Systems, methods, and apparatus for network cable assemblies

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for network cable assemblies are disclosed, specifically a connector for a network cable assembly including a substrate, a first set of contacts on a first surface of the substrate electrically connected to leads of a first cable, and a second set of contacts on the first surface of the substrate electrically connected to leads of a second cable. The first set of contacts is spaced apart from the second set of contacts in a first direction by an amount that enables the second cable to be stacked on the first cable and over the first set of contacts to electrically connect to the leads of the second cable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to systems, devices, and methods for networking cable assemblies. Background Art

[0002] Data centers are the storage and data processing centers of the internet. Cable assemblies are used to interconnect network devices and / or network switches within data centers to enable high-speed communication between network switches.

[0003] Brief Overview

[0004] In an illustrative embodiment, a connector for a network cable assembly includes a substrate, a first set of contacts on a first surface of the substrate and electrically connected to leads of a first cable, and a second set of contacts on the first surface of the substrate and electrically connected to leads of a second cable. The first set of contacts is spaced apart from the second set of contacts in a first direction by an amount that enables the second cable to be stacked over the first cable and pass over the first set of contacts to electrically connect to the leads of the second cable.

[0005] In an illustrative embodiment, a printed circuit board (PCB) for a network cable assembly includes a first set of contacts on a first surface of the PCB, wherein the first set of contacts are aligned with one another in a first direction. The PCB includes a second set of contacts on the first surface of the PCB, wherein the second set of contacts are aligned with one another in the first direction and are spaced apart from the first set of contacts in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The PCB includes a third set of contacts on the first surface of the PCB, wherein the third set of contacts are aligned with one another and are spaced apart from the second set of contacts in a second direction.

[0006] In an illustrative embodiment, a network cable assembly includes a printed circuit board (PCB) including a first set of contacts aligned with one another in a first direction and a second set of contacts aligned with one another in the first direction and spaced apart from the first set of contacts in a second direction generally perpendicular to the first direction. The network cable assembly includes a first cable and a second cable, the first cable including leads electrically connected to the first set of contacts, the second cable stacked over the first cable and passing over the first set of contacts to electrically connect the leads of the second cable to the second set of contacts. The network cable assembly includes a housing that houses the PCB.

[0007] Additional features and advantages are described herein, and will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 A system according to at least one exemplary embodiment is shown;

[0009] Figure 2An example structure of a connector of a cable assembly according to at least one exemplary embodiment is shown;

[0010] Figures 3A to 3D According to at least one exemplary embodiment, Figure 2 Various details of the substrate;

[0011] Figures 4A to 4D Shown from Figure 2 Various top and bottom views of a connector to illustrate an arrangement of cables connected to a substrate according to at least one exemplary embodiment;

[0012] Figure 5 Various cross-sectional views are shown to illustrate how a cable in a cable assembly is routed within a connector according to at least one exemplary embodiment; and

[0013] Figure 6 According to at least one exemplary embodiment, Figure 2 End view of the connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The following description provides only examples and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the claims. Instead, the following description will provide those skilled in the art with an effective description for implementing the described embodiments. It should be understood that various changes may be made to the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

[0015] As will be appreciated from the following description, and for reasons of computational efficiency, the components of the system may be arranged at any suitable location within a distributed network of components without affecting the operation of the system.

[0016] Furthermore, it should be understood that the various links connecting the elements may be wired, traced, or wireless links, or any suitable combination thereof, or any other suitable known or later developed one or more elements capable of providing data and / or communicating data with the connected elements. For example, the transmission medium used as the link may be any suitable electrical signal carrier, including coaxial cables, copper wires and optical fibers, electrical traces on a PCB, etc.

[0017] As used herein, the phrases "at least one," "one or more," "or," and "and / or" are open-ended expressions that operate as both conjunctions and transitions. For example, "at least one of A, B, and C," "at least one of A, B, or C," "one or more of A, B, and C," "one or more of A, B, or C," "A, B and / or C," and "A, B, or C" refer to A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B, and C together.

[0018] As used herein, the terms "determine," "calculate," and "compute," and variations thereof, are used interchangeably and include any suitable type of method, process, operation, or technique.

[0019] Various aspects of the present disclosure will be described with reference to figures that are schematic illustrations of idealized configurations.

[0020] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and this disclosure.

[0021] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that when used in this specification, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "containing," "including," "includes," and / or "comprising" specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. The term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0022] Related art assemblies suffer from higher-than-desired crosstalk between channels, which can impact signal integrity. The inventive concepts relate to the arrangement of pad islands on a PCB and / or the arrangement of cables soldered to the pad islands. In particular, the inventive concepts relate to pad arrangements that improve signal integrity. For example, a cable assembly according to the inventive concepts achieves end-to-end loss uniformity across all channels in a copper cable while reducing crosstalk between channels.

[0023] To address these and other issues, the inventive concept proposes an arrangement of rows of pad islands (3x2x3 islands) that allow cable routing between islands, which enables shorter trace lengths on the PCB component side and the PCB printed side (i.e., the top and bottom of the PCB). The solution proposed by the inventive concept can optimize the pad spacing to mitigate crosstalk between cables. Wires or cables passing between contact gaps on the PCB may help reduce crosstalk. The inventive concept also allows two wires to be stacked one on top of the other while using three solder rows. The spacing between rows can be optimized for performance and simplified processing.

[0024] Figure 1System 100 is shown according to at least one exemplary embodiment. System 100 includes network device 104, communication network 112, network device 116, and cable assembly 124. In at least one exemplary embodiment, network devices 104 and 116 can correspond to network switches (e.g., Ethernet switches), network interface controllers (NICs), and / or any other suitable devices for exchanging data over communication network 112. Each network device 104 and 116 can be connected to one or more of a personal computer (PC), a laptop, a tablet, a smartphone, a server, a collection of servers, and the like.

[0025] Examples of communication networks 112 that may be used to connect network devices 104 and 116 include Internet Protocol (IP) networks, Ethernet, InfiniBand (IB) networks, Fibre Channel networks, the Internet, cellular communication networks, wireless communication networks, combinations thereof (e.g., Fibre Channel over Ethernet), variations thereof, and / or the like.

[0026] Network device 104 includes port 108, while network device 116 includes port 120. Ports 108 and 120 can correspond to physical ports or connectors of network devices 104 and 108, which are communicatively coupled to each other via cable assembly 124. When connectors 128 and 132 are connected to ports 108 and 120, respectively, network devices 104 and 116 can exchange data via cable assembly 124. Ports 108 and 120, cable assembly 124, and connectors 128 and 132 can support any suitable form factor of system 100, such as small form factor pluggable (SFP), SFP+, quad SFP (QSFP), QSFP+, QSFP-double density (QSFP-DD), octal SFP (OSFP), etc. Cable assembly 124 can include one or more active and / or passive cables for carrying data. Cable assembly 124 can include one or more copper cables, one or more fiber optic cables, and / or any other suitable cables for transmitting data. In the case where the cable assembly 124 includes a fiber optic cable, the connectors 128 and 132 may include optical transceivers that convert electrical signals into optical signals and vice versa. In one non-limiting example, the cable assembly 124 includes a direct attach copper (DAC) cable assembly having the OSFP connectors 128 and 132. Details of the cable assembly 124 will be discussed in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Although not explicitly shown, it should be understood that network device 104, network device 116, and / or cable assembly 124 can include processing circuitry and / or memory for performing computational tasks, e.g., tasks associated with controlling data flow over communication network 112. The processing circuitry can include software, hardware, or a combination thereof. For example, the processing circuitry can include a memory including executable instructions and a processor (e.g., a microprocessor) that executes the instructions on the memory. The memory can correspond to any suitable type or collection of memory devices configured to store instructions. Non-limiting examples of suitable memory devices that can be used include flash memory, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), variations thereof, combinations thereof, and the like. In some embodiments, the memory and the processor can be integrated into a common device (e.g., a microprocessor can include integrated memory). Additionally or alternatively, the processing circuitry can include hardware, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Other non-limiting examples of processing circuitry include an integrated circuit (IC) chip, a central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a collection of logic gates, transistors, resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, and the like. Some or all of the processing circuitry can be provided on a printed circuit board (PCB) or a collection of PCBs. It should be understood that any suitable type of electrical component or collection of electrical components can be suitable for inclusion in the processing circuitry.

[0028] Furthermore, although not explicitly shown, it should be understood that network devices 104 and 116 and / or cable assembly 124 can include one or more other communication interfaces and / or circuitry for facilitating wired and / or wireless communication between them and / or other not-shown elements of system 100. For example, cable assembly 124 can include circuitry associated with re-driving and / or re-timing data transmitted and / or received over communication network 112. Non-limiting examples of suitable re-timing and / or re-driving circuitry that can be used include clock data recovery (CDR) circuitry and / or linear driver (LD) circuitry.

[0029] Figure 2 An example structure of a connector of a cable assembly in accordance with at least one example embodiment is shown. The connector 128 is shown and described with reference to Figure 2 but substantially the same structure can apply to connector 132. Connector 128 can include an input for a host cable 136 of cable assembly 124. Figure 2A pair of main cables 136 are shown. Both main cables 136 are configured to transmit signals (e.g., optical or electrical data signals). For example, each main cable 136 may include multiple smaller cables that include metal wires and / or optical fibers for carrying signals. The number and configuration of wires and / or optical fibers in each smaller cable may vary depending on the form factor used for the cable assembly 124. For example, Figure 2 A connector 128 is shown for the DAC cable assembly 124, which complies with the OSFP standard. In this particular example, as shown and described in more detail below, each main cable 136 can include eight smaller cables, each of which includes four wires (e.g., copper wires).

[0030] The connector 128 can include a housing 140 that houses a substrate 200 to which the leads of each cable are attached (e.g., by soldering the leads to contacts described below). The housing 140 can conform to the size standard for the form factor of the cable assembly 124, in this case, the OSFP standard for the DAC cable assembly 124. The substrate 200 can include a printed circuit board (PCB) or other suitable substrate for accommodating the form factor of the cable assembly 124.

[0031] Now refer to Figures 3A to 6 Discuss exemplary embodiments. Figures 3A to 3D Shown Figure 2 Various details of the substrate 200, Figures 4A to 4D Shown Figure 2 Various top and bottom views of the connector to illustrate the arrangement of cables in the cable assembly 124 connected to the substrate 200, Figure 5 Various cross-sectional views are shown to illustrate the cables in the cable assembly 124. Figure 2 How to wire the connector? Figure 6 An end view of the cables in the cable assembly 124 is shown.

[0032] Figure 3A Surface 302 of substrate 200 is shown. Surface 302 includes groups of contacts 300, 304, and 308. Each group of contacts 300, 304, and 308 may include sets of contacts aligned with each other in a first direction (e.g., a row direction). For example, group 300 is a row of contacts including contact set 300a, contact set 300b, and contact set 300c. Group 304 is a row of contacts including contact set 304a and contact set 304b. Group 308 is a row of contacts including contact set 308a, contact set 308b, and contact set 308c. Each contact set in each group of contacts may include the same number of contacts. Figure 3AIn the example shown, each contact set includes four contacts. However, the number of contacts in each contact set can vary depending on design preferences (e.g., depending on the form factor of the cable assembly 124). As shown and described in more detail below, the set of contacts 300 and the set of contacts 308 are spaced apart from each other in a second direction (e.g., a column direction) that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction by an amount that allows cables connected to the set of contacts 308 to be stacked on cables connected to the set of contacts 300.

[0033] Each contact in each set of contacts 300, 304, and 308 can include a conductive material, such as a metal (e.g., copper) or other suitable conductive material. In addition, each set of contacts 300, 304, and 308 can be electrically connected to a set of device contacts 324a on the surface 302 of the substrate 200 (e.g., via conductive traces (not shown) on the substrate 200). The device contacts 324a are also conductive and electrically connected to corresponding contacts on the port 108 of the network device 104. One or more other circuit components 328 (e.g., capacitors, resistors, inductors, etc.) can be mounted to the surface 302 of the substrate 200.

[0034] Figure 3B Surface 306 of substrate 200 is shown. Surface 306 and surface 302 are opposing surfaces of substrate 200. For example, surface 302 is the top surface of substrate 200 and surface 306 is the bottom surface of substrate 200.

[0035] Surface 306 includes groups of contacts 312, 316, and 320. Each group of contacts 312, 316, and 320 may include sets of contacts aligned with each other in a first direction (e.g., a row direction). For example, group 312 is a row of contacts including contact set 312a, contact set 312b, and contact set 312c. Group 316 is a row of contacts including contact set 316a and contact set 316b. Group 320 is a row of contacts including contact set 320a, contact set 320b, and contact set 320c. Each contact set in each group of contacts may include the same number of contacts. Figure 3A In the example shown, each contact set includes four contacts. However, the number of contacts in each contact set can vary depending on design preferences (e.g., depending on the form factor of the cable assembly 124). As shown and described in more detail below, the set of contacts 312 and the set of contacts 320 are spaced apart from each other in a second direction (e.g., a column direction) that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction by an amount that allows cables connected to the set of contacts 320 to be stacked on cables connected to the set of contacts 312.

[0036] Each contact in each set of contacts 312, 316, and 320 can include a conductive material, such as a metal (e.g., copper) or other suitable conductive material. In addition, each set of contacts 312, 316, and 320 can be electrically connected to a set of device contacts 324b on the surface 302 of the substrate 200 (e.g., via conductive traces (not shown) on the substrate 200). The device contacts 324b are also conductive and electrically connected to corresponding contacts on the port 108 of the network device 104.

[0037] Figure 3C The locations of the sets of contacts 300 , 304 , 308 on the surface 302 of the substrate 200 are shown relative to the locations of the sets of contacts 312 , 316 , and 320 on the surface 306 of the substrate 200 . Figure 3D Example spacing between sets of contacts in each group of contacts 300, 304, 308, 312, 316, and 320 is shown.

[0038] If you can Figure 3C and Figure 3D , each set of contacts 300, 304, and 308 is closer to the plurality of device contacts 324a and 324b than the corresponding sets of contacts 312, 316, and 320. In other words, in a plan view, the set of contacts 300 is spaced apart from the set of contacts 312 in the second direction (e.g., the column direction), the set of contacts 304 is spaced apart from the set of contacts 316 in the second direction, and the set of contacts 308 is spaced apart from the set of contacts 320 in the second direction. However, exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto, and the relative positions of the sets of contacts on each of the surfaces 302 and 306 may be reversed such that, in a plan view, the sets of contacts 312, 316, and 320 are closer to the device contacts 324a and 324b than the corresponding sets of contacts 300, 304, and 308.

[0039] If you can Figure 3C and Figure 3D As further understood in the present disclosure, the contact sets within the two different groups of contacts are aligned with each other in the second direction (e.g., the column direction). For example, each contact set 300a, 300b, and 300c is aligned with the corresponding contact set 312a, 312b, and 312c in the second direction, each contact set 304a and 304b is aligned with the corresponding contact set 316a and 316b in the second direction, and each contact set 308a, 308b, and 308c is aligned with the corresponding contact set 320a, 320b, and 320c in the second direction.

[0040] refer to Figure 3DEach set of contacts 300, 304, and 308 is offset from one another in a first direction (e.g., a row direction), and each set of contacts 312, 316, and 320 is offset from one another in the first direction. The contact sets within each set of contacts can be spaced apart from one another in the first direction by distances D1 and D2, where D1 is less than D2. In one exemplary embodiment, distance D1 is approximately 2.30 mm and distance D2 is approximately 3.59 mm. Distances D1 and D2 correspond to the distances between the right edge of the rightmost contact in a set of contacts and the left edge of the leftmost contact in an adjacent set of contacts of the same set of contacts.

[0041] The contact sets in each group of contacts can be spaced apart from each other by distances D3 and D4 in a second direction (e.g., a column direction), where D3 is greater than D4. In one exemplary embodiment, distance D3 is approximately 4.64 mm and distance D4 is approximately 3.42 mm. Distances D3 and D4 correspond to the distances between the bottom edges of the contacts in a contact set and the top edges of the contacts in a contact set of a different group of contacts.

[0042] exist Figures 3A to 3D In an example, each contact set includes four contacts: two middle contacts and two outer contacts. Each middle contact in each contact set can have substantially the same width, and each outer contact in each contact set can have substantially the same width, where the width is measured in the row direction. For example, each middle contact is approximately 0.60 mm wide and each outer contact is approximately 0.40 mm wide. The middle contacts and outer contacts in each contact set can have substantially the same length measured in the column direction. In one example, the length of each contact is approximately 2.00 mm. Each middle contact set is spaced apart from each other in the row direction by a distance that is greater than a distance corresponding to the spacing between the middle contacts and the outer contacts. For example, each middle contact set is spaced apart from each other by approximately 0.70 mm, and the middle contacts are spaced apart from adjacent outer contacts by approximately 0.55 mm.

[0043] As discussed in more detail below, the above-described arrangement and / or dimensions of the contacts enable cables to be stacked within the housing 140 of the connectors 128 and 132. For example, the contact set 300a is spaced apart from the contact set 308a by an amount that enables a cable connected to the contact set 308a to be stacked over and past a cable connected to the contact set 300a. Figure 3D This amount is shown as distance D5. Distance D5 can correspond to the minimum distance required to allow cables to be stacked within the connector housing 140 while still allowing the leads of the cables to be electrically connected to the corresponding contact sets. In at least one exemplary embodiment, distance D5 is approximately 10.06 mm.

[0044] The spacings / distances discussed above can vary according to design preference (e.g., according to the form factor of the cable assembly 124). Moreover, the spacings / distances discussed above can vary to optimize signal integrity (e.g., by selecting spacings that reduce crosstalk between channels and / or achieve uniform end-to-end loss).

[0045] Figures 4A to 4D A perspective view of the connector is shown in accordance with at least one example embodiment. In more detail, Figure 4A and Figure 4B A view showing how the cables are routed and connected to the surface 302 of the substrate 200 is shown in FIG. 4A. As can be appreciated, portions of the housing 140 are hidden in Figure 4C and Figure 4D A view showing how the cables are routed and connected to the surface 306 of the substrate 200 is shown in FIG. 4B. As can be appreciated, portions of the housing 140 are hidden in Figures 4A to 4D to show these details. Although the connector 128 is described with reference to Figures 4A to 4D , substantially the same structure can be applied to the connector 132.

[0046] Figure 4A Cables 400a-408c are shown connected to the sets of contacts 300, 304, and 308 on the surface 302 of the substrate 200. For example, the leads of each cable are soldered to, or otherwise make electrical contact with, the contacts in the sets of contacts. Figure 4A Four leads are shown for each cable, but the number of leads can vary according to design preference (e.g., according to the form factor of the cable assembly 124). As can be appreciated from Figure 4A , the cables 400a, 400b, and 400c are connected to the respective sets of contacts 300a, 300b, and 300c, the cables 404a and 404b are connected to the respective sets of contacts 304a and 304b, and the cables 408a, 408b, and 408c are connected to the respective sets of contacts 308a, 308b, and 308c.

[0047] Figures 3A to 3D The arrangement and / or size of the contacts in the connector 128 and 132 enable the cables to be stacked within the housing 140 of the connectors 128 and 132. Figure 4AThree pairs of stacked cables are shown attached to surface 302: cables 400a and 408a, cables 400b and 408b, and cables 400c and 408c. For example, contact set 300a is spaced apart from contact set 308a by an amount that enables cable 408a, connected to contact set 308a, to be stacked on and over cable 400a, connected to contact set 300a. The same is true for cables 400b and 408b, and cable 400c and cable 408c. At the same time, cables 404a and 404b are not stacked on any other cables attached to surface 302. For example, in a plan view, cable 404a is located between cable 408a and cable 408b, while cable 404b is located between cable 408b and cable 408c.

[0048] The leads of each cable 400a to 408c can be encapsulated by a corresponding protection element in the protection elements 402a to 410c. Each protection element 402a to 410c can include an encapsulation material, such as a resin or other suitable material for protecting the leads from moisture, electrical shorts, etc. The protection elements 402a to 410c are shown as separate elements, but in at least one embodiment, substantially the same functionality can be achieved by encapsulating all leads and portions of the cables 400a to 408c in an encapsulation material that effectively integrates the individual protection elements 402a to 410c into a single layer.

[0049] like Figure 4A As shown, the ends of cables 404a, 404b, 408a, 408b, and 408c can be bent toward surface 302 to electrically connect the leads of each cable to the corresponding set of contacts. The portions of cables 404a, 404b, 408a, 408b, and 408c that lead to the bent portions can exist in substantially the same plane, which allows each cable to pass through another component of connector 128 (e.g., another cable in the case of cables 408a, 408b, and 408c or circuit assembly 328 in the case of cables 404a and 404b). Cables 400a, 400b, and 400c can exist in substantially the same plane that is closer to surface 302 than the plane of the portions of cables 404a, 404b, 408a, 408b, and 408c.

[0050] Figure 4BA plan view of the cables is shown to illustrate how cables 408a and 408c have bends 430 that curve outward at substantially the same angle and how cables 404a and 404b have bends 434 that curve outward at substantially the same angle. Cables 408a and 408c are then straightened, while cables 404a and 404b are also straightened. As shown by bends 446, cables 408a and 408c are bent inward at substantially the same angle before being straightened again to connect to the respective sets of contacts. As further shown, cable 408a passes over a portion (e.g., the rightmost contacts) of contact set 300a and contact set 304a, while cable 408c passes over a portion (e.g., the leftmost contacts) of contact set 300c and contact set 304b.

[0051] Cables 400a-408c can be encapsulated by an encapsulation material 450 (e.g., resin, etc.) at one end of connector 128 in order to hold cables 400a-408c in place.

[0052] Figure 4C Cables 412a-420c are shown that connect to the respective sets of contacts 400, 404, and 408 on surface 306 of substrate 200. For example, the leads of each cable are soldered to or otherwise brought into electrical contact with the contacts in the respective sets of contacts. Figure 4C Four leads are shown for each cable, but the number of leads can vary depending on design preferences (e.g., depending on the form factor of cable assembly 124). From Figure 4C It can be appreciated that cables 412a, 412b, and 412c connect to respective sets of contacts 312a, 312b, and 312c, cables 416a and 416b connect to respective sets of contacts 316a and 316b, and cables 420a, 420b, and 420c connect to respective sets of contacts 320a, 320b, and 302c.

[0053] Figures 3A to 3D The arrangement and / or size of the contacts in can enable the cables to be stacked within the housing 140 of connectors 128 and 132. Figure 4BThree pairs of stacked cables are shown attached to surface 306: cables 412a and 420a, cables 412b and 420b, and cables 412c and 420c. For example, contact set 312a is spaced apart from contact set 320a by an amount that enables cable 420a, connected to contact set 320a, to be stacked on and over cable 412a, connected to contact set 312a. The same is true for cables 412b and 420b, and cables 412c and 420c. Meanwhile, cables 416a and 416b are not stacked on any other cables attached to surface 306. For example, in a plan view, cable 416a is located between cable 412a and cable 412b, while cable 416b is located between cable 412b and cable 412c.

[0054] The leads of each cable 412a to 420c can be encapsulated by a corresponding protection element in the protection elements 414a to 422c. Each protection element 414a to 422c can include an encapsulation material, such as a resin or other suitable material for protecting the leads from moisture, electrical shorts, etc. The protection elements 414a to 422c are shown as separate elements, but in at least one embodiment, substantially the same functionality can be achieved by encapsulating all leads and portions of the cables 412a to 420c in an encapsulation material that effectively integrates the individual protection elements 414a to 422c into a single layer.

[0055] like Figure 4A As shown, the ends of cables 420a, 420b, and 420c can be bent toward surface 306 to electrically connect the leads of each cable to the corresponding set of contacts. The portions of cables 420a, 420b, and 420c that lead to the bent portions can exist in substantially the same plane, which allows each cable to pass through another element of connector 128 (e.g., another cable in the case of cables 420a, 420b, and 420c). Cables 412a, 412b, 412c, 416a, and 416b can exist in substantially the same plane that is closer to surface 306 than the plane of the portions of cables 420a, 420b, and 420c.

[0056] Figure 4DA plan view of the cables is shown to illustrate how cables 420a and 420c have bends 454 that curve outward at substantially the same angle, and how cables 404a and 404b have bends 434 that curve outward at substantially the same angle. Cables 420a and 420c then straighten. Thereafter, cables 420a and 420c bend inward at substantially the same angle at bend 458 and then straighten again to connect to the respective contact sets. As further shown, cable 420a passes over contact set 312a and a portion of contact set 316a (e.g., the rightmost contacts), while cable 420c passes over contact set 320c and a portion of contact set 316b (e.g., the leftmost contacts).

[0057] The cables 412a to 420c may be encapsulated along with the cables 400a to 408c at one end of the connector 128 by an encapsulating material 450 (eg, resin) to hold all of the cables in place.

[0058] Figure 5 Various perspective cross-sectional views of the connector are shown to illustrate exemplary routing of the cable as it approaches the substrate 200 within the connector. In more detail, Figure 5 Four stages are shown for routing cables 400a to 420c, progressing from stage 500 through stages 504 and 508 to stage 512.

[0059] As shown in stage 500, the cables are initially arranged in a 3x5 stack, with the remaining cable 420b stacked on cable 412b. Stage 504, which illustrates a view closer to the substrate 200 than stage 500, shows how cables 420a and 420c begin to move outward. For example, cable 420a is routed to begin moving below cable 412a, while cable 420c is routed to begin moving below cable 412c. Simultaneously, in stage 504, some of the remaining cables begin to separate vertically so as to be arranged on the respective surfaces 302 or 306 of the substrate 200.

[0060] Stage 508, which illustrates a closer view to substrate 200 than stage 504, shows how cable 420a forms a cable stack with cable 412a and how cable 420c forms a cable stack with cable 412c. Stage 508 further illustrates additional vertical separation of the remaining cables.

[0061] Finally, stage 512 illustrates how cables 400a through 420c arrive at their final relative positions on substrate 200. As shown, each surface 302 and 306 of substrate 200 includes three pairs of stacked cables and one pair of non-stacked cables. At stage 512, it can be said that cables 408a, 404a, 408b, 404b, and 408c are in substantially the same plane, while cables 400a, 400b, and 400c are in substantially the same plane closer to surface 302 of substrate 200. Similarly, cables 420a, 420b, and 420c are in substantially the same plane, while cables 412a, 416a, 412b, 416b, and 412c are in substantially the same plane closer to surface 306 of substrate 200.

[0062] Figure 6 An end view of the connector is shown to further illustrate the Figures 4A to 5 Various details of the cables.

[0063] refer to Figures 1 to 6 It will be appreciated that the inventive concepts provide an arrangement for soldering contacts and cables within a connector of a cable assembly that can improve signal integrity while being compatible with existing (or future) form factors. For example, the inventive concepts provide end-to-end loss uniformity between channels of a cable assembly because the contacts in each set of contacts are aligned with each other in the row direction, making any losses substantially predictable and uniform. Additionally, the spacing between sets of contacts in each row of contacts, as well as the spacing between sets of contacts in different rows of contacts, can allow for crosstalk to be reduced and / or mitigated. For example, cables (e.g., cables 404a, 404b, 416a, and 416b) that pass between stacked cable pairs may help reduce crosstalk.

[0064] Although the exemplary embodiment shows stacking a maximum of two cables on the surface of the substrate, the inventive concept can be extended to include stacking more cables, for example, if the form factor selected for the cable assembly permits.

[0065] refer to Figure 1-6 , exemplary embodiments relate to a connector (e.g., connector 128 and / or connector 136) for a network cable assembly 124. The connector includes a substrate 200, a first contact set 300a on a first surface 302 of the substrate 200 and electrically connected to leads of a first cable 400a, and a second contact set 408a on the first surface 302 of the substrate 200 and electrically connected to leads of a second cable 408a. The first contact set 300a is spaced apart from the second contact set 308a in a column direction by an amount that enables the second cable 408a to be stacked on the first cable 400a and pass over the first contact set 300a to electrically connect to the leads of the second cable 408a.

[0066] The connector may also include a third contact set 304a on the first surface 302 of the substrate 200 that is electrically connected to the leads of the third cable 404a. The first contact set 300a, the second contact set 308a, and the third contact set 304a each include the same number of contacts. The third contact set 304a is between the first contact set 300a and the second contact set 308a. For example, the first contact set 300a is part of the first row of contacts 308, and the second contact set 308a is part of the second row of contacts 308. Figure 3A As shown, the first row of contacts 300 and the second row of contacts 308 each include two additional contact sets 300b, 300c and 308b, 308c, which are electrically connected to corresponding leads of two additional cables 400b, 400c, and 420b, 420c. A third contact set 304a is part of a third row of contacts 304, which includes an additional contact set 304b electrically connected to leads of an additional cable 404b. The third contact set 304b is offset from the first contact set 300a in a row direction substantially perpendicular to the column direction by an amount that enables the second cable 408a to pass over a portion of the third contact set 404a to electrically connect the leads of the second cable 408a to the second contact set 308a.

[0067] like Figures 3B-3D As shown, the connector may include a third contact set 312a on the second surface 306 of the substrate 200, electrically connected to the leads of the third cable 412a. The second surface 306 of the substrate 200 is opposite the first surface 302 of the substrate 200. The connector may also include a fourth contact set 320a on the second surface 306 of the substrate 200, electrically connected to the leads of the fourth cable 420a. Here, the third contact set 312a is spaced apart from the fourth contact set 320a in the column direction by an amount that enables the fourth cable 420a to be stacked on the third cable 412a and pass over the third contact set 312a to electrically connect to the leads of the third cable 412a. The connector may also include a fifth contact set 316a on the second surface 306 of the substrate 200, electrically connected to the leads of the fifth cable 416a. The first contact set 300a, the second contact set 308a, the third contact set 312a, the fourth contact set 320a, and the fifth contact set 316a all include the same number of contacts. The fifth contact set 316a is between the third contact set 312a and the fourth contact set 320a.

[0068] In one embodiment, the first contact set 300a is aligned with each other in a row direction substantially perpendicular to the column direction, and the second contact set 308a is aligned with each other in the row direction. In addition, the first and second contact sets 300a and 308a include linear contacts extending in the column direction.

[0069] The connector may further include a housing 140 that houses the substrate 200 and covers the first contact set 300a, the second contact set 308a, the first cable 400a, and the second cable 408a. One end of the substrate 200 also includes a plurality of device contacts 324 that are electrically connected to an external device (e.g., to ports 108 or 120 of the network devices 104 and 116) and to the first contact set 300a and the second contact set 308a.

[0070] At least one exemplary embodiment relates to a printed circuit board (PCB) for use with the network cable assembly 124. The PCB (e.g., substrate 200) includes a first set of contacts 300 on a first surface 302 of the PCB, and the first set of contacts 300 are aligned with each other in a row direction. The PCB includes a second set of contacts 304 on the first surface 302 of the PCB, and the second set of contacts 304 are aligned with each other in the row direction and are spaced apart from the first set of contacts 300 in a column direction that is substantially perpendicular to the row direction. The PCB includes a third set of contacts 308 on the first surface 302 of the PCB, and the third set of contacts 308 are aligned with each other in the column direction and are spaced apart from the second set of contacts 304.

[0071] In one embodiment, the first set of contacts 300 includes three contact sets 300a, 300b, and 300c that are electrically connected to the leads of three cables 400a, 400b, and 400c, respectively. The second set of contacts 304 includes two contact sets 304a and 304b that are electrically connected to the leads of two cables 404a and 404b, respectively. The third set of contacts 308 includes three contact sets 308a, 308b, and 308c that are electrically connected to the leads of three cables 408a, 408b, and 408c, respectively. The second set of contacts 304 is located between the first set of contacts 300 and the third set of contacts 308. Each of the first, second, and third sets of contacts 300, 304, and 308 includes the same number of contacts.

[0072] At least one exemplary embodiment relates to a cable assembly 124 that includes a printed circuit board (PCB) (e.g., substrate 200). The PCB includes first contact sets 300a aligned with one another in a row direction and second contact sets 308a aligned with one another in the row direction and spaced apart from the first contact sets 300a in a column direction substantially perpendicular to the row direction. The cable assembly 124 includes a first cable 300a and a second cable 408a. The first cable 300a includes leads electrically connected to the first contact set 300a. The second cable 408a is stacked on the first cable 400a and passes through the first contact set 300a to electrically connect the leads of the second cable 408a to the second contact set 308a. The cable assembly 124 also includes a housing 140 that accommodates the PCB.

[0073] In the description specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments. However, one skilled in the relevant art will understand that embodiments can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

[0074] Although illustrative embodiments of the disclosure have been described in detail herein, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts can be otherwise variously embodied and employed and that the appended claims are intended to be construed as including such variations, except insofar as limited by the prior art.

[0075] It will be appreciated that the inventive concepts encompass any embodiment in combination with any one or more other embodiments, any one or more features disclosed herein, any one or more features essentially disclosed herein, a combination of any one or more features as essentially disclosed herein with any one or more other features essentially disclosed herein, any one of the aspects / features / embodiments in combination with any one or more other aspects / features / embodiments, the use of any one or more of the embodiments or features disclosed herein. It will be appreciated that any feature described herein can be claimed in combination with any other feature described herein, regardless of whether the features come from the same described embodiment.

[0076] Exemplary embodiments can be configured as follows:

[0077] (1) A connector for a network cable assembly, the connector comprising:

[0078] a substrate;

[0079] a first set of contacts on a first surface of the substrate electrically connected to leads of a first cable, and a second set of contacts on the first surface of the substrate electrically connected to leads of a second cable, the first set of contacts spaced apart from the second set of contacts by an amount in a first direction, the amount enabling the second cable to be stacked on the first cable and over the first set of contacts to electrically connect to the leads of the second cable.

[0080] (2) The connector of (1), further comprising:

[0081] a third set of contacts on the first surface of the substrate electrically connected to leads of a third cable.

[0082] (3) The connector of one or more of (1) to (2), wherein the first set of contacts, the second set of contacts, and the third set of contacts each comprise the same number of contacts.

[0083] (4) The connector of one or more of (1) to (3), wherein the third contact set is between the first contact set and the second contact set.

[0084] (5) A connector according to one or more of (1) to (4), wherein the first contact set is part of a first row of contacts and the second contact set is part of a second row of contacts, and wherein the first row of contacts and the second row of contacts each include two additional contact sets that are electrically connected to corresponding leads of two additional cables.

[0085] (6) The connector of one or more of (1) to (5), wherein the third contact set is part of a third row of contacts, the third row of contacts including an additional contact set electrically connected to leads of an additional cable.

[0086] (7) A connector according to one or more of (1) to (6), wherein the third contact set is offset from the first contact set in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction by an amount that enables the second cable to pass over a portion of the third contact set to electrically connect the leads of the second cable to the second contact set.

[0087] (8) The connector according to one or more of (1) to (7), further comprising:

[0088] a third set of contacts on a second surface of the substrate that are electrically connected to leads of a third cable, the second surface of the substrate being opposite the first surface of the substrate; and

[0089] A fourth set of contacts on the second surface of the substrate is electrically connected to leads of a fourth cable, the third set of contacts being spaced apart from the fourth set of contacts in the first direction by an amount that enables the fourth cable to be stacked over the third cable and pass over the third set of contacts to be electrically connected to the leads of the third cable.

[0090] (9) The connector according to one or more of (1) to (8), further comprising:

[0091] A fifth set of contacts is provided on the second surface of the substrate and is electrically connected to leads of a fifth cable.

[0092] (10) The connector according to one or more of (1) to (9), wherein the first contact set, the second contact set, the third contact set, the fourth contact set, and the fifth contact set all include the same number of contacts.

[0093] (11) The connector according to one or more of (1) to (10), wherein the fifth contact set is between the third contact set and the fourth contact set.

[0094] (12) A connector according to one or more of (1) to (11), wherein the first contact sets are aligned with each other in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and wherein the second contact sets are aligned with each other in the second direction.

[0095] (13) The connector according to one or more of (1) to (12), wherein the first contact set and the second contact set are linear contacts extending along the first direction.

[0096] (14) The connector according to one or more of (1) to (13), further comprising:

[0097] A housing accommodates the substrate and covers the first contact set, the second contact set, the first cable, and the second cable.

[0098] (15) A connector according to one or more of (1) to (14), wherein one end of the substrate further includes a plurality of device contacts that are electrically connected to an external device and electrically connected to the first contact set and the second contact set.

[0099] (16) A printed circuit board (PCB) for a network cable assembly, comprising:

[0100] a first set of contacts on a first surface of the PCB, the first set of contacts aligned with each other in a first direction;

[0101] a second set of contacts on the first surface of the PCB, the second set of contacts aligned with each other in the first direction and spaced apart from the first set of contacts in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and

[0102] A third set of contacts is provided on the first surface of the PCB, the third set of contacts being aligned with each other and spaced apart from the second set of contacts in the second direction.

[0103] (17) A PCB according to (16), wherein the first group of contacts includes three sets of contacts that are electrically connected to leads of three cables, respectively, wherein the second group of contacts includes two sets of contacts that are electrically connected to leads of two cables, respectively, and wherein the third group of contacts includes three sets of contacts that are electrically connected to leads of three cables, respectively.

[0104] (18) The PCB according to (17), wherein the second set of contacts is between the first set of contacts and the third set of contacts.

[0105] (19) The PCB of (18), wherein each of the first, second, and third sets of contacts includes the same number of contacts.

[0106] (20) A network cable assembly comprising:

[0107] a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising:

[0108] a first set of contacts aligned with one another in a first direction; and

[0109] a second set of contacts aligned with one another in the first direction and spaced apart from the first set of contacts in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction;

[0110] a first cable comprising leads electrically connected to the first set of contacts;

[0111] a second cable stacked on the first cable and over the first set of contacts to electrically connect leads of the second cable to the second set of contacts; and

[0112] a housing containing the PCB.

Claims

1. A connector for a network cable assembly, the connector comprising: substrate; a first set of contacts on the first surface of the substrate electrically connected to leads of a first cable; and a second set of contacts on the first surface of the substrate electrically connected to leads of a second cable, the first set of contacts being spaced apart from the second set of contacts in a first direction by an amount that enables the second cable to be stacked over the first cable and pass over the first set of contacts to electrically connect to the leads of the second cable; as well as a third set of contacts on the first surface of the substrate electrically connected to leads of a third cable; wherein the first contact set is part of a first row of contacts having three contact sets electrically connected to leads of three respective cables including leads of the first cable; the second contact set is part of a second row of contacts having three contact sets electrically connected to leads of three respective cables including leads of the second cable; and the third contact set is part of a third row of contacts having two contact sets electrically connected to leads of two respective cables including leads of the third cable; wherein the third row of contacts is located between the first row of contacts and the second row of contacts in the first direction, and The third contact set is offset relative to the first contact set in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction by an amount that enables the third cable and the second cable to be arranged on the same plane and enables the second cable to pass over a portion of the third contact set to electrically connect the leads of the second cable to the second contact set.

2. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the first row of contacts includes first contacts closest to an edge of the substrate, wherein the second row of contacts includes second contacts closest to an edge of the substrate, and wherein the second contacts are offset relative to the first contacts in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction toward a center of the substrate. 3 . The connector of claim 2 , wherein the first contact set, the second contact set, and the third contact set each include the same number of contacts.

4. The connector according to claim 1, further comprising: A fourth row of contacts on a second surface of the substrate opposite to the first surface is electrically connected to leads of respective cables, wherein in a plan view, the fourth row of contacts is offset in the first direction from a first side of the third row of contacts proximate to the second row of contacts.

5. The connector according to claim 4, further comprising: A sixth row of contacts on the second surface of the substrate are electrically connected to leads of respective cables, wherein in plan view, the sixth row of contacts is offset along a second side of the third row of contacts opposite the first side in the first direction.

6. The connector according to claim 5, further comprising: A fifth row of contacts is provided on the second surface of the substrate, electrically connected to leads of respective cables, wherein the fifth row of contacts is offset from a side of the first row of contacts away from the third row of contacts in the first direction in a plan view.

7. The connector according to claim 1, further comprising: a fourth set of contacts on a second surface of the substrate, electrically connected to leads of a fourth cable, the second surface of the substrate being opposite the first surface of the substrate; and a fifth set of contacts on the second surface of the substrate electrically connected to leads of a fifth cable, the fourth set of contacts being spaced apart from the fifth set of contacts in the first direction by an amount that enables the fourth cable to be stacked over the fifth cable and pass over the fifth set of contacts to electrically connect to the leads of the fourth cable.

8. The connector according to claim 7, further comprising: A sixth set of contacts is provided on the second surface of the substrate and is electrically connected to leads of a sixth cable.

9. The connector of claim 8, wherein the first contact set, the second contact set, the third contact set, the fourth contact set, the fifth contact set, and the sixth contact set all include the same number of contacts.

10. The connector of claim 8, wherein the sixth contact set is located between the fourth contact set and the fifth contact set in the first direction.

11. The connector of claim 1, wherein the first sets of contacts are aligned with each other in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and wherein the second sets of contacts are aligned with each other in the second direction.

12. The connector of claim 11, wherein the first contact set and the second contact set are linear contacts extending along the first direction.

13. The connector according to claim 1, further comprising: A housing accommodates the substrate and covers the first contact set, the second contact set, the first cable, and the second cable.

14. The connector of claim 13, wherein one end of the substrate further comprises a plurality of device contacts electrically connected to an external device and electrically connected to the first contact set and the second contact set.

15. A printed circuit board (PCB) for a network cable assembly, comprising: a first set of contacts on a first surface of the PCB, the first set of contacts aligned with each other in a first direction; a second set of contacts on the first surface of the PCB, the second set of contacts aligned with each other in the first direction and spaced apart from the first set of contacts in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and a third set of contacts on the first surface of the PCB, the third set of contacts aligned with each other in the first direction and spaced apart from the second set of contacts in the second direction, Wherein, in the second direction, the second group of contacts is located between the first group of contacts and the third group of contacts, The first group of contacts is composed of three contact sets including a first contact set electrically connected to three cables respectively; the second group of contacts is composed of two contact sets including a second contact set electrically connected to two cables respectively; and the third group of contacts is composed of three contact sets including a third contact set electrically connected to three cables respectively, and The second contact set is offset in a first direction relative to the first contact set by an amount that enables a cable connected to the second contact set and a cable connected to the first contact set or the third contact set to be arranged on the same plane, and enables a cable connected to the third contact set to pass over a portion of the second contact set to electrically connect a lead of the cable connected to the third contact set to the third contact set.

16. The PCB according to claim 15, wherein In a plan view, the three contact sets in the first group of contacts include a first contact closest to the edge of the PCB, wherein the three contact sets in the third group of contacts include a second contact closest to the edge of the PCB, and wherein the second contact is offset toward the center of the PCB in the first direction relative to the first contact.

17. The PCB of claim 16, wherein each set of contacts in the first and third groups of contacts includes the same number of contacts.

18. A network cable assembly, comprising: Printed circuit board PCB, including: a first set of contacts aligned with each other in a first direction; a second set of contacts aligned with each other in the first direction and spaced apart from the first set of contacts in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and a third set of contacts aligned with each other in the first direction; a first cable comprising leads electrically connected to the first set of contacts; a second cable stacked over the first cable and passed over the first set of contacts to electrically connect the leads of the second cable to the second set of contacts; a third cable comprising leads electrically connected to the third set of contacts; and a housing that houses the PCB, wherein the first contact set is part of a first row of contacts having three contact sets electrically connected to leads of a first number of cables; the second contact set is part of a second row of contacts having three contact sets electrically connected to leads of a second number of cables; and the third contact set is part of a third row of contacts having two contact sets electrically connected to leads of a third number of cables; Wherein, the third row of contacts is located between the first row of contacts and the second row of contacts in the first direction; wherein the third number of cables is less than the first number of cables and the second number of cables, and The third contact set is offset from the first contact set in the first direction by an amount that enables the third cable and the first cable or the second cable to be arranged on the same plane and enables the second number of cables to pass over a portion of the third contact set to electrically connect the leads of the second number of cables to the second contact set.

Images