printed circuit board inserted from the opposite side of the system. Connectors in this configuration are sometimes referred to as direct attach orthogonal connectors. Examples of direct attach orthogonal connectors are shown in U.S. Patents 7,354,274, 7,331,830, 8,678,860, 8,057,267, and 8,251,745.

[0007] Regardless of the specific application, the design of electrical connectors has been adapted to reflect trends in the electronics industry. Electronic systems in general have become smaller, faster, and more complex. As a result of these changes, the number of circuits within a given area of an electronic system, as well as the operating frequencies of these circuits, have increased significantly in recent years. Today's systems transfer more data between printed circuit boards, and electrical connectors are required to handle this data at electrical speeds faster than connectors from even a few years ago.

[0008] In high-density, high-speed connectors, electrical conductors may be so close together that electrical interference may occur between adjacent signal conductors. To reduce this interference and otherwise provide desired electrical performance, shielding members are often placed between or around adjacent signal conductors. Shielding can prevent signals carried on one conductor from generating "crosstalk" on another conductor. Shielding can also affect the impedance of each conductor, which can further contribute to desired electrical performance.

[0009] Examples of shields can be found in U.S. Patents 4,632,476 and 4,806,107, which show connector designs using shields between columns of signal contacts. These patents describe connectors in which the shield extends parallel to the signal contacts across both the daughterboard connector and the backplane connector. Cantilever beams are used to make electrical contact between the shield and the backplane connector. U.S. Patents 5,433,617, 5,429,521, 5,429,520, and 5,433,618 show similar configurations, but the electrical connection between the backplane and the shield is achieved through spring-loaded contacts. Shields with torsion beam contacts are used in the connector described in U.S. Patent 5,980,321. Additional shields are shown in U.S. Patents 9,004,942 and 9,705,255.

[0010] Other techniques can be used to control the performance of the connector. For example, sending signals in a differential manner can also reduce crosstalk. Differential signals are transmitted through a pair of conductive paths called a "differential pair." The voltage difference between the conductive paths represents the signal. Generally speaking, a differential pair is designed to preferentially couple between the conductive paths of the pair. For example, the two conductive paths of a differential pair can be arranged to extend closer to each other than to adjacent signal paths in the connector. Shielding is not desired between the conductive paths of the pair, but shielding can be used between the differential pairs. Electrical connectors can be designed for differential signals and single-ended signals. Examples of differential electrical connectors are shown in U.S. Patents Nos. 6,293,827, 6,503,103, 6,776,659, 7,163,421, and 7,794,278. Summary of the Invention

[0011] Embodiments of a high-speed, high-density interconnect system are described. According to some embodiments, very high speed performance can be achieved with a connector having a lossy material configured to be adjacent to a ground conductor of a mating connector when the connector is mated with the mating connector.

[0012] Some embodiments relate to an electrical connector. The electrical connector may include a plurality of conductive elements, each having a mating contact portion, and a housing assembly for the plurality of conductive elements. The housing assembly may include a lossy material configured to be adjacent to a ground conductor of a mating connector when the connector is mated with the mating connector, thereby suppressing resonance.

[0013] In some embodiments, the lossy material is configured to partially surround a ground conductor of the mating connector.

[0014] In some embodiments, the plurality of conductive elements includes a pair of conductive elements. The housing assembly includes a conductive shield forming at least a portion of an outer shell for the pair of conductive elements. The lossy material is adjacent to at least one side of the outer shell.

[0015] In some embodiments, the lossy material is adjacent to at least one corner of the housing.

[0016] In some embodiments, when the connector is mated with a mating connector, the conductive shield is electrically coupled to a ground conductor of the mating connector.

[0017] In some embodiments, the housing assembly includes an insulating material separating the plurality of conductive elements from the lossy material.

[0018] Some embodiments relate to an electrical connector that may include a plurality of conductive elements each having a mating contact portion, the mating contact portions of the plurality of conductive elements arranged in a column, a ground cross shield extending perpendicular to the column direction, and a lossy material adjacent to the ground cross shield.

[0019] In some embodiments, the ground cross-shield includes a compliant contact portion configured to mate with a ground conductor of a mating connector.

[0020] In some embodiments, an electrical connector includes a housing assembly including a ground plane shield extending parallel to a column direction and a lossy member attached to the ground plane shield, the lossy member including a lossy material adjacent to a ground cross shield.

[0021] In some embodiments, the ground plane shield has a first surface facing the plurality of conductive elements and a second surface facing opposite the first surface. The lossy member includes a first portion attached to the first surface of the ground plane shield and a second portion attached to the second surface of the ground plane shield, the second portion including lossy material adjacent to the ground cross-shield.

[0022] In some embodiments, the second portion of the lossy member includes a plurality of ribs configured to form grooves that retain the plurality of conductive elements.

[0023] In some embodiments, lossy material adjacent to the ground cross-shield extends from the plurality of ribs.

[0024] In some embodiments, a housing assembly includes an insulating member attached to a ground plate shield. The insulating member includes a first portion attached to a first surface of the ground plate shield, the first portion including a plurality of dividers configured to form grooves for retaining mating contact portions of a plurality of conductive elements; and a second portion attached to a second surface of the ground plate shield.

[0025] In some embodiments, the grounded cross-shield is located between the lossy material and one of the plurality of separators of the insulating member.

[0026] In some embodiments, the housing assembly is a left housing assembly located to the left of the conductive element column. The electrical connector further includes a right housing assembly located to the right of the conductive element column opposite to the left. The conductive element column, the left housing assembly, and the right housing assembly constitute a substrate.

[0027] In some embodiments, the substrate is a first substrate. The electrical connector includes a plurality of substrates aligned in a direction substantially perpendicular to the columns.

[0028] Some embodiments relate to an electrical connector. The electrical connector includes a plurality of conductive elements, each having a mating contact portion, and a housing assembly for the plurality of conductive elements. The housing assembly includes a lossy material that defines at least one cavity configured to receive a ground conductor of a mating connector when the connector is mated with the mating connector.

[0029] In some embodiments, the housing member includes a plurality of flared portions formed of a lossy material, each flared portion defining one of the at least one cavity.

[0030] In some embodiments, the plurality of flared portions are arranged in pairs. The flared portions of each pair define a same cavity configured to receive a corresponding ground conductor of a mating connector.

[0031] Some embodiments relate to a method for manufacturing an electrical connector. The electrical connector may include a plurality of conductive elements arranged in a column and a ground plane shield located on each side of the column. The plurality of conductive elements may be arranged in pairs. Each ground plane shield may have a first surface facing the plurality of conductive elements and a second surface facing opposite the first surface. The method may include: forming a first shield assembly and a second shield assembly by selectively molding a lossy material and an insulating material onto the first and second surfaces of the ground plane shield, positioning the first and second shield assemblies on opposite sides of the column of conductive elements, and inserting a ground cross shield between the pairs of conductive elements.

[0032] These techniques may be used alone or in any suitable combination.The foregoing is a non-limiting summary of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The drawings are not drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component shown in different figures may be represented by a like reference numeral. For clarity, not every component may be labeled in every figure. In the drawings:

[0034] Figure 1A and 1B is a perspective view of an electrical interconnect system according to some embodiments, showing two connectors mated and unmated, respectively.

[0035] Figure 2 According to some embodiments Figure 1A and 1B A perspective view of a wafer of a daughterboard connector of an electrical interconnect system.

[0036] Figure 3 According to some embodiments Figure 2 Exploded view of the substrate.

[0037] Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 12A in FIG. 1 , according to some embodiments.

[0038] Figure 5 According to some embodiments Figure 2 Exploded view of the left shield assembly of the substrate.

[0039] Figure 6 According to some embodiments Figure 2 Exploded view of the right shield assembly of the substrate.

[0040] Figure 7 is a diagram showing a method according to some embodiments Figure 2 A front view of the substrate assembly process.

[0041] Figure 8 According to some embodiments Figure 1A and 1B A plan view of a backplane connector of an electrical interconnect system.

[0042] Figure 9 According to some embodiments Figure 8 An enlarged plan view of the circled area 9A.

[0043] Figure 10A According to some embodiments Figure 8 A side view of the backplane connector, partially cut away to show the Figure 8 Line 10A in FIG. 1 shows a cross section.

[0044] Figure 10B According to some embodiments Figure 10A A perspective view of the shield plate for the backplane connector.

[0045] Figure 10C According to some embodiments Figure 10A An enlarged cross-sectional view of the circled area 10C.

[0046] Figure 10D According to some embodiments Figure 10A An enlarged cross-sectional view of the circled area 10D.

[0047] Figure 11A is a cutaway plan view along line 11A in FIG. 1 , according to some embodiments.

[0048] Figure 11B According to some embodiments, Figure 11A A partial cross-sectional view taken along line 11B in FIG.

[0049] Figure 12A is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 12A in FIG. 1 , illustrating the daughter card connector and the backplane connector in an unmated state, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0050] Figure 12B is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 12A in FIG. 1 , illustrating the daughter card connector and the backplane connector in a mated state, in accordance with some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The present inventors recognize and endorse a connector design that improves the performance of high-density interconnect systems, particularly interconnect systems carrying very high frequency signals necessary to support high data rates. The connector design can provide effective shielding in the mating area of two connectors. When the two connectors are mated, the shielding can separate the mating portions of conductive elements carrying separate signals. In some embodiments, the shielding can substantially surround the mating portions of the signal-carrying conductive elements, which can be pairs of conductive elements of a connector configured to carry differential signals.

[0052] The inventors recognize and agree that such shielding, while effective at low frequencies, may not work as intended at high frequencies. To be able to effectively isolate the signal conductors at high frequencies, the connector may include a lossy material selectively positioned within at least a first mating region of the connector. The lossy material may be integrated into the shield so as to suppress resonances in the conductive elements that form a shield that at least partially surrounds the signal conductors. In some embodiments, the lossy material may be attached to a ground conductor that forms part of the shield. In some embodiments, when the first connector is mated with the mating connector, the lossy material may be adjacent to the ground conductor of the second mating connector. In some embodiments, the lossy material may be formed into a flared shape that defines a cavity configured to accommodate the ground conductor of the mating connector.

[0053] Figure 1A and 1B An exemplary embodiment of such a connector is shown in . Figure 1A and 1B An electrical interconnect system 100 of a form that can be used in an electronic system is depicted. The electrical interconnect system 100 can include two mating connectors. In the embodiment shown, the first of the mating connectors is a right-angle connector 102 that can be used, for example, to electrically connect a daughter card to a backplane. In the embodiment shown, the connector 102 is configured to be attached to a daughter card. Figure 1A and 1B In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the mating connector is a connector 104 configured to be attached to a backplane.

[0054] The daughter card connector 102 may include contact tails 106 configured to be attached to a daughter card (not shown). The backplane connector 104 may include contact tails (not shown) configured to be attached to a backplane. These contact tails form one end of a conductive element that passes through the interconnect system. When the connector is mounted on a printed circuit board, these contact tails will be electrically connected to conductive structures carrying signals within the printed circuit board or to a reference potential. In the example shown, the contact tails are press-fit "eye of the needle" contacts that are designed to be pressed into through-holes in the printed circuit board, which in turn can be connected to signal traces or ground planes or other conductive structures within the printed circuit board. However, other forms of contact tails may also be used.

[0055] Each of the connectors may have a mating interface where the connector may be mated with or separated from the other connector. The daughter card connector 102 may include a mating interface 108. The backplane connector 104 may include a mating interface 110. Although Figure 1B While not fully visible in the view shown, mating contact portions of the conductive elements (eg, mating contact portions 112 of the conductive elements of the backplane connector 104 ) are exposed at the mating interface.

[0056] Each of these conductive elements includes an intermediate portion that connects the contact tail to the mating contact portion. The intermediate portion can be retained within a connector housing, and at least a portion of the connector housing can be dielectric to provide electrical isolation between the conductive elements. In addition, the connector housing can include conductive or lossy portions that, in some embodiments, can provide conductive or partially conductive paths between some of the conductive elements, or can be positioned to dissipate electromagnetic energy. In some embodiments, the conductive portions can provide shielding. The lossy portions can also provide shielding in some cases and / or can provide desired electrical performance within the connector.

[0057] In various embodiments, the dielectric member can be molded or overmolded on the conductive element from a dielectric material such as plastic or nylon. Examples of suitable materials include, but are not limited to, liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), high temperature nylon or polyphenylene oxide (PPO), or polypropylene (PP). Other suitable materials may be used, as aspects of the present disclosure are not limited in this regard.

[0058] All of the aforementioned materials are suitable for use as bonding materials in connector manufacturing. According to some embodiments, one or more fillers may be included in some or all of the bonding materials. As a non-limiting example, thermoplastic PPS filled with 30% by volume of glass fiber may be used to form the entire connector housing or the dielectric portion of the housing.

[0059] Alternatively or in addition, portions of the housing can be formed from a conductive material such as machined metal or pressed metal powder. In some embodiments, portions of the housing can be formed from metal or other conductive material having dielectric members separating the signal conductors from the conductive portions. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, the housing of the backplane connector 104 can have a region formed from a conductive material having an insulating member separating the middle portion of the signal conductors from the conductive portions of the housing. The housing of the daughter card connector 102 can also be formed in any suitable manner.

[0060] The daughtercard connector 102 may be formed from a plurality of subassemblies referred to herein as "substrates." Figure 2 A perspective view of a substrate 200 that can be used to form a daughter card connector 102 is depicted. The substrate 200 can hold columns of conductive elements that form signal conductors. In some embodiments, the signal conductors can be shaped and spaced apart to form single-ended signal conductors. In some embodiments, the signal conductors can be shaped and spaced apart in pairs to provide differential signal conductor pairs. The columns of signal conductors can include or be defined by conductive elements that serve as ground conductors. It should be understood that the ground conductors need not be connected to the earth, but are instead shaped to carry a reference potential, which can include earth, a DC voltage, or other suitable reference potential. The "ground" or "reference" conductors can have a different shape than the signal conductors, which are configured to provide suitable signal transmission characteristics for high-frequency signals. In the illustrated embodiment, the signal conductors within the columns are grouped in pairs and positioned for edge coupling to support differential signals.

[0061] The conductive elements can be made of metal, or any other material that is electrically conductive and provides suitable mechanical properties for conductive elements in electrical connectors. Phosphor bronze, beryllium copper, and other copper alloys are non-limiting examples of materials that can be used. The conductive elements can be formed from these materials in any suitable manner, including by stamping and / or forming.

[0062] Reference again Figure 1A and 1B , one or more members can hold multiple substrates in a desired position. For example, support member 114 can hold the top and back of multiple substrates in a side-by-side configuration, respectively. Support member 114 can be formed from any suitable material, such as a sheet of metal stamped with tabs, openings, or other features that engage with corresponding features (e.g., attachment features 202) on a single substrate.

[0063] Each of the plurality of substrates may hold an array of conductive elements held by substrate housing 204, such as Figure 2As shown in . The spacing between adjacent conductor columns can provide a high density of signal conductors while still providing the desired signal integrity. The spacing can be controlled by the size of the substrate housing 204, including, for example, the width w of the insulating tape 206. As a non-limiting example, the conductors can be stamped from a 0.4 mm thick copper alloy, and the conductors within each column can be separated by 2.25 mm, and the conductor columns can be separated by 2.4 mm. However, a higher density can be achieved by placing the conductors closer together. In other embodiments, for example, a smaller size can be used to provide a higher density, such as a thickness between 0.2 and 0.4 mm, or a spacing of 0.7 to 1.85 mm between columns or between conductors within a column. However, it should be understood that more pairs per column, tighter spacing between pairs within a column, and / or a smaller distance between columns can be used to achieve a higher density connector.

[0064] Figure 3 An exploded view of a substrate 200 according to some embodiments is depicted. The substrate 200 can include a signal leadframe 302, left and right shield assemblies 304 and 306, and a plurality of ground cross shields 308. The signal leadframe 302 can include columns of signal conductive elements, each of which can have a contact tail 310, a mating portion 312, and an intermediate portion extending between the contact tail and the mating portion and held by a signal leadframe housing 324. The signal leadframe 302 can be formed in any suitable manner. For example, the signal leadframe housing can be formed around the columns of signal conductors using an insert molding process.

[0065] like Figure 3 As shown in FIG, signal conductors are grouped in pairs along a column. In the illustrated embodiment, the mating portion 312 of the signal conductor comprises a beam having a raised portion. The outer surface of the raised portion may be plated with gold or other materials to form a contact surface. In the illustrated embodiment, the mating portions of the signal conductors forming a pair have contact surfaces facing in the same direction. However, the contact surfaces of adjacent pairs face in opposite directions.

[0066] In the embodiment shown, the signal conductors are positioned within the substrate so that when the daughter card connector 102 is mated with the backplane connector 104, the mating portions 312 will press against corresponding mating contact portions 114 of the backplane connector 104. In some embodiments, the mating contact portions 114 of the backplane connector may be blades, pads, or other flat surfaces. However, in Figure 1BIn the embodiment shown in FIG, the mating contact portion 114 can be shaped similarly to the mating portion 312. For example, the mating contact portion 114 can have a raised portion near the distal end of the beam. The outer surface of the raised portion can be plated to form a contact surface. In such an embodiment, when the connectors are mated, the raised contact surface of each contact portion will press against the surface of the beam of the other mating contact portion. These surfaces of the beam can similarly be plated with gold or other precious metals or other anti-oxidation coatings to ensure a reliable electrical connection.

[0067] Likewise Figure 3 As can be seen in the figure, the spacing between signal conductors within a pair of signal conductors is smaller than the spacing between signal conductors in different pairs, so that there is space between adjacent pairs of signal conductors. One or more ground conductors can be positioned in this space between adjacent pairs. The ground conductors between adjacent pairs are not visible within the signal lead frame housing 324. However, the contact tails of the ground conductors can be seen extending from the edge of the signal lead frame housing 324 along the contact tails of the signal conductors. This spacing between adjacent signal conductors can also be seen at the edge of the signal lead frame housing 324, from which the mating portions 312 of the signal conductors extend.

[0068] Within the mating area, a ground cross shield 308 can be positioned between pairs of differential signal conductors. In the illustrated embodiment, the ground cross shield 308 has a generally planar surface perpendicular to the column direction. In this configuration, the ground cross shield 308 separates adjacent pairs in the column direction. In the illustrated embodiment, the number of ground cross shields 308 exceeds the number of signal conductor pairs by one, such that each pair of signal conductors is positioned between and adjacent to two ground cross shields 308.

[0069] The ground cross-shield 308 can be connected to conductive structures within the substrate 200 designed for grounding, such as ground conductors between signal conductors within the signal leadframe housing 324. The upper edge of the ground cross-shield 308 can be shaped to form a connection with the ends of such ground conductors. Alternatively or in addition, the ground cross-shield 308 can be electrically connected to the conductive ground plates of the left and right shield assemblies, such as via the edges of the ground cross-shield 308 inserted into slots in the ground plates or other attachment mechanisms.

[0070] The ground cross shield can include a contact feature 332 configured to make contact with the ground conductor of the mating connector. The contact feature can be configured to provide a desired contact force. In some embodiments, the contact feature can be formed as one or more beams that bend in the plane of the body of the ground cross shield. When the mating contact pushes these beams toward the body of the ground cross shield, a reaction force sufficient to provide electrical contact is generated. In the embodiment shown, the contact feature forms a collection of multiple beams that are joined to the body of the cross shield at the top and bottom. The collection of beams has a shape similar to a paper clip. Contact surfaces are formed at the intersection of beams extending in opposite directions. The beams are bent so that these contact surfaces extend from the plane of the ground cross shield 308.

[0071] The ground cross shield 308 can be made of metal, or any other material that is electrically conductive and provides suitable mechanical properties for the conductive elements in the electrical connector. Phosphor bronze, beryllium copper, and other copper alloys are non-limiting examples of materials that can be used. The conductive elements can be formed from these materials in any suitable manner, including by stamping and / or forming.

[0072] Each of the left shield assembly 304 and the right shield assembly 306 can include a ground plane shield 502L and 502R, respectively. The ground plane shield can include a contact tail 314 configured to be mounted on a daughter card and to make electrical contact with the ground plane of the daughter card. The contact tail 314 can form a portion of the contact tail 106 of the substrate 200 ( Figure 2 ). In the embodiment shown, the contact tails 314 of each of the ground plate shields are positioned in a line that is parallel to the line of contact tails 310 of the conductive elements in the signal lead frame 302. In some embodiments, the contact tails 314 can be in the same plane as the body of the ground plate shield from which they extend. In such embodiments, the contact tails 314 will deviate from the line of contact tails 310 in a direction perpendicular to the line of contact tails 310. In other embodiments, the contact tails 310 can extend from a portion of the ground plate shield that is bent out of the plane of the body of the ground plate shield. In some embodiments, the contact tails 310 can extend from a portion of the ground plate shield that is bent toward the signal lead frame 302. In such a construction, the contact tails 314 can be located in the line of contact tails 310.

[0073] exist Figure 3In the illustrated embodiment, each of the ground plane shields 502L and 502R has contact tails 314 that are half the number of signal conductor pairs within the signal leadframe 302. The contact tails 314 are spaced apart between adjacent pairs. Furthermore, the contact tails 314 of the ground plane shields 502L and 502R are offset from each other along the line of the contact tails 310 by a distance equal to the space between the contact tails of a pair of signal conductors. This configuration enables the contact tails 314 to be positioned adjacent to the contact tails 310 of a signal conductor within the signal leadframe 302. Furthermore, it enables the contact tails 314 to be positioned between the contact tails 310 of each pair of signal conductors within the signal leadframe 302. In embodiments where ground conductors are present within the signal leadframe 302 and contact tails are provided between the contact tails of signal conductor pairs, multiple ground contact tails may be provided between the contact tails of each pair of signal conductors. In the illustrated embodiment, there may be two ground contact tails between the contact tails of each pair of signal conductors, one ground contact tail from the ground conductor within the signal leadframe 302 and one from the ground plane shield 502L or 502R.

[0074] The ground plate shield may also include a mating end 316 configured to mate with a backplane connector (eg, connector 104) and a plate 504 extending between the contact tails 314 and the mating end 316 (eg, at the bottom of the backplane). Figure 5 The ground plane shield may include a first surface 602 (in the Figure 6 ) and a second surface 508 (visible in FIG. 5 ) facing opposite to the corresponding first surface. Figure 5 When substrate 200 is assembled, the mating contact portions and the middle portion of each column of signal conductors will be between ground plane shields 502L and 502R.

[0075] Each ground plane shield can have a shield shell 326 attached thereto. In the embodiment shown, the shield shell 326 can surround or be insert molded onto the ground plane shield. The shield shell 326 can be insulating and can include features that position the shield assemblies 304 and 306 relative to the signal lead frame 302 in the assembly substrate. Alternatively or in addition, these features can position and / or electrically insulate conductive elements in the signal lead frame 302 and / or mating connector. As an example of such features, the insulating tape 206 can be attached to the separator 322 ( Figure 5 ) are formed together on the second surface of the ground plate shield.

[0076] The shield shell 326 may include a plurality of dividers 322 adjacent to the mating end 316 of the ground plate shield. Each divider of the ground shield assembly may have a space 330 to hold the mating contact portions 312 of a pair of signal conductive elements. The dividers 322 of each of the left shield assembly and the right shield assembly may form a space 330 for a portion of a differential signal conductor pair. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the left shield shell and the right shield shell has a divider 322 for half of the mating portion pair in the signal lead frame 302. The space 330 in each of the left shield assembly 304 and the right shield assembly 306 opens in opposite directions perpendicular to a line of the mating portion 312. The space 330 on the divider on the right shield assembly 306 is positioned to accommodate the mating portion 312 with its contact surface being oriented to receive the mating portion 312. Figure 3 The spaces 330 on the separator on the left shield assembly 304 are positioned to receive the mating portions 312, with their contact surfaces being oriented to the left. Figure 3 These spaces 330 are open to the right, so that these mating portions can mate with conductive elements of a mating connector from the daughter card connector 102 to the right of the line of insertion of the mating portions 312 .

[0077] The separator 330 may be insulating and configured to provide electrical isolation between adjacent pairs of differential signal conductors. The separator may also include a wall 514 ( Figure 5 ) to electrically insulate the signal conductors from the ground plate 504. The separator 330 can be formed as part of the insert molding operation in which the insulating strip 206 is formed, and can form a single component with the insulating strip 206 molded around the mating end 316. The plate 504 can include holes (not numbered) into which insulating material can flow during the insert molding operation to secure the separator 330 and other molded features to the plate 504.

[0078] The lossy material can be positioned within the substrate 200, such as by molding the lossy material onto the ground plane shield. In some embodiments, the shield shell 326 can be molded from the lossy material and can include a plurality of ribs 318 formed on a first surface of the ground plane shield. For example, such a configuration can be formed by flowing the lossy material through holes in the ground plane shield as part of an insert molding operation in which the shield shell 326 is formed. The ribs 318 can be adjacent to the plate 504 of the ground plane shield. The ribs can form a plurality of grooves 328, each of which can be configured to hold a pair of differential signal conductors when the shield assemblies 304 and 306 are combined with the signal lead frame 302. In this configuration, the lossy material in the form of the ribs 318 can separate the middle portions of adjacent signal conductor pairs within the signal lead frame 302.

[0079] As part of the same or a different operation, lossy material can be positioned in the mating area. For example, the shield shell 326 can include a lossy portion 320 that extends into the mating area. The lossy portion 320 can extend from ribs, which can be obtained, for example, by forming the lossy portion 320 and the ribs 318 as part of the same operation. The lossy portion 320 can be adjacent to the mating end 316 of the ground plate shield.

[0080] Each lossy portion 320 can be adjacent to a corresponding separator 322 but outside of the space 330 and configured to hold mating contact portions of a pair of different signal conductors. The lossy portion 320 can be flared. In the illustrated embodiment, the number of lossy portions 320 in each shield assembly 304 and 306 is the same as the number of cross-shields 308. The lossy portions 320 from the shield assemblies 304 and 306 can be positioned to the left and right of the contact surface of the cross-shield 308, respectively.

[0081] The lossy portions 320 of the left and right shield shells can be arranged to form a pair. Each of the left and right shield shells can contribute one lossy portion to a pair. The lossy portions 320 from the shielding assemblies 304 and 306 can define a cavity that is configured to accommodate at least a portion of a ground conductor of a mating connector (e.g., connector 102) that will mate with the ground cross shield 308. Alternatively or in addition, the ground cross shield 308 can be within the cavity defined by the lossy portion 320. In some embodiments, the ground cross shield 308 can be configured to be inserted between the lossy portion and the adjacent separator 322 when the lossy portion is configured to accommodate the ground conductor of the mating connector. In some embodiments, the lossy portion 320 can be configured to press against the ground cross shield 308, providing an electrical connection between the ground cross shield 308 and the left and / or right ground plane shields. The connection may be lossy.

[0082] At least some portions of the shielding shell 326, such as the ribs 318 and / or the lossy portion 320, can be molded from or contain a lossy material. Any suitable lossy material can be used for these and other "lossy" structures. Materials that are electrically conductive but somewhat lossy, or that absorb electromagnetic energy in the frequency range of interest through another physical mechanism, are generally referred to herein as "lossy" materials. Electrically lossy materials can be formed from lossy dielectric and / or poorly conductive and / or lossy magnetic materials. Magnetic lossy materials can be formed from, for example, materials that are traditionally considered ferromagnetic materials, such as those that have a magnetic loss tangent greater than about 0.05 in the frequency range of interest. "Magnetic loss tangent" is the ratio of the imaginary part of a material's complex dielectric permeability to the real part. Actual lossy magnetic materials or mixtures containing lossy magnetic materials can also exhibit useful dielectric loss or conductive loss effects in portions of the frequency range of interest. Electrically lossy materials can be formed from materials that are traditionally considered non-dielectric materials, such as those having an electrical loss tangent greater than about 0.05 within the frequency range of interest. "Electrical loss tangent" is the ratio of the imaginary part to the real part of the complex dielectric constant of a material. Electrically lossy materials can also be formed from materials that are generally considered conductors, but are relatively poor conductors within the frequency range of interest, contain conductive particles or regions that are not well dispersed such that they do not provide high electrical conductivity, or are otherwise prepared to have properties that result in relatively poor bulk conductivity within the frequency range of interest compared to good conductors such as copper.

[0083] Electrically lossy materials typically have a volume conductivity of about 1 Siemens / meter to about 10,000 Siemens / meter, and preferably have a volume conductivity of about 1 Siemens / meter to about 5,000 Siemens / meter. In some embodiments, materials with a volume conductivity between about 10 Siemens / meter and about 200 Siemens / meter can be used. As a specific example, a material with a conductivity of about 50 Siemens / meter can be used. However, it should be understood that the conductivity of the material can be selected empirically or through electrical simulation using known simulation tools to determine an appropriate conductivity that provides suitably low crosstalk and suitably low signal path attenuation or insertion loss.

[0084] The electrically lossy material can be a partially conductive material, such as a material having a surface resistivity between 1 ohm / m² and 100,000 ohm / m². In some embodiments, the electrically lossy material has a surface resistivity between 10 ohm / m² and 1000 ohm / m². As a specific example, the material can have a surface resistivity between 20 ohm / m² and 80 ohm / m².

[0085] In some embodiments, the electrically lossy material is formed by adding a filler containing conductive particles to a binder. In such embodiments, the lossy member can be formed by molding or otherwise forming the binder and filler into the desired shape. Examples of conductive particles that can be used as fillers to form the electrically lossy material include carbon or graphite formed into fibers, flakes, nanoparticles, or other types of particles. Metals in the form of powders, flakes, fibers, or other particles can also be used to provide suitable electrically lossy properties. In addition, combinations of fillers can be used. For example, metal-plated carbon particles can be used. Silver and nickel are suitable metal plating materials for fibers. Coated particles can be used alone or in combination with other fillers such as carbon flakes. The binder or matrix can be any material that can be placed, cured, or used to position the filler material. In some embodiments, the binder can be a thermoplastic material traditionally used to manufacture electrical connectors to facilitate molding the electrically lossy material into the desired shape and position as part of the manufacture of the electrical connector. Examples of such materials include liquid crystal polymers (LCP) and nylon. However, many alternative forms of binder materials can be used. Curing materials such as epoxy resins can act as binders. In addition, materials such as thermosetting resins or adhesives may be used.

[0086] Similarly, the aforementioned binder material can be used to create an electrically lossy material by forming a binder around a conductive particulate filler, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the conductive particles can be distributed throughout or coated onto a formed matrix material, such as by applying a conductive coating to a plastic or metal part. As used herein, the term "binder" encompasses a material that encapsulates a filler, is distributed throughout a filler, or otherwise serves as a base for securing the filler.

[0087] Preferably, these fillers are present in a sufficient volume percentage to form a conductive path from particle to particle. For example, when metal fibers are used, the fibers may be present in an amount of about 3% to 40% by volume. The amount of filler can affect the conductive properties of the material.

[0088] Filling materials are commercially available, such as those from Celanese. Materials sold under the trademark TECHFILM®, which may be filled with carbon fibers or stainless steel filaments. Lossy materials may also be used, such as lossy conductive carbon filled adhesive preforms, such as those sold by Techfilm Corporation of Bill Marica, Massachusetts, USA. This preform may include an epoxy resin binder filled with carbon fibers and / or other carbon particles. The binder surrounds the carbon particles to act as a reinforcement for the preform. Such a preform may be inserted into a connector substrate to form all or part of the housing. In some embodiments, the preform may be adhered by an adhesive in the preform that may be cured during a heat treatment process. In some embodiments, the adhesive may be in the form of a separate conductive adhesive layer or a non-conductive adhesive layer. In some embodiments, the adhesive in the preform may be used alternatively or in addition to secure one or more conductive elements, such as foil, to the lossy material.

[0089] Various forms of reinforcing fibers (woven or non-woven) can be used, coated or uncoated. Non-woven carbon fibers are one suitable material. Other suitable materials, such as custom blends sold by RTP Company, may be used, as the present invention is not limited in this respect.

[0090] In some embodiments, the lossy portion can be manufactured by stamping a preform or sheet of lossy material. For example, the lossy portion can be formed by stamping a preform as described above with an appropriate opening pattern. However, other materials can be used in place of or in addition to such a preform. For example, a sheet of ferromagnetic material can be used.

[0091] However, the lossy portion can also be formed in other ways. In some embodiments, the lossy portion can be formed from alternating layers of lossy material and conductive material, such as metal foil. These layers can be securely attached to each other, such as by using epoxy or other adhesives, or can be held together in any other suitable manner. The layers can have the desired shape before being secured to each other, or can be stamped or otherwise formed after they are held together. As a further alternative, the lossy portion can be formed by plating plastic or other insulating materials with a lossy coating, such as a diffusion metal coating.

[0092] Figure 4 Depicted according to some embodiments along Figure 1AA partial cross-sectional view 400 is shown along line 12A in FIG. View 400 is perpendicular to the column direction and illustrates a portion of a daughter card connector 102, which includes a first substrate 200a and a second substrate 200b positioned side by side in a row direction. The first substrate 200a may include a signal leadframe comprising signal conductors having mating portions 312. The first substrate 200a may also include a left shield assembly and a right shield assembly positioned on opposite sides of the signal leadframe. The left shield assembly may include a left ground plane shield 502a. The right shield assembly may include a right ground plane shield 502b. The side-by-side positioning of the substrates positions the left ground plane shield 502a adjacent to the right ground plane shield 502c of substrate 200b. The ground plane shield layers are separated by a slot into which a backplane shield plate can be inserted during mating. Some or all substrates in the connector may be positioned with an intermediate slot configured to accommodate a shield plate of a mating connector.

[0093] Figure 4 The left shield assembly shown in FIG includes a lossy portion 320a. The right shield assembly includes a lossy portion 320b. The lossy portions 320a and 320b are shown configured as a pair and positioned to receive a ground conductor (not shown) therebetween. The ground conductor may be, for example, a ground shield blade of the backplane connector 104. It should be understood that having Figure 4 The signal conductors of the middle mating portion 312 are offset in the column direction from the pair of lossy portions 320a and 320b.

[0094] The substrate 200b may have a similar construction as the substrate 200a.View 400 shows the right ground plane shield 502c of the right shield assembly of the second substrate 200b.

[0095] Figure 4 The mating area of a connector comprising substrates 200a and 200b is shown. These substrates may be configured as Figure 1A and 1B The right angle connector is shown. However, connectors of other configurations can be created Figure 4 Mating interface shown. Figure 4A portion of a mating connector is shown, which in the illustrated configuration is a backplane connector. View 400 also shows portions of a backplane connector 104, which may include a conductive element having a contact tail 404 configured to contact a backplane. The conductive element may have a mating portion opposite the contact tail 404. The mating portion may be configured to mate with the mating portion 312 of the signal conductor of the daughter card connector 102. In some embodiments, the mating portion of the conductive element configured to serve as a signal conductor in the backplane connector 104 may have a mating contact portion that is shaped similarly to the mating portion 312. In other embodiments, the mating portion of the signal conductor in the backplane connector 104 may be shaped as a blade or have any other suitable form.

[0096] The mating portions of the conductive elements of the backplane connector 104 can be held by a connector housing, which can be fully or partially insulated. The backplane connector 104 can also include shield plates 402a and 402b, which can have contact features 406 configured to contact the ground plane shields of the daughter card connector 102. In the example shown, the backplane shield plate 402a is inserted between the left ground plane shield 502a of the first substrate 200a and the right ground plane shield 502c of the second substrate 200c, and contacts the ground plane shields 502a and 502c through the contact features 406.

[0097] Figure 5 and Figure 6 An exploded view of the left shield assembly 304 and the right shield assembly 306 is depicted in accordance with some embodiments. Figure 5 The exterior of the left shield assembly is shown, while Figure 6 The interior of the right shield assembly is shown. Each shield assembly may include a ground plate shield (e.g., 502a, 502b), an insulating member 510, and a lossy member 512. The ground plate shield may include a hole configured to be filled with material from the insulating member and / or the lossy member, thereby locking the ground plate shield, the insulating member, and the lossy member together.

[0098] Each of the ground plate shields 502a and 502b can include contact tails 314, mating ends 316, and a plate 504 that can include a surface 602 facing the columns of signal conductors and a surface 508 opposite the surface 602. In some embodiments, a link 506 can be provided between the plate 504 and the mating ends 316 so that the distance between the left and right plates 504 of the shields 502a and 502b can be different than the distance between the left and right mating ends 316 of the shields 502a and 502b. The link 506 can be offset from the mating ends in a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the body of the plate 504 extends.

[0099] The mating end 316 can include curved edges 604a and 604b that can be positioned beyond the outermost signal conductors. The curved edges can be embedded in a post 516 that can be formed as part of the insulating housing of the shield assembly. Such curved edges can provide mechanical support, such as for a cross shield 308 at the end of a column of mating segments 312 or a ground blade from a mating connector that is intended to make contact with the cross shield 308 at the end of the column. Alternatively or in addition, the curved edges of the left board shield can be configured to contact corresponding curved edges of the right board shield.

[0100] The insulating member 510 may include an insulating tape 206 that extends in a direction parallel to the column direction. The insulating tape 206 may be attached to the surface of the ground plane shield facing away from the signal conductor column (e.g., surface 508). The insulating member 510 may include columns 516, each of which extends in a direction parallel to the column direction and from the edge of the insulating tape. Each column may abut and / or be attached to the curved edge (e.g., curved edges 604a, 604b) of the mating end of the ground plane shield. The insulating member 510 may also include a plurality of separators 322 extending substantially parallel to the two columns 516. Each separator may be configured to hold the mating portion 312 of a pair of differential signal conductors. Each separator may have a wall. The separator 322 and the wall 514 may abut and / or be attached to the surface of the ground plane shield facing the signal conductor column (e.g., surface 602). The wall 514 may isolate the mating portion 312 within the space 330 from the ground plane shield.

[0101] The lossy member 512 may include a rib 318 extending above the housing portion 518, and lossy portions 320a, 320b each substantially extending from the rib 318. The housing portion 518 may be adjacent to and / or attached to a surface of the ground plane shield facing away from the signal conductor columns (e.g., surface 508). The rib 318 and lossy portions 320a, 320b may be adjacent to and / or attached to a surface of the ground plane shield facing toward the signal conductor columns (e.g., surface 602). Figure 5 As shown, the lossy portion can be shaped as a flare extending along a cavity 520, which can be configured to accommodate a ground conductor.

[0102] It should be understood that Figure 5 and Figure 6The exploded view of is for illustrative purposes only. In some embodiments, the multiple parts of the shield assembly can be manufactured separately and then assembled together. In some embodiments, the shield assembly can be formed by molding insulating and / or lossy materials onto the ground plane shield. For example, the insulating member 510 can be formed by insert molding any suitable insulating material onto the ground plane shield. The lossy member 512 can be formed by overmolding any suitable lossy material onto the ground plane shield. Thus, in some embodiments, Figure 5 and Figure 6 Elements shown separately to illustrate the shape of each element may not be formed separately.

[0103] Figure 7 An assembly process 700 is depicted that can be used to assemble substrates (e.g., substrates 200, 200a, 200b). The assembly process 700 can include first forming the signal leadframe 302 and the left and right shield assemblies 304, 306, respectively. The left and right shield assemblies 304, 306 can then be placed on opposite sides of the signal leadframe 302. The ends of the mating segments 312 can be inserted into the spaces 330 of the separator 322. The bottom plate of the separator 322 can have an opening into the spaces 330, leaving a flange that can hook onto the ends. Figure 7 A shield assembly employing this construction is shown. Figure 7 , so as to press against the surface of the signal lead frame 302. The signal lead frame 302 and the left and right shield assemblies 304, 306 may then be secured together, such as using latching features, adhesive, heat staking, or other suitable attachment mechanisms.

[0104] The assembly process may also include inserting the ground cross shield 308 in a direction parallel to the column direction. As described above, the ground cross shield may have features that engage with the ground conductors within the signal lead frame 302. Alternatively or in addition, the ground cross shield 308 may be electrically connected to the shield plate, thereby providing an electrical connection between the left shield plate and the right shield plate.

[0105] The ground cross shield can be inserted between the differential signal conductor pairs. Even in embodiments where the ground cross shield is not attached to the shield plate, the ground cross shield, along with the left and right shield plates, can form a shield cage (e.g., Figure 11A 102 in the housing).

[0106] Figure 8 is a plan view 800 of the backplane connector 104 illustrating the mating interface 110 , according to some embodiments. Figure 9 According to some embodiments Figure 8 FIG1 is an enlarged plan view 900 of the circled area 9A in FIG1. The backplane connector 104 can include a plurality of contact portions 802 arranged in columns and rows and held by the housing 808. Each contact portion can include an insulating separator 922. Each separator 922 can hold a pair of conductive elements 902 configured to have mating surfaces 924 facing outwardly of an opening in the separator.

[0107] exist Figure 9 In the view of FIG, the distal end of the conductive element is visible in the opening of the separator 922. The opposite ends of the conductive element can be configured for attachment to the back plate. These mounting ends can be, for example, Figure 4 The contact tail 404 is shown in FIG.

[0108] The separator 922 and the conductive elements therein can be configured to mate with a daughterboard connector (e.g., connector 102). The mating interface 110 can be configured to be complementary to the mating interface 108 so that the backplane connector 104 mates with the daughtercard 102. Thus, each of the contact portions 802 can be configured to face the separator 322 of the daughtercard connector 102. The posts of the contact portions can be arranged so that the conductive elements in adjacent contact portions face in opposite directions. In addition, the contact portions can be offset relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the column direction. Adjacent conductive elements in adjacent contact portions can be substantially aligned in a line 810 that extends at an acute angle to the shield plate 806. With this design, the conductive elements in adjacent contact portions can be spaced apart by a spacing distance that is greater than the distance between adjacent contact portions in the column direction, thereby reducing crosstalk between pairs of signal conductors in adjacent contact portions.

[0109] Shield blades 804 may be positioned between adjacent contact portions and at both ends of a column to further reduce crosstalk. Shield plates 806 may be positioned between adjacent columns. Shield plates 806 may include contact features 904 that extend out of the plane in which the shield plate extends. Examples of shield plates are shown in FIG. Figure 4 922. The shield blades 804 and 806 may generally surround the signal conductors within each of the dividers 922.

[0110] Figure 10A yes Figure 8 A side view of the backplane connector 104, partially cut away to show the Figure 8The cross section is shown by line 10A in FIG. The backplane connector 104 may include a plurality of conductive elements 1002 held by a housing 808, which is molded from an insulating material in this embodiment. The backplane connector 104 may include a plurality of contact tails 1004 located at the mounting end of the conductive elements opposite the mating interface 110.

[0111] Figure 10B is a perspective view of the shield plate 806 according to some embodiments. In the illustrated embodiment, the shield plate 806 includes contact features 904 that are similar to the contact features on the ground cross shield 308 and are formed by a collection of beams stamped from the same sheet of metal used to form the body of the shield plate 806. In this example, the contact features 904 are each formed from two beams, each of which is attached at one end to the shield plate body and at the other end to another beam, such that each contact feature 904 is V-shaped. The ends of these triangles bend out of the plane of the shield plate body and generate a reaction force when pressed back toward the shield plate body. In this way, a contact force can be generated to mate with conductive structures next to the shield plate 806, such as the mating ends 316 of the shield assemblies 502a and 502b. Figure 10B In the illustrated embodiment, the shield plate 806 has contact features 904 that are alternately bent to opposite sides of the plane of the shield plate body. Thus, the shield plate 806 can mate with two conductive structures, one on each side of the shield plate body.

[0112] The shield plate 806 may include features configured to connect the shield plate to ground structures on a printed circuit board to which the backplane connector 104 is mounted. Figure 10B In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , engagement feature 1005 is configured to engage the edge of a flat metal piece. Engagement feature 1005 has two compliant portions that can be stamped from the same sheet of metal as the shield body. The compliant portions are separated by a slot into which the edge of the sheet of metal to be engaged is inserted. Such engagement features can form appropriate contact and can be similarly used to bond cross shield 308 to conductive elements.

[0113] The metal strips that are in turn engaged by engagement features 1005 may include contact tails that are attached to a printed circuit board. For example, engagement features 1005 may engage metal portions extending from shield blades 804 that include contact tails for attachment to ground structures in the printed circuit board. Alternatively or in addition, engagement features 1005 may engage separate metal strips that are inserted into housing 808 and extend perpendicular to shield plate 806. These separate metal strips may include press-fit or other contact tails.

[0114] Figure 10C According to some embodiments Figure 10AThe wall 1020 of the housing 808 is at Figure 10C . Grooves 1022 are formed in wall 1020. An end of shield plate 806 can be anchored in grooves 1022. The opposite end of shield plate 806 can be anchored in a similar groove on the opposite wall of housing 808. Housing 808 can include a bottom plate 1024. The bottom edge of shield plate 806 can be anchored to bottom plate 1024.

[0115] The shield plate 806 can include contact features 904 that can be seen in this view to bend out of the plane of the body of the shield plate 806. The contact features can be long enough that they will bend when pressed back into the plane of the shield plate. The arms can be sufficiently resilient to provide a spring force when pressed back into the plane of the shield plate. The spring force generated by the arms can form a contact point between the shield plate and a mating shield of a mating daughter card connector (e.g., the ground shields 502a, 502b of the daughter card connector 102). The spring force generated is configured to be large enough to ensure the contact point even after the daughter card connector is repeatedly mated and unmated with the backplane connector.

[0116] Figure 10D According to some embodiments Figure 10A 10D is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the circled area 10D in FIG. In this view, a cross section through the back plate divider 922a can be seen. Behind the divider 922a is the shield blade 804. The shield blade 804 is located between the dividers 922a and 922b.

[0117] In the illustrated embodiment, the separator 922 extends from the base plate 1024 and can be formed, for example, as part of a molding operation to form the housing 808. The distal end of the contact portion 902 is held by a bracket 1030 of the separator 922a. The contact portion 902 can be bent so that the contact surface 924 extends past the bracket 1030 so that it can contact the conductive elements of the mating connector. The mating portion 312 in the daughterboard connector can be similarly positioned within the separator 322 for mating. Thus, when the connectors are mated, the conductive elements that serve as signal conductors within the separator 922 can contact the conductive elements that serve as signal conductors within the separator 322, thereby completing the signal path through the mated connector.

[0118] Figure 11A According to some embodiments, Figure 1AFIG2 is a plan view of a cutaway view taken along line 11A in FIG2 . In the example shown, when daughter card connector 102 is mated with backplane connector 104, a pair of signal conductors 1104 of daughter card connector 102 mates with a corresponding pair of conductive elements 902 of backplane connector 104. The shield blade 804 of the backplane connector is inserted between the pair of lossy portions 320 a and 320 b. In the example shown, the shield blade does not contact the lossy portions, but may be close enough to electrically couple thereto. However, it should be understood that in some embodiments, a portion of the shield blade may contact the lossy portions.

[0119] Figure 11A It is also shown that the ground cross shield 308 can contact or be connected to at least one of the left ground plane shield 502a and the right ground plane shield 502c. The shell 1102 can be formed around the signal conductor pair, wherein the ground conductor is on at least a portion of all four sides surrounding the signal conductor. This shell can be in the mating area and can enter both the daughter card connector and the backplane connector. Within the mating interface, the shell 1102 is formed by two adjacent ground cross shields connected to the left ground plane shield and the right ground plane shield. The separators 322 and 922 can be located between the signal conductors and the shell. As described above in conjunction with Figures 3 to 6 As described above, shielding at the mating interface is carried over to the daughter card connector, where the left and right ground plane shields 502a, 502b are adjacent to the middle portions of the signal conductors, thereby separating signal conductors in adjacent columns. Ground conductors within the signal leadframe 302 coupled to the ground cross shield 308 separate adjacent pairs within a column.

[0120] The signal conductors are also surrounded by shields within the backplane connector. Backplane shields 402a and 402b are positioned between adjacent columns. Shield blades 804 are positioned between adjacent pairs of signal conductors within a column. To incorporate shielding into the connector system, backplane shields 402a and 402b are coupled to ground plane shields 502a and 502b via contact features 904. Shield blades 804 are coupled to contact features 332 of ground cross shield 308.

[0121] Figure 11B According to some embodiments, Figure 11A A partial cross-sectional view taken along line 11B in FIG. Figure 11B Depicted are two contact points 1106 and 1108 formed between the ground cross shield 308 and the shield blade 804 when the daughter card and backplane connector are mated. These two contact points can be formed by contact features 332. The contact features 332 can include arms formed in a similar manner to the contact features 904. The arms of the contact features 332 of the ground cross shield 308 can be generally Z-shaped, as shown. Figure 12AThe two turning points of the "Z" arm can be configured as contact points with a mating conductor (eg, shield blade 804).

[0122] Figure 12A and Figure 12B It is along Figure 1A A partial cross-sectional view taken along line 12A in FIG. Figure 12A and 12B The daughtercard connector and backplane connector are depicted in an unmated and mated state, respectively. In the illustrated example, when the two connectors are mated, the ground cross shield 308 of the daughtercard connector 102 contacts the shield blades 804 of the backplane connector 104 at two points 1104 and 1106. The lossy portions 320a and 320b define a space into which the shield blades 804 are inserted. Once inserted, the lossy portions 320a and 320b surround the distal ends of the shield blades 804. In the illustrated embodiment, the lossy portions 320a and 320b define at least 30% of the circumference of the shield blades 804 extending above the base plate 1024. However, in other embodiments, the lossy portions may define a longer or shorter portion of the circumference, such as between 20% and 100%, between 25% and 80%, or between 30% and 60%, according to some embodiments. The shield plate 402a of the backplane connector 104 contacts both the left ground plane shield 502a of the first substrate 200a and the right ground plane shield 502c of the second substrate 200b.

[0123] While details of the specific construction of the conductive elements, housings, and shielding members are described above, it should be understood that such details are provided for illustrative purposes only, as the concepts disclosed herein can be implemented in other ways. In this regard, the various connector designs described herein can be used in any suitable combination, as aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to the specific combinations shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0124] Having thus described several embodiments, it will be appreciated that various variations, modifications, and improvements may readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such variations, modifications, and improvements are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the foregoing description and accompanying drawings are by way of example only.

[0125] Various changes may be made to the illustrative structures shown and described herein. As a specific example of possible variations, lossy material is described only in the daughter card connector. Lossy material may alternatively or additionally be incorporated into either connector in a mating pair of connectors. The lossy material may be attached to a ground conductor or shield, such as the shield in backplane connector 104.

[0126] As another example of variation, a connector may be configured for a frequency range of interest, which may depend on the operating parameters of the system in which such connector is used, but generally may have an upper limit between about 15 GHz and 112 GHz, such as 25 GHz, 30 GHz, 40 GHz, 56 GHz, or 112 GHz, but may be of interest to higher or lower frequencies in some applications. Some connector designs may have a frequency range of interest that spans only a portion of this range, such as 1 to 10 GHz, or 3 to 15 GHz, or 5 to 35 GHz.

[0127] The operating frequency range of an interconnect system can be determined based on the range of frequencies that can traverse the interconnect with acceptable signal integrity. Signal integrity can be measured according to a number of criteria, depending on the intended use of the interconnect system. Some of these criteria may involve signal propagation along a single-ended signal path, a differential signal path, a hollow waveguide, or any other type of signal path. Two examples of such criteria are signal attenuation along the signal path or signal reflection from the signal path.

[0128] Other standards may involve the interaction of multiple different signal paths. Such standards may include, for example, near-end crosstalk, which is defined as the portion of a signal injected into a signal path at one end of an interconnect system that is measurable on any other signal path at the same end of the interconnect system. Another such standard may be far-end crosstalk, which is defined as the portion of a signal injected into a signal path at one end of an interconnect system that is measurable on any other signal path at the other end of the interconnect system.

[0129] As a specific example, it can be required that the signal path attenuation is no greater than 3dB power loss, the reflected power ratio is no greater than -20dB, and the single signal path contributes no more than -50dB to the signal path crosstalk. Since these characteristics are frequency-dependent, the operating range of the interconnect system is defined as the frequency range that meets the specified standards.

[0130] Designs of electrical connectors are described herein that improve signal integrity for high frequency signals, such as frequencies in the GHz range, including up to about 25 GHz, or up to about 40 GHz, or up to about 56 GHz, or up to about 60 GHz, or up to about 75 GHz, or up to about 112 GHz, or higher, while maintaining high density, such as spacing between adjacent mating contact portions of about 3 mm or less, for example, including center-to-center spacing between adjacent contacts in columns of between 1 mm and 2.5 mm, or between 2 mm and 2.5 mm. The spacing between columns of mating contact portions can be similar, but the spacing between all mating contact portions in the connector is not required to be the same.

[0131] Manufacturing techniques may also vary. For example, an embodiment is described in which a daughter card connector 600 is formed by organizing multiple substrates onto stiffeners. An equivalent structure may be formed by inserting multiple shields and signal receptacles into a molded housing.

[0132] As another example, a connector formed by modules is described, and each module includes a pair of signal conductors. Each module does not have to include just one pair, or the number of signal pairs does not have to be the same in all modules of the connector. For example, 2 pairs or 3 pairs of modules can be formed. In addition, in some embodiments, a core module with two, three, four, five, six or a certain larger number of rows configured using a single-ended or differential pair can be formed. Each connector or connector can be substrate-based in each embodiment and can include such a core module. In order to manufacture a connector with more rows than the rows included in the basic module, additional modules (for example, each additional module has a smaller number of pairs, such as a single pair per module) can be coupled to the core module.

[0133] In addition, although many of the inventive aspects are shown and described with reference to a daughterboard connector having a right-angle configuration, it should be understood that the aspects of the present disclosure are not limited in this respect, as any inventive concept, whether alone or in combination with one or more other inventive concepts, can be used in other types of electrical connectors, such as backplane connectors, cable connectors, stacking connectors, mezzanine connectors, I / O connectors, chip sockets, etc.

[0134] In some embodiments, the contact tails are shown as press-fit "eye-of-the-needle" compliant sections designed to fit within vias on a printed circuit board. However, other configurations, such as surface mount components, spring contacts, solderable pins, etc., may also be used, as aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to the use of any particular mechanism for attaching the connector to the printed circuit board.

[0135] The present disclosure is not limited to the details of the construction or arrangement of the parts set forth in the above description and / or the accompanying drawings. Each embodiment is provided for illustrative purposes only, and the concept described herein can be put into practice or executed in other ways. Moreover, the wording and terminology used in this article are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered as restrictive. Use "comprise", "contain", "have", "contain" or "involve" and variations thereof herein to encompass the project (or its equivalent) and / or additional project listed thereafter.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, comprising: a plurality of conductive elements, each conductive element of the plurality of conductive elements having a mating contact portion, the plurality of conductive elements comprising a plurality of pairs of conductive elements; a housing holding the plurality of conductive elements, wherein the mating contact portions of the plurality of conductive elements are arranged in a column; a plurality of lossy portions extending between mating contact portions of adjacent ones of the plurality of conductive elements; a conductive shield disposed on one side of the pairs of conductive elements; as well as a plurality of grounded cross shields, each of the plurality of grounded cross shields being disposed between adjacent pairs of conductive elements of the plurality of pairs of conductive elements, The conductive shield and the plurality of grounded cross shields form at least a portion of an outer shell surrounding each pair of conductive elements in the plurality of pairs of conductive elements.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: Each lossy portion of the plurality of lossy portions tapers toward a distal end of the mating contact portions of the plurality of conductive elements such that a width of the lossy portion in a direction perpendicular to the columns decreases toward the distal end of the mating contact portions.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: Each lossy portion of the plurality of lossy portions is configured to partially surround a ground conductor of a mating connector when the electrical connector is mated with the mating connector.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: Each of the housings has at least one corner in which a lossy portion of the plurality of lossy portions is disposed.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: When the electrical connector is mated with a mating connector, the conductive shield is electrically coupled to a ground conductor of the mating connector.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: The conductive shield has a first surface facing the pairs of conductive elements and a second surface facing opposite the first surface, and Each lossy portion of the plurality of lossy portions comprises: a first portion attached to the second surface of the conductive shield; and A second portion is attached to the first surface of the conductive shield, the second portion including a plurality of lossy portions extending between mating contact portions of adjacent ones of the plurality of pairs of conductive elements.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 1, further comprising: An insulating material separates the plurality of conductive elements from the plurality of lossy portions.

8. An electrical connector, comprising: a plurality of conductive elements, each conductive element of the plurality of conductive elements having a mating contact portion, the mating contact portions of the plurality of conductive elements being arranged in a column; a first conductive shield and a second conductive shield disposed on opposite sides of the plurality of conductive elements and extending parallel to the column; a grounded cross shield extending between the first conductive shield and the second conductive shield and perpendicular to the column; lossy material adjacent to the grounded cross-shield; as well as an insulating member attached to one of the first and second conductive shields extending parallel to the column, the insulating member comprising: a first portion attached to a first surface of one of the first conductive shield and the second conductive shield, the first surface facing the plurality of conductive elements, the first portion comprising a plurality of separators configured to form grooves that retain mating contact portions of the plurality of conductive elements; as well as A second portion is attached to a second surface of one of the first conductive shield and the second conductive shield, the second surface being opposite the first surface.

9. The electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein: The ground cross-shield includes a compliant contact portion configured to mate with a ground conductor of a mating connector.

10. The electrical connector according to claim 8, comprising: Component, which includes: one of a first conductive shield and a second conductive shield extending parallel to the column, and A lossy member is attached to one of the first conductive shield and the second conductive shield, the lossy member comprising a lossy material adjacent to the ground cross-shield.

11. The electrical connector according to claim 10, wherein: The lossy components include: a first portion attached to the second surface of one of the first conductive shield and the second conductive shield; and A second portion is attached to the first surface of one of the first conductive shield and the second conductive shield, the second portion including lossy material adjacent to the ground cross-shield.

12. The electrical connector according to claim 11, wherein: The second portion of the lossy member includes a plurality of ribs configured to form grooves that retain a plurality of conductive elements.

13. The electrical connector according to claim 12, wherein: Lossful material adjacent the ground cross-shield extends from the plurality of ribs.

14. The electrical connector according to claim 13, wherein: The lossy material includes a plurality of portions each extending adjacent a corresponding mating contact portion of the plurality of conductive elements and tapering toward a distal end.

15. The electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein: A grounded cross shield is positioned between the lossy material and one of the plurality of dividers of the insulating member.

16. The electrical connector according to claim 10, wherein: This component is located on the left side of the conductive element column. The electrical connector further includes another component located on the right side of the conductive element column opposite to the left side, and The array of conductive elements, the component and the further component constitute a substrate.

17. The electrical connector according to claim 16, wherein: The substrate is a first substrate; and The electrical connector includes a plurality of substrates aligned in a direction substantially perpendicular to the columns of conductive elements.

18. An electrical connector, comprising: a plurality of conductive elements, each conductive element having a mating contact portion; as well as An assembly for the plurality of conductive elements, the assembly having: Multiple lossy parts; as well as A plurality of cavities, wherein: Each cavity of the plurality of cavities is configured to receive a ground conductor of a mating connector when the electrical connector is mated with the mating connector, each lossy portion of the plurality of lossy portions extends along and at least partially defines a corresponding cavity of the plurality of cavities, A plurality of conductive elements are arranged in pairs, and The electrical connector includes a plurality of ground cross shields disposed between adjacent pairs of the plurality of conductive elements and at least partially surrounding the conductive elements of the corresponding pairs together with the conductive shields.

19. The electrical connector of claim 18, wherein: The assembly is disposed on a first side of the plurality of conductive elements and includes a first conductive shield, The electrical connector includes another component disposed on a second side of the plurality of conductive elements, the second side being opposite to the first side, The other assembly includes a second conductive shield, and The first conductive shield, the second conductive shield, and the plurality of ground cross shields together surround the mating contact portions of each of the plurality of pairs of conductive elements.

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