Cable connector for high-speed interconnection

Abstract

The invention relates to a cable connector for high speed interconnection. A cable termination is provided that provides low signal distortion even at high frequencies. Conductive elements of the cable are fused to edges of signal conductors in cable connectors or other components that terminate the cable. To terminate the differential pair, conductive elements of a cable may be terminated to opposing edges of a pair of signal conductors in a cable termination. The conductive elements may be shaped such that the spacing between signal paths through the conductive elements of the cable and into the signal conductors of the cable termination is uniform.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese invention patent divisional application 202210013717.4 (the divisional filing date is "January 6, 2022", and the name is "Cable connector for high-speed interconnection"). The original application of this application is: Chinese invention patent application with application number 201880064335.6, filing date is August 3, 2018, and name is "Cable connector for high-speed interconnection".

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] This patent application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62 / 541,017, filed on August 3, 2017, and entitled “CONNECTOR FOR LOW LOSSORTHOGONAL INTERCONNECTION SYSTEM,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0004] The present patent application relates generally to interconnection systems for interconnecting electronic components, such as interconnection systems including electrical connectors. Background Art

[0005] Electrical connectors are used in many electronic systems. It is often easier and more cost effective to manufacture the system as separate electronic components such as printed circuit boards ("PCBs") that can be joined together with electrical connectors. A known arrangement for joining some printed circuit boards is to have one printed circuit board used as a backplane. Other printed circuit boards, known as "daughter boards" or "daughter cards," can be connected through the backplane.

[0006] The backplane is a printed circuit board on which many 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. Daughter card connectors may be plugged into connectors mounted on the backplane. In this way, signals may be routed between daughter cards through the backplane. Daughter cards may be plugged into the backplane at right angles. Therefore, connectors for these applications include right angle bends and are often referred to as "right angle connectors."

[0007] Connectors can also be used in other configurations for interconnecting printed circuit boards. Some systems use a midplane configuration. Similar to a backplane, a midplane has connectors mounted on one surface that are interconnected by conductive traces within the midplane. The midplane additionally has connectors mounted on a second side so that daughter cards are plugged into both sides of the midplane.

[0008] Daughter cards inserted from opposite sides of the midplane typically have an orthogonal orientation. This orientation positions one edge of each printed circuit board adjacent to the edge of each circuit board inserted into the opposite side of the midplane. Traces within the midplane connecting the circuit board on one side of the midplane to the circuit board on the other side of the midplane can be short to obtain the desired signal integrity characteristics.

[0009] A variation of the midplane configuration is referred to as "direct attach." In this configuration, daughter cards are inserted from the opposite side of the rack that encloses the system's printed circuit boards. The boards are also oriented orthogonally, so that the edge of the board inserted from one side of the rack is adjacent to the edge of the board inserted from the opposite side of the system. The daughter cards also have connectors. However, instead of plugging into a connector on the midplane, the connector on each daughter card plugs directly into a connector on the printed circuit board inserted from the opposite side of the system.

[0010] Connectors of this configuration are sometimes referred to as orthogonal connectors. Examples of orthogonal connectors are shown in U.S. Patents 7,354,274, 7,331,830, 8,678,860, 8,057,267, and 8,251,745.

[0011] Other connector configurations are also known. For example, RAM connectors are sometimes included in connector product lines, in which a daughter card connector has a mating interface with a socket. The RAM connector may have a conductive element bent at right angles as in a daughter card connector. However, unlike a conventional daughter card connector, a RAM may have a mating interface with a mating contact element that is complementary to and mated with the socket. For example, a RAM may have a mating interface for a pin or blade or other mating contacts that may be used in a backplane connector. The RAM connector may be mounted near the edge of a daughter card and receive a daughter card connector mounted to another daughter card. Alternatively, a cable connector may be inserted into the RAM connector. Summary of the invention

[0012] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a low-loss interconnect system.

[0013] In another aspect, some embodiments may relate to a cable assembly having a cable and a cable termination component. The cable may include two conductive elements. The cable termination component may include a pair of signal conductors having contact tails. The contact tails may have broadsides and edges that join the broadsides. The signal conductors may be held in an edge-to-edge configuration with the contact tails, wherein a first edge of a first signal conductor of a pair of signal conductors faces a second edge of a second signal conductor of the pair of signal conductors. The two conductive elements of the cable may each be attached to a corresponding edge of the first edge and the second edge.

[0014] In some embodiments, a method for manufacturing a cable assembly is provided. The method may include stamping a conductive member into a structure. The structure may include a first signal conductor and a second signal conductor and a connecting rod. The first signal conductor and the second signal conductor may be joined by the connecting rod. Each of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor may include a contact tail having a wide side and an edge for joining the wide sides. After stamping the conductive member into the structure, two conductive elements of the cable may be respectively welded to the opposite edges of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor of the structure. The method may also include cutting off the connecting rod. In some embodiments, the method may also include molding a housing above the structure.

[0015] Some embodiments may be directed to a method of manufacturing a cable assembly including a first signal conductor and a second signal conductor. Each of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor may include a contact tail having a broadside and an edge that joins the broadsides. The method may include attaching two conductive elements of the cable to the edges of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor, respectively. The method may also include shaping a portion of the two conductive elements of the cable to reduce an impedance discontinuity at the cable attachment.

[0016] The foregoing summary is provided by way of illustration and is not intended to be limiting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component illustrated in various figures may be represented by the same reference numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component will be labeled in every figure. In the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 is an isometric view of an illustrative electrical interconnect system configured as a right-angle backplane connector according to some embodiments;

[0019] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 a partially cut-away isometric view of a backplane connector;

[0020] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 An isometric view of a pin assembly of a backplane connector;

[0021] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 a partially exploded isometric view of a daughter card connector;

[0022] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 An isometric view of a wafer assembly of a daughter card connector;

[0023] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 An isometric view of a sheet module of a sheet assembly;

[0024] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 an isometric view of a portion of an insulating housing of a wafer assembly;

[0025] Figure 8 yes Figure 5 a partially exploded isometric view of a sheet module of a sheet assembly;

[0026] Fig. 9 yes Figure 5 a partially exploded isometric view of a portion of a wafer module of a wafer assembly;

[0027] Fig.10 yes Figure 5 a partially exploded isometric view of a portion of a wafer module of a wafer assembly;

[0028] Fig.11 is an isometric view of an extender module according to some embodiments;

[0029] Fig. 12A yes Fig.11 an isometric view of a portion of an extender module;

[0030] Fig. 12B yes Fig.11 an isometric view of a portion of an extender module;

[0031] Fig. 12C yes Fig.11 an isometric view of a portion of an extender module;

[0032] Fig.13 yes Fig.11 a partially exploded isometric view of an extender module;

[0033] Fig.14 is an isometric view of two extender modules oriented in a 180 degree rotation;

[0034] Fig.15A yes Fig.14 an isometric view of an assembly of two extender modules;

[0035] Fig. 15B It is taken along line BB Fig.15A A schematic representation of one end of an assembly;

[0036] Fig. 15C It is taken along line CC Fig.15A A schematic representation of one end of an assembly;

[0037] Fig.16 yes Fig.15Aan isometric view of an assembly of a connector and an extender module;

[0038] Fig.17A is an isometric view of the extender housing;

[0039] Fig. 17B yes Fig.17A A partially cutaway perspective view of an extender housing;

[0040] Fig.18A is a partially exploded isometric view of an orthogonal connector;

[0041] Fig.18B is an isometric view of an assembled orthogonal connector;

[0042] Fig.19 yes Fig.18B A cross-sectional view of an orthogonal connector;

[0043] Fig. 20 yes Fig.18B An isometric view of a portion of an orthogonal connector;

[0044] Fig.21 Yes Fig.18B Orthogonal connectors and Figure 4 a partially exploded isometric view of an electronic system of a daughter card connector;

[0045] Fig. 22 is an isometric view of an illustrative electrical interconnect system according to some embodiments;

[0046] Fig.23A yes Fig. 22 An isometric view of a connector of an electrical interconnect system showing a mating interface of the connector;

[0047] Fig. 23B yes Fig.23A An isometric view of a connector showing a mounting interface of the connector;

[0048] FIG. 24A to FIG. 24C yes Fig.23A a partially exploded isometric view of a connector;

[0049] Fig.24D yes Fig.23A An isometric view of a connector unit of a connector;

[0050] Fig.24E yes Fig. 23B An isometric view of a connector unit of a connector;

[0051] Fig.25A is an isometric view of a cable assembly according to some embodiments;

[0052] Fig.25Byes Fig.25A a partially cut-away isometric view of a cable assembly in FIG.

[0053] Fig.25C is an isometric view of a cable assembly module according to some embodiments that can be used to form Fig.25A Cable assembly in;

[0054] Fig.26A is an isometric view of a pair of signal conductors according to some embodiments;

[0055] Fig.26B is attached to Fig.26A an isometric view of a cable having a pair of signal conductors;

[0056] Fig.27A is a plan view of a mounting interface between a pair of signal conductors and a cable according to some embodiments;

[0057] Fig.27B yes Fig.27A An elevation view of the mounting interface between the signal conductor pair and the cable;

[0058] Fig.27C is a plan view of a mounting interface between a pair of signal conductors and a cable according to some embodiments; and

[0059] Fig.27D yes Fig.27C Elevation view of the mounting interface between the signal conductor pair and the cable. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] The inventors have recognized and understood that a low-loss interconnect system can be constructed by integrating discrete types of connector units in a connector. For example, traces routed through a printed circuit board can generally be low-loss for relatively short distances. One type of connector unit can therefore be configured to be attached to traces in a circuit board at the footprint of the connector mounted to the printed circuit board. In order to route signals to components on a printed circuit board that are separated from the connector by a long distance, the loss of routing signals through traces on the printed circuit board may be undesirably large. A second type of connector unit configured to be attached to a cable can be used to couple to signals to be routed over a longer distance. The cable can then route the signal to a location near the component, providing a lower loss connection than a conventional design, in which all connections to components on the printed circuit board are made through traces within the circuit board.

[0061] In addition, the inventors have recognized and understood the technology of attaching the cable to the conductive element in the second type connector unit. In some embodiments, the cable can be attached to the opposite edges of the conductive element configured to carry the differential pair signal. Such a configuration can orient the signal conductors in the cable in the same plane as the mating contact portion of the conductive element. The edge can be configured so that the conductors of the cable are aligned with the mating contact portion of the conductive element. With such an arrangement, changes in the geometry of the cable attachment interface can be reduced, otherwise the above changes may cause changes in impedance, and changes in impedance may affect signal integrity. Alternatively or additionally, such an attachment interface can reduce the amount of metal at the attachment interface, which reduces changes in inductance relative to conventional designs in which the cable is soldered on the wide sides of the signal conductor, which also reduces changes in impedance.

[0062] In addition, the inventors have recognized and appreciated connector designs to reduce the density of routing shunts at the connector footprint on a printed circuit board. In particular, the inventors have recognized and appreciated that the footprint of a high-density connector results in an increased density of routing shunts at the board level, a problem that may be exacerbated by an increase in circuit density on the board. The inventors also recognize and appreciate that the retention force between the connector and the board may need to be enhanced by, for example, a hold-down screw, which consumes additional real estate on the board.

[0063] In some embodiments, the connector may be manufactured with multiple types of connector units held by one or more support members. For example, the connector may include a first type connector unit and a second type connector unit. Each connector unit may include at least one column of signal conductors. 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. The contact tail of the signal conductor of the first type connector unit may be configured to be attached to a circuit board, while the contact tail of the signal conductor of the second type connector unit may be configured to be attached to a cable. In some embodiments, the connector 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 a module of the second type unit.

[0064] In some embodiments, the connector unit can be a subassembly formed by a plurality of modules. A plurality of modules can be held in a housing and aligned in columns. In some embodiments, each module can include a pair of signal conductors. At the mating interface, the signal conductor pairs in each module can be separated in a direction perpendicular to the columns.

[0065] In some embodiments, each of the signal conductor pairs of the second type connector unit may include a broadside and an edge that joins the broadside. The signal conductor pair may be formed by a stamped 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 pairs 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.

[0066] Before or after the wiring is attached to the signal conductor, a 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 bars can then be cut to isolate the signal conductor pair. The inventors have recognized and appreciated that attaching the cable wiring to the edge will allow precise control of the spacing between the cable wiring and reduce 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, which has a small effect on the inductance at the conductor to wiring interface.

[0067] In some embodiments, the first type connector unit may have a signal conductor with a right angle middle portion. The first type connector unit may be directly attached, orthogonal, RAM or other desired configurations. In some embodiments, the connector may be given a desired configuration at the mating interface by attaching an extender module to its mating contact portion. Each extender module may include a signal conducting pair with surrounding shielding. In order to form an orthogonal connector, the orientation of the signal pair at one end of the extender module may be orthogonal to the orientation at the other end of the module. The two ends of the pair of signal conductors may be terminated with mating contact portions suitable for mating with the mating contact portions of another connector. The extender module may be held in place by a housing or other suitable retaining structure that is mechanically coupled to the connector unit.

[0068] In some embodiments, each first type connector unit may include two columns of signal conductors. The mating contacts of two adjacent signal conductors in the same column may define a pair that is complementary to the signal conducting pair of the extender module. Thus, attaching the extender module to the first type connector unit will produce a mating interface in which the orientation of the signal conducting pairs is orthogonal to the orientation of the multiple pairs of mating contacts of the first type connector unit.

[0069] In some embodiments, the mating contact portions of the first type connector unit may form a first array, and the mating contact portions of the second type unit may form a second array. In some embodiments, the first array and the second array may together form a mating interface of the connector. In other embodiments, the mating contact portions of the first type connector unit may mate with the mating contact portions of the extender module. The mating contact portions at the end of the extender module opposite to the end attached to the first type connector unit may form a third array. In this embodiment, the second array and the third array may together form a mating interface of the connector.

[0070] The above principle is illustrated by examples, such as Figure 1 The interconnection system shown in . Figure 1 An electrical interconnect system of a form that can be used in an electronic system is shown. In this example, the electrical interconnect system includes a right angle connector and can be used, for example, to electrically connect a daughter card to a backplane. These figures show two mating connectors. In this example, connector 200 is designed to be attached to a backplane and connector 600 is designed to be attached to a daughter card.

[0071] like Figure 1 As shown in , the modular connector can be constructed using any suitable technology. In addition, as described herein, the modules used to form connector 600 can be used in conjunction with extender modules to form an orthogonal connector. Such an orthogonal connector can be mated with a daughter card connector such as connector 600.

[0072] like Figure 1 As can be seen in the figure, the daughter card connector 600 includes contact tails 610 designed to be attached to a daughter card (not shown). The backplane connector 200 includes contact tails 210 designed to be attached to a backplane (not shown). These contact tails form one end of a conductive element that passes through the interconnect system. When the connector is mounted to a printed circuit board, these contact tails will be electrically connected to a conductive structure carrying a signal 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.

[0073] Each of the connectors also has a mating interface where the connector can mate or unmate with another connector. The daughter card connector 600 includes a mating interface 620. The backplane connector 200 includes a mating interface 220. 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.

[0074] Each of these conductive elements includes an intermediate portion that connects the contact tail to the mating contact portion. The intermediate portion can be retained within the 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.

[0075] In various embodiments, the dielectric member may be molded or overmolded 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] 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. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, the housing of the backplane connector 200 may have an area formed of a conductive material and an insulating member separating the intermediate portion of the signal conductor from the conductive portion of the housing.

[0078] The housing of the daughter card connector 600 may also be formed in any suitable manner. In the illustrated embodiment, the 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, one or more extender modules and one or more support members to hold the components together. Each sheet (700, Figure 5) 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 features that engage corresponding features on a single sheet.

[0079] 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 4 ) 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 performance of the interconnect system.

[0080] 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 serves 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.

[0081] 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.

[0082] 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 1The 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.

[0083] 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 module including a single single-ended signal conductor, a single pair of differential signal conductors, or any suitable number of single-ended or differential pairs.

[0084] 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 structures 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.

[0085] According to the technology described in the patents incorporated by reference, in some embodiments, the connector can be formed of modules, each module carrying a signal pair. The modules can be individually shielded, such as by attaching a shielding member to the module, and / or inserting the module into an organizer or other structure that can provide electrical shielding between multiple pairs and / or around the conductive elements carrying the signals.

[0086] In some embodiments, the signal conductor pairs within each module can be broadside coupled over a major portion of their length. Broadside coupling allows a pair of signal conductors to have the same physical length. To facilitate routing of signal traces within a connector footprint of a printed circuit board to which the connector is attached and / or construction of the mating interface of the connector, the signal conductors can be aligned in an edge-to-edge coupled manner in one or both of these regions. Thus, 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.

[0087] 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 conductive elements to be positioned at the shortest row of connectors (sometimes referred to as ab row). 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.

[0088] This pattern can be repeated for any number. Each module can be shaped to be used with the module of carrying multiple pairs of conductor elements of shorter and / or longer rows. For making any suitable size connector, the connector manufacturer can assemble multiple modules into thin slices to provide the desired number of pairs in the thin slice. In this way, the connector manufacturer can promote the connector size such as 2 pairs widely used to the connector series. When customer demand changes, the connector manufacturer can obtain the tool for each additional pair or obtain the tool for the module containing multiple pairs, multiple pairs of groups to produce larger-sized connectors. The tool for producing the module for smaller connectors can be used to produce the module for the shorter row of shorter rows or even larger connectors. Figure 6 Such a modular connector is shown in .

[0089] Figure 2 Provided in Figure 1 Further details of the construction of the interconnect system are shown, showing a partially cut-away backplane connector 200. Figure 2 In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , the front wall of the housing 222 is cut away to reveal the interior of the mating interface 220 .

[0090] In the illustrated embodiment, the backplane connector 200 also has a modular construction. A plurality of pin modules 300 are organized to form an array of conductive elements. Each of the pin modules 300 can be designed to mate with a module of the daughter card connector 600.

[0091] In the illustrated embodiment, four rows by eight columns of pin modules 300 are shown. With each pin module having two signal conductors, four rows 230A, 230B, 230C, and 230D of pin modules produce a total of four pairs or eight columns of signal conductors. However, it should be understood that the number of signal conductors per row or column is not a limitation of the present application. A greater or lesser number of rows of pin modules may be included within the housing 222. Similarly, a greater or lesser number of columns may be included within the housing 222. Alternatively or additionally, the housing 222 may be viewed as a module of a backplane connector, and multiple such modules may be aligned edge to edge to extend the length of the backplane connector.

[0092] exist Figure 2 In the embodiment shown in , each of the pin modules 300 contains conductive elements that function as signal conductors. These signal conductors are held within an insulating member that may function as part of the housing of the backplane connector 200. The insulating portion of the pin module 300 may be positioned to separate the signal conductors from the rest of the housing 222. In this configuration, the rest of the housing 222 may be conductive or partially conductive, such as may result from the use of lossy materials.

[0093] In some embodiments, the housing 222 may include both conductive and lossy portions. For example, the shield including the wall 226 and the bottom plate 228 may be extruded from powdered metal or formed from conductive material in any other suitable manner. The pin module 300 may be inserted into an opening in the bottom plate 228.

[0094] The lossy or conductive members may be positioned adjacent to adjacent rows 230A, 230B, 230C, and 230D of the pin module 300. Figure 2 In an embodiment, the dividers 224A, 224B, and 224C are shown between adjacent rows of pin modules. The dividers 224A, 224B, and 224C can be conductive or lossy and can be formed as parts of the same operation or formed from the same components that form the walls 226 and the bottom plate 228. Alternatively, the dividers 224A, 224B, and 224C can be inserted into the housing 222 separately after the walls 226 and the bottom plate 228 are formed. In an embodiment where the dividers 224A, 224B, and 224C are formed separately from the walls 226 and the bottom plate 228 and then inserted into the housing 222, the dividers 224A, 224B, and 224C can be formed of a different material than the walls 226 and / or the bottom plate 228. For example, in some embodiments, the walls 226 and the bottom plate 228 can be conductive and the dividers 224A, 224B, and 224C can be lossy or partially lossy and partially conductive.

[0095] In some embodiments, other lossy or conductive members may extend perpendicular to the backplane 228 to the mating interface 220. Members 240 are shown adjacent to the endmost rows 230A and 230D. Spacer members 240 having a width approximately the same as the width of a column are positioned adjacent to rows 230A and 230D in a row as compared to the spacers 224A, 224B, and 224C extending across the mating interface 220. The daughter card connector 600 may include slots in its mating interface 620 to receive the spacers 224A, 224B, and 224C. The daughter card connector 600 may include an opening to similarly receive the member 240. The member 240 may have an electrical effect similar to that of the spacers 224A, 224B, and 224C, and may suppress resonance, crosstalk, or other undesirable electrical effects. Because member 240 fits into an opening in daughter card connector 600 that is smaller than dividers 224A, 224B, and 224C, member 240 may achieve greater mechanical integrity of the housing portion of daughter card connector 600 on the side that receives member 240 .

[0096] Figure 3 The pin modules 300 are shown in more detail. In this embodiment, each pin module includes a pair of conductive elements that serve as signal conductors 314A and 314B. Each of the signal conductors has a mating interface portion that is shaped as a pin. Figure 3 In the embodiment described below, this mating interface is located on a module configured for a backplane connector. However, it should be understood that in the embodiments described below, similar mating interfaces can be formed at either end of the signal conductors of the extender module, or in some embodiments, at both ends of the signal conductors of the extender module.

[0097] Where the module is configured for use with a backplane connector Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 3 , the opposite ends of the signal conductor have contact tails 316A and 316B. In this embodiment, the contact tails are formed as press-fit compliant sections. The middle portion of the signal conductor that connects the contact tails to the mating contact portion passes through the pin module 300 .

[0098] Conductive elements used as reference conductors 320A and 320B are attached to the opposite outer surfaces of the pin module 300. Each of the reference conductors has a contact tail 328, which is shaped to be electrically connected to a via in a printed circuit board. The reference conductor also has a mating contact portion. In the illustrated embodiment, two types of mating contacts are shown. The compliant member 322 can be used as a mating contact portion that is pressed against the reference conductor in the daughter card connector 600. In some embodiments, surfaces 324 and 326 can alternatively or additionally be used as mating contacts, wherein the reference conductor of the mating conductor can be pressed against the reference conductor 320A or 320B. However, in the illustrated embodiment, the reference conductor can be shaped so that electrical contact is made only at the compliant member 322.

[0099] Go to Figure 4 , which shows further details of daughter card connector 600 in a partially exploded view. Figure 4 The components shown in can be assembled to a daughter card connector, which is configured to mate with a backplane connector, as described above. Alternatively or additionally, Figure 4 A subset of the connector components shown in FIG. 1 can be combined with other components to form an orthogonal connector. Such an orthogonal connector can be used with Figure 4 The daughter card connector shown in FIG. mates with the daughter card connector shown in FIG.

[0100] As shown, connector 600 includes a plurality of sheets 700A held together in a side-by-side configuration. Here, eight sheets are shown corresponding to eight columns of pin modules in backplane connector 200. However, as with backplane connector 200, the size of the connector assembly can be constructed by incorporating more rows per sheet, more sheets per connector, or more connectors per interconnect system.

[0101] 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.

[0102] In some embodiments, the conductive or lossy portion may be compliant, such as may be produced from a conductive elastomer or other material known in the art for forming a pad ring. The compliant material may be thicker than the insulating portion of member 630. Such compliant material may be positioned to align with pads on the surface of a daughter card to which connector 600 will be attached. Those pads may 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.

[0103] 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.

[0104] The mating contact portions of the sheet 700A are retained in the front housing portion 640. The front housing portion can be made of any suitable material, which can be insulating, lossy and / or conductive or can include any suitable combination of the materials. For example, the front housing portion can be molded from a filled lossy material using similar materials and techniques as described above for the housing wall 226, or can be formed from a conductive material. As shown, the sheet is composed of modules 810A, 810B, 810C and 810D ( Figure 6 ) 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.

[0105] In the illustrated embodiment, the front housing 640 is shaped to fit within the wall 226 of the backplane connector 200. However, in some embodiments, as described in more detail below, the front housing can be configured to connect to an extender housing.

[0106] Figure 5 A thin sheet 700 is shown. A plurality of such thin sheets 700 can be aligned side by side and held together by one or more support members or in any other suitable manner to form a daughter card connector, or as described below, to form an orthogonal connector. In the illustrated embodiment, thin sheet 700 is a subassembly formed by a plurality of modules 810A, 810B, 810C, and 810D. The modules are aligned to form a column of mating contacts along one edge of thin sheet 700 and a column of contacts along another edge of 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.

[0107] In the illustrated embodiment, each module includes a reference module that at least partially encloses a signal conductor. The reference conductor may similarly have a mating contact portion and a contact tail.

[0108] The modules can be held together in any suitable manner. For example, the modules can be held within a housing, which in the illustrated embodiment is formed by members 900A and 900B. Members 900A and 900B can be formed separately and then fastened together, holding modules 810A ... 810D therein. Members 900A and 900B can be held together in any suitable manner, such as by attachment members that form an interference fit or snap fit. Alternatively or additionally, adhesives, welding or other attachment techniques can be used.

[0109] Components 900A and 900B can be formed of any suitable material. The material can be an insulating material. Alternatively or additionally, 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 the material into a desired shape. Alternatively, components 900A and 900B can be formed in place around modules 810A...810D, such as being formed in place via an insert molding operation. In such an embodiment, components 900A and 900B do not need to be formed separately. Instead, the housing portion that holds modules 810A...810D can be formed in one operation.

[0110] Figure 6 Modules 810A ... 810D are shown without components 900A and 900B. In this view, the reference conductors are visible. The signal conductors ( Figure 6 820) are enclosed within 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. Within the mating contact region 840 and the contact tail region 820, the signal conductors are positioned in an edge-to-edge manner. Within the intermediate region 830, the signal conductors are positioned for broadside coupling. Transition regions 822 and 842 are configured to transition between an edge-coupled orientation and a broadside-coupled orientation.

[0111] The transition regions 822 and 842 in the reference conductor can correspond to the transition regions in the signal conductor, as described below. 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.

[0112] The reference conductor provides shielding coverage along the length of the signal conductor. As shown, coverage is provided over substantially all of the 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, thereby Figure 6 , 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, the mating contact area and some or all of the mating contacts may also be shielded, so that in various embodiments, shielding coverage may be provided in greater than 80%, 85%, 90% or 95% of the length of the signal conductor.

[0113] In the illustrated embodiment, the waveguide-like structure formed by the reference conductor has a wide dimension in the column direction of the connector in the contact tail region 820 and the mating contact region 840 to accommodate the wide dimension of the signal conductors arranged side by side in the column direction in these regions. In the illustrated embodiment, the contact tail region 820 and the mating contact region 840 of the signal conductor are separated by a certain distance to align with the mating contacts of the mating connector or contact structure on the printed circuit board to which the connector is to be attached.

[0114] These spacing requirements mean that the waveguides are wider in the column dimension than in the lateral directions, 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 portion 830, the signal conductors are oriented with the wide dimension of the signal conductors overlaid in 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.

[0115] With this smaller aspect ratio, the largest dimension of the waveguide in the middle portion 830 will be smaller than the smallest dimension of the waveguide in regions 830 and 840. Since the lowest frequency of waveguide propagation is inversely proportional to the length of its shortest dimension, the lowest frequency mode of propagation that can be excited in the middle portion 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 situations where these modes are at higher frequencies, or at least as high as possible, than the expected operating range of the connector.

[0116] These regions can be configured to avoid mode conversion at the transition between the coupling regions, which would excite undesirable signals to propagate 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 in the transition regions 822 and 842 or partially in both. Additionally or alternatively, the module can be configured to suppress the excitation of undesirable modes in the waveguide formed by the reference conductor, as described in more detail below.

[0117] 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 portion 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.

[0118] 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 in the range between about 270 and 365 degrees. In some embodiments, the coverage can be in the range between about 340 and 360 degrees. Such coverage can be achieved, for example, by a slot or other opening in the reference conductor.

[0119] 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 intermediate 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 greater than 355 degrees, or even 360 degrees in some embodiments, even though less shield coverage is provided in the transition region.

[0120] 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 used in conjunction with a transition between edge coupling and broadside coupling within a module. The reference module surrounding the signal pair can form a waveguide. Signals on the pair of signal conductors and particularly in the transition region between edge coupling and broadside coupling can cause energy in 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.

[0121] 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 narrow wall of the enclosure. However, in the embodiment where there is a wide wall, the opening can be in the wide 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 932 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.

[0122] exist Figure 6 In 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 6 832 is inversely proportional to the size of the side. In some embodiments, the lowest frequency waveguide mode that can be excited is the TEM mode. The effective shortening of the side by incorporating the slot-like opening 832 increases the frequency of the TEM mode that can be excited. A higher resonant frequency can 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.

[0123] 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 theorize that openings 832 in combination with edge-coupled to broadside coupled transitions help provide a balanced connector suitable for high frequency operation.

[0124] Figure 7Component 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 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.

[0125] Components 900A and 900B can be molded from lossy materials or include lossy materials. These and other lossy structures can use any suitable lossy materials. 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 with a magnetic loss factor greater than about 0.05 in the frequency range of interest. "Magnetic loss factor" is the ratio of the imaginary part to the real part of the complex electromagnetic constant of the material. Actual magnetic loss materials or mixtures containing magnetic loss materials can also present a useful amount 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 with an electrical loss factor greater than about 0.05 in the frequency range of interest. "Electrical loss factor" is the ratio of the imaginary part to the real part of the complex dielectric constant of the 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, comprising substantially dispersed conductive particles or regions that do not provide high electrical conductivity or are otherwise prepared with the property of forming a relatively poor bulk electrical conductivity over the frequency range of interest compared to a good conductor such as copper.

[0126] 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 the appropriate conductivity that provides both appropriately low crosstalk and appropriately low signal path attenuation or insertion loss.

[0127] 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.

[0128] 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 formed into fibers, flakes, nanoparticles, or other types of particles. 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, metals plated with carbon particles can be used. Silver and nickel are metals suitable for fiber plating. 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 addition. 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. Curable materials such as epoxy resins can be used as adhesives. Alternatively, materials such as thermosetting resins or adhesives may be used.

[0129] 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 material to retain a filler.

[0130] 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.

[0131] 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, 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.

[0132] 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.

[0133] 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.

[0134] 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 material, 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.

[0135] Figure 8 1 shows further details of the construction of the thin film module 100. The module 1000 may be representative of any module in a connector, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 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.

[0136] In the illustrated embodiment, the module 100 includes a pair of signal conductors 1310A and 1310B ( Fig. 9 ). 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 additionally, reference conductors 1010A and 1010B may have features that engage with insulating housing portion 1100. As yet another example, when members 900A and 900B are as shown Figure 5 The reference conductor can be held in place when fastened together as shown in FIG.

[0137] exist Figure 3 and Figure 8 In the embodiment shown in , the sub-area 1042 is designed to overlap the pin module 300 when the module 1000 is fully pressed against the pin module 300. The protruding insulating members 1042A and 1042B are sized to fit within the spaces 342A and 342B, respectively. With the modules pressed together, the distal pressing surfaces 450 ( Figure 3 ). These distal ends can have a shape complementary to the tapered portion of surface 450 so that insulating members 1042A and 1042B fill spaces 342A and 342B, respectively. The overlap creates relative positions of signal conductors, dielectrics, and reference conductors, which can be close to structures within sub-region 340. These components can be sized to provide the same impedance as the impedance in sub-region 340 when modules 300 and 1000 are fully pressed together. When the modules are fully pressed together (in this example, the modules are in a standard mating position), the signal conductors will have the same impedance throughout the mating area consisting of sub-regions 340, 1040 and where sub-regions 342 and 1042 overlap.

[0138] These components may also be sized and may have material properties that provide impedance control based on the separation of modules 300 and 1000. Impedance control may be achieved by providing substantially the same impedance in sub-regions 342 and 1042, even if the sub-regions do not completely overlap, or by providing a gradual impedance transition regardless of how the modules are separated.

[0139] In the illustrated embodiment, impedance control is provided in part by protruding insulating members 1042A and 1042B, which completely or partially overlap module 300 depending on the separation between modules 300 and 1000. These protruding insulating members can reduce the magnitude of changes in the relative dielectric constant of the material surrounding the pins of pin module 300. 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 portions of the signal conductor pair and reference conductors 1010A and 1010B in a 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 portions can control the impedance of these portions so that it is close to the rated impedance of the connector or does not change abruptly in a manner that may cause signal reflections. Other parameters of either or both of the mating modules can be constructed for such impedance control.

[0140] Go to Fig. 9 , further details of exemplary components of module 1000 are shown. Fig. 9 1 is an exploded view of module 1000, which does not show reference conductors 1010A and 1010B. In the illustrated embodiment, insulating housing portion 1100 is made of multiple parts. Central member 1110 can be molded from an insulating material. Central member 1110 includes two grooves 1212A and 1212B, into which conductive elements 1310A and 1310B forming a pair of signal conductors in the illustrated embodiment can 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 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 remain broadside coupled. To transition between edge coupling at both ends of the signal conductor and broadside coupling in the middle portion, a transition region may be included in the signal conductor. The grooves in the central member 1110 may be shaped to provide a transition region in the signal conductor. The protrusions 1122, 1124, and 1128 on the covers 1112 and 1114 may press the conductive elements against the central portion 1110 in these transition regions.

[0143] exist Fig. 9 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. Turning region 1150 sideways toward the middle, the signal conductors bend 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 portion of the signal conductors are aligned in a direction 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 the conductive members 1310A and 1310B has an edge and a broadside between these edges. The contact tails 1330A and 1330B are aligned in a column 1340. By this alignment, the edges of the conductive elements 1310A and 1310B face each other at the contact tails 1330A and 1330B. Other modules in the same thin sheet will similarly have contact tails aligned along the column 1340. The contact tails of adjacent thin sheets will be aligned in parallel columns. The space between the parallel columns creates a routing channel on the printed circuit board to which the connector is attached. The mating contact portions 1318A and 1318B are aligned along the column 1344.

[0147] exist Fig. 9In 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] Fig.10 1000 is 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 sheet of metal 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. Fig.10 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. These openings can be positioned to receive the pins of the mating pin module 300. 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] Fig.10 Other techniques are shown as an alternative or in addition to the above techniques for reducing 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. Fig.10 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 bend through the region in different directions to perform 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 can be formed as a surface that is equidistant from the edges of the signal conductors 1310A and 1310B when the signal conductors 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 regions 1215, similarly positioned conductive regions may also reduce energy coupled into undesired waveguide modes that reduce signal integrity. In some embodiments, such a conductive region having a twisted region 1150 may be connected to a reference conductor. While not being limited to any particular theory of operation, a conductor that acts as a separation of the signal conductors and thereby twists to follow the twist of the signal conductors in the transition region may couple ground currents into the waveguides to reduce undesired modes. For example, current may be coupled to flow in a different mode through the walls of the reference conductor parallel to the broadside coupled signal conductors, rather than exciting a common mode.

[0154] Fig.11One 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 line 1550, the first line 1550 is orthogonal to the second line 1552, and the second mating contact portion is positioned along the second line. In the illustrated 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 members 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 shielding elements surround the middle portion such that the signal conductors within the extender module are fully shielded.

[0155] FIG. 12A to FIG. 12C 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, as the shielding components 1520A and 1520B are not visible in these views. Fig. 12A 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 intermediate portions 1514 and 1516. The intermediate portion includes a 90° bend portion such 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 advantageous in reducing and / or eliminating offsets in the differential signals carried by the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor.

[0156] Reference now Fig. 12B and Fig. 12C, 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. 12A to FIG. 12C For example, the insulating portions 1518A and 1518B may be molded around the signal conductors 1506 and 1508 before the conductive element is bent at a right angle.

[0157] Fig.13 An exploded view of the extender module 1500 is shown, and further details of the conductive shield elements 1520A and 1520B are shown. The shield elements are shaped to conform to the insulating material 1518. As shown, the first shield element 1520A is configured to cover the outer surface of the extender module, and the second shield element 1520B is configured to cover the inner surface. In particular, the shield 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 shield element also includes retaining clips 1534A and 1534B, and tabs 1536, each of which is attached to a corresponding feature on the insulating material 1518 or an opposing shield element to secure the shield 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.11 ), 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 1502A and the second end, respectively, such that the shield elements 1520A and 1520B have different shapes. For example, Fig.13 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 outwardly from the extender module to facilitate mating contact when the second end of the extender module is received in the corresponding connector module.

[0160] Reference now Fig.14 , 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.15A 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.15A Shown including Fig.14 1900A and 1900B of an extender module assembly. As shown, the mating portions of the signal conductors 1910A ... 1910D and 1912A ... 1912D form two square arrays of mating contacts at the ends of the assembly. FIG. 15B to FIG. 15C 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 illustrated 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.16One embodiment of an orthogonal connector 2100 is shown during a manufacturing stage. Similar to the daughter card 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, the connector 2100 also includes a front housing 2140 adapted to receive a plurality of extender modules. The front housing also includes retention features 2150 to engage with corresponding features on the 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 the connector 2100.

[0163] Fig.16 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.17A 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 retention feature 2150 on the front housing 2140. As discussed below, a second side 2304 of the extender housing is configured to detachably mate with a daughter card connector (e.g., a RAF connector). In addition, the extender housing includes mounting holes 2310 that can be used to connect 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. 17B 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] Reference now FIG. 18A to FIG. 18B , 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 configured 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 daughter card connector 600 on an orthogonal printed circuit board, as discussed below.

[0166] Fig.19is 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 sheet 700. In the illustrated 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. 20 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.21 One embodiment of an assembled orthogonal connector 2400 is depicted, which can be directly attached to a RAF connector such as a daughter card connector 600 via a separable interface 2700. As shown, the contact tails 2210 of the connector 2400 are oriented orthogonally to the contact tails 610 of the daughter card 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 one orthogonal configuration of connectors 2400 and 600 is depicted, in other embodiments, the daughter card connector can be rotated 180° to form a second orthogonal configuration. For example, the depicted configuration can correspond to a 90° rotation of the connector 600 relative to the connector 2400, and the second orthogonal configuration (not shown) can correspond to a 270° rotation.

[0169] Orthogonal configuration, such as Fig.21 As shown in , a signal path to a printed circuit board is formed by a connector attached to the edge of the circuit board. The connector is attached to the circuit board at a footprint. Traces are "branched" from the footprint and routed to other points on the circuit board that connect to other components. In this way, signals can be routed to components anywhere on the circuit board via 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. This long trace may undesirably degrade the signal carried on such a trace. Fig. 22 A configuration is shown that avoids long traces by facilitating integration of cables to carry signals over long distances.

[0170] Fig. 22An electrical interconnect system 2800 is shown that includes connectors 2802, 2804, 2900, cables 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 cable 2806. In the illustrated embodiment, cable 2806 is connected to connector 2802, which in turn is connected to PCB 2801. In the illustrated example, connector 2900 includes two types of connector units, in this example, a plurality of first type connector units and one second type connector unit. However, the present invention is not limited in this respect. In some embodiments, the connector may include more than two types of connector units, for example, three types, four types, or more types. It should also be understood that the connector may include any suitable number of any type of connector units. 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 .

[0171] The cable 2806 can have a first end 2808 attached to the second type connector unit 2904 and a second end 2810 attached to the connector 2802, thereby coupling the cable to the PCB 2801. The second end of the cable can be coupled to the PCB 2801 at a position spaced apart from the first end of the cable by a distance D. Any suitable value can be selected for the distance D. In some embodiments, D can be at least 6 inches, in the range of 1 to 20 inches, or any value within the range, such as between 6 and 20 inches. However, the upper limit of the range can depend on the size of the PCB 2801, and the distance of the connector 2900 that mounts the components (not shown) to the PCB 2801, because the connector 2802 can be mounted near the components that receive or generate signals passing through the cable 2806. As a specific example, the connector 2802 can be mounted within 6 inches of those components, and in some embodiments, will be mounted within 4 inches of those components or within 2 inches of those components.

[0172] The inventors also recognize and appreciate that the footprint of connector 2900 on PCB 2801 is a combination of the footprint of the first type connector unit and the footprint of the second type connector unit. At the mounting location of the first type connector unit, the additional area occupied by the connector footprint on the circuit board is less than the combined footprint, and there is no layout area for circuit traces and / or placement of clamping screws to enhance retention. Alternatively or additionally, PCB 2801 can have fewer layers than required to route all signals through the first type unit and the second type unit out of the connector footprint. In addition, there can be fewer restrictions on the restrictions on traces routed out of the footprint of the second type connector unit. The footprint of the second type connector unit on PCB 2801 is defined by the mounting end 2812 of connector 2802. The mounting end of connector 2802 can be configured to facilitate routing with high signal integrity. For example, the footprint associated with the mounting end 2812 can be spaced apart from the edge of PCB 2801 so that traces can be routed out of the portion of the footprint in all directions. In addition, Fig. 22 The illustrative second connector unit 2904 in FIG. 28 is attached with 12 cables aligned in columns at a first end. The columns of cables are configured in a 3×4 array at a second end attached to connector 2802. Such a configuration or other configurations selected for mounting end 2812 can result in a relatively short shunt area that maintains signal integrity when connecting to adjacent components, compared to a routing pattern that might require those same 12 signals to be routed out of a larger footprint formed by the first type of unit and the second type of unit together.

[0173] Connector 2900 can mate with any suitable type of connector. In some embodiments, mating connector 2804 can be an orthogonal connector similar to Figure 4 The connector 600 shown in is constructed. In such an embodiment, the connector 2900 can be a direct-attach orthogonal connector. However, the present invention is not limited in this regard, and the connector 2900 can be used in a mid-plane configuration or any other suitable configuration. In addition, a connector (e.g., connector 2900) with multiple types of units can be used in other configurations, such as RAM or RAF configurations.

[0174] FIG. 23A to FIG. 23BIsometric views of connector 2900 from mating interface 2920 and mounting interface 2910 are shown, respectively. Connector 2900 may include an extender housing 2906 that holds both a first type connector unit 2902 and a 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 direction 3006, and the pairs are aligned in 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.

[0175] In this example, the first type connector unit 2902 includes a sheet 3008, which may be configured similar to Figure 5 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.

[0176] For example, in Fig.16 As shown in , the signal conductor pairs within each of the sheets 3008 can be aligned in the column direction 3002. Fig.24A , an orthogonal extender module such as extender module 2000 ( Fig.16 ) can be attached to the mating interface of sheet 3008. FIG. 24A to FIG. 24E 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 11 to 13 The stretcher module 1500 shown in FIG. Two identical stretcher modules 3010 can also form a similar FIG. 15A to FIG. 15B Extender module assembly 3012 of extender module 2000 is shown in FIG.

[0177] The plurality of sheets and the plurality of 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 at opposite surfaces and / or sides of the illustrated structure. Alternatively or additionally, the support member 3004 can be a housing having an opening for receiving and securing the sheets.

[0178] exist Fig.24A 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.

[0179] 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 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 one sheet, but the application is not limited in this respect.

[0180] 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 can include a retaining feature 2950 that engages with a corresponding feature 2960 on the extender housing 2906. However, it should be understood that the support member 3004 can 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.

[0181] exist FIG. 24A to FIG. 24E In FIG. 3 , 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 5 The mating contact portions of the thin sheet 700 shown in the figure are constructed. 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 thin sheet molded mating contact portions 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 portion of the extender module assembly may form an assembly 3202, wherein the differential signal conductor pair may be aligned in the direction of the column 3006 perpendicular to the direction of the column 3002.

[0182] 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 may include a plurality of modules 3100 held by a unit housing 3102. The plurality of modules in the second type unit may be aligned in the direction of the column 3002. Each module 3100 may 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 may form an array 3204. The arrays 3202 and 3204 together may form the mating interface 2920 of the connector 2900.

[0183] 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 wiring, 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 twin-axial cable. The shielding around the conductors of the twin-axial cable may be attached to the shielding around the conductive elements in the corresponding module 3100. The unit housing 3102 may extend further in the cable length direction than the support member 3004, so that the attachment interface between the module 3100 and the cable 2806 is covered.

[0184] FIG. 25A to FIG. 25B 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 therebetween. These components may be held together using adhesives, interference fits, heat staking, or other suitable means.

[0185] 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 configured so that the second type connector unit has two columns of signal conductors.

[0186] Fig.25CAn 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 mates with the mating interface provided by each extender module used in forming the first type connector unit.

[0187] The conductors of the cable can be attached to the signal conductors within the module 3408 in any suitable manner. However, according to some embodiments, the cable conductors can be attached to the edges of the signal conductors so as to provide a conductive structure with substantially uniform thickness and / or substantially uniform spacing between the conductive elements. For example, the thickness of the conductors of the cable, the signal conductors, and any welding, solder or other material used to weld the two may not exceed 10% compared to the thickness of the stock used to form the signal conductors. In some embodiments, the thickness variation between the cable attachment and the stock thickness may be less than 25% or less than 50%. More generally, the variation in thickness may be less than the variation caused by the conventional method of attaching the cable conductors to the connector signal conductors 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 separation at the mating interface, or in some embodiments, not more than 5%.

[0188] Such a connection in Fig.26A and Fig.26B Shown in. Fig.26A 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 conductors 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 conductors 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 that joins the broadside. The pair of signal conductors can be maintained in an edge-to-edge configuration with the contact tails, 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.

[0189] Fig.26BAn 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 a cable connector.

[0190] 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 or brazing. For example, laser welding may be used. For example, a laser welding operation may be performed in which a laser is aimed at a path along the edge of the 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.

[0191] In some embodiments, the laser can be controlled to form a continuous fillet joint between each conductive element of the cable and the edge of the signal conductor in the connector. The inventors have found that this joint can be more reliable and repeatable than welding through wiring. Suitable welds can be formed with commercially available green lasers, but any suitable welding equipment can be used.

[0192] Operations such as welding or brazing that result in fusing the conductive elements of the cable directly to the conductive elements of the connector can avoid the large amount of conductive material that may be present when other attachment techniques (such as welding) 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.

[0193] The cable conductors may be attached to the edges of any suitably shaped conductive elements in the connector. Fig.27A ... Fig.27D A method of manufacturing a cable connector is shown. Fig.27A A plan view of the mounting interface 3640 between the structure 3630 and the cable 3606 is shown. Fig.27B 3604 is an elevation view of the mounting interface 3640, showing the relatively small additional thickness at the attachment location. The structure 3630 may include a pair of signal conductors 3610A and 3610B joined by a tie bar 3602. The contact tails of the signal conductors may be slightly moved in opposite directions and away from the tie bar through a transition region 3614. The structure 3630 may be stamped from sheet metal so that the dimensions of the structure may be precisely controlled by a stamping die.

[0194] 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.

[0195] Fig.27C A plan view of the mounting interface 3642 between the structure 3630 and the cable 3606 is shown. Fig.27C Insulating housing 3650 is shown molded over structure 3630. Housing 3650 can be molded using an insert molding operation or molded 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 are embedded in housing 3650.

[0196] 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 additionally, 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.

[0197] 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 approximate d1. For example, d2 can differ from d1 by 10% or less, or in some embodiments, 25% or 50% or less.

[0198] 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 can be tapered toward each other, or can be tapered toward each other along 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 additionally, the shape of the conductive elements 3610A and 3610B can vary in length so as to provide a wider or narrower width relative to the outside in the housing. As an example of another variation, although the relative edges of the conductive elements 3610A and 3610B are formed 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 can be tapered toward each other or away from each other.

[0199] Having thus described several examples, it will be appreciated that various alternatives, modifications and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such changes, modifications and improvements are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the present application.

[0200] Therefore, the above description and drawings are by way of example only. Various changes may be made to the illustrative structures shown and described herein. For example, Fig.27A ... Fig.27D 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.

[0201] As another example, the conductive elements in the cable (e.g., conductive elements 3620A and 3620B) can be shaped before or after being attached to the signal conductors (e.g., signal conductors 3610A and 3610B), respectively. In some embodiments, the conductive elements in the cable can be mechanically deformed by pressing them against the signal conductors. Once the conductive elements and the signal conductors are fused, such an operation can strengthen the engagement between those components. Alternatively or additionally, the conductive elements from the cable can be flattened to form relative surfaces parallel to the broadsides of the signal conductors. Such a flattening operation can improve electrical performance by reducing the variation in the thickness of the conductive path. Alternatively or additionally, the conductive elements from the cable can be flattened to form one or more planar surfaces perpendicular to the broadsides of the signal conductors. Such a shape can contribute to the attachment of the conductive elements to the signal conductors and / or provide more precise control of the separation between the signal paths.

[0202] As another embodiment, a technique for improving the signal quality at the mating interface of an electrical interconnect system is described. The technique 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 that materials other than those explicitly mentioned may be used to construct the connector. As another example, a connector with four differential signal pairs in a row is for illustration purposes only. Any desired number of signal conductors may be used in the connector.

[0203] As another example, embodiments are described in which different front housing portions are used to hold connector modules in a daughter card connector configuration versus an orthogonal configuration. It should be appreciated that in some embodiments, the front housing portion may be configured to support either use.

[0204] Manufacturing techniques may also vary. For example, an embodiment is described in which the daughter card connector 600 is formed by collating multiple sheets onto a stiffener. It is possible that an equivalent structure can be formed by inserting multiple shields and signal receptacles into a molded housing.

[0205] 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 can be formed in a single-ended or differential pair configuration. Each connector or each thin sheet in the embodiment of the connector being thinned can include such a core module. For manufacturing a connector with more rows than the rows included by the basic module, the core module can be coupled with additional modules (for example, each additional module has a smaller number of pairs, such as each module single pair).

[0206] 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 to this aspect 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, midplane connectors, cable connectors, stacking connectors, mezzanine connectors, I / O connectors, chip sockets, etc.

[0207] 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.

[0208] In addition, signal and ground conductors are shown as having specific shapes. In the above-described embodiments, signal conductors are wired 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 in the range of 50 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.

[0209] 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 a slight gap in the shielding member or the 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 this separation or gap, the configuration can still be considered to be fully shielded.

[0210] In addition, the example of an extender is described as a module 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 can alternatively be formed with a module having a socket or mating contacts with other configurations at the second end.

[0211] 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 daughter card 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 an embodiment, gold and other platings can be omitted.

[0212] 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 using such a connector, but can generally have an upper limit between about 15 GHz and 50 GHz, such as 25 GHz, 30, 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.

[0213] 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.

[0214] 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.

[0215] As a specific example, it is required that the signal path attenuation is no greater than 3dB power ratio, the reflection power ratio is no greater than -20db, and the single 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.

[0216] 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 the order of 3 mm or less, such as including center-to-center spacing between adjacent contacts in a column of the order of 1 mm to 2.5 mm, or 2 mm to 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 equal spacing.

[0217] Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the details of 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 restrictive. 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.

[0218] The present disclosure includes the following technical solutions.

[0219] (1) A cable assembly comprising:

[0220] A cable comprising two conductive elements;

[0221] Cable termination components, including:

[0222] a pair of signal conductors having contact tails including broadsides and edges joining the broadsides, wherein the signal conductors are held in an edge-to-edge configuration with the contact tails, wherein a first edge of a first signal conductor of the pair of signal conductors faces a second edge of a second signal conductor of the pair of signal conductors; and

[0223] The two conductive elements of the cable are each attached to a respective one of the first edge and the second edge.

[0224] (2) The cable assembly according to solution (1), wherein the two conductive elements of the cable are attached to the first edge and the second edge by welding.

[0225] (3) A cable assembly according to solution (1), wherein the edge of the contact tail of the signal conductor attached to the conductive element of the cable has a termination thickness, and the termination thickness is no more than 10% compared to the thickness of the edge of the contact tail of the signal conductor when not attached to the conductive element of the cable.

[0226] (4) The cable assembly according to solution (1), wherein:

[0227] each signal conductor of the pair of signal conductors having a mating contact portion and an intermediate portion extending between the contact tail and the mating contact portion;

[0228] The contact tails of the pair of signal conductors are separated by a first distance; and

[0229] The contact portions of the pair of signal conductors are separated by a second distance that is less than the first distance such that the spacing at the attachment location differs from the first distance by no more than 10%.

[0230] (5) The cable assembly according to solution (1), wherein the spacing between the two conductive elements of the cable and the attachment positions of the pair of signal conductors is configured to produce an impedance that matches the impedance of the cable.

[0231] (6) A method for manufacturing a cable assembly, comprising:

[0232] stamping a conductive member into a structure, the structure comprising a first signal conductor and a second signal conductor and a tie bar, the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor being joined by the tie bar, wherein each of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor comprises a contact tail, the contact tail comprising a broadside and an edge joining the broadside;

[0233] fusing two conductive elements of a cable to opposite edges of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor of the structure, respectively; and

[0234] The tie rods are cut off.

[0235] (7) The method according to scheme (6), wherein:

[0236] The welding step includes welding the two conductive elements of the cable to opposite edges of the first edge and the second edge.

[0237] (8) The method according to scheme (6), wherein:

[0238] The method includes molding a housing over the structure.

[0239] (9) The method according to scheme (6), wherein:

[0240] Fusing the two conductor elements includes forming two fillet joints.

[0241] (10) A method according to scheme (6), wherein the edge of the contact tail of the signal conductor fused to the conductive element has a termination thickness, and the termination thickness is no more than 10% compared with the thickness of the edge of the contact tail of the signal conductor when not fused to the conductive element.

[0242] (11) The method according to scheme (6), wherein:

[0243] The contact tails of the pair of signal conductors are separated by a first distance before the tie bar is cut;

[0244] After the tie bar is cut, the contact tails of the pair of signal conductors are separated by a second distance; and

[0245] The second distance differs from the first distance by no more than 10%.

[0246] (12) A method according to solution (6), wherein the width of the connecting rod is configured so that the impedance at the position where the two conductive elements of the cable are fused to the pair of signal conductors matches the impedance of the cable.

[0247] (13) A method for manufacturing a cable assembly including a first signal conductor and a second signal conductor, each of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor including a contact tail, the contact tail having a broadside and an edge for joining the broadside, the method comprising:

[0248] attaching two conductive elements of the cable to edges of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor, respectively,

[0249] Wherein, the method further comprises shaping a portion of the two conductive elements of the cable to reduce an impedance discontinuity at a location where the cable is attached.

[0250] (14) The method according to scheme (13), wherein:

[0251] Shaping the two conductive elements of the cable includes shaping the two conductive elements prior to attaching.

[0252] (15) The method according to scheme (13), wherein:

[0253] Shaping the two conductive elements of the cable includes flattening the two conductive elements of the cable to form opposing surfaces parallel to the broadsides of the first and second signal conductors.

[0254] (16) The method according to scheme (13), wherein:

[0255] Shaping the two conductive elements of the cable includes flattening the two conductive elements of the cable to form opposing surfaces parallel to the edges of the first and second signal conductors.

[0256] (17). A method according to scheme (13), wherein the edge of the contact tail of the signal conductor attached to the conductive element of the cable has a termination thickness, and the termination thickness is no more than 10% compared to the thickness of the edge of the contact tail of the signal conductor when not attached to the conductive element of the cable.

[0257] (18) The method according to scheme (13), wherein:

[0258] Prior to attaching the two conductive elements of the cable to the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor, the contact tails of the two signal conductors are separated by a first distance;

[0259] After attaching the two conductive elements of the cable to the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor, the two signal conductors are separated by a second distance; and

[0260] The second distance differs from the first distance by no more than 10%.

[0261] (19) A method according to claim 13, wherein the spacing between the two conductive elements of the cable and the attachment locations of the pair of signal conductors is configured to produce an impedance that matches the impedance of the cable.

Claims

1. A cable assembly, comprising: A cable, the cable comprising a conductive element; a signal conductor comprising a contact tail, a mating contact portion, and an intermediate portion, the mating contact portion being opposite the contact tail, the intermediate portion extending between the contact tail and the mating contact portion; and A connection between the conductive element and the signal conductor.

2. The cable assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The joint is a continuous fillet joint.

3. The cable assembly according to claim 1, wherein The attachment of the conductive element and the signal conductor is essentially constituted by the joint.

4. The cable assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The contact tail of the signal conductor includes a broadside and an edge engaging the broadside, and The joint is located between one of the edges of the contact tails of the signal conductors.

5. The cable assembly according to claim 4, wherein: The joint is a continuous joint along an edge of the contact tail of the signal conductor.

6. The cable assembly according to claim 4, wherein: The mating contact portion is located at an end portion of the signal conductor, and the end portion is opposite to the contact tail portion in a first direction; The middle portion of the signal conductor includes a first wide side and a second wide side and a first edge and a second edge connecting the wide sides; The first broadside and the second broadside and the first edge and the second edge of the contact tail of the signal conductor extend from the corresponding first broadside and the corresponding second broadside and the corresponding first edge and the corresponding second edge of the intermediate portion of the signal conductor; The joint is formed at a first edge of the contact tail; and The contacts are offset relative to the corresponding first edges of the intermediate portions of the signal conductors in a direction perpendicular to the first direction.

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