High-performance cable connector assemblies

Abstract

Disclosed are connector assemblies that can be used to connect a cable to one or more contact tails of an electrical connector. Some connector assemblies may include a wiring extending from the cable and attached to an edge of a contact tail of a signal conductor. At least a portion of the wiring may be flattened to form a flat surface that is attached to a corresponding flat surface of an edge of the contact tail. In addition, some connector assemblies may include a wiring extending from the cable that is attached to the edge of the contact tail via a metallurgical joint extending along at least a portion of an attachment interface between the wiring and the contact tail.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62 / 809,381, filed on February 22, 2019, entitled “HIGH PERFORMANCE CABLE CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY,” under 35 U.S.C. §119(e), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Background Art

[0003] The present patent application relates generally to interconnect systems, such as interconnect systems including cables and electrical connectors.

[0004] Cables are used in many electronic systems. Electronic systems are assembled from multiple components that are interconnected. Typically, the components are mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB), which provides both mechanical support for the components and conductive structures that transmit power to the components and provide signal paths between the components attached to the PCB.

[0005] Sometimes, PCBs are connected together with electrical connectors. The connectors provide a separable interface so that the PCBs in a system can be manufactured at different times or locations, but can be easily assembled into the system. A known arrangement for connecting several printed circuit boards is to have one printed circuit board used as a backplane. Other printed circuit boards, called "daughter boards" or "daughter cards", can be connected through the backplane.

[0006] A backplane is a printed circuit board on which a number of connectors may be mounted. Conductive traces in the backplane may be electrically connected to signal conductors in the connectors so that signals may be routed between the connectors. Daughter cards may also have connectors mounted thereon. The connectors mounted on the daughter cards may be plugged into connectors mounted on the backplane. In this way, signals may be routed between daughter cards through the backplane.

[0007] Connectors may also be used in other configurations for interconnecting printed circuit boards. Sometimes, one or more smaller printed circuit boards may be connected to another larger printed circuit board. In such a configuration, the larger printed circuit board may be referred to as a "motherboard," and the printed circuit boards connected to the motherboard may be referred to as daughterboards. In addition, boards of the same or similar size may sometimes be aligned in parallel. Connectors used in these applications are often referred to as "stacking connectors" or "mezzanine connectors."

[0008] In some cases, components can be separated by longer distances than they would be connected via traces in a PCB. Cables can be used to route signals between components because the cables can be routed through tortuous paths where it would be difficult to mount a rigid PCB, or the cables can be manufactured to have less signal loss per inch than a PCB.

[0009] The cables use the NRZ protocol to provide a signal path with high signal integrity, especially for high-frequency signals, such as signals above 40 Gbps. Each cable has one or more signal conductors, each cable is surrounded by a dielectric material, which is surrounded by a conductive layer. A protective sheath, usually made of plastic, can surround these components. In addition, the sheath or other parts of the cable may include fibers or other structures for mechanical support.

[0010] One type of cable known as a "twinax cable" is constructed to support the transmission of differential signals and has a pair of balanced signal wires that are embedded in a dielectric and surrounded by a conductive layer. The conductive layer is typically formed using a foil such as aluminized polyester film. Twinax cables may also have drain wires. Unlike signal wires that are typically surrounded by a dielectric, drain wires may be uncoated so that the drain wires are in contact with the conductive layer at multiple points along the length of the cable.

[0011] A cable can be terminated with a connector to form a cable assembly. The connector can be inserted into a mating connector, which in turn is connected to the components to be connected. At one end of the cable, where the cable is to be terminated to a connector or other termination structure, the protective cover, dielectric, and foil can be removed, exposing portions of the signal wiring and drain wiring at the end of the cable. These wiring can be attached to a connector or other termination structure. The signal wiring can be attached to a conductive element that serves as a mating contact in the connector. The drain wiring can be attached to a ground conductor in the termination structure. In this way, any ground loop can be continued from the cable to the termination structure.

[0012] To receive the connector of the cable assembly, a connector known as an "I / O connector" may be mounted to the PCB, typically at the edge of the PCB. The connector may be configured to receive a plug at one end of the cable assembly so that the cable is connected to the PCB through the I / O connector. The other end of the cable assembly may be connected to another electronic device.

[0013] Cables are also used to make connections within the same electronic device. For example, a cable can be used to route signals from an I / O connector to a processor component that is located inside the PCB, away from the edge where the I / O connector is mounted. In other configurations, both ends of the cable can be connected to the same PCB. The cable can be used to carry signals between components mounted to the PCB, with each end of the cable connected to the PCB near the component. Summary of the invention

[0014] Various aspects described herein relate to low-loss interconnect systems.

[0015] In one aspect, some embodiments may be directed to a connector assembly including a first signal conductor having a first contact tail and a first wiring extending from a cable. The first contact tail includes an edge having a first flat surface, and a portion of the first wiring is at least partially flattened to form a second flat surface. The first wiring is attached to the edge of the first contact tail, wherein the second flat surface of the first wiring contacts the first flat surface of the first contact tail.

[0016] In another aspect, some embodiments may be directed to a connector assembly including: a signal conductor having a contact tail, the contact tail including an edge; and a wiring extending from a cable and attached to the edge of the contact tail via a joint extending along an attachment interface. At least a portion of the joint is a metallurgical joint.

[0017] In yet another aspect, some embodiments may be directed to a method of forming an electrical connector. The method includes joining a wire of a cable to an edge of a contact tail of a signal conductor along an attachment interface at least in part by melting a first material, flowing the first material into the attachment interface, and interdiffusion of at least a portion of the first material and a second material across the attachment interface to form a metallurgical bond.

[0018] In yet another aspect, some embodiments may be directed to a method of forming an electrical connector, the method comprising: deforming a portion of a first wire of a cable to form a first planar surface. The method further comprises: attaching the first wire to an edge of a first contact tail of a first signal conductor at least in part by contacting the first planar surface of the first wire to a second planar surface of an edge of the first contact tail.

[0019] The foregoing is provided by way of illustration and is not intended to be limiting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component shown in various figures is represented by a like reference numeral. For clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 is an isometric view of an illustrative electrical interconnect system according to some embodiments;

[0022] Figure 2 According to some embodiments Figure 1 a partially exploded isometric view of a connector;

[0023] Figure 3 According to some embodiments Figure 2 An isometric view of a wafer assembly of a connector;

[0024] Figure 4 According to some embodiments Figure 3 An isometric view of a sheet module of a sheet assembly;

[0025] Figure 5 According to some embodiments Figure 3 an isometric view of a portion of an insulating housing of a wafer assembly;

[0026] Figure 6 According to some embodiments Figure 3 a partially exploded isometric view of a sheet module of a sheet assembly;

[0027] Figure 7 According to some embodiments Figure 3 a partially exploded isometric view of a portion of a wafer module of a wafer assembly;

[0028] Figure 8 According to some embodiments Figure 3 a partially exploded isometric view of a portion of a wafer module of a wafer assembly;

[0029] Fig. 9 is an isometric view of an extender module according to some embodiments;

[0030] Fig. 10A According to some embodiments Fig. 9 an isometric view of a portion of an extender module;

[0031] Fig. 10B According to some embodiments Fig. 9 an isometric view of a portion of an extender module;

[0032] Fig. 10C According to some embodiments Fig. 9 an isometric view of a portion of an extender module;

[0033] Fig.11 According to some embodiments Fig.11a partially exploded isometric view of an extender module;

[0034] Fig.12 is an isometric view of two extender modules oriented in a 180 degree rotation according to some embodiments;

[0035] Fig.13A According to some embodiments Fig.12 an isometric view of an assembly of two extender modules;

[0036] Fig. 13B According to some embodiments, the Fig.13A A schematic representation of one end of an assembly;

[0037] Fig. 13C According to some embodiments, the Fig.13A A schematic representation of one end of an assembly;

[0038] Fig.14 According to some embodiments Fig.13A an isometric view of an assembly of a connector and an extender module;

[0039] Fig.15A is an isometric view of an extender housing according to some embodiments;

[0040] Fig. 15B According to some embodiments Fig.15A A partially cutaway perspective view of an extender housing;

[0041] Fig.16A is a partially exploded isometric view of an orthogonal connector according to some embodiments;

[0042] Fig. 16B is an isometric view of an assembled orthogonal connector according to some embodiments;

[0043] Fig.17 According to some embodiments Fig. 16B A cross-sectional view of an orthogonal connector;

[0044] Fig.18 According to some embodiments Fig. 16B An isometric view of a portion of an orthogonal connector;

[0045] Fig.19 According to some embodiments, Fig. 16B Orthogonal connectors and Figure 2 An exploded isometric view of a portion of an electronic system of a connector;

[0046] Fig. 20Ais an isometric view of a connector of an electrical interconnect system according to some embodiments, illustrating a mating interface of the connector;

[0047] Fig. 20B According to some embodiments Fig. 20A An isometric view of a connector showing a mounting interface of the connector;

[0048] FIG. 21A to FIG. 21C According to some embodiments Fig. 20A a partially exploded isometric view of a connector;

[0049] Fig.21D According to some embodiments Fig.23A An isometric view of a connector unit of a connector;

[0050] Fig.21E According to some embodiments Fig. 23B An isometric view of a connector unit of a connector;

[0051] Fig.22A is an isometric view of a cable assembly according to some embodiments;

[0052] Fig. 22B According to some embodiments Fig.22A a partially cutaway isometric view of a cable assembly in FIG.

[0053] Fig. 22C According to some embodiments, it can be used to form Fig.22A an isometric view of a cable assembly module of a cable assembly in;

[0054] Fig.23A is an isometric view of a pair of signal conductors according to some embodiments;

[0055] Fig. 23B is attached to Fig.23A an isometric view of a cable having a pair of signal conductors;

[0056] Fig.24A is a plan view of a mounting interface between a pair of signal conductors and a cable according to some embodiments;

[0057] Fig. 24B According to some embodiments Fig.24A A front view of a mounting interface between a pair of signal conductors and a cable;

[0058] Fig.24C is a plan view of a mounting interface between a pair of signal conductors and a cable according to some embodiments;

[0059] Fig.24D According to some embodiments Fig.24C A front view of a mounting interface between a pair of signal conductors and a cable;

[0060] Fig.25A is an isometric view of a cable attached to a pair of signal conductors according to some embodiments;

[0061] Fig.25B is along Fig.25A A cross-sectional view taken along line BB;

[0062] Fig.25C shows the signal conductor after deforming it according to some embodiments Fig.25B A cross-sectional view of

[0063] Fig.26A is a cross-sectional view of an attachment interface between a signal conductor and a contact tail according to some embodiments;

[0064] Fig.26B After forming a metallurgical joint according to some embodiments Fig.26A An attachment interface;

[0065] Fig.27A A copper-nickel phase diagram is shown according to some embodiments and illustrates an example of a material system that exhibits soluble properties;

[0066] Fig.27B shows a copper-silver phase diagram according to some embodiments and illustrates an example of a eutectic material system; and

[0067] Fig.27C A silver-nickel phase diagram is shown and illustrates an example of a material system that exhibits insoluble properties, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] The inventors have recognized and appreciated the following technology for improving the performance of electronic systems by using low-loss interconnects, particularly for high-frequency signals enabled by attaching a cable to a conductive element in a connector or other termination structure. In some embodiments, a pair of signal conductors of a cable (e.g., wiring in a cable) can be reliably attached to opposite edges of a conductive element of a connector configured to carry a differential pair of signals. With such an arrangement, changes in geometry at the cable attachment interface can be reduced, which changes may otherwise cause changes in impedance that can affect signal integrity. Alternatively or additionally, such an attachment interface can reduce the amount of metal at the attachment interface, thereby reducing changes in inductance relative to conventional designs in which the cable is soldered to the wide side of the signal conductor, which also reduces changes in impedance.

[0069] The inventors have recognized and appreciated techniques for achieving secure attachment of wires at the edges of conductive elements. One such technique may include adjusting the shape of at least a portion of a signal conductor of a cable prior to attaching the signal conductor to a conductive element of a connector, such as a contact tail. In particular, the inventors have recognized that the typical round shape of wires in a cable may result in limited contact area between the wires and the conductive elements of the connector, which may result in poor connection quality of the wires to the connector and / or undesirable impedance changes at the attachment interface due to the quality of the materials required to form a suitable attachment.

[0070] According to some aspects described herein, the wiring may be deformed before being connected to the associated conductive element of the connector so that at least a portion of the wiring is at least partially flattened. The flattened portion of the wire can form a flat surface, which can be placed in contact with the corresponding flat surface of the conductive element of the connector, and the wiring and the conductive element can be subsequently connected to attach the wiring to the connector. In some embodiments, the area of ​​the flattened portion of the wiring (i.e., the flat surface of the wiring) can be substantially matched with the corresponding contact area on the conductive element of the connector (i.e., the flat surface of the conductive element), which can help avoid changing the impedance by the attachment interface. For example, the initial diameter of the wiring may be greater than the thickness of the conductive element of the connector, and after being flattened, the thickness of the flattened portion of the wiring can be substantially matched with the thickness of the conductive element. In some embodiments, the wiring can be pressed against the contact area on the conductive element during attachment to achieve the above-mentioned deformation of the wiring. However, it should be understood that the wiring can be deformed or flattened in any suitable manner, such as by using a suitable tool to flatten the wiring, because the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0071] Another such technique may involve forming an attachment interface and physically engaging and / or connecting the wiring of the cable to a conductive portion (e.g., a contact tail) of a connector having a small amount of conductive material. As described above, changes in geometry at the cable attachment interface may result in undesired changes in impedance, which may affect signal integrity. Accordingly, the techniques described herein may reduce or eliminate such changes in geometry, for example, by forming a joint at the attachment interface without the need to add solder or other materials that may result in such changes in geometry to the attachment interface. In some embodiments, the wiring of the cable and the contact tail of the connector may include a material selected to provide desired material properties (e.g., thermodynamic properties and / or kinetic properties), which may facilitate connecting the wiring to the conductive portion without the need for solder or other connecting materials. For example, a material may be selected to form a metallurgical joint along at least a portion of the attachment interface when the attachment interface is heated. As described in more detail below, in some cases, the heating required to form a metallurgical joint may be less than the heating required for other conventional connection techniques such as welding. Furthermore, the inventors have recognized and appreciated that, in certain circumstances, such lower heating requirements to form a joint may avoid undesirable material loss at the attachment interface that may occur due to ablation or other effects associated with higher power joining operations (e.g., high power laser welding).

[0072] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the wiring of the cable and / or the contact tail of the connector may include a coating selected to provide the above-mentioned material properties, which can facilitate connecting the wiring to the contact tail. For example, such a coating can be selected so that the coating material is soluble in the base alloy of the wiring and / or the contact tail to promote the interdiffusion of the materials of the wiring and / or the contact tail, and / or to promote the melting of the material at a lower temperature and the flow of the attachment interface between the wiring and the contact tail. As used herein, a first material is soluble in a second material refers to a two (or more) component material system in which, when the two (or more) materials are combined, the two (or more) materials form a single-phase mixture under equilibrium conditions. For example, materials that are completely soluble in each other (e.g., copper and nickel; see Fig.27A ) forms a single-phase solid solution at a temperature below the melting point of the lower melting point material, and forms a single-phase liquid solution at a higher temperature (i.e., above the melting point of the higher melting point material). At an intermediate temperature between the melting point temperatures of the two materials, the materials form a two-phase mixture including a liquid phase and a solid phase. Other material systems can be partially soluble, so that two or more materials in the material system exhibit soluble characteristics within one or more limited composition ranges.

[0073] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the coating material and the base alloy may be selected such that the coating material and the base alloy form a eutectic material system in which the mixture of the coating material and the base alloy melts at a temperature lower than the melting temperatures of the coating material and the base alloy. In some such eutectic systems, the coating material and the base alloy may form three distinct phases: a liquid (at high temperatures) in which the coating material and the base alloy are miscible with each other; a first solid phase in which the coating material may exhibit limited solubility in the base alloy; and a second solid phase in which the base alloy may exhibit some solubility in the coating material. Each of the solid phases may be a solid solution exhibiting a crystalline structure of a major component. An exemplary material system that exhibits such eutectic properties is the silver-copper material system (see Fig.27B ). In this material system, adding silver to pure copper causes the mixture to have a melting point lower than that of pure copper. The melting point continues to decrease as the amount of silver added increases until the mixture reaches a eutectic composition of approximately 39.9 atomic percent copper and 60.1 atomic percent silver; at the eutectic composition, the system exhibits its lowest possible melting temperature. Further additions of silver cause the melting temperature to increase until the melting temperature of pure silver at 0 atomic percent copper is reached. While the above examples exhibit eutectic properties over the entire composition range of the mixture, other systems that exhibit eutectic properties over a limited composition range may also be suitable. Furthermore, while the above eutectic material systems include two pure metallic elements, other eutectic systems may also be suitable, such as systems in which one or more components include metal alloys, intermetallic compounds, oxides, ceramics, or other suitable compounds.

[0074] In some applications, the coating materials on the wiring and contact tail of the cable can be different and can provide different thermodynamic effects. For example, in one embodiment, the wiring and the contact tail can include similar or identical base alloys, but can have different coating materials. For example, the first coating on the wiring of the cable can be selected to form a eutectic alloy system (as described above), so that the addition of the first coating material to the base alloy effectively reduces the melting point of the base alloy of the wiring; the second coating on the contact tail of the connector can be selected so that the coating material is partially or completely soluble in the base alloy of the connector, so that the second coating material and the base alloy form a single-phase solid or liquid within a suitable composition range. As described in more detail below, such a configuration can allow material to flow into the attachment interface and then the coating and the base alloy material diffuse to form a metallurgical bond along at least a portion of the attachment interface. Although specific configurations of the first coating and the second coating are described above, it should be understood that other configurations may be suitable. For example, in other embodiments, the first coating on the wiring can be selected to partially or completely dissolve with the base alloy of the wiring, and the second coating on the contact tail can be selected to form a eutectic system. In other embodiments, the first coating and the second coating can be selected to provide the same or similar type of thermomechanical response, for example, to form a soluble mixture or eutectic system.

[0075] Cable termination techniques as described herein can be used to terminate any suitable type of cable to any suitable type of conductive structure. The termination of a two-strand cable to a signal conductor of a connector is described herein as an example of cable termination. Each signal conductor may include a contact tail, a mating contact portion, and an intermediate portion extending between the contact tail and the mating contact portion. In some embodiments, the connector assembly may also include a plurality of cables. Each cable may include one or more wiring. Each wiring may be attached to the contact tail of the signal conductor of the connector using the above-mentioned attachment and / or coupling techniques.

[0076] In some embodiments, each of the signal conductor pairs of the connector may include a broadside and an edge connecting the broadside. The signal conductor pair may be formed by stamping a metal sheet, wherein one or more tie bars connect two opposite edges of the signal conductor pair, so that the spacing between the signal conductor pair is controlled by the size of the tie bars. The size of the tie bars may be selected based on the size of the wiring in the cable to be attached (e.g., AWG 28, AWG 30, etc.). The tie bars may set the spacing between the opposite edges of the contact tails of the signal conductors so that when the wiring is attached to each edge, the spacing between the wiring produces a desired impedance, such as an impedance that matches the impedance of the other parts of the cable or interconnect.

[0077] Before or after the wiring is attached to the signal conductor, the housing can be molded around the signal conductor pair so that the contact tails of the signal conductor pair can be maintained in an edge-to-edge configuration in the housing. The tie rod can then be cut to isolate the signal conductor pair. Attaching the cable wiring to the edge allows for more precise control of the spacing between the cable wiring and reduces impedance mismatches compared to conventional methods of terminating the cable wiring on the surface to form a large bump. Impedance control can also be provided by attachment that has a small effect on the inductance of the conductor to the wiring interface, such as via the above-mentioned attachment and / or coupling techniques.

[0078] For example, Figure 1 The interconnection system shown in FIG. 1 is used to illustrate the above principles. Figure 1 An electrical interconnect system of a form that can be used in an electronic system is shown. In this example, an orthogonal configuration forms a signal path to a printed circuit board through a connector attached to the edge of the printed circuit board. The connector is attached to the circuit board at a footprint. Traces "breakout" from the footprint and are routed to other points on the circuit board that are connected to other components. In this way, signals can be routed to components anywhere on the circuit board through the connector. However, in some cases, the circuit board will be large enough so that the distance between the connector and the component receiving the signal is long, such as greater than 6 inches. These long traces may undesirably reduce the signal carried on such traces. Figure 1 A configuration is shown that avoids long traces by facilitating integration of cables to carry signals over long distances.

[0079] Figure 1 An electrical interconnect system 2800 is shown that includes connectors 2802, 2804, 2900, a cable 2806, and printed circuit boards (PCBs) 2801, 2803. Connector 2900 may include a first type connector unit 2902 and a second type connector unit 2904. The first type connector unit may be mounted directly to PCB 2801. The second type connector unit may be coupled to PCB 2801 via a cable 2806. In the illustrated embodiment, cable 2806 is connected to connector 2802, which in turn is connected to PCB 2801.

[0080] In the example shown, connector 2900 includes two signal conductors configured to be attached to a cable and to a printed circuit board. Connector 2900 can be assembled from connector units configured for each type of attachment, so that there is a first type of connector unit having a signal conductor configured to be attached to a printed circuit board and a second type of connector unit having a signal conductor configured to be attached to a cable. However, the present invention is not limited in this regard. In some embodiments, the cable can be terminated to other types of connectors or conductors that are part of other types of electronic components.

[0081] Connector 2804 may be mounted to PCB 2803 at one end and mate with connector 2900 at the other end such that PCB 2803 is orthogonal to PCB 2801 .

[0082] The cable 2806 may have a first end 2808 attached to the second type connector unit 2904 and a second end 2810 attached to the connector 2805. The connector 2805 here mates with the connector 2802, through which the signal carried by the cable is coupled to the PCB 2801. The second end of the cable may be coupled to the PCB 2801 at a distance D from the first end of the cable. Any suitable value may be selected for the distance D. In some embodiments, D may be at least 6 inches, in the range of 1 inch to 20 inches, or any value within the range, such as between 6 inches and 20 inches. However, the upper limit of the range may depend on the size of the PCB 2801 and the distance from the connector 2900 to the PCB 2801 where the component (not shown) is mounted, because the connector 2802 may be mounted near the component that receives or generates the signal passing through the cable 2806. As specific examples, connector 2802 may fit within 6 inches of those components, and in some embodiments, connector 2802 will fit within 4 inches of those components or within 2 inches of those components.

[0083] Connector 2900 can mate with any suitable type of connector. In some embodiments, mating connector 2804 can be an orthogonal connector. In the illustrated embodiment, both connectors 2900 and 2804 can have a modular construction, and similar modules can be used for corresponding components. Connector 2804 can be mated with Figure 2 The connector 600 shown is similarly configured. In such an embodiment, the connector 2900 can be configured as a directly attached orthogonal connector. This configuration can be achieved by attaching an extender as described below to a connector having the same mating interface as described in conjunction with the connector 600.

[0084] like Figure 1As can be seen in the figure, the connector 600 includes contact tails 610 designed to be attached to a PCB. These contact tails form one end of a conductive element that passes through an interconnection system. When the connector is mounted to a printed circuit board, these contact tails will be electrically connected to a signal-carrying conductive structure 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, which are designed to be pressed into vias in the printed circuit board. However, other forms of contact tails may be used.

[0085] Each of the connectors also has a mating interface where the connector can mate or unmate with another connector. Connector 600 includes a mating interface 620. Figure 1 Although not fully visible in the view shown in , the mating contact portions of the conductive elements are exposed at the mating interface.

[0086] 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 in 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, which in some embodiments can provide a conductive or partially conductive path between some of the conductive elements. In some embodiments, the conductive portion can provide shielding. The lossy portion can also provide shielding in some cases and / or can provide desired electrical properties within the connector.

[0087] In various embodiments, the dielectric member may be molded or over-molded 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.

[0088] All of the above materials are suitable for use as adhesive materials when manufacturing connectors. According to some embodiments, one or more fillers may be included in some or all of the adhesive materials. As a non-limiting example, a thermoplastic PPS filled with 30% glass fiber by volume may be used to form the entire connector housing or the dielectric portion of the housing.

[0089] Alternatively or additionally, a portion of the housing may be formed of a conductive material such as processed metal or extruded metal powder. In some embodiments, a portion of the housing may be formed of metal or other conductive material and a dielectric member separating the signal conductor from the conductive portion. For example, the housing of the connector may have an area formed of a conductive material and an insulating member separating the middle portion of the signal conductor from the conductive portion of the housing.

[0090] The housing of connector 600 may also be formed in any suitable manner. In the illustrated embodiment, daughter card connector 600 may be formed from multiple units that may be sub-assemblies that may include one or more "sheets" and in some embodiments may include one or more extender modules and one or more support members to hold the components together. Each sheet (700, Figure 3 ) may include a housing portion that may similarly include dielectric, lossy and / or conductive portions. One or more members may hold the sheets in a desired position. For example, support members 612 and 614 may hold the top and back of multiple sheets in a side-by-side configuration, respectively. Support members 612 and 614 may be formed of any suitable material such as sheet metal stamped with protrusions, openings, or other components that engage corresponding components on a single sheet.

[0091] Other components that may form part of the connector housing may provide mechanical integrity to the daughter card connector 600 and / or hold the tabs in a desired position. Figure 2 ) can receive the portion of the sheet that forms the mating interface. Any or all of these portions of the connector housing can be dielectric, lossy and / or conductive to achieve the desired electrical characteristics of the interconnect system.

[0092] In some embodiments, each sheet may hold a row of conductive elements forming signal conductors. These signal conductors may be shaped and spaced to form single-ended signal conductors. However, in Figure 1 In the embodiment shown in , the signal conductors are shaped and spaced apart in pairs to provide differential signal conductors. Each of the columns may include or be defined by a conductive element that functions as a ground conductor. It should be understood that the ground conductor need not be connected to ground, but is shaped to carry a reference potential, which may include a ground voltage, a DC voltage, or other suitable reference potential. The "ground" or "reference" conductor may have a different shape than the signal conductor, which is configured to provide suitable signal transmission performance for high frequency signals.

[0093] The conductive element may be made of metal or any other material that conducts electricity and provides suitable mechanical properties for the conductive element in the electrical connector. Phosphor bronze, beryllium copper and other copper alloys are non-limiting examples of materials that may be used. The conductive element may be formed from such material in any suitable manner including by stamping and / or forming.

[0094] The spacing between conductors of adjacent columns can be within a range that provides the desired density and desired signal integrity. 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 spaced 2.25 mm apart and the conductors within each column can be spaced 2.4 mm apart. However, higher density can be achieved by placing the conductors closer together. In other embodiments, for example, smaller dimensions can be used to provide higher density, such as a thickness between 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm, or a spacing between conductors between columns or within a column of 0.7 mm to 1.85 mm. In addition, each column can include four pairs of signal conductors, such that Figure 1 The interconnect system shown in achieves a density of 60 or more pairs per linear inch. However, it should be understood that a higher density connector can be achieved using more pairs per column, tighter spacing between pairs within a column, and / or smaller distances between columns.

[0095] The sheet may be formed in any suitable manner. In some embodiments, the sheet may be formed by stamping multiple columns of conductor elements from a metal sheet and overmolding a dielectric portion over the middle of the conductor elements. In other embodiments, the sheet may be assembled from modules, each of which includes a single single-ended signal conductor, a single pair of differential signal conductors, or any suitable number of single-ended or differential pairs.

[0096] The inventors have recognized and appreciated that assembling the sheets from modules can help reduce the "skew" of signal pairs at higher frequencies, such as between about 25 GHz and 40 GHz or higher. Skew in this case refers to the difference in electrical propagation time between a pair of signals operating as differential signals. Module configurations designed to reduce skew are described, for example, in U.S. Patents 9,509,101 and 9,450,344, which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0097] According to the techniques described in those patents incorporated by reference, in some embodiments, the connector can be formed of modules, each module carrying a signal pair. The modules can be shielded individually, such as by attaching shielding members to the modules and / or inserting the modules into an organizer or other structure that can provide electrical shielding between multiple pairs and / or ground structures around the conductive elements carrying the signals.

[0098] In some embodiments, the signal conductor pairs within each module can be broadside coupled in a major portion of their length. Broadside coupling enables a pair of signal conductors to have the same physical length. To facilitate the construction of the prescribed routing of the signal traces within the connector footprint of a printed circuit board to which the connector is attached and / or the mating interface of the connector, the signal conductors can be aligned in an edge-to-edge coupled manner in one or two of these regions. Therefore, the signal conductors can include transition regions where the coupling changes from edge-to-edge to broadside or from broadside to edge-to-edge. As described below, these transition regions can be designed to prevent mode conversion or suppress undesirable propagation modes that may interfere with the signal integrity of the interconnect system.

[0099] Modules can be assembled into sheets or other connector structures. In some embodiments, different modules can be formed for each row position of a pair of right-angle connectors. These modules can be manufactured to be used together to build connectors with as many rows as desired. For example, a module of a shape can be formed for a pair of shortest rows (sometimes referred to as ab rows) to be positioned at the connector. A separate module can be formed for the conductive elements in the second longest row (sometimes referred to as a cd row). The interior of the module of the cd row can be designed to conform to the exterior of the module of the ab row.

[0100] This pattern can be repeated for any number of pairs. Each module can be shaped to be used with modules carrying multiple pairs of shorter and / or longer rows. In order to manufacture any suitable size of connector, the connector manufacturer can assemble multiple modules into a thin sheet to provide the desired number of pairs in the thin sheet. In this way, the connector manufacturer can promote widely used connector sizes such as 2 pairs to the connector series. When customer demand changes, the connector manufacturer can obtain tools for each additional pair or obtain tools for modules containing multiple pairs, multiple pairs of groups to produce larger-sized connectors. The tool for producing a module for a smaller connector can be used to produce a module for a shorter row or even a larger connector. Figure 4 Such a modular connector is shown in .

[0101] Go to Figure 2 , which shows further details of the connector 600 in a partially exploded view. Figure 2 The components shown in can be assembled to a connector that is configured to mate with a backplane connector, as described above. Alternatively or additionally, Figure 2 A subset of the connector components shown in the figure can be combined with other components to form an orthogonal connector. Such an orthogonal connector can be used with Figure 2 The connectors shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 mate with each other.

[0102] As shown, connector 600 includes multiple thin sheets 700A held together in a side-by-side configuration. Here, eight thin sheets are shown. However, the size of the connector assembly can be configured by combining more rows per thin sheet, more thin sheets per connector, or more connectors per interconnect system.

[0103] Conductive elements within sheet 700A may include mating contacts and contact tails. Contact tails 610 are shown extending from a surface of connector 600 adapted to be mounted against a printed circuit board. In some embodiments, contact tails 610 may pass through member 630. Member 630 may include insulating, lossy, and / or conductive portions. In some embodiments, contact tails associated with signal conductors may pass through insulating portions of member 630. Contact tails associated with reference conductors may pass through lossy or conductive portions.

[0104] In some embodiments, the conductive or lossy portion can be compliant, such as can be produced from a conductive elastomer or other material known in the art for forming a gasket. The compliant material can be thicker than the insulating portion of member 630. Such compliant material can be positioned to align with pads on the surface of the daughter card to which connector 600 will be attached. Those pads can be connected to reference structures within a printed circuit board so that when connector 600 is attached to the printed circuit board, the compliant material contacts the reference pads on the surface of the printed circuit board.

[0105] The conductive or lossy portion of member 630 can be positioned to electrically connect with a reference conductor within connector 600. Such a connection can be formed, for example, by passing a contact tail of the reference conductor through the lossy or conductive portion. Alternatively or additionally, in embodiments where the lossy or conductive portions are compliant, those portions can be positioned to press against the reference conductor when the connector is attached to a printed circuit board.

[0106] The mating contact portions of the sheet 700A are held in the front housing portion 640. The front housing portion may be made of any suitable material, which may be insulating, lossy and / or conductive or may include any suitable combination of such materials. For example, the front housing portion may be molded from a filled lossy material or may be formed from a conductive material using materials and techniques similar to those described above for the housing wall 226. As shown, the sheet is composed of modules 810A, 810B, 810C and 810D ( Figure 4 ) are assembled, each module having a pair of signal conductors surrounded by a reference conductor. In the illustrated embodiment, the front housing portion 640 has a plurality of passages, each passage being positioned to receive a pair of signal conductors and an associated reference conductor. However, it should be understood that each module may contain a single signal conductor or more than two signal conductors.

[0107] In the illustrated embodiment, the front housing 640 is shaped to fit within the wall of the connector. However, in some embodiments, as described in more detail below, the front housing can be configured to connect to an extender housing.

[0108] Figure 3 A thin sheet 700 is shown. A plurality of such thin sheets can be aligned side by side and held together by one or more support members or in any other suitable manner to form a connector, or as described below, to form an orthogonal connector. In the illustrated embodiment, the thin sheet 700 is a subassembly formed by a plurality of modules 810A, 810B, 810C, and 810D. The modules are aligned to form a row of mating contacts along one edge of the thin sheet 700 and a row of contact tails along another edge of the thin sheet 700. In the embodiment where the thin sheet is designed for use in a right angle connector, as shown, these edges are vertical.

[0109] In the illustrated embodiment, each of the modules includes a reference conductor that at least partially encloses the signal conductor. The reference conductor may similarly have a mating contact portion and a contact tail.

[0110] The modules can be held together in any suitable manner. For example, the modules can be held in a housing that is formed by components 900A and 900B in the illustrated embodiment. Components 900A and 900B can be formed separately and then fastened together, clamping modules 810A ... 810D between them. Components 900A and 900B can be held together in any suitable manner, such as by attachment components that form an interference fit or snap fit. Alternatively or additionally, adhesives, welding or other attachment techniques can be used.

[0111] Components 900A and 900B can be formed by any suitable material. The material can be an insulating material. Alternatively or in addition, the material can be a lossy or conductive part or can include a lossy or conductive part. Components 900A and 900B can be formed, for example, by molding such a material into a desired shape. Alternatively, components 900A and 900B can be formed around modules 810A...810D in a suitable place, such as via an insert molding operation. In such an embodiment, it is not necessary to form components 900A and 900B separately. On the contrary, the housing portion that holds modules 810A...810D can be formed in one operation.

[0112] Figure 4 Modules 810A ... 810D are shown without components 900A and 900B. In this view, the reference conductors are visible. The signal conductors ( Figure 6820) are enclosed in the reference conductor to form a waveguide structure. Each waveguide structure includes a contact tail region 820, an intermediate region 830, and a mating contact region 840. In the mating contact region 840 and the contact tail region 820, the signal conductors are positioned in an edge-to-edge manner. In the intermediate region 830, the signal conductors are positioned for broadside coupling. The transition regions 822 and 842 are configured to transition between an edge-coupled orientation and a broadside-coupled orientation.

[0113] As described below, transition regions 822 and 842 in the reference conductor can correspond to transition regions in the signal conductor. In the illustrated embodiment, the reference conductor forms an enclosure around the signal conductor. In some embodiments, the transition region in the reference conductor can maintain the spacing between the signal conductor and the reference conductor substantially uniformly throughout the length of the signal conductor. Thus, the enclosure formed by the reference conductor can have different widths in different regions.

[0114] The reference conductor provides shielding coverage along the length of the signal conductor. As shown, coverage is provided over substantially the entire length of the signal conductor, including coverage in the mating contact portions and intermediate portions of the signal conductor. The contact tails are shown exposed so that they can contact the printed circuit board. However, in use, these mating contact portions will be adjacent to ground structures within the printed circuit board, making the contact tails exposed. Figure 4 , as shown in , does not compromise the shielding coverage along substantially the entire length of the signal conductor. In some embodiments, the mating contact portion may also be exposed for mating to another connector. Therefore, in some embodiments, shielding coverage may be provided in greater than 80%, 85%, 90%, or 95% of the middle portion of the signal conductor. Similarly, shielding coverage may also be provided in the transition region, so that shielding coverage may be provided in greater than 80%, 85%, 90%, or 95% of the combined length of the middle portion and the transition region of the signal conductor. In some embodiments, as shown, the mating contact area and some or all of the contact tails may also be shielded, so that shielding coverage may be provided in greater than 80%, 85%, 90%, or 95% of the length of the signal conductor in various embodiments.

[0115] In the illustrated embodiment, the waveguide-like structure formed by the reference conductor has a wider dimension in the column direction of the connector in the contact tail area 820 and the mating contact area 840 to accommodate the wider dimension of the signal conductors arranged side by side in the column direction in these areas. In the illustrated embodiment, the contact tail area 820 and the mating contact area 840 of the signal conductor are separated by a certain distance so that they are aligned with the mating contacts of the mating connector or contact structure on the printed circuit board to which the connector is to be attached.

[0116] These spacing requirements mean that the waveguides are wider in the column dimension than in the lateral direction, thereby providing that the aspect ratio of the waveguides in these regions may be at least 2: 1 and in some embodiments may be on the order of at least 3: 1. In contrast, in the intermediate region 830, the signal conductors are oriented with the wide dimension of the signal conductors overlying along the column direction, resulting in a waveguide aspect ratio that may be less than 2: 1 and in some embodiments may be less than 1.5: 1 or on the order of 1: 1.

[0117] With this smaller aspect ratio, the maximum dimension of the waveguide in the middle region 830 will be smaller than the maximum dimension of the waveguide in regions 830 and 840. Since the lowest frequency propagating through a waveguide is inversely proportional to the length of its shortest dimension, the lowest frequency mode of propagation that can be excited in the middle region 830 is higher than the frequency modes that can be excited in the contact tail region 820 and the mating contact region 840. The lowest frequency mode that can be excited in the transition region will be intermediate to the frequency modes excited in the contact tail region 820 and the mating contact region 840. Since the transition from edge coupling to broadside coupling has the potential to excite the desired waveguide modes, signal integrity can be improved in the case where these modes are at higher frequencies, or at least as high as possible, than the expected operating range of the connector.

[0118] These regions can be configured to avoid mode conversion when transitioning between coupling orientations, which would excite undesirable signals propagating through the waveguide. For example, as shown below, the signal conductor can be shaped so that the transition occurs in the intermediate region 830 or the transition regions 822 and 842 or partially in both. Additionally or alternatively, the module can be structured to suppress undesirable modes excited in the waveguide formed by the reference conductor, as described in more detail below.

[0119] Although the reference conductor can substantially enclose each pair of signal conductors, it is not required that the closure be without openings. Therefore, in an embodiment shaped to provide a rectangular shield, the reference conductor in the middle region can be aligned with at least a portion of all four sides of the signal conductors. The reference conductors can be combined to, for example, provide 360 ​​degree coverage around a pair of signal conductors. Such coverage can be provided, for example, by overlapping or physically contacting the reference conductors. In the illustrated embodiment, the reference conductors are U-shaped shells and together form a closure.

[0120] Regardless of the shape of the reference conductor, three hundred and sixty degree coverage can be provided. For example, such coverage can be provided with a reference conductor that is circular, elliptical, or any other suitable shape. However, it is not required that the coverage be complete. The coverage can, for example, have an angular range within a range between about 270 degrees and 365 degrees. In some embodiments, the coverage can be within a range of about 340 degrees to 360 degrees. Such coverage can, for example, be achieved by a slot or other opening in the reference conductor.

[0121] In some embodiments, the shield coverage may be different in different regions. In the transition region, the shield coverage may be greater than in the middle region. In some embodiments, due to direct contact or even overlap in the reference conductors in the transition region, the shield coverage may have an angular range of greater than 355 degrees, or even 360 degrees in some embodiments, even if less shield coverage is provided in the transition region.

[0122] The inventors have recognized and appreciated that, in a sense, completely enclosing a signal pair in a reference conductor in an intermediate region can have the effect of undesirably affecting signal integrity, particularly when a transition between edge coupling and broadside coupling within a combination module is used. The reference module surrounding the signal pair can form a waveguide. Signals on the pair of signal conductors and particularly within the transition region between edge coupling and broadside coupling can induce energy from a differential propagation mode between the edges to excite signals that can propagate within the waveguide. According to some embodiments, one or more techniques can be used to avoid exciting these undesirable modes or to suppress them if they are excited.

[0123] Some techniques that can be used to increase the frequency can excite undesirable modes. In the illustrated embodiment, the reference conductor can be shaped to leave an opening 832. These openings can be in the narrower wall of the enclosure. However, in the embodiment where there is a wider wall, the opening can be in the wider wall. In the illustrated embodiment, the opening 832 extends parallel to the middle portion of the signal conductor and is located between the signal conductors forming a pair. These slots reduce the angular range of the shielding so that near the middle portion of the signal conductor coupled through the broadside, the angular range of the shielding can be less than 360 degrees. The angular range can be, for example, within the range of 355 degrees or less. In the embodiment where the components 900A and 900B are formed by overmolding lossy materials on the module, the lossy materials can be allowed to fill the opening 832 when extending into the interior of the waveguide or not entering the interior of the waveguide, which can suppress the propagation of undesirable signal propagation modes that can reduce signal integrity.

[0124] exist Figure 4In the embodiment shown in , the opening 832 is slot-shaped, effectively dividing the shield in the middle region 830 into two parts. The lowest frequency that can be excited in the structure used as a waveguide - such as Figure 6 The effect of the reference conductor substantially surrounding the signal conductor is shown in FIG - inversely proportional to the size of the side. In some embodiments, the lowest frequency waveguide mode that can be excited is a TEM mode. The effective shortening of the side by incorporating the slot-like opening 832 causes the frequency of the TEM mode that can be excited to rise. A higher resonant frequency may mean that less energy within the operating frequency range of the connector is coupled into undesired propagation within the waveguide formed by the reference conductor, which improves signal integrity.

[0125] In region 830, a pair of signal conductors are broadside coupled and openings 832 with or without lossy material therein can suppress the TEM common propagation mode. While not being bound by any particular theory of operation, the inventors speculate that the openings 832 in combination with the edge-coupled to broadside coupled transition help provide a balanced connector suitable for high frequency operation.

[0126] Figure 5 Component 900 is shown, which may be representative of component 900A or 900B. As can be seen, component 900 is formed with channels 910A...910D that are shaped to receive Figure 6 Modules 810A ... 810D are shown in FIG. 810A. With the modules located in the channel, member 900A can be fastened to member 900B. In the illustrated embodiment, the attachment of members 900A and 900B can be achieved by passing a post in one member, such as post 920, through a hole in the other member, such as hole 930. The post can be welded or otherwise fastened in the hole. However, any suitable attachment mechanism can be used.

[0127] Components 900A and 900B can be molded from lossy materials or include lossy materials. For these and other "lossy" structures, any suitable lossy materials can be used. Materials that are conductive but have some losses or materials that attract electromagnetic energy through another physical mechanism in the frequency range of interest are generally referred to as "lossy" materials in this article. Electrical loss materials can be formed by lossy dielectric materials and / or weakly conductive materials and / or lossy magnetic materials. Magnetic loss materials can be formed, for example, by materials that are traditionally regarded as 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 to the real part of the complex dielectric constant of the material. Actual magnetic loss materials or mixtures containing magnetic loss materials can also show useful amounts of dielectric loss or conductive loss effects in a portion of the frequency range of interest. Electrical loss materials can be formed by materials that are traditionally regarded as dielectric materials, such as those that have an electric loss tangent greater than about 0.05 in 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 may also be formed from materials that are generally considered to be conductors but are relatively poor conductors over the frequency range of interest, containing substantially dispersed conductive particles or regions that do not provide high electrical conductivity or are otherwise prepared with properties that result in relatively poor bulk conductivity over the frequency range of interest compared to good conductors such as copper.

[0128] Electrically lossy materials typically have a bulk conductivity of about 1 Siemens / meter to about 100,000 Siemens / meter and preferably about 1 Siemens / meter to about 10,000 Siemens / meter. In some embodiments, materials with a bulk 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 by electrical simulation using known simulation tools to determine an appropriate conductivity that provides both appropriately low crosstalk and appropriately low signal path attenuation or insertion loss.

[0129] The electrically lossy material can be a partially conductive material such as a material having a surface resistivity between 1 Ω / square and 100,000 Ω / square. In some embodiments, the electrically lossy material has a surface resistivity between 10 Ω / square and 1000 Ω / square. As a specific example, the material can have a surface resistivity between about 20 Ω / square and 80 Ω / square.

[0130] In some embodiments, the electrical loss material is formed by adding a filler containing conductive particles to the adhesive. In such an embodiment, the loss member can be formed by molding or otherwise forming the adhesive with the filler into a desired shape. Examples of conductive particles that can be used as fillers to form electrical loss materials include carbon or graphite or other types of particles formed into fibers, flakes, nanoparticles. Metals or other particles in the form of powders, flakes, fibers can also be used to provide appropriate electrical loss properties. Alternatively, a combination of fillers can be used. For example, metal-plated carbon particles can be used. Silver and nickel are metals suitable for fiber plating. The coated particles can be used alone or in combination with other fillers such as carbon flakes. The adhesive or matrix can be any material that will be placed, cured, or can be used to position the filler material in other ways. In some embodiments, the adhesive can be a thermoplastic material, which is traditionally used to manufacture electrical connectors as part of manufacturing electrical connectors to facilitate molding electrical loss materials into desired shapes and positions. Examples of such materials include liquid crystal polymers (LCP) and nylon. However, many alternative forms of adhesive materials can be used. A curable material such as epoxy resin may be used as the adhesive. Alternatively, a material such as a thermosetting resin or adhesive may be used.

[0131] In addition, although the above-mentioned adhesive material can be used to produce an electrical loss material by forming an adhesive around a conductive particle filler, the present application is not limited thereto. For example, the conductive particles can be impregnated into the formed matrix material or can be coated on the formed matrix material, such as by applying a conductive coating to a plastic part or a metal part. As used herein, the term "adhesive" includes a material that encapsulates a filler, is impregnated with a filler, or otherwise serves as a substrate for retaining a filler.

[0132] Preferably, the filler will be present in a sufficient volume percentage to allow for the creation of a conductive path from particle to particle. For example, when metal fibers are used, the fibers may be present in a volume percentage of about 3% to 40%. The amount of filler will affect the conductive properties of the material.

[0133] Filling materials are commercially available, such as those sold by Celanese under the trade name Materials sold by Techfilm, which can be filled with carbon fibers or stainless steel wires. Adhesive preforms filled with lossy conductive carbon, such as lossy materials sold by Techfilm in Billerica, Massachusetts, USA, can also be used. Such preforms can include an epoxy adhesive filled with carbon fibers and / or other carbon particles. The adhesive surrounds the carbon particles, which can be used as a reinforcement material for the preform. Such preforms can be inserted into connector sheets to form all or part of the housing. In some embodiments, the preform can be adhered by an adhesive in the preform, which can be cured during a heat treatment process. In some embodiments, the adhesive can take the form of a separate conductive or non-conductive adhesive layer. In some embodiments, the adhesive in the preform can be used alternatively or additionally to fasten one or more conductive elements such as a foil to the lossy material.

[0134] Various forms of reinforcing fibers may be used, in woven or non-woven form, with or without coating. Non-woven carbon fibers are one suitable material. Other suitable materials such as custom blends sold by RTP Company may be used, as the invention is not limited in this respect.

[0135] In some embodiments, the lossy member may be manufactured by stamping a preform or a thin sheet of lossy material. For example, the insert may be formed by stamping a preform as described above with an appropriate opening pattern. However, other materials may be used instead of or in addition to such a preform. For example, a sheet of ferromagnetic material may be used.

[0136] However, lossy materials may be formed in other ways. In some embodiments, the lossy member may be formed by interweaving layers of lossy and conductive materials, such as metal foil. The layers may be rigidly attached to each other, such as by using epoxy or other adhesives, or may be held together in any other suitable manner. The layers may be the desired shape before being fastened to each other or may be stamped or otherwise formed after they are held together.

[0137] Figure 6 Further details of the construction of the thin film module 1000 are shown. The module 1000 may be representative of any module in a connector, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 810D. Each module in the modules 810A...810D can have the same overall structure, and some parts can be the same for all modules. For example, the contact tail area 820 and the mating contact area 840 can be the same for all modules. Each module can include a middle area 830, but the length and shape of the middle area 830 can vary depending on the location of the module in the thin sheet.

[0138] In the illustrated embodiment, the module 100 includes a pair of signal conductors 1310A and 1310B ( Figure 7 ). Insulating housing portion 1100 is at least partially surrounded by reference conductors 1010A and 1010B. Such subassemblies may be held together in any suitable manner. For example, reference conductors 1010A and 1010B may have features that engage with each other. Alternatively or in addition, reference conductors 1010A and 1010B may have features that engage with insulating housing portion 1100. As yet another example, once members 900A and 900B are assembled as described above, Figure 3 By fastening them together as shown in FIG. 1 , the reference conductor can be held in place.

[0139] exist Figure 6 In the embodiment shown in, sub-area 1042 includes protruding insulating members 1042A and 1042B, and protruding insulating members 1042A and 1042B can reduce the change amplitude of the relative dielectric constant of the material surrounding the part of the connector. Impedance control is also provided by protrusions 1020A and 1022A and 1020B and 1022B in reference conductors 1010A and 1010B. These protrusions affect the separation between the part of the signal conductor pair and the reference conductors 1010A and 1010B in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the signal conductor pair. This separation combined with other features such as the width of the signal conductor in these parts can control the impedance of these parts so that it is close to the nominal impedance of the connector or will not change suddenly in a way that may cause signal reflection. Other parameters of either or both of the matching modules can be configured for such impedance control.

[0140] Go to Figure 7 , further details of exemplary components of module 1000 are shown. Figure 7 1 is an exploded view of module 1000 without reference conductors 1010A and 1010B. In the illustrated embodiment, insulating housing portion 1100 is made of multiple parts. Central member 1110 may be molded from an insulating material. Central member 1110 includes two grooves 1212A and 1212B into which conductive elements 1310A and 1310B, which form a pair of signal conductors in the illustrated embodiment, may be inserted.

[0141] Covers 1112 and 1114 can be attached to opposite sides of the central member 1110. Covers 1112 and 1114 can help retain the conductive elements 1310A and 1310B within the grooves 1212A and 1212B and with a controlled separation from the reference conductors 1010A and 1010B. In the illustrated embodiment, covers 1112 and 1114 can be formed of the same material as the central member 1110. However, the materials are not required to be the same, and in some embodiments, different materials can be used to provide different relative dielectric constants in different regions to provide the desired impedance of the signal conductor.

[0142] In the illustrated embodiment, the grooves 1212A and 1212B are configured to maintain a pair of signal conductors edge coupled at the contact tail and the mating contact portion. Within the main portion of the middle portion of the signal conductor, the pair of signal conductors are maintained as broadside coupled. In order to transition between the edge coupling at both ends of the signal conductor and the broadside coupling in the middle portion, a transition region may be included in the signal conductor. The grooves in the central member 1110 can be formed to provide a transition region in the signal conductor. The protrusions 1122, 1124, 1126 and 1128 on the covers 1112 and 1114 can press the conductive elements against the central portion 1110 in these transition regions.

[0143] exist Figure 7 In the embodiment shown in , it can be seen that the transition between broadside coupling and edge coupling occurs in region 1150. At one end of this region, the signal conductors are aligned edge to edge in the column direction in a plane parallel to the column direction. By turning region 1150 sideways toward the middle, the signal conductors nudge in opposite directions perpendicular to the planes and toward each other. Thus, at the ends of region 1150, the signal conductors are in different planes parallel to the column direction. The middle portions of the signal conductors are aligned in directions perpendicular to these planes.

[0144] Region 1150 includes a transition region such as 822 or 842 where a waveguide is formed by a reference conductor transitioning from the widest dimension of the middle portion to a narrower dimension plus a portion of the narrower middle region 830. Thus, at least a portion of the waveguide formed by the reference conductor in region 1150 has the same widest dimension of W as in the middle region 830. Having at least a portion of the physical transition in the narrower portion of the waveguide reduces energy coupling into undesired waveguide propagation modes.

[0145] Having full 360 degree shielding for the signal conductors in region 1150 may also reduce energy coupling into undesired waveguide propagation modes. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, opening 832 does not extend into region 1150.

[0146] In the illustrated embodiment, each of conductive members 1310A and 1310B has an edge and a wider side between these edges. Contact tails 1330A and 1330B are aligned in columns 1340. By this alignment, the edges of conductive elements 1310A and 1310B face each other at contact tails 1330A and 1330B. Other modules in the same thin sheet will similarly have contact tails aligned along columns 1340. The contact tails of adjacent thin sheets will be aligned in parallel columns. The space between parallel columns creates routing channels on the printed circuit board to which the connector is attached. Mating contact portions 1318A and 1318B are aligned along columns 1344.

[0147] exist Figure 7 In the example of FIG. 1 , conductive elements for a right angle connector are shown, as reflected by the right angle between column 1340 representing the points of attachment to the daughter card and column 1344 representing the locations of the mating pins attached to the backplane connector.

[0148] Figure 8 Further details of module 1000 are shown. In this view, conductive elements 1310A and 1310B are shown separated from central member 1110. For clarity, covers 1112 and 1114 are not shown. In this view, transition region 1312A between contact tail 1330A and middle portion 1314A is visible. Similarly, transition region 1316A between middle portion 1314A and mating contact portion 1318A is also visible. For conductive element 1310B, similar transition regions 1312B and 1316B are visible, allowing edge coupling at contact tail 1330B and mating contact portion 1318B and broadside coupling at middle portion 1314B.

[0149] The mating contacts 1318A and 1318B may be formed from the same metal sheet as the conductive elements. However, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the conductive elements may be formed by attaching separate mating contacts to other conductors to form an intermediate portion. For example, in some embodiments, the intermediate portion may be a cable, such that the conductive elements are formed by terminating the cable with the mating contacts.

[0150] In the illustrated embodiment, the mating contact portion is tubular. Such a shape can be formed by stamping the conductive element from a metal sheet and then forming to roll the mating contact portion into a tubular shape. The outer circumference of the tube can be large enough to accommodate the pins of the mating pin module, but can fit the pins. The tube can be divided into two or more sections to form a compliant beam. Figure 8 Two such beams are shown in FIG. The distal portion of the beams may be formed with bumps or other protrusions, creating contact surfaces. These contact surfaces may be coated with gold or other conductive, ductile material to improve the reliability of the electrical contact.

[0151] When the conductive elements 1310A and 1310B are installed in the central member 1110, the mating contact portions 1318A and 1318B fit into the openings 1220A and 1220B. The mating contact portions are separated by the wall 1230. The distal ends 1320A and 1320B of the mating contact portions 1318A and 1318B can be aligned with openings in the platform 1232, such as the opening 1222B. The wall 1230, the platform 1232, and the insulating protruding members 1042A and 1042B can be formed as part of the portion 1110, such as in one molding job. However, any suitable technique can be used to form these members.

[0152] Figure 8 Other techniques are shown as an alternative or in addition to the above techniques that can be used to reduce the energy propagating in undesired modes within the waveguide formed by the reference conductor in the transition region 1150. Conductive or lossy materials can be incorporated into each module to reduce the excitation of undesired modes or suppress undesired modes. Figure 8 For example, a loss region 1215 is shown. The loss region 1215 can be configured to drop along the centerline between the signal conductors 1310A and 1310B in some or all regions 1150. Because the signal conductors 1310A and 1310B nudge through the region in different directions to achieve the edge-to-broadside transition, the loss region 1215 may not be defined by a surface that is parallel or perpendicular to the wall of the waveguide formed by the reference conductor. Instead, the loss region 1215 can be formed to provide a surface that is equidistant from the edges of the signal conductors 1310A and 1310B when the signal conductors 1310A and 1310B twist through the region 1150. In some embodiments, the loss region 1215 can be electrically connected to the reference conductor. However, in other embodiments, the loss region 1215 can be suspended.

[0153] Although shown as lossy region 1215, similarly positioned conductive regions can also reduce energy coupled into undesired waveguide modes that reduce signal integrity. In some embodiments, such a conductive region having a surface twisted through region 1150 can be connected to a reference conductor. While not being limited to any particular theory of operation, a conductor that acts as a separation signal conductor and thereby twists to follow the twist of the signal conductor in the transition region can couple ground current to the waveguide in a manner that reduces undesired modes. For example, current can be coupled to flow in a different mode through the walls of the reference conductor parallel to the broadside coupled signal conductor, rather than exciting a common mode.

[0154] In some embodiments, an orthogonal connector may be constructed by attaching an extender module to connector 600. The extender module may be configured at both ends to mate with or otherwise attach to conductors at mating interface 620. In this way, two connectors, both having a mating interface like mating interface 620, may mate. Fig. 9 One embodiment of an extender module 1500 that can be used in an orthogonal connector is shown. The extender module includes a pair of signal conductors having first mating contact portions 1510A and 1512A and second mating contact portions 1510B and 1512B. The first mating contact portion and the second mating contact portion are positioned at a first end 1502 and a second end 1504 of the extender module, respectively. As shown, the first mating contact portion is positioned along a first wire 1550, the first wire 1550 is orthogonal to a second wire 1552, and the second mating contact portion is positioned along the second wire 1552. In the depicted embodiment, the mating contact portion is formed as a pin and is configured to mate with a corresponding mating contact portion of the connector module 810; however, it should be understood that other mating interfaces such as beams, blades, or any other suitable structure may also be used for the mating contact portion, as the present disclosure is not limited thereto. As described in more detail below, conductive shield elements 1520A and 1520B are attached to opposite sides of the extender module 1500 in the middle portion 1510 between the first end 1502 and the second end 1504. The shield elements surround the middle portion so that the signal conductors within the extender module are fully shielded.

[0155] FIG. 10A to FIG. 10C Further details of the signal conductors 1506 and 1508 disposed within the extender module 1500 are shown. The insulation of the extender module is also visible because the shielding elements 1520A and 1520B are not visible in these views. Fig. 10A As shown in , the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor are each formed as a single piece of conductive material, wherein the mating contact portions 1510 and 1512 are connected by the intermediate portions 1514 and 1516. The intermediate portion includes a 90° bend portion so that the first mating portion is orthogonal to the second mating portion, as discussed above. In addition, as shown, the bends in the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor are offset so that the lengths of the two signal conductors are substantially the same; such a configuration can be beneficial in reducing and / or eliminating offsets in the differential signals carried by the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor.

[0156] Now refer to Fig. 10B and Fig. 10C, the middle portions 1514 and 1516 of the signal conductors 1506 and 1508 are disposed within the insulating material 1518. The first and second portions of the insulating material 1518A and 1518B are formed adjacent to the mating contact portions 1510 and 1512, and a third insulating portion 1522 is formed between the first and second portions around the middle portions of the signal conductors. Although in the depicted embodiment, the insulating material is formed into three separate portions, it should be understood that in other embodiments, the insulating material may be formed into a single portion, two portions, or more than three portions, as the present disclosure is not limited in this regard. The insulating portions 1518 and 1522 define orthogonal planar regions 1526 and 1528 on each side of the extender module to which the conductive elements 1520A and 1520B are attached. Additionally, it is not required to use FIG. 10A to FIG. 10C For example, the insulating portions 1518A and 1518B may be molded around the signal conductors 1506 and 1508 before the conductive elements are bent at right angles.

[0157] Fig.11 An exploded view of the extender module 1500 is shown and further details of the conductive shielding elements 1520A and 1520B are shown. The shielding elements are shaped to conform to the insulating material 1518. As shown, the first shielding element 1520A is configured to cover the outer surface of the extender module, and the second shielding element 1520B is configured to cover the inner surface. In particular, the shielding element includes a first planar portion 1530A and a second planar portion 1530B, which are shaped to be attached to the planar regions 1526 and 1528, respectively, and the planar portions are separated by a 90° bend 1532 so that the planar portions are orthogonal. The shielding element also includes retaining clips 1534A and 1534B and tabs 1536, each of which is attached to a corresponding component on the insulating material 1518 or an opposing shielding element to secure the shielding element to the extender module.

[0158] In the illustrated embodiment, the conductive shield elements 1520A and 1520B include mating contacts formed as four compliant beams 1538A...1538D. When assembled ( Fig. 9 ), two compliant beams 1538A and 1538B are adjacent to the first end 1502 of the extender module 1500; the other two compliant beams 1538C and 1538D are adjacent to the second end 1504. Each pair of compliant beams is separated by an elongated notch 1540.

[0159] In some embodiments, the conductive shield elements 1520A and 1520B can have the same configuration at each end, such that the shield elements 1520A and 1520B can have the same shape but have different orientations. However, in the illustrated embodiment, the shield elements 1520A and 1520B have different configurations at the first end 1502 and the second end, respectively, such that the shield elements 1520A and 1520B have different shapes. For example, Fig.11 As shown in FIG. 1 , compliant beams 1538C and 1538D adjacent the second end include fingers 1542 that are received in corresponding pockets 1544. The fingers and pockets are constructed and arranged to introduce a preload in the compliant beams, which can help provide a reliable mating interface. For example, the preload can cause the compliant beams to bend or curve outward from the extender module to facilitate mating contact when the second end of the extender module is received in the corresponding connector module.

[0160] Now refer to Fig.12 , two identical extender modules 1900A and 1900B are shown rotated 180° relative to each other along the longitudinal axis of each module. As described in more detail below, the extender modules are shaped so that when rotated in this manner, the two modules can interlock to form an extender module assembly 2000 ( Fig.13A When interlocked in this manner, the first planar portion 1926A and the second planar portion 1928A on the first module are adjacent to and parallel to the first planar portion 1926B and the second planar portion 1928B on the second module, respectively.

[0161] Fig.13A Shown include Fig.12 1900A and 1900B of the extender module assembly. As shown, the mating portions of the signal conductors 1910A ... 1910D and 1912A ... 1912D form two square mating contact arrays at the ends of the assembly. FIG. 13B to FIG. 13C Schematic top and bottom views of the square array are shown, respectively, and the relative orientation of the mating portions of each signal conductor in the extender module is shown. In the depicted embodiment, the assembly has a centerline 2002 parallel to the longitudinal axis of each extender module, and the center of each of the square arrays is aligned with the centerline.

[0162] Fig.14One embodiment of an orthogonal connector 2100 during a manufacturing stage is shown. Similar to connector 600, the orthogonal connector is assembled from connector modules and includes contact tails 2110 extending from a surface of the connector adapted for mounting to a printed circuit board. However, connector 2100 also includes a front housing 2140 adapted to receive a plurality of extender modules. The front housing also includes a retaining feature 2150 to engage with a corresponding feature on an extender housing 2300, as described below. As shown, the assembly 2000 of the extender modules can simply slide into the front housing to facilitate simple assembly of connector 2100.

[0163] Fig.14 Two interlocked extender modules are shown inserted into a connector component. Inserting an interlocked pair of extender modules avoids the complexity of interlocking the extender modules after they have been inserted, but it should be understood that other techniques may be used to assemble the extender modules to the connector component. As an example of another variation, multiple pairs of extender modules may be inserted in one operation.

[0164] Fig.15A One embodiment of an extender housing 2300 for use with a direct attach orthogonal connector is depicted. The extender housing has a first side 2302 adapted to be attached to the front housing 2140 of the orthogonal connector 2100. As shown, the first side includes a cutout 2350 in an outer wall 2306 adapted to engage with a retaining feature 2150 on the front housing 2140. As discussed below, a second side 2304 of the extender housing is configured for detachably mating with a connector (e.g., a RAF connector). In addition, the extender housing includes mounting holes 2310 that can be used to attach the extender housing to additional components of an interconnect system, such as a printed circuit board. A cross-sectional view of the extender housing is shown in FIG. Fig. 15B Similar to the backplane connector 200, the extender housing includes lossy or conductive separators 2320 and 2322 disposed in the first and second sides of the extender housing, respectively.

[0165] Now refer to FIG. 16A to FIG. 16B , direct attach connector 2400 includes an orthogonal connector 2100 having a front housing 2140 adapted to engage with an extender housing 2300. A plurality of extender modules are arranged as an assembly 2000, wherein shielded signal contacts are positioned in a square array, and a first end of the extender module is received in the front housing. As shown, the extender housing is placed on the extender module and then secured to form connector 2400; the connector includes a mating end 2410 that can be attached to and mated with a connector such as connector 600 on an orthogonal printed circuit board, as discussed below.

[0166] Fig.17is a cross-sectional view of the assembled connector 2400. The mating end of the extender module 1500 is received in the corresponding connector module 810A...810D on the thin sheet 700. In the depicted embodiment, the extender module is disposed within the extender housing. In addition, the mating contact portion of the extender module that mates with the connector module is orthogonal to the mating contact portion extending into the mating end 2410 of the connector, so that the connector can be used as a direct attach orthogonal connector.

[0167] Fig.18 is a detailed view of the mating end 2410 of the connector 2400. The pins forming the mating contact portion of the extender module are organized into an array of differential signal pairs, forming a mating interface. As discussed above, lossy or conductive separators 2320 separate the rows of signal pins.

[0168] Fig.19 An embodiment of an assembled orthogonal connector 2400 is depicted, which can be directly attached to a RAF connector such as connector 600 via a detachable interface 2700. As shown, the contact tails 2210 of connector 2400 are oriented orthogonally to the contact tails 610 of connector 600. In this way, a printed circuit board (not shown in the figure for simplicity) to which the connector can be attached via its contact tails can be oriented orthogonally. It should be understood that although an orthogonal configuration of connectors 2400 and 600 is depicted, in other embodiments, the connectors can be rotated 180° to form a second orthogonal configuration. For example, the depicted configuration can correspond to a 90° rotation of connector 600 relative to connector 2400, and a second orthogonal configuration (not depicted) can correspond to a 270° rotation.

[0169] exist Fig.19 In the illustrated embodiment, both connector 2400 and connector 600 include conductive elements having contact tails configured to be attached to a printed circuit board. In other embodiments, some or all of the modules used to form either or both of the connectors may be replaced by modules having conductive elements configured to be terminated to conductors of a cable as a means of creating a connector having a plurality of contacts configured to be attached to a printed circuit board. Figure 1 One way of configuring the connector is shown.

[0170] FIG. 20A to FIG. 20BAn isometric view of the connector 2900 from the mating interface 2920 and the mounting interface 2910 is shown, respectively. The connector 2900 may include an extender housing 2906 that holds both the first type connector unit 2902 and the second type connector unit 2904. The connector unit may include a signal conductor having a mating contact portion 2912, a contact tail 2914, and an intermediate portion (not shown) extending between the contact tail and the mating contact portion. In the illustrated embodiment, the mating contact portion is formed as a pin. The pins are arranged to form pairs, wherein each pair extends parallel to the direction 3006, and the pairs are aligned in the column direction 3002 to form an array of pairs. The extender housing may include a separator 2908. Each pair of mating contact portions in each column may be separated by a separator.

[0171] In this example, the first type connector unit 2902 includes a sheet 3008, which may be configured similar to Figure 3 The thin sheet 700 shown in FIG. The rear of the thin sheet can be held by a support member 3014. In the embodiment shown, the connector 2900 includes 10 thin sheets 3008. The thin sheet 3008 includes 6 thin sheet modules held by a housing made of two halves 3018A and 3018B. Each module includes a pair of differential signal conductors 2916A, 2916B.

[0172] For example, in Fig.14 As shown in , the signal conductor pairs within each of the sheets 3008 can be aligned in the column direction 3002. Fig.21A 16 , an orthogonal extender module such as extender module 2000 ( FIG. 16 ) may be attached to the mating interface of wafer 3008 . FIG. 21A to FIG. 21E The connector 2900 is shown to further include a plurality of extender modules 3010 attached to the mating end of the sheet 3008. The extender modules 3010 may be configured similar to Figures 9 to 11 The stretcher module 1500 shown in FIG. Two identical stretcher modules 3010 can also form a similar FIG. 13A to FIG. 13B Extender module assembly 3012 of extender module 2000 is shown in FIG.

[0173] Multiple sheets and multiple extender modules can be held by one or more support members 3004. In the illustrated embodiment, the support member 3004 is implemented as at least two separate components 2902A and 2902B. However, any suitable number and shape of components can be used to form the support member. For example, additional components can hold the sheets on opposite surfaces and / or sides of the illustrated structure. Alternatively or additionally, the support member 3004 can be a housing with an opening for receiving and securing the sheets.

[0174] exist Fig.21A In the embodiment of FIG. 2902A, member 2902A holds six sheets and member 2902B holds four sheets. The sheets held by 2902A are collectively attached to 24 extender modules 3010, and the sheets attached to member 2902B are collectively attached to 36 extender modules 3010. When each column of extender modules is attached to two sheets, those two sheets and the attached extender modules can be considered a first type "unit", and a connector can be formed with any suitable number of such units.

[0175] However, it should be understood that each first type connector unit can be a subassembly of any suitable number of components to implement any suitable number of columns of conductive elements, or can be implemented as a single component or implemented in any other suitable manner. Using the sheets and extender modules as shown, each first type connector unit can be formed by a multiple of 2 sheets (e.g., two, four, six, or eight sheets) and a multiple of that number of extender modules, the multiple being equal to the number of signal conductors in a sheet, but the application is not limited in this respect.

[0176] If multiple units are used, the connector units can be held together by a support member. In the illustrated embodiment, the extender housing 2906 serves as the support member. The support member 3004 may include a retaining member 2950 that engages with a corresponding member 2960 on the extender housing 2906. However, it should be understood that the support member 3004 may be omitted in some embodiments if the sheet is attached directly to the extender housing 2906 or if other support structures are used to hold the components of the connector together.

[0177] exist FIG. 21A to FIG. 21E , the mating contact portion of the sheet 3008 is covered by the support member 3004 and is not shown. However, the mating contact portion may be similar to Figure 3 The mating contact portions of the thin sheet 700 shown in the figure are configured. Each thin sheet module of the thin sheet 3008 may include a pair of differential signal conductors. The mating contact portions of the thin sheet module may be configured as a socket suitable for receiving a first mating contact portion of an extender module that may be configured as a pin. The mating contact portions of the thin sheet modules in the thin sheet may be aligned in the direction of the column 3002. Adjacent to the thin sheet module, each of the two thin sheets 3008 in the first type connector unit 2902 may receive a first mating contact portion of the extender module assembly 3012. Therefore, the second mating contact portions of the extender module assembly may form an array 3202, wherein the differential signal conductor pairs may be aligned in the direction of the column 3006 perpendicular to the direction of the column 3002.

[0178] In the example shown, there is one second type unit 2904. To complement the first type unit, the illustrative second type unit 2904 includes 12 cables 2806 aligned in the direction of the column 3002. Each second type unit 2904 can include a plurality of modules 3100 held by a unit housing 3102. Multiple modules in the second type unit can be aligned in the direction of the column 3002. Each module 3100 can include a module housing 3112 holding a pair of signal conductors 3104A, 3104B. The pair of signal conductors are separated in the direction of the column 3006. The mating contact portions of the second type unit can form an array 3204. The arrays 3202 and 3204 together can form the mating interface 2920 of the connector 2900.

[0179] The mating contact portion of the signal conductor is shown as a pin. However, other configurations, such as a socket, may be adopted. The contact tail (not shown) of the signal conductor is attached with a cable 2806. The attachment interface between the contact tail and the cable is protected by at least the unit housing. Each cable may include a pair of wirings, each of which is attached to the corresponding contact tail of a pair of signal conductors of the module. In some embodiments, the cable may be a two-strand cable. The shielding of the conductors around the two-strand cable may be attached to the shielding of the conductive elements around the corresponding module 3100. The unit housing 3102 may extend further than the support member 3004 in the direction of the cable length, so that the attachment interface between the module 3100 and the cable 2806 is covered.

[0180] FIG. 22A to FIG. 22B An isometric view of a second type connector unit with cables attached to form a cable assembly 3400 is shown. The cable assembly 3400 may include an assembly housing 3402 that holds a plurality of cable assembly modules 3420. Here, the housing 3402 is made of two halves 3402A and 3402B that are secured together, capturing the modules 3420 between the halves 3402A and 3402B. These components may be held together using adhesives, interference fits, heat staking, or other suitable means.

[0181] The housing 3402 and the modules 3420 may form a second type connector unit. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the modules 3420 has a pair of signal conductors, and the modules 3420 are arranged so that the second type connector unit has two columns of signal conductors.

[0182] Fig. 22CAn isometric view of a cable assembly module 3420 is shown, which may include a module 3408 of a second type connector unit 3404 and a cable 3406. The module 3408 may include a pair of signal conductors 3410A, 3410B held by a module housing 3412. The module 3408 may provide a mating interface that matches the mating interface provided by each extender module used when forming the first type connector unit.

[0183] Cables, such as conductors of wiring, can be attached to signal conductors within module 3408 in any suitable manner. However, according to some embodiments, cable conductors can be attached to the edges of signal conductors so as to provide a conductive structure with substantially uniform thickness and / or substantially uniform spacing between conductive elements. For example, the thickness of the conductors of the cable, the thickness of the signal conductors, and the thickness of any welding, solder or other material used to weld the conductors of the cable and the signal conductors can be no more than 10% compared to the thickness of the stock used to form the signal conductors. In some embodiments, the change in thickness between the cable attachment and the stock thickness can be less than 25% or less than 50%. More generally, the change in thickness may be less than the change caused by the conventional method of attaching the cable conductor to the connector signal conductor at the wide side, which can increase the thickness of the conductive path by 100% or more. Similarly, the spacing at the attachment location can be relatively small, such as not more than 10% different from the spacing at the mating interface.

[0184] Such a connection in Fig.23A and Fig. 23B Shown in. Fig.23A An isometric view of a pair of signal conductors 3410A, 3410B is shown. Signal conductors 3410A, 3410B can represent signal conductors within module 3408 or within any other cable connector. The signal conductor can include a contact tail 3510, a mating contact portion 3520, and an intermediate portion 3530 extending between the contact tail and the mating contact portion. The signal conductor can be slightly moved in opposite directions in the transition region 3514, resulting in a space s1 between the contact tails that is different from the space s2 between the intermediate portions and between the mating contact portions in the illustrated embodiment. In some embodiments, s1 can be greater than s2. The contact tail 3510 can include a broadside 3502 and an edge 3504 connecting the broadsides. The pair of signal conductors can be held together with the contact tail in an edge-to-edge configuration, wherein the edge 3504A of the signal conductor 3410A faces the edge 3504B of the signal conductor 3410B. The mating contact portion 3520 can be configured as a pin. In some embodiments, the pin can be made by rolling a metal sheet.

[0185] Fig. 23BAn isometric view of a cable 3406 attached to the pair of signal conductors 3410A, 3410B is shown. The cable 3406 may include a pair of conductive elements 3510A, 3510B insulated by a dielectric portion 3512. The cable 3406 may additionally include a shield surrounding the conductive elements 3510A, 3510B, which is not shown for simplicity. However, the shield may be attached to a shield or ground conductor in the cable connector.

[0186] A portion of the pair of conductive elements may be exposed outside the dielectric portion. The exposed portion of conductive element 3510A may be attached to edge 3504A of signal conductor 3410A. The exposed portion of conductive element 3510B may be attached to edge 3504B of signal conductor 3410B. Attachment may be performed in any suitable manner, such as by welding, soldering, or brazing. For example, laser welding may be used. For example, a laser welding operation may be performed in which a laser is aimed along a path along the edge of a conductive element, and when the focus of the laser is changed, the wiring in the cable is melted to the edge of the conductive element.

[0187] In some embodiments, the laser can be controlled to form a continuous rounded joint between each conductive element of the cable and the edge of the signal conductor in the connector. The inventors have found that such a joint can be more reliable and more repeatable than welding through wiring. Suitable welds can be formed with commercially available green lasers, but any suitable welding equipment can also be used.

[0188] Operations such as welding, soldering, or brazing without any filler metal or other fusible material result in the direct fusing of the conductive elements of the cable to the conductive elements of the connector, thereby avoiding the large amount of conductive material that may be present when other attachment techniques (e.g., soldering using filler metal) are used. Reducing the amount of conductive material used for attachment can reduce changes in impedance, which can contribute to desired electrical characteristics. However, in some embodiments, solder or other fusible materials can be added to facilitate attachment.

[0189] The cable conductors may be attached to the edges of any suitably shaped conductive elements in the connector. FIG. 24A to FIG. 24D A method of manufacturing a cable connector is shown. Fig.24A A plan view of the mounting interface 3640 between the structure 3630 and the cable 3606 is shown. Fig. 24B 36 is a front view of the mounting interface 3640, showing the relatively small additional thickness at the attachment location. The structure 3630 can include a pair of signal conductors 3610A and 3610B connected by a connecting rod 3602. The contact tails of the signal conductors can be slightly moved in opposite directions and away from the connecting rod through the transition area 3614. The structure 3630 can be stamped from a metal sheet so that the size of the structure can be precisely controlled by the stamping die.

[0190] The cable 3606 may include a pair of conductive elements 3620A, 3620B, each of which is attached to one of the opposing edges of the signal conductors 3610A, 3610B. The pair of signal conductors 3610A and 3610B are spaced apart from each other by a distance d1 to accommodate the cable 3606. The distance d1 may be controlled by the width W of the tie bar 3602 and / or the degree of slope in the transition region 3614. This distance may be precisely controlled by stamping.

[0191] Fig.24C A plan view of the mounting interface 3642 between the structure 3630 and the cable 3606 is shown. Fig.24C Insulating housing 3650 is shown to have been molded over structure 3630. Housing 3650 may be molded using an insert molding operation or in any other suitable manner. Then, connecting rod 3602 has been cut off. In this configuration, conductive elements 3610A and 3610B have been separated. Nevertheless, the spacing between conductive elements 3610A and 3610B is maintained because both conductive elements 3610A and 3610B are embedded in housing 3650.

[0192] With the connecting rod 3602 cut off, the mating contacts 3604A and 3604B on the conductive elements 3610A and 3610B can be formed to provide any suitable shape. Any suitable metal forming technology can be used. For example, the edges can be stamped to provide mating contacts as blades. Alternatively or in addition, the mating contacts can be rolled to provide mating contacts as pins. As another variation, the mating contacts can be formed as single-beam contacts, dual-beam contacts, or multi-beam contacts. As another alternative, separate components can be attached to the conductive elements 3610A and 3610B, for example to form a multi-beam structure or to provide a socket.

[0193] The forming operation can space the mating contacts 3604A and 3604B apart from each other by a distance d2 (measured edge to edge). In the illustrated embodiment, d2 can be close to d1. For example, d2 can differ from d1 by 10% or less, or in some embodiments, d2 can differ from d1 by 25% or 50% or less.

[0194] However, it is not required that the spacing between the edges is uniform over the entire length of the contact. The edges of the contact at the attachment area may taper toward each other, or may taper toward each other in the direction of the elongated axis of the mating contacts 3604A and 3604B. Such a configuration can provide a gradual impedance transition from the cable to the mating interface of the connector. Alternatively or in addition, the shape of the conductive elements 3610A and 3610B may vary in length so as to provide a wider or narrower width relative to the outside in the housing. As another example of a variation, although the relative edges of the conductive elements 3610A and 3610B are shaped to provide a uniform spacing d2 along the length of the conductive elements, the width of the conductive elements in the attachment can still be controlled by changing the profile of the outer edges of the conductive elements 3610A and 3610B, even along the length of the conductive elements. For example, the outer edges may taper toward each other or away from each other.

[0195] The inventors have recognized and appreciated techniques for reliably coupling a cable to an edge of a conductive element to provide a cable termination that produces an interconnect with high signal integrity. FIG. 25A to FIG. 25C , using the contact tail of the signal conductor of the connector as an example, an embodiment of an attachment interface for connecting the conductor of the cable (such as the wiring) to the edge of the conductive element is described in more detail. Fig. 23B The described embodiments, Fig.25A An isometric view of a cable 3706 attached to this pair of conductive elements is shown, shown here as signal conductors 3410A, 3410B. Cable 3706 can also include a pair of conductive elements, shown here as conductors 3710A, 3710B (e.g., wires) insulated by dielectric portions 3712. Cable 3706 can additionally include a shield around conductors 3710A, 3710B, which is not shown for simplicity. However, the shield can be attached to a shield or ground conductor in a cable connector. The portion of the pair of conductors can be exposed outside the dielectric portion. As described below, the exposed portion of conductor 3710A can be attached to the edge of signal conductor 3410A, and the exposed portion of conductor 3710B can be attached to the edge of signal conductor 3410B.

[0196] Fig.25B Shown along Fig.25A The cross section is taken along line BB in . In particular, Fig.25BAn attachment interface 3730 is shown between a conductor 3710B (e.g., wiring) of a cable 3706 and a contact tail 3510 of a signal conductor 3410B of a connector. As shown, the generally circular shape of the conductor 3710B results in a small contact area at the attachment interface 3730. The inventors have recognized and appreciated that such a small contact area may result in poor connection quality, may result in impedance discontinuities at the attachment interface, and / or may require the use of relatively large amounts of solder, brazing, or other connecting materials to achieve a suitable connection; the inventors have also recognized that each of these may result in undesirable signal attenuation. Therefore, in some embodiments, for example, Fig.25C In the embodiment shown in , conductor 3710B can be deformed prior to coupling with contact tail 3510 to provide a substantially flat contact region along attachment interface 3730. Such a flat contact region can provide a larger contact area between conductor 3710B and the edge of contact tail 3510, which can help maintain a substantially constant impedance through the attachment interface and / or can facilitate coupling the conductor to the contact tail with minimal or no additional coupling material.

[0197] In addition, if Fig.25B As shown, in some embodiments, the diameter of the signal conductor 3710B (e.g., wiring) of the cable 3706 can be greater than the thickness of the contact tail 3510 of the signal conductor 3410B of the connector. After the signal conductor 3710B is deformed to form the flat portion, the thickness of the flat portion can be substantially equal to the thickness of the contact tail 3510, as shown in FIG. Fig.25C The inventors have recognized and appreciated that such flattening of the signal conductor 3710B can result in a coupling structure that is more uniform in width and thickness than a coupling formed without deforming the signal conductor 3710B, which can help maintain a substantially constant impedance through the coupling.

[0198] In some embodiments, the thickness of the flat portion of the signal conductor 3710B of the cable 3706 can be between about 75% and about 150% of the thickness of the contact tail 3510, and in some cases, the flat portion of the signal conductor 3710B can have a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the contact tail 3510. Additionally, in some embodiments, the thickness of the flat portion of the signal conductor 3710B can be between about 50% and 100% of the diameter of the signal conductor within the cable 3706 (i.e., the diameter of the undeformed signal conductor 3710B). For example, the thickness of the flat portion can be between about 50% and 75% of the diameter of the signal conductor within the cable. The present disclosure is not limited to any particular method for flattening the conductors of the cable. For example, the conductor 3710B can be pressed against the edge of the contact tail 3510 during the coupling process with a contact force sufficient to at least partially deform the conductor. In this way, the conductor can be compressed between a tool (not depicted) and the edge of the contact tail to achieve a desired degree of deformation and flatness of the conductor, and thus obtain a desired contact area at the attachment interface. For example, such a tool can be implemented using a hardening member between conductors 2710A and 3710B. The portion can have a width equal to the desired spacing between conductors 2710A and 3710B. Such a tool can also have a member that constrains the movement of contact tail 3510. In operation, the tool can apply a force on the ends of conductors 2710A and 2710B in a direction parallel to the edge of contact tail 3510 to compress the conductor at attachment interface 3730. Such compression may cause the thickness of the ends of conductors 2710A and 2710B to approach the thickness of contact tail 3510. Since the displacement of the metal of conductors 2710A and 2710B on three sides is limited by the tool, the metal of conductors 2710A and 2710B displaced by compression will move toward contact tail 3510, thereby producing a flat surface on the conductor facing the edge of contact tail 3510.

[0199] Alternatively or additionally, a separate tool may be used to partially or completely deform and flatten at least a portion of the conductor 3710B prior to coupling with the contact tail 3510 .

[0200] Shaping the conductors prior to attachment facilitates a more robust attachment and provides less impedance variation. Further improvements can be achieved based on material selection and / or energy conditioning used to form the attachment. As described above, some aspects of the present disclosure relate to selecting materials for the conductors of a cable (e.g., wiring) and the contact tails of the signal conductors of a connector to facilitate connection, such as by providing desired material properties for the connection process. In some embodiments, such thermodynamic properties can be achieved by coating one or both of the conductors and the contact tails. For example, Fig.26ADepicts a cross-sectional view of an attachment interface 3830 between a conductor 3812 of a cable and a contact tail 3810 of a connector, similar to the above combination. FIG. 25A to FIG. 25C 38. As shown, the contact tail 3810 includes a first coating material 3816 of a first base alloy 3814 that at least partially surrounds the contact tail. Similarly, the conductor 3812 includes a second coating material 3820 of a second base alloy 3818 that at least partially surrounds the conductor. Although this embodiment utilizes a first coating material and a second coating material associated with the contact tail and the conductor, it should be understood that the current disclosure is not limited to connectors having only two coating materials. For example, some embodiments may employ three or more coating materials on the contact tail and / or the conductor.

[0201] In one embodiment, the first coating material 3816 and the first base alloy 3814 can be selected so that the first coating material is soluble in the first base alloy (e.g., soluble within a large range of the composition of the mixture of the first base alloy and the first coating material), so that the first coating material and the first base alloy can diffuse into each other to form a single-phase solid solution. The second coating material 3820 and the second base alloy 3818 can be selected so that the materials form a eutectic system. Specifically, the mixture of the second coating material and the second base alloy can exhibit a melting temperature lower than the melting temperature of the second base alloy or the second coating material. In some cases, the second coating material can exhibit some solid phase solubility in the second base alloy (e.g., the second coating material in the second base alloy is up to at least 1%, up to at least 5%, up to at least 10%, up to at least 20%, up to at least 30% or more of the composition). In this way, as described above, the dissolution of the second coating material into the second base alloy can actually reduce the melting point of the second base alloy.

[0202] In some embodiments, the first base alloy and the second base alloy may include one or more common major constituent elements. For example, the first base alloy and the second base alloy may both be copper alloys. However, other compositions and / or combinations of compositions may also be suitable, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0203] Now refer to Fig.26B, which describes the attachment of the conductor 3812 to the contact tail 3810 in more detail. The attachment can be performed using a suitable heat treatment process, such as by heating the first side of the attachment interface 3830 via exposure to laser energy (e.g., a laser welding process). Compared to typical laser welding or similar processes in which the energy provided must be sufficient to melt the material along the entire attachment interface (thereby forming a heat affected zone extending along the entire length of the connection, which may cause adverse effects such as ablation and / or pitting), the embodiments described herein can be connected at a reduced power level. For example, a relatively small heat affected zone 3832 can be formed at the end of the attachment interface 3830 where heat is applied, and a metallurgical joint 3834 can be formed along the remainder of the attachment interface. In particular, the heat applied during the heat treatment process may be sufficient to reach a reduced melting point of the mixture of the second base alloy 3818 and the second coating material 3820 so that the mixture can flow into the attachment interface 3830 (e.g., due to gravity and / or capillary forces). Depending on the particular implementation, the heat affected zone 3832 may extend along less than 50%, less than 40%, less than 30%, less than 20%, less than 10%, or less than 5% of the attachment interface 3830. Similarly, the metallurgical bond 3834 may extend along more than 50%, more than 60%, more than 70%, more than 80%, more than 90%, or more than 95% of the attachment interface 3830.

[0204] In some embodiments, the metallurgical joint 3834 can extend along a majority of the length of the attachment interface 3830 in a direction parallel to the length of the conductor 3812. For example, the metallurgical joint can extend along at least 50%, at least 75%, at least 90%, or more of the length of the attachment interface. In some exemplary embodiments, the length of the attachment interface can be between about 0.005 inches and about 0.02 inches (e.g., between about 0.01 inches and about 0.015 inches), and the metallurgical joint can extend along a length of at least 0.0025 inches, at least 0.005 inches, at least 0.01 inches, at least 0.015 inches, at least 0.018 inches, or more of the attachment interface.

[0205] In addition, the elevated temperature at the attachment interface during the above-described heat treatment process can result in faster diffusion of the various materials. Thus, a metallurgical joint 3834 can be formed along the attachment interface 3830 by interdiffusion of the first base alloy 3814, the first coating material 3816, the second base alloy 3818, and the second coating material 3820. In particular, the metallurgical joint 3834 can form a region along the attachment interface in which the first base alloy and the second base alloy and the first coating material and the second coating material form a substantially uniform microstructure, but without a clearly defined interface between the conductor 3812 and the contact tail 3810.

[0206] Although the metallurgical joint 3834 is depicted as extending substantially along the entire thickness of the attachment interface below the heat affected zone 3832, it should be understood that other configurations may also be suitable. For example, in some embodiments, a suitable joint may be formed using a metallurgical joint only along a portion of the thickness of the attachment interface. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, the attachment interface can be heated from both sides so that a heat affected zone can be formed at both ends of the attachment interface (along the thickness of the attachment interface), and the metallurgical joint can extend from each heat affected zone or can span the attachment interface between the heat affected zones. In some embodiments, (one or more) heat affected zones may include an area in which the applied heat is sufficient to melt at least a portion of the base alloy and form a liquid mixture, which can then solidify into one or more different phases. In such an embodiment, (one or more) heat affected zones may be characterized as a welded portion of the attachment interface. Alternatively or additionally, (one or more) heat affected zones may include an area in which the applied heat is sufficient to produce a change in the microstructure relative to the microstructure of (one or more) base alloys and / or (one or more) coatings. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the ratio of the thickness of the metallurgical bond to the total thickness of the heat affected zone(s) in the direction along the thickness of the contact tail may be at least 2:1, at least 3:1, at least 4:1, at least 5:1, or more.

[0207] In one exemplary embodiment, the contact tail may include a precipitation hardened copper alloy as the first base alloy, and the first coating material may be nickel. Fig.27A As shown in the phase diagram shown, nickel and copper would be considered to be completely soluble in each other at room temperature. Therefore, copper from the first base alloy may diffuse into the nickel coating, so that some copper is present near the surface of the first coating material (and similarly, some nickel coating may diffuse into the copper base alloy of the contact tail). The conductor of the cable may include electrolytic ductile pitch (ETP) copper as the second base alloy, and the second coating material on the conductor may be silver. Fig.27B and Fig.27C As shown in the phase diagram shown in , silver and copper form a eutectic system in which the solubility of silver in copper is limited, while silver and nickel will be considered to be completely insoluble in each other. Therefore, it is usually difficult to connect silver-plated parts to nickel-plated parts. However, using the technology described herein, when the attachment interface between the heating conductor and the contact tail, the silver-copper mixture may melt and flow into the attachment interface, and some copper may diffuse into the copper-nickel solid solution of the contact tail. Similarly, for example, some copper from the contact tail may diffuse into the copper-silver mixture. In this way, the mutual diffusion of copper, nickel and silver at the attachment interface can result in the formation of a metallurgical joint along at least a portion of the attachment interface.

[0208] Thus, several embodiments have been described, and it should be understood that various alternatives, modifications, and improvements can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art. Such changes, modifications, and improvements are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the present application. Therefore, the above description and accompanying drawings are only exemplary. Various changes can be made to the illustrative structures, materials, and processes shown and described herein.

[0209] For example, although some combinations of alloys and / or materials are described above in conjunction with an illustrative embodiment, it should be understood that other compositions may also be suitable. In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to the following configuration, in which the first base alloy and the second base alloy are different types of alloys and / or the first coating material and the second coating material include different materials. For example, in one embodiment, a silver coating can be used on both the conductor and the contact tail. Therefore, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the metallurgical joint formed by a soluble material system (e.g., Ni-Cu) and a eutectic or eutectoid system (e.g., Ag-Cu), and one or both of these material systems can be used in combination with any one of the conductors of the cable and the contact tails of the connector. In addition, various alloys or metals for base alloys and / or coatings can be selected for any purpose in a variety of purposes, including but not limited to providing desired conductivity, corrosion resistance and / or melting point reduction. For example, in certain embodiments, tin can be incorporated into one or more coating materials (such as silver or nickel coatings) to further reduce the melting point of the mixture. In another embodiment, a silver-plated copper wire can be connected to a bare copper contact tail.

[0210] Furthermore, while embodiments have been described in connection with connecting conductors of a cable (such as wiring) to contact tails of a connector, it should be understood that the techniques described herein may be applicable to forming other types of connections, such as connections between contact tails on signal conductors of different connectors.

[0211] As another example, combining FIG. 24A to FIG. 24D A method of manufacturing a module for a cable connector is described. The steps of the method may be performed in an order other than as described. The cable conductors may be attached after the housing is formed and / or after the tie bars are cut. In addition, the method may be combined with FIG. 25A to FIG. 26B Additional examples of methods for attaching a cable to a connector are described. The steps of these methods may be combined in any suitable manner, including in combination with the above FIG. 24A to FIG. 24D Combination of steps described. For example, Figures 25A to 26B The described joining technique can be combined with FIG. 24A to FIG. 24D The described technique utilizes a connecting rod for combination.

[0212] As another example, techniques for improving the signal quality at the mating interface of an electrical interconnect system are described. These techniques may be used alone or in any suitable combination. In addition, the size of the connector may be increased or decreased from the size shown. In addition, it is possible to use materials other than those explicitly mentioned to construct the connector. As another example, a connector with four differential signal pairs in a column is for illustrative purposes only. Any desired number of signal conductors may be used in the connector.

[0213] As another example, an embodiment is described in which a different front housing portion is used to hold a connector module in a connector configuration compared to a different front housing portion being used to hold a connector module in an orthogonal configuration. It should be understood that in some embodiments, the front housing portion can be configured to support either use.

[0214] Manufacturing techniques may also vary. For example, an embodiment is described in which connector 600 is formed by organizing multiple sheets onto a stiffener. It is possible to form an equivalent structure by inserting multiple shields and signal receptacles into a molded housing.

[0215] As another example, a connector formed by a module is described, and each module includes a pair of signal conductors. It is not necessary that each module just includes a pair of signal conductors or that the number of signal pairs is the same in all modules in the connector. For example, 2 pairs or 3 pairs of modules can be formed. In addition, in some embodiments, a core module with two rows, three rows, four rows, five rows, six rows or some larger number of rows in a single-ended or differential pair configuration can be formed. Each connector or connector can include such a core module by each thin slice in the laminar embodiment. In order to manufacture a connector with more rows than the row included in the basic module, an additional module (for example, each additional module has a smaller number of pairs, such as each module single pair) can be coupled to the core module.

[0216] As another variation, FIG. 21A to FIG. 21E A connector is shown in which a column of signal conductors is formed by a sheet having only signal conductors with contact tails for mounting to a printed circuit board or signal conductors with tails terminated to a cable. It is not required that all signal conductors in each sheet have the same configuration. For example, a sheet may have some signal conductors configured to be mounted to a printed circuit board and other signal conductors configured to terminate a cable. In addition, it is not required that the connector be assembled entirely from sheets. In some embodiments, modules each including one signal conductor, a pair of signal conductors, or more signal conductors may be held together as a connector.

[0217] In addition, although many of the inventive aspects are shown and described with reference to orthogonal connectors having a right-angle configuration, it should be understood that the aspects of the present disclosure are not limited in this respect because any of the inventive concepts (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, daughterboard connectors, mid-plane connectors, cable connectors, stacking connectors, mezzanine connectors, I / O connectors, chip sockets, etc.

[0218] In some embodiments, the contact tails are shown as press-fit "eye of the needle" compliant sections designed to fit within vias of a printed circuit board. However, other configurations may also be used, such as surface mount components, spring-loaded contacts, solderable pins, etc., as aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to the use of any particular mechanism for attaching the connector to a printed circuit board.

[0219] In addition, signal and ground conductors are shown as having specific shapes. In the above-described embodiments, signal conductors are routed in pairs, wherein each conductive element in the pair has substantially the same shape, so as to provide a balanced signal path. The signal conductors in the pair are positioned closer to each other than other conductive structures. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other shapes may be used, and signal conductors or ground conductors may be identified by their shapes or measurable characteristics. In many embodiments, the signal conductor may be narrow relative to other conductive elements, which may be used as reference conductors to provide low inductance. Alternatively or additionally, the signal conductor may have a shape and position relative to a wider conductive element, which may be used as a reference to provide a characteristic impedance suitable for an electronic system, such as a characteristic impedance in the range of 50 ohms to 120 ohms. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, the signal conductor may be identified based on the relative positioning of a conductive structure used as a shield. For example, the signal conductor may be substantially surrounded by a conductive structure that may be used as a shielding member.

[0220] In addition, the configuration of the connector module and the extender module as described above provides shielding of the signal path through the interconnection system formed by the connector module and the extender module in the first connector and the connector module in the second connector. In some embodiments, there can be slight gaps in the shielding members or spacing between the shielding members without substantially affecting the effectiveness of this shielding. For example, in some embodiments, it may be impractical to extend the shielding to the surface of the printed circuit board so that there is a gap of about 1 mm. Despite the presence of such spacing or gaps, these configurations can still be considered to be fully shielded.

[0221] In addition, the example of the extender module is described as having an orthogonal configuration. It should be understood that if the extender module has pins or blades at its second end, the extender module can be used to form a RAM without a 90 degree twist. Other types of connectors may alternatively be formed with a module having a socket or mating contacts with other configurations at the second end.

[0222] In addition, the extender module is shown as forming a separable interface with the connector module. Such an interface may include gold plating or plating with some other metal or other material that can prevent oxide formation. For example, such a configuration can enable the same module as used in the connector to be used with the extender module. However, it is not required that the interface between the connector module and the extender module be separable. In some embodiments, for example, the mating contacts of the connector module or the extender module can generate sufficient force to scrape oxide from the mating contacts and form an airtight seal when mated. In such embodiments, gold and other platings can be omitted.

[0223] Connectors configured as described herein can provide desired signal integrity characteristics over a frequency range of interest. The frequency range of interest can depend on the operating parameters of the system in which such connector is used, but can generally have an upper limit between about 15 GHz and 50 GHz, such as 25 GHz, 30 GHz, or 40 GHz, however, higher frequencies or lower frequencies may be of interest in some applications. Some connector designs may have a frequency range of interest that spans only a portion of the range, such as 1 GHz to 10 GHz, or 3 GHz to 15 GHz, or 5 GHz to 35 GHz.

[0224] The operating frequency range of the interconnect system can be determined based on the frequency range that can pass through the interconnect with acceptable signal integrity. Signal integrity can be measured according to a number of standards depending on the application for which the interconnect system is designed. Some of these standards may relate to the propagation of a signal along a single-ended signal path, a differential signal path, a hollow waveguide, or any other type of signal path. Two examples of such standards are attenuation of the signal along the signal path or reflection of the signal from the signal path.

[0225] Other standards may relate to 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 on one signal path at one end of an interconnect system that can be measured at any other signal path on 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 on one signal path at one end of an interconnect system that can be measured at any other signal path on the other end of the interconnect system.

[0226] As a specific example, it may be required that the signal path attenuation is no greater than 3dB power ratio, the reflection power ratio is no greater than -20dB, and the individual signal path to signal path crosstalk contribution is no greater than -50dB. Since these characteristics are frequency dependent, the operating range of the interconnect system is limited to the range of frequencies that meet the specific standards.

[0227] The present invention describes designs of electrical connectors that can provide desired 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 higher, while maintaining high density, such as spacing between adjacent mating contacts of approximately 3 mm or less, such as including center-to-center spacing between adjacent contacts in a column of between 1 mm and 2.5 mm or between 2 mm and 2.5 mm. The spacing between mating contacts in each column may be similar, however, it is not required that all mating contacts in the connector have the same spacing.

[0228] Examples of arrangements that may be implemented according to some embodiments include the following:

[0229] 1. A connector assembly, comprising:

[0230] a first signal conductor having a first contact tail, the first contact tail including an edge having a first planar surface; and

[0231] A first wire extends from a cable, wherein a portion of the first wire is at least partially flattened to form a second flat surface, and wherein the first wire is attached to an edge of the first contact tail, wherein the second flat surface of the first wire contacts the first flat surface of the first contact tail.

[0232] 2. The connector assembly according to point 1, further comprising:

[0233] a second signal conductor having a second contact tail, the second contact tail including an edge having a third planar surface; and

[0234] A second wire extends from the cable, wherein a portion of the second wire is at least partially flattened to form a fourth flat surface, and wherein the second wire is attached to an edge of the second contact tail, wherein the fourth flat surface of the second wire contacts the third flat surface of the second contact tail.

[0235] 3. The connector assembly according to point 2, wherein an edge of the first contact tail and an edge of the second contact tail are opposite edges of a pair of signal conductors.

[0236] 4. The connector assembly according to point 3, wherein the pair of signal conductors is configured as a differential pair.

[0237] 5. The connector assembly according to any one of points 3 to 4, wherein:

[0238] The pair of signal conductors is a first pair of a plurality of signal conductor pairs;

[0239] Each of the plurality of signal conductor pairs has a pair of contact tails having opposing edges;

[0240] The connector assembly includes wiring that is at least partially flattened to form a flat surface attached to a respective edge of each pair of contact tails of the plurality of signal conductor pairs, wherein the flat surface contacts an opposing edge of the respective contact tail;

[0241] The signal conductor pairs are separated by a shield.

[0242] 6. The connector assembly according to point 5, wherein:

[0243] The plurality of signal conductor pairs are arranged in lines.

[0244] 7. The connector assembly according to any one of points 5 to 6, wherein:

[0245] The plurality of signal conductor pairs are arranged in a plurality of parallel lines.

[0246] 8. The connector assembly according to any one of points 5 to 7, wherein:

[0247] The wires attached to the respective edges of each pair of contact tails include conductors of a two-wire cable.

[0248] 9. The connector assembly according to any one of points 5 to 8, wherein:

[0249] The wires attached to the respective edges of each pair of contact tails are via a metallurgical bond.

[0250] 10. The connector assembly according to any one of points 2 to 9, wherein the first planar surface and the third planar surface face each other.

[0251] 11. The connector assembly according to any of points 1 to 10, wherein the first wire is coupled to the first signal conductor via a metallurgical joint extending at least partially along an interface between the first planar surface and the second planar surface.

[0252] 12. The connector assembly according to point 11, wherein the length of the interface along a direction parallel to the extension direction of the wire is between about 0.005 inches and about 0.02 inches.

[0253] 13. The connector assembly of point 12, wherein the length of the interface is between approximately 0.01 inches and approximately 0.015 inches.

[0254] 14. The connector assembly according to any of points 12 to 13, wherein the metallurgical joint extends along at least 50% of the interface.

[0255] 15. The connector assembly according to point 14, wherein the metallurgical joint extends along at least 75% of the interface.

[0256] 16. The connector assembly according to point 15, wherein the metallurgical joint extends along at least 90% of the interface.

[0257] 17. The connector assembly according to any of points 1 to 16, wherein the thickness of the portion of the wire is between about 75% and about 150% of the thickness of the first contact tail.

[0258] 18. The connector assembly according to point 17, wherein a thickness of the portion of the wire is substantially equal to a thickness of the first contact tail.

[0259] 19. The connector assembly according to any one of points 1 to 18, wherein the thickness of the portion of the wire is greater than about 50% of the diameter of the wire within the cable.

[0260] 20. The connector assembly according to point 19, wherein the thickness of the portion of the wire is less than 75% of the diameter of the wire within the cable.

[0261] 21. The connector assembly according to any one of points 1 to 20, wherein:

[0262] The first wire is attached to an edge of the first contact tail via a bonding portion; and

[0263] At least a portion of the joint is a metallurgical joint.

[0264] 22. A connector assembly comprising:

[0265] a signal conductor having a contact tail, the contact tail including an edge; and

[0266] A wire extends from the cable and is attached to an edge of the contact tail via a joint extending along the attachment interface, wherein at least a portion of the joint is a metallurgical joint.

[0267] 23. The connector according to point 22, wherein the metallurgical joint extends along at least 50% of the attachment interface.

[0268] 24. The connector according to any one of points 22 to 23, wherein the engagement portion comprises a heat affected zone at the first end of the attachment interface.

[0269] 25. The connector according to any one of points 22 to 24, wherein the engagement portion extends along the entire attachment interface.

[0270] 26. The connector according to any of points 22 to 25, wherein the signal conductor comprises a first base alloy and a first coating material, and wherein the wiring comprises a second base alloy and a second coating material.

[0271] 27. The connector according to point 26, wherein the metallurgical joint at least partially includes a region in which the first base alloy, the first coating material, the second base alloy and the second coating material are interdiffused with each other.

[0272] 28. The connector according to any of points 26 to 27, wherein the first coating material is soluble in the first base alloy, and the second coating material and the second base alloy form a eutectic material system.

[0273] 29. The connector according to any of points 26 to 28, wherein the first base alloy and the second base alloy comprise copper.

[0274] 30. The connector according to point 29, wherein the first coating material includes nickel, and the second coating material includes silver.

[0275] 31. The connector according to point 30, wherein the second coating material further comprises tin.

[0276] 32. The connector according to any one of points 22 to 31, wherein at least a portion of the wire extending along the attachment interface is deformed so that the thickness of the portion is smaller than the diameter of the wire in the cable.

[0277] 33. A method of forming an electrical connector, the method comprising:

[0278] The wires of the cable are bonded to the edges of the contact tails of the signal conductors along the attachment interface at least in part by interdiffusion of at least a portion of the first material and the second material across the attachment interface to form a metallurgical bond.

[0279] 34. The method according to point 33, wherein bonding the wires of the cable to the edges of the contact tails further comprises: at least partially melting the first material and flowing the first material into the attachment interface.

[0280] 35. The method according to any of points 33 to 34, wherein the first material comprises a first base alloy of the wiring and a first coating material on the wiring.

[0281] 36. The method according to point 35, wherein the first base alloy and the first coating material form a eutectic material system.

[0282] 37. The method according to any of points 33 to 36, further comprising: deforming at least a portion of the wire before bonding the wire to the contact tail.

[0283] 38. The method according to point 37, wherein deforming at least a portion of the wiring comprises: flattening the portion of the wiring.

[0284] 39. The method according to any of points 33 to 38, wherein melting the first material comprises raising the temperature of the first material to a temperature between about 800° C. and about 1100° C.

[0285] 40. The method according to any of points 33 to 29, wherein the metallurgical joint extends along at least 50% of the length of the attachment interface.

[0286] 41. The method according to point 40, wherein the metallurgical joint extends along at least 75% of the length of the attachment interface.

[0287] 42. The method according to point 41, wherein the metallurgical joint extends along at least 90% of the length of the attachment interface.

[0288] 43. A method of forming an electrical connector, the method comprising:

[0289] deforming a portion of a first wire of the cable to form a first planar surface; and

[0290] The first wire is attached to an edge of a first contact tail of a first signal conductor at least in part by contacting a first planar surface of the first wire to a second planar surface of an edge of the first contact tail.

[0291] 44. The method according to point 43, further comprising:

[0292] deforming a portion of a second wire of the cable to form a third planar surface; and

[0293] The second wire is attached to an edge of the second contact tail of the second signal conductor at least in part by contacting the third planar surface of the second wire to a fourth planar surface of an edge of the second contact tail.

[0294] 45. The method according to point 44, wherein an edge of the first contact tail and an edge of the second contact tail are opposite edges of a pair of signal conductors.

[0295] 46. ​​The method according to point 45, wherein the pair of signal conductors is configured as a differential pair.

[0296] 47. The method according to any of points 45 to 46, further comprising: attaching the wire to respective edges of the pair of contact tails via a metallurgical bond.

[0297] 48. The method according to any of points 43 to 47, wherein deforming the portion of the first wiring comprises planarizing the portion of the first wiring.

[0298] 49. The method according to point 48, wherein, after planarization, the thickness of the portion of the first wire is greater than about 50% of the diameter of the first wire within the cable.

[0299] 50. The method according to point 49, wherein, after planarization, a thickness of the portion of the first wire is less than about 75% of a diameter of the first wire within the cable.

[0300] 51. The method according to any of the points 48 to 50, wherein, after planarization, the thickness of the portion of the first wire is between about 75% and about 150% of the thickness of the first contact tail.

[0301] 52. The method according to any of points 43 to 51, wherein attaching the first wire to an edge of the first contact tail comprises forming a joint along the attachment interface, and wherein at least a portion of the joint is a metallurgical joint.

[0302] Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the details of the construction or arrangement of the components set forth in the following description and / or the accompanying drawings. Various embodiments are provided for illustrative purposes only, and the concepts described herein can be practiced or implemented in other ways. In addition, the terms and terminology used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered as limiting. The use of "including", "comprising", "having", "containing" or "involving" and variations thereof in this article is intended to encompass the items listed below (or their equivalents) and / or as supplementary items.

Claims

1. A connector assembly, comprising: a signal conductor having a contact tail, the contact tail including a broadside and an edge coupled to the broadside; as well as a wire extending from a cable and attached to one of the edges of the contact tail via a joint extending along an attachment interface between the edge and the wire, wherein the joint includes a heat affected zone at a first end of the attachment interface and a metallurgical joint extending along at least 50% of the attachment interface, wherein the signal conductor comprises a first base alloy and a first coating material, the first coating material being at least partially soluble in the first base alloy, and wherein the wiring comprises a second base alloy and a second coating material, and Wherein the metallurgical joint at least partially includes a region where the first base alloy, the first coating material, the second base alloy, and the second coating material are interdiffused with each other.

2. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The heat affected zone includes a weld having a solidified mixture including a base alloy of the contact tail and the wire.

3. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The metallurgical bond is a region along the attachment interface having a uniform microstructure without a well-defined interface between the wire and the contact tail.

4. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The heat affected zone extends along at least 10% of the attachment interface.

5. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The joint includes a heat affected zone at a second end of the attachment interface.

6. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The engagement portion extends along the entirety of the attachment interface.

7. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The second coating material is at least partially soluble in the second base alloy and is insoluble in the first coating material.

8. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The first coating material is soluble in the first base alloy, and the second coating material and the second base alloy form a eutectic material system.

9. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The first base alloy and the second base alloy include copper.

10. The connector assembly according to claim 9, wherein: The first coating material includes nickel, and the second coating material includes silver.

11. The connector assembly according to claim 10, wherein: The second coating material also includes tin.

12. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein: At least a portion of the wiring extending along the attachment interface is deformed such that a thickness of the portion is less than a diameter of the wiring in the cable.

13. The connector assembly of claim 1, comprising: A plurality of connector units, comprising at least one first type connector unit and at least one second type connector unit, each of the plurality of connector units comprising two columns of signal conductors, each signal conductor comprising a contact tail, a mating contact portion, and an intermediate portion connecting the contact tail and the mating contact portion, wherein: The contact tails of the signal conductors of the at least one first type connector unit are configured to be attached to a printed circuit board, and The at least one second type connector unit includes signal conductors and wiring.

14. A connector assembly comprising: a first signal conductor having a first contact tail, the first contact tail including a broadside and an edge coupled to the broadside, the edge including an edge having a first planar surface; as well as a first wire extending from the cable, the first wire comprising a first material, wherein: A portion of the first wiring is at least partially planarized to form a second planar surface, the first wire is attached to an edge of the first contact tail, wherein the second planar surface of the first wire contacts the first planar surface of the first contact tail, The first signal conductor includes a second material including a base alloy and a coating material soluble in the base alloy, and The first wire is coupled to the first signal conductor via a joint extending at least partially along an interface between a first planar surface and a second planar surface, the joint at least partially including a region where the first material and the second material interdiffuse each other.

15. The connector assembly of claim 14, further comprising: a second signal conductor having a second contact tail, the second contact tail including a broadside and an edge coupled to the broadside, the edge including an edge having a third planar surface; as well as A second wire extends from the cable, wherein a portion of the second wire is at least partially flattened to form a fourth flat surface, and wherein the second wire is attached to an edge of the second contact tail, wherein the fourth flat surface of the second wire contacts the third flat surface of the second contact tail.

16. The connector assembly according to claim 15, wherein: An edge of the first contact tail and an edge of the second contact tail are opposing edges of a pair of signal conductors including the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor.

17. The connector assembly according to claim 16, wherein: The pair of signal conductors is configured as a differential pair.

18. The connector assembly of claim 16, wherein: The pair of signal conductors is a first pair of a plurality of signal conductor pairs; Each of the plurality of signal conductor pairs has a pair of contact tails having opposing edges; The connector assembly includes wiring that is at least partially flattened to form a flat surface attached to a respective edge of each pair of contact tails of the plurality of signal conductor pairs, wherein the flat surface contacts an opposing edge of the respective contact tail; The plurality of signal conductor pairs are separated by shielding.

19. The connector assembly of claim 18, wherein: The plurality of signal conductor pairs are arranged in lines.

20. The connector assembly of claim 18, wherein: The plurality of signal conductor pairs are arranged in a plurality of parallel lines.

21. The connector assembly of claim 18, wherein: The wires attached to the respective edges of each pair of contact tails include conductors of a two-wire cable.

22. The connector assembly of claim 18, wherein: Wires are attached to respective edges of each pair of contact tails via bonding portions.

23. The connector assembly of claim 15, wherein: The first planar surface and the third planar surface face each other.

24. The connector assembly of claim 14, wherein: The length of the interface along a direction parallel to the extension direction of the wiring is between 0.005 inches and 0.02 inches.

25. The connector assembly of claim 24, wherein: The length of the interface is between 0.01 inches and 0.015 inches.

26. The connector assembly of claim 24, wherein: The engagement portion extends along at least 50% of the interface.

27. The connector assembly of claim 26, wherein: The engagement portion extends along at least 75% of the interface.

28. The connector assembly of claim 27, wherein: The engagement portion extends along at least 90% of the interface.

29. The connector assembly of claim 14, wherein: The portion of the wire has a thickness between 75% and 150% of a thickness of the first contact tail.

30. The connector assembly of claim 29, wherein: The thickness of the portion of the wire is equal to the thickness of the first contact tail.

31. The connector assembly of claim 14, wherein: The thickness of the portion of the wire is greater than 50% of the diameter of the wire within the cable.

32. The connector assembly of claim 31, wherein: The thickness of the portion of the wire is less than 75% of the diameter of the wire within the cable.

33. The connector assembly of claim 15, wherein: The second wire is attached to an edge of the second contact tail via a bonding portion; as well as At least a portion of the joint is a metallurgical joint.

34. A method of forming an electrical connector, the electrical connector comprising a signal conductor, the signal conductor comprising a contact tail, the contact tail comprising a broadside and an edge coupled to the broadside, the method comprising: placing a wire of the cable on one of the edges of the contact tail of the signal conductor along an attachment interface between the edge and the wire, wherein the wire of the cable comprises a first material and the signal conductor comprises a second material comprising a base alloy and a coating material; and The attachment interface is heated to an intermediate temperature between the melting temperatures of a base alloy and a coating material of the second material such that at least a portion of the first material and the second material interdiffusion occurs across the attachment interface to form a metallurgical bond.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein: Bonding the wires of the cable to the edges of the contact tails also includes at least partially melting the first material and flowing the first material into the attachment interface.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein: The first material includes a first base alloy of the wire and a first coating material on the wire.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein: The first base alloy and the first coating material form a eutectic material system.

38. The method of claim 34, further comprising: Prior to bonding the wire to the contact tail, at least a portion of the wire is deformed.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein: Deforming at least a portion of the wiring includes planarizing the portion of the wiring.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein: Melting the first material includes raising the temperature of the first material to a temperature between 800°C and 1100°C.

41. The method of claim 34, wherein: The metallurgical bond extends along at least 50% of the length of the attachment interface.

42. The method according to claim 41, wherein: The metallurgical bond extends along at least 75% of the length of the attachment interface.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein: The metallurgical bond extends along at least 90% of the length of the attachment interface.

44. A method of forming an electrical connector, the electrical connector comprising a signal conductor, the signal conductor comprising a contact tail, the contact tail comprising a broadside and an edge coupled to the broadside, the method comprising: deforming a portion of a first wire of a cable to form a first planar surface, wherein the first wire of the cable comprises a first material including a base alloy and a coating material, and the signal conductor comprises a second material; and Attaching the first wire to an edge of a first contact tail of a first signal conductor at least in part by: contacting the first flat surface of the first wire to the second flat surface of the edge of the first contact tail, and A laser is aimed along an edge of the first contact tail to heat the attachment interface to an intermediate temperature between the melting temperatures of a base alloy and a coating material of the first material such that at least a portion of the first material and the second material interdiffuse across the attachment interface to form a metallurgical bond.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising: deforming a portion of a second wire of the cable to form a third planar surface; as well as The second wire is attached to an edge of the second contact tail of the second signal conductor at least in part by contacting the third planar surface of the second wire to a fourth planar surface of an edge of the second contact tail.

46. ​​The method of claim 45, wherein: An edge of the first contact tail and an edge of the second contact tail are opposing edges of a pair of signal conductors.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein: The pair of signal conductors is configured as a differential pair.

48. The method of claim 46, further comprising: The wires are attached to respective edges of a pair of contact tails via a metallurgical bond.

49. The method of claim 44, wherein: Deforming the portion of the first wiring includes planarizing the portion of the first wiring.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein: After planarization, the thickness of the portion of the first wire is greater than 50% of a diameter of the first wire within the cable.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein: After planarization, a thickness of the portion of the first wire is less than 75% of a diameter of the first wire within the cable.

52. The method of claim 49, wherein: After planarization, the portion of the first wire has a thickness between 75% and 150% of a thickness of the first contact tail.

53. The method of claim 44, wherein: Attaching the first wire to an edge of the first contact tail includes forming a bond along the attachment interface, and wherein at least a portion of the bond is a metallurgical bond.

54. An electrical connector formed according to the method of any one of claims 34 to 53.

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