High performance connector with BGA signal attachment

Abstract

A connector is configured for attaching a terminal to a pad on a PCB in a BGA attachment manner, and for coupling a flat conductive element at a mounting interface without using solder balls other than those coupling the terminal to the PCB. The protrusions from the conductive elements may be fused to the same solder ball connecting one or more terminals to the PCB, or may be coupled to ground structures on the PCB using different attachment techniques. For example, the protrusion may be a J-type lead portion attached to a pad on the PCB using surface mount soldering, or may be a pin attached within a hole of the PCB using a pin dip paste mounting technique. The PCB may have rows of signal pads configured for electrical connection to signal terminals of a connector using BGA termination technology with apertures between adjacent rows to receive pins of a shield of the connector.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 353,454, entitled “HIGH PERFORMANCE CONNECTOR WITH BGA SIGNAL ATTACHMENT” filed on June 17, 2022, under 35 U.S.C. §119(e). The contents of that application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present patent application relates generally to BGA connectors, and more particularly to high-speed BGA connectors. Background Art

[0004] Separable electrical connectors are used in many electronic systems to connect sub-assemblies. Integrating a sub-assembly into a device using an electrical connector can be accomplished simply by pressing the sub-assemblies together so that the separable connectors mate. Manufacturing an electronic system in this manner can provide a number of benefits. Each sub-assembly can be manufactured by a company that specializes in the function provided by that sub-assembly, so that the sub-assembly may provide higher performance or quality than a comparable electronic circuit of an entire device manufactured by a single company. In addition, sub-assemblies enable the device to be maintained over its useful life because sub-assemblies can be added or replaced to repair or upgrade the electronic system.

[0005] For example, a server may be assembled from two or more subassemblies. Each electronic subassembly may be formed by attaching components to a printed circuit board. One subassembly may be a server motherboard. A motherboard may be a printed circuit board that establishes connections between components such as a processor, memory, power supply, and network interface that operate together to provide server functionality. Some of the components may be mounted to the motherboard, while other components may be mounted to other printed circuit boards, commonly referred to as daughterboards. A daughtercard subassembly may be connected to the motherboard via a detachable connector.

[0006] The connector is configured to be mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB) in a desired orientation within a device. For example, a daughter card can be mounted with its edge facing the edge of the mainboard. A connector configured for mounting a subassembly in this configuration can be configured as a right angle connector or an orthogonal connector. Alternatively, a daughter card can be mounted with its surface parallel to the surface of the mainboard. A mezzanine connector is configured to connect parallel subassemblies. For example, in a server, a processor can be attached to a daughter card and attached to the mainboard via a mezzanine connector.

[0007] Various attachment techniques are used to establish electrical and mechanical connections between a connector and the PCB on which the connector is mounted. For example, some connectors are mounted to a printed circuit board by through-hole soldering. According to this technique, a tail of a conductive element such as a signal conductor through a connector is inserted through a hole in the printed circuit board. The end of the tail is immersed in molten solder, which wicks upward to the contact tail to fill the space in the hole around the tail. The hole passes through the conductor in the printed circuit board so that when the solder in the hole solidifies, it both mechanically locks the tail in the hole and establishes an electrical connection between the tail and the conductive structure in the PCB.

[0008] A variation of plated through hole technology is known as pin-in-solder paste attachment. In this case, a pin extending from a conductive element in a connector is inserted into a solder paste that has been applied to a conductive surface of a PCB. The PCB is then placed in a reflow oven to liquefy the solder paste. The molten solder adheres to both the pin and the conductive surface on the PCB so that when the solder solidifies, the pin is electrically and mechanically connected to the conductive surface on the PCB. For pin-in-solder paste attachment, the pin is typically inserted into a hole in the PCB that has a conductive inner surface. The hole may extend completely or partially through the PCB. Upon reflow, the solder may wick into the hole and adhere to the conductive structure within the hole as well as the pin.

[0009] Electrical connectors can also be mounted to PCBs using surface mount soldering. When surface mount soldering is used, portions of the tails of the conductive elements in the connector are aligned parallel to the conductive pads on the surface of the PCB. Solder paste can be placed on these pads so that the tails rest on the solder paste. When the PCB is placed in a reflow oven, the solder paste can melt, producing molten solder in contact with the tails and the conductive pads, thereby electrically and mechanically attaching the connector to the PCB. For vertical connectors, the tail can extend from the connector in a direction generally perpendicular to the surface of the board, and can be bent at its end to form a portion parallel to the surface of the board. The tail in this configuration is sometimes referred to as having a J-lead configuration.

[0010] Another attachment technique involves solder ball attachment, which is sometimes also referred to as BGA attachment. For BGA attachment, the tail of the conductive element within the connector is exposed at the mounting interface of the connector. The solder ball can be attached to the tail, which can be achieved by heating the solder to fully liquefy it so that it adheres to the tail. In order to attach the connector to the PCB, the connector is placed on the PCB so that the solder ball is aligned with the pad on the surface of the PCB. When the PCB is heated in a reflow oven, the solder ball melts so that the solder adheres to the pad as well as the tail, so that when the solder cools, the tail is fixed to the pad by the solder.

[0011] As electronic systems become smaller, faster, and more complex, the number of circuits in a given area of ​​an electronic system and the frequency at which the circuits operate have increased significantly in recent years. Current systems pass more data between PCBs and require electrical connectors that can electrically handle more data at higher speeds than connectors available even a few years ago. However, the integrity of the signals passing through separable connectors is often negatively impacted by higher density and higher frequency, making it challenging to design a connector that can be used for both high-speed signals and high density. Summary of the invention

[0012] The concepts described herein can be implemented as a mezzanine connector, the mezzanine connector comprising: a housing having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side; a plurality of terminal columns held within the housing, each of the plurality of terminals including a tail; a plurality of solder balls, each of the plurality of solder balls being attached to a tail of a corresponding terminal of the plurality of terminals adjacent to the first side of the housing; and a plurality of conductive members, each of the plurality of conductive members extending perpendicularly to the first side of the housing and parallel to and adjacent to at least one corresponding column of the plurality of terminal columns. Each of the plurality of conductive members may include a plurality of protrusions, each of the plurality of protrusions being configured to be connected to a ground structure of the printed circuit board via solder when the mezzanine connector is mounted to a surface of the printed circuit board.

[0013] On the other hand, the concept described herein can be implemented as an electrical connector, which includes a plurality of terminal subassemblies. Each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies includes: an insulating portion having a first side; a column, the column including a plurality of terminals held within the insulating portion; a plurality of solder balls, the plurality of solder balls being connected to corresponding tails of the tails of the plurality of terminals at the first side; and at least one flat conductive member extending parallel to the column, wherein the flat conductive member includes a plurality of protrusions extending from the flat conductive member adjacent to the first side. Each of the plurality of terminals may include a tail extending from the insulating portion at the first side, a mating contact portion extending from the insulating portion, and an intermediate portion connecting the tail and the mating contact portion. For each of the plurality of terminals, the intermediate portion is held by the insulating portion.

[0014] In another aspect, the concepts described herein may be implemented as an electronic assembly comprising: a printed circuit board comprising: a surface; a plurality of pads on the surface; and a ground structure within the printed circuit board. The electronic assembly may additionally include a connector mounted to the surface. The connector may include: a housing comprising a side facing the surface of the printed circuit board; a plurality of terminals held by the housing, each of the plurality of terminals comprising a tail; a plurality of solder masses between the housing and the surface of the printed circuit board, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of solder masses is attached to the tails of the plurality of terminals to couple the tails of the plurality of terminals to corresponding pads of the plurality of pads; and a plurality of conductive members mechanically coupled to the housing and disposed at least between the tails of a set of terminals in the plurality of terminals. The plurality of conductive members may each include a plurality of protrusions extending into a space between the one side of the housing and the surface of the printed circuit board. The plurality of protrusions may be electrically coupled to the ground structure within the printed circuit board by solder masses in the plurality of solder masses.

[0015] In another aspect, the concepts described herein may be implemented as a connector configured to be electrically coupled to a printed circuit board (PCB) using hybrid attachment. The connector may include: a plurality of first signal terminals and a plurality of second signal terminals, wherein the plurality of first signal terminals and the plurality of second signal terminals are configured to be electrically connected to traces of the PCB using solder balls to form a ball grid array (BGA) termination; and a shield between the plurality of first signal terminals and the plurality of second signal terminals, wherein the shield includes one or more pins configured to be inserted into one or more holes of the PCB.

[0016] These techniques may be used alone or in any suitable combination.The foregoing is a non-limiting summary of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component shown in various figures is represented by a like numeral. For clarity, not every component is labeled in every figure. In the drawings:

[0018] 1A is a perspective view of a mating connector configured as a BGA mezzanine connector.

[0019] 1B is a partial cross-section through the connector of FIG. 1A in a mated configuration.

[0020] Figure 2A and Figure 2B 2 are side and end views, respectively, of an exemplary terminal subassembly mounted to a PCB using hybrid termination techniques according to some embodiments.

[0021] Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 3C and Figure 3D According to some embodiments Figure 2A and Figure 2B A top view, a first side view, a bottom view and an end view of a terminal subassembly.

[0022] Figure 4 According to some embodiments Figure 2A and Figure 2B A perspective view of the terminal subassembly.

[0023] Figure 5 According to some embodiments FIG. 2A to FIG. 2B A perspective view of the PCB.

[0024] Figure 6 is a perspective view of an alternative PCB configuration to which a connector may be mounted using a hybrid termination technique in accordance with some embodiments.

[0025] Figure 7 is according to some embodiments installed using hybrid termination techniques to Figure 6 Side view of the PCB terminal sub-assembly.

[0026] Fig. 8A and Figure 8B are side perspective and end views of a terminal subassembly configured for mounting to a PCB using hybrid termination techniques according to some embodiments.

[0027] Figure 8C Is to use a combination Fig. 8A and Figure 8B An end perspective view of a plurality of terminal subassemblies formed by the described construction technique, the plurality of terminal subassemblies being held together as a first connector which mates with a second connector comprising a plurality of similar terminal subassemblies, wherein the pins extending from each connector are sectioned in a plane corresponding to the surface of the PCB to which the connector is mounted.

[0028] Fig.8D It passes through the first position Figure 8C A cross-section of the mating first and second connectors through a solid section of the shield of the terminal subassembly.

[0029] Fig. 8E It passes through the second position Figure 8CA cross-section of the mating first connector and the second connector, the cross-section passing through an opening of the shield of the terminal subassembly.

[0030] Fig. 9 is a sketch of a portion of a connector footprint on a PCB to which the connector is attached using a hybrid termination technique according to some embodiments.

[0031] Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B 2 are top and bottom side perspective views, respectively, of a terminal subassembly configured for mounting to a PCB using an alternative hybrid termination technique according to some embodiments.

[0032] Fig. 10C The terminal subassembly is Fig. 10B An enlarged view of the portion labeled 10C.

[0033] Fig.11A yes Fig. 10A End view of the terminal subassembly in .

[0034] Fig. 11B For example, in a connector formed of a plurality of terminal subassemblies mounted on a printed circuit board, a plurality of Fig. 10A End view of the terminal subassembly in .

[0035] Fig. 12A is a bottom side perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a terminal subassembly configured for mounting to a PCB in accordance with some embodiments.

[0036] Fig. 12B The terminal subassembly is Fig. 12A An enlarged view of the portion marked 12B in FIG. 1 in the manufacturing state with the first flat conductor attached and before the solder ball is fused to the tail of the conductor of the terminal subassembly.

[0037] Fig. 12C The terminal subassembly is Fig. 12A An enlarged view of the portion marked as 12B in FIG. 1 in the manufacturing state with the first and second flat conductors attached and before the solder ball is fused to the tail of the terminal.

[0038] Fig.12D Yes Fig. 12A An enlarged cross-section of a ground terminal in a terminal subassembly in a manufactured state with a first flat conductor and a second flat conductor attached and before a solder ball is fused to a tail portion of the terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The inventor has recognized and realized the technology for improved high-speed, high-density connectors so that it can transmit a large number of signals with high integrity in a relatively small area. These technologies can realize the integration of ground conductors at the mounting interface of the connector without producing undesirable effects on the density of the connector. The ground conductor can be substantially flat (planar), and can reduce the crosstalk between the signal conductors and / or reduce the changes in impedance near the mounting interface of the signal terminal, which may cause reflections or other types of signal distortion. These technologies can be used in connectors with BGA attachments for signals to increase the speed at which these connectors run, while maintaining high-density signal connections through ball grid arrays. Accordingly, the technology described herein can be applied to provide high-speed, high-density mezzanine connectors using BGA attachments.

[0040] According to the techniques described herein, a flat conductor at a mounting interface can be connected to a ground structure of a PCB to which the connector is mounted without introducing mounting locations other than those used to attach the terminals of the connector, or with only mounting locations that have a limited effect on the signal density at the mounting interface. For example, a BGA attachment can be used to attach the terminals of the connector to the PCB. The added conductor can be connected to a ground on the PCB without adding solder balls other than those used to connect the terminals to the PCB.

[0041] For example, this result can be achieved by extending from a flat conductor to a protrusion near the tail of the connector's ground terminal. When the solder ball is fused to the tail of the ground terminal, the solder ball can be simultaneously fused to the protrusion of the flat conductor, thereby grounding the flat conductor. This technique has little or no effect on density and produces a high-speed, high-density BGA connector. A high-speed, high-density mezzanine connector that can be easily mounted to a PCB with other BGA components can be easily achieved in this way.

[0042] Alternatively or additionally, the flat conductors can be connected to ground structures in the PCB by attachment techniques that do not require additional solder balls. One way to do this is by using a hybrid termination technique, such as solder paste or surface mount soldering for the flat conductors combined with ball grid array (BGA) attachment for signal terminals. For example, the flat conductors can have pins or J-lead portions that extend beyond the edge of the conductor facing the PCB.

[0043] The inventors have recognized and appreciated that by using a combination of attachment techniques, electrical performance can be improved because the compression of the solder balls used to connect high-speed signals can be reduced relative to the connector in which the ground conductor used as a shield is also attached to the PCB through the solder balls. Without being bound by any particular theory, the inventors theoretically explain that during the reflow of the solder balls attached to the pads on the PCB, the weight of the connector located on the molten solder balls may compress the solder balls, resulting in the solder blocks that fuse the signal terminals to the signal pads on the PCB having a larger diameter than the original solder balls. This deformation of the solder balls may be aggravated by the added weight of the additional flat conductors and may have an undesirable effect on the impedance at the mounting interface of the connector. This effect may be particularly severe for high-speed connectors in which small diameter solder balls are used for signal terminals to provide the desired impedance. Other attachment techniques such as pin dip solder paste and / or J-type lead surface mounting described herein, when used in combination with solder ball attachment, can provide greater support to the connector during reflow, thereby reducing the deformation of the solder blocks that fuse the signal terminals to the PCB. Nevertheless, high-speed and high-density attachment for signal terminals can still be retained.

[0044] The inventors have also recognized and appreciated that through hybrid attachment techniques, conductors used as shields can extend close to the surface of the PCB or extend beyond the surface of the PCB, thereby providing efficient shielding and / or impedance control at the mounting interface. The inventors have recognized and appreciated that, without these grounded flat conductors, the structure of the connector in which the signal terminals are connected to the pads on the PCB through BGA mounting techniques may have particularly undesirable effects on signal integrity. The technology described herein can achieve high-speed performance of the connector by BGA attaching the signal terminals with a high-density mounting interface.

[0045] Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B show known mezzanine connectors 10 and 20, which are mounted to corresponding PCBs using BGA attachment technology. In the example of Fig. 1A, connector 10 is mounted to PCB 12, and connector 20 is mounted to PCB 22. Each of the connectors has a housing, which can be made of insulating material. Connector 10 has housing 14, and connector 20 has housing 24. In this example, housing 14 is configured to be assembled in housing 24 and latched to housing 24 so that connectors 10 and 20 can be pressed together to achieve mating. When mating, connectors 10 and 20 can provide multiple conductive paths between PCB 12 and PCB 22 together.

[0046] Each of the housings 14 and 24 can hold a plurality of conductive terminals 16 and 26 that establish a connection through the corresponding connectors 10 and 20. Each of the terminals 16 and 26 can have a mating contact portion. The mating contact portions of the terminals 16 and 26 can be complementary so that when the connectors 10 and 20 are mated, the mating contact portion of the terminal 16 can establish an electrical connection with the mating contact portion of the corresponding terminal 26. For example, the mating contact portion of the terminal 26 can be shaped as a blade, and the mating contact portion of the terminal 16 can be shaped as a beam. When mated, the beam of the terminal 16 can deflect to apply a mating force to the blade of the mating contact portion of the terminal 26.

[0047] The mating contact portions of the terminals are positioned at the mating interface of each of the connectors. As shown in FIG. 1A , the terminals 16 and 26 are arranged in a plurality of parallel columns C so that the mating interface of each connector includes an array of a plurality of parallel columns having mating contact portions.

[0048] Each of the terminals can have a tail portion, which is configured to connect the terminal to another structure, which is a PCB in this example. The tail portion can extend from the corresponding housing at the mounting interface (mounting interface) of the connector. In this example, the tail portion of the terminal 16 of the connector 10 extends into the recess 34 formed at the mounting side of the housing 14. The tail portion of the terminal 26 of the connector 20 extends into the recess 44 at the mounting side of the housing 24. As shown in the partial cross-section of Figure 1B, each of the terminals 16 in the connector 10 has a tail portion, to which the solder ball 32 has been fused. Each of the terminals 26 in the connector 20 has a tail portion, to which the solder ball 42 has been fused. In the example of Figure 1B, the tail portion of the terminal is bent so that the surface of the tail portion is parallel to the mounting interface, and the solder balls 32 and 42 are fused to the surface of the tail portion of the corresponding terminal.

[0049] A connector such as the connector 10 or 20 shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B can be manufactured by molding the housing into an integral structure having an opening into which the terminal is inserted. Alternatively, the housing can be formed by a plurality of components. For example, the connector can be formed by first forming a terminal subassembly, each of which has a plurality of terminals held in an insulating portion that serves as a part of the connector housing. Subsequently, these terminal subassemblies can be fixed to a supporting structure so that the terminal subassemblies are held together as a connector. As an example, an insulating frame with features (e.g., slots) can be molded that receives the ends of the terminal subassemblies so that when the terminal subassemblies are engaged in the frame, the terminals of the terminal subassemblies form parallel multiple terminal columns. Alternatively or additionally, the terminal subassemblies can be held together by metal clips, or bonded to each other via, for example, adhesives or heat rivets.

[0050] Figure 2A and Figure 2B A portion of a connector is shown which, in this example, uses a BGA attachment for the terminals in the connector. Figure 2A and Figure 2B The structure shown can be repeated to form a connector having multiple parallel terminal columns as described above in conjunction with FIG. 1A. In a connector having multiple terminal columns, a single housing is used. Figure 2A and Figure 2B The portion shown may be part of an integral housing. In a connector made from multiple terminal subassemblies, Figure 2A and Figure 2B The portion shown may represent a terminal subassembly, and the housing of the terminal subassembly may be a portion of a connector housing.

[0051] For ease of explanation, a connector assembled from multiple terminal subassemblies is described, but it should be understood that the structure described herein can be integrated into a connector using other manufacturing techniques. Figure 2A and Figure 2B 2 are views of different sides of an exemplary terminal subassembly mounted to a PCB, showing the left side and the end, respectively. The terminal subassembly 100 may be connected to the PCB 200 using a hybrid technology. For example, the shield of the terminal subassembly 100 may have pins configured to be inserted through holes of the PCB 200, while the terminals are configured to be electrically connected to contact pads on the surface of the PCB 200 using a ball grid array (BGA) attachment technology.

[0052] Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 3C and Figure 3D 1 is a view of different sides of a terminal subassembly 100 not mounted to a PCB according to some embodiments, showing the top, left side, bottom and end, respectively. The terminal subassembly 100 may include a housing 130. The housing 130 may be made of an insulating material such as nylon or other thermoplastics.

[0053] The housing 130 can hold a plurality of terminals. In this example, the terminal subassembly 100 has two terminal columns 112 and 114. The housing 130 has a base portion 132 in which the middle portion of the terminal 110 is held. The base portion 132 can be molded onto the middle portion of the terminal 110, or the terminal 110 can be inserted into an opening in the base portion 132. The columns 112 and 114 can be separated by a center-to-center distance between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm (e.g., 1.8 mm or 2.3 mm).

[0054] The mating end 116 of the terminal 110 extends from the base portion 132. The mating end 116 is separated by a wall portion 136 of the housing 130. In this example, the mating end is a beam that can be deflected to generate a contact force for mating with the mating end of a terminal in a mating connector.

[0055] The bottom of the base portion 132 may include a row of dimples 134. The mounting end of the terminal 110 may extend into the dimples 134. The solder ball 140 may be fused to the mounting end of the terminal in the dimples 134. When the terminal subassembly 110 is incorporated into a connector together with other similar terminal subassemblies, the solder balls of each terminal subassembly form one or more rows of solder balls, and overall, the solder balls of the terminal subassemblies form a ball grid array (BGA) at the mounting interface of the connector. According to some embodiments, the diameter of the solder ball 140 is between 20 mils and 25 mils.

[0056] The terminal subassembly 100 may also include a conductor that may be connected to one or more ground conductors of a PCB to which the connector is mounted. The ground conductor may be flat and may be used as a shield, such as shield 120 .

[0057] The ground conductor may extend parallel to and adjacent to at least one column of terminals. The ground conductor may extend substantially toward or beyond the bottom of the connector housing so that a portion of the ground conductor is located between at least a portion of the solder balls fused to the tails in the adjacent columns. Shield 120 is an example of such a ground conductor. Here, shield 120 is located between terminal columns 112 and 114. The bottom edge of shield 120 is shown here as extending beyond the bottom of housing 130. In this position, shield 120 can prevent crosstalk, particularly at the mounting interface of the connector, and provide uniform impedance along the signal path through terminal 110. As shown, shield 120 is a flat plate substantially located in the middle of signal terminal columns 112 and 114, and extends beyond the bottom surface of housing 130 so that at least 80% of the volume of the solder balls is adjacent to the shield (i.e., less than 20% of the volume of the solder balls extends beyond the bottom edge of the shield). In other examples, the shield may extend a different amount, such as to be adjacent to at least 25% of the volume of the solder ball, or to be adjacent to at least 50% of the volume of the solder ball.

[0058] In this example, the shield 120 is located within the housing 130. The housing 130 may include a slot into which the shield 120 is inserted. Alternatively, the housing 130 may be molded onto the shield 120. Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 3C and Figure 3DIn the example of FIG. 1 , the housing 130 is molded onto the shield 120 such that the top edge 124 is exposed at the top of the wall portion 136 and such that the bottom edge 122 is exposed at the bottom of the base 132 .

[0059] The top edge 124 can be configured to contact a ground structure in a mating connector. In some embodiments, the shield 120 can be grounded near its top edge and bottom edge. The shield 120 may include a protrusion adjacent to the edge 122 at the mounting interface. The protrusion can provide a mechanism for connecting the shield 120 to a ground conductor on a PCB mounted with a connector that accommodates the terminal subassembly 100. In this example, the protrusion is configured as one or more pins 150. The pins can be configured to be inserted into corresponding holes of the PCB for pin-in-paste termination.

[0060] Pin solder paste termination can be achieved through a reflow soldering process using automated machinery. According to this process, the connector can be loosely held on the PCB so that the pins extending from the connector extend into the holes of the PCB with solder paste around the holes. When the PCB is placed in a reflow oven, the solder paste becomes liquefied solder. Due to capillary action, the solder is sucked into the hole to form a permanent bond between the pin and the conductive structure of the PCB inside the hole.

[0061] Reference Figure 2A When the connector is electrically connected to the PCB via BGA termination and pins dipped in solder paste, the shield may be offset relative to the PCB in areas where the pins are not inserted into the PCB, thereby forming a small gap 160 between the shield and the PCB.

[0062] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a terminal subassembly 100 according to some embodiments.

[0063] Figure 5 According to some embodiments FIG. 2A to FIG. 2B PCB 200 may include one or more contact pads configured to be electrically connected to signal terminals of a connector (e.g., signal terminals 110 of the terminal subassembly 100 described herein). The conductive pads may be electrically connected to traces or other conductive structures within the printed circuit board 200. The contact pads may be ball grid array (BGA) pad signal terminals.

[0064] The contact pads may include a plurality of first contact pads and a plurality of second contact pads. The plurality of first contact pads and the plurality of second contact pads may be configured to be electrically connected to a first signal terminal and a second signal terminal of a connector using, for example, a ball grid array (BGA) termination. The plurality of first and second may be arranged in columns, such as columns 410 and 430. Column 410 includes one or more contact pads 411. Column 430 includes one or more contact pads 431.

[0065] The PCB may also include a plurality of holes 421 configured to be electrically connected to a shielding member of a connector (e.g., shielding member 120 of terminal subassembly 100). The hole may be a through hole. The inner surface of the hole may have a conductive plating that establishes contact with a ground plane within the PCB. A plurality of holes may be configured to receive, for example, a plurality of pins of a shielding member of a connector. A plurality of holes may be arranged in columns 420, and columns 420 may be disposed between signal terminal columns 410 and 430. According to some examples, the hole may have a drill size between 9 mils and 13 mils (e.g., 11 mils). The drill size may be the diameter of a hole without a conductive plating.

[0066] According to some embodiments, the connector may have terminal pairs in each column spaced apart along the column at a center-to-center pair spacing of between 4 mm and 5 mm. In some examples, the density of the connector may be greater than 9 differential pairs (DP) / cm 2 In some examples, the density of connectors can be 9 DP / cm 2 Up to 12DP / cm 2 between.

[0067] In some embodiments, the size of the hole for the pin can be larger than the pin by a selected ratio. For example, the size of the hole can be selected to enable the connector to self-center during reflow so that the surface tension of the solder ball between the tail of the connector and the pad on the PCB pulls the connector to a position where the tail is aligned with the pad. For example, the diameter of the hole can be sufficiently larger than the diameter of the pin inserted into the hole so that the pin can move within the hole a distance at least equal to 10% of the diameter of the hole.

[0068] Figure 6 is an optional interconnect system according to some embodiments.

[0069] In a non-limiting embodiment, the connector may include a signal terminal configured to be electrically connected to a printed circuit board, wherein the connector is configured to be mounted to a surface of the printed circuit board. The connector may include a shield having an edge configured to be disposed below the surface of the printed circuit board, wherein the shield is configured to be electrically connected to a ground structure of the printed circuit board.

[0070] Figure 7 According to some embodiments Figure 6 A perspective view of a PCB of an alternative interconnect system. Figure 7 In the embodiment of the present invention, PCB 600 includes a milled slot 630. The milled slot 630 can expose the ground layer of the PCB. The milled slot can also include one or more through holes 631. The pins of the shielding member of a connector such as the terminal subassembly 500 (for example, for the pins to be attached to the PCB with solder paste) can be configured to be inserted into the through holes 630. When the pin solder paste soldering process is completed, the pins can be electrically connected to the ground layer of the PCB. As described herein, by mixing the termination types, the shielding member that prevents crosstalk can be moved closer to the circuit board and closer to the grounding portion of the PCB to provide better shielding for the electrical contacts.

[0071] For example, the solder balls 540 of the terminal assembly 500 may extend a first distance beyond the bottom of the housing 530 of the terminal assembly 500, and the ground conductors 520 may extend a second distance beyond the bottom of the housing 530, the second distance being greater than the first distance. When the assembly is mounted to the surface of a PCB, such as using a reflow operation as described herein, the edge of each ground conductor 520 may extend into a groove on the surface of the PCB.

[0072] PCB 600 may include one or more contact pads configured to be electrically connected to a signal terminal of a connector. The contact pads may include a plurality of first contact pads and a plurality of second contact pads arranged in columns (e.g., columns 610 and 630). Column 610 includes one or more contact pads 611. Column 620 includes one or more contact pads 621. The size of each pad may be determined to be used for solder ball connection with a corresponding signal terminal using a small solder ball, thereby achieving high frequency performance. For example, each solder ball may have a diameter less than 30 mils, such as a diameter between 20 mils and 25 mils.

[0073] exist Figure 6 and Figure 7 In the embodiment, because the milling groove 530 places the connection of the pins of the connector's shield at a lower plane than the connection of the BGA, in this embodiment, there is no gap 160 between the shield and the surface of the PCB containing the pad to which the solder ball is attached.

[0074] Fig. 8A and Figure 8BIt is a side perspective view and end view of a terminal subassembly configured to be mounted to a PCB using a hybrid termination technology according to some embodiments. In this example, the terminal subassembly 800 has two terminal rows 816A and 816B. The two terminal rows can be arranged to be parallel to each other and / or adjacent to each other. The base subsections 832A and 832B include terminals 816A and 816B respectively.

[0075] The base subsections 832A and 832B may include corresponding housing subsections 834A and 834B, respectively. The middle portions of the terminals 816A and 816B are held in the housing subsections 834A and 834B. The housing subsections may be molded onto the middle portions of the terminals, or the terminals may be inserted into openings in the housing subsections.

[0076] Each base subsection may also include one or more conductors that may be connected to one or more ground conductors of the PCB to which the terminal subassembly 800 is mounted. Fig. 8A and Figure 8B In the example of , the conductor can be a flat conductor and can operate as a shield. For example, shields 860A and 860B extend on either side of housing subsection 834A, and shields 860C and 860D extend on either side of housing subsection 834B. Figure 2A and Figure 7 As described, shields 860A and 860B can each have an edge that extends beyond the housing subportions to provide shielding between solder balls mounting the signal terminals to the PCB. Shields 860A and 860B can extend a sufficient distance from housing subportions 834A and 834B to be adjacent to at least 25% of the volume of the solder balls of the terminal subassembly, such as in some examples, adjacent to greater than 50% or 80% of the volume of the solder balls. As a specific example, the shields can extend from the housing subportions farther than the solder balls so that there is no gap between shields 860A and 860B and the surface of the PCB mounted to the terminal subassembly. As shown in Figure 7 , the edges of shields 860A and 860B may extend into slots on the PCB.

[0077] Each housing subsection 834A and 834B may include an array of recesses (not shown here), the size and shape of which may be designed as described above. The mounting ends of the corresponding terminals 816A and 816B may extend into the recesses. Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 3C and Figure 3D As depicted, solder balls 840A and 840B may be welded to the mounting ends of corresponding terminals 816A and 816B within the recesses.

[0078] The two base subsections 832A and 832B and the corresponding terminals 816A and 816B can be arranged on either side of the wall portion 836. The wall portion 836 can include conductors that can be connected to one or more ground conductors of the PCB on which the connector is mounted, which will combine Fig.8D and Fig. 8E The conductors may be flat and may act as a shield, such as shield 820. Shield 820 may be used to prevent crosstalk between terminals 816A and 816B in a similar manner as described in conjunction with shield 120.

[0079] In this example, shield 820 is within housing portion 834C. Fig. 8A , Figure 8B , Figure 8C and Fig.8D In the example of FIG. 8 , the shell 834C is molded onto the shield 820 such that the top edge 821A is exposed at the top of the wall portion 836 and the bottom edge 821B is exposed at the bottom of the shell 834C.

[0080] In the illustrated embodiment, two types of materials are molded onto the shield 820. A first portion of the molded material may be insulating and may be made of a material that is conventionally used to form an insulating housing for a connector. A second portion of the molded material may be lossy. FIG. 8A to FIG. 8E In an example of, each terminal subassembly may include one or more terminal columns, some of which are designated as signal terminals and other terminals are designated as ground terminals. The signal terminals may be arranged in pairs, and one or more ground terminals within a column may be on each side of a pair of signal terminals. The lossy portion may be preferentially positioned adjacent to the ground terminal.

[0081] In certain portions, lossy projections may extend from housing 834C and / or may pass through openings in shield 820, which would be combined with Fig.8D and Fig. 8E Detailed description is provided in further detail. In this example, the lossy protrusions can extend from the housing and the shield in two opposite directions so that the housing and the shield are substantially disposed in the middle of the lossy protrusions. As shown, for example, lossy protrusions 850A and 850B extend on both sides of the housing and the shield. Although not visible in FIG. 8, the shield 820 can include openings aligned with the protrusions 850A and 850B so that the protrusions on both sides of the shield 820 can be easily molded in one operation.

[0082] The bottom edge 821B of the shield 820 can extend between the base sub-portions 832A and 832B. The shield 820 can be electrically coupled and mechanically coupled to the base sub-portions 832A and 832B. In the example shown, lossy material can pass through the base sub-portions 832A and 832B and the shield 820 to mechanically couple these portions of the terminal sub-assembly. The lossy material can be introduced, for example, by molding, to fill the channels in the base sub-portions 832A and 832B and flow through the openings in the shield 820.

[0083] The lossy material can electrically connect the shield 820 and the ground structure within the base subsections 832A and 832B. In this example, the lossy material can be formed as a plastic filled with conductive particles so that it can be easily molded and can provide a sufficiently high conductivity to form an electrical connection, such as a bulk conductivity of greater than 50 Siemens / meter or greater than 200 Siemens / meter in some embodiments, or between 50 Siemens / meter and 30,000 Siemens / meter in some examples. For example, lossy portions 852B and 852C can be exposed portions of the lossy material. These lossy portions extend between and are electrically coupled to shields 860B and 860C of base subsections 832A and 832B, respectively.

[0084] Lossful portions 852B and 852C may intersect base sub-portions 832A and 832B, respectively, in one or more portions of the terminal sub-assembly. For example, lossy portions 852B and 852C may protrude on either side of terminal sub-assembly 800, as lossy portions 852A and 852D, respectively. This will combine Fig.8D and Fig. 8E According to some embodiments, FIG. 8C to FIG. 8E As shown, lossy portions 852A and 852D may be contact pads for mating with conductive ground structures in a complementary connector.

[0085] Figure 8C Is to use a combination Fig. 8A and Figure 8B An end perspective view of a plurality of terminal subassemblies formed by the described construction techniques, which are held together as a first connector, which is mated with a second connector including a plurality of similar terminal subassemblies. The support members holding the terminal subassemblies together are not explicitly shown, but support structures such as those described above may be used. FIG. 8C to FIG. 8E The portions of the pins that are received in the vias are shown in , because these figures show the portion of the connector extending around the surface of the PCB when the connector is mounted to the PCB.

[0086] exist Figure 8CIn the example of FIG. 8 , the housing 834C of the terminal subassembly 800A has cutouts 838 on either side of the exposed portion of the shield 820. The cutouts may correspond to the lossy portions 852A (not shown here) and 852D so that when the first connector is Figure 8C When mated with a second connector in a manner as described above, the lossy portions 852A and 852D of the first connector can be inserted into the cutout 838 of the second mating connector, and the lossy portion 852A will be electrically coupled to the shield 820 at the cutout 838.

[0087] The top edge 821A of the first terminal subassembly 800A can be configured to contact the lossy portion 852D of the adjacent terminal subassembly 800B from the second connector. When the terminal subassembly 800B is mounted to the PCB and the shield 860D is grounded, the lossy portion 852D can provide an electrical connection to ground through the shield 860D.

[0088] Similarly, the bottom edge 821B of the shield 820 of the first terminal subassembly can be configured to contact the lossy portions 852B and 852C. The lossy portions 852B and 852C can provide electrical connections to ground through the shields 860B and 860C, respectively.

[0089] Fig.8D It passes through the first position Figure 8C As described herein, in a first position, the lossy protrusion 850 can intersect the shield 820 so that the shield 820 is substantially located in the middle of the lossy protrusion 850. Accordingly, Fig.8D The cross-section of shows substantially solid portions of the shield 820, and these portions may be preferentially positioned adjacent to the signal terminals.

[0090] Fig. 8E It passes through the second position Figure 8C 820 and 834C are substantially in the middle of the lossy protrusion 850.

[0091] As described herein, lossy portions such as lossy portions 852B and 852C can pass through base sub-portions 832A and 832B at a second position. In this example, lossy portion 852C has an intermediate portion 853 that passes through housing sub-portion 834B and shields 860C and 860D. Lossy portion 853 can also pass through the corresponding housing sub-portion 834A and shields 860A and 860B. In this way, an electrical connection can be established between shield 820 and shields 860A and 860B. The grounding structures within the terminal subassembly can be interconnected and can support ground current flowing from the top edge 821A that mates with the complementary connector through the terminal subassembly to the pin 862A on the shield 860A, 860B, 860C, 860D that is connected to the grounding structure on the PCB. Optionally, the lossy portion may also pass through or around the ground terminal within the terminal subassembly to provide further interconnection of the ground structure within the terminal subassembly and provide a further current flow path for the ground current.

[0092] Fig. 8E A location within the terminal subassembly is shown where lossy material interconnects the shield 820 and planar conductive members 860A, 860B, 860C, 860D of the terminal subassembly and provides a contact location for mating with a terminal subassembly of a mating connector. Fig. 8A and Figure 8C It is shown that there can be multiple such locations along the length of the terminal subassembly. In the example shown, each terminal subassembly includes five such locations, which correspond to four pairs of signal terminals in the column, wherein there are five sets of ground terminals along the column, with one set of ground terminals on either side of each pair of signal terminal pairs. In this example, the signal terminal pairs in each column are aligned, just like the ground terminals. In addition, in this example, the ground terminal set between pairs contains two ground terminals, while the ground terminal set at each end of the column contains only one ground terminal.

[0093] As will be described in further detail herein, the lossy portions and lossy protrusions described herein may be made from electrically lossy materials.

[0094] exist Fig. 8A In the illustrated state, the terminals 816B of the terminal subassembly 800 are shown to be connected by a connecting rod 870. In the intermediate stage of manufacturing the terminal subassembly 800, one or more connecting rods may be present, but before the manufacture of the terminal subassembly is completed, the connecting rod 870 may be cut off to electrically separate the terminals. Accordingly, the connecting rod 870 may not be present in the finished connector.

[0095] The terminal subassembly can be formed, for example, by stamping out a row of terminals from a sheet of metal. When initially stamped, the terminals can be joined together by one or more metal strips stamped out from the sheet. These metal strips can hold the terminals in place relative to each other. Subsequently, the terminals can be overmolded with insulating materials to form a housing portion for the terminal subassembly. Since the spacing of the terminals is controlled by the stamping die, the positions of the terminals relative to each other can also be controlled even during the overmolding operation. Once the overmolding operation is completed, the overmolded housing portion can hold the terminals in place, and the connecting rod can be cut off. In this example, the connecting rod 870 can be cut off after the housing subsection 834B is molded around the terminal 816B and before the lossy parts 852A, 852B, 852C and 852D are molded.

[0096] Fig. 9 is a sketch of a portion of a connector footprint on a PCB to which the connector is attached using a hybrid termination technique, according to some embodiments.

[0097] Section 910 is a portion of the connector footprint that may be mounted with a single terminal subassembly. In this example, the signal terminals and ground terminals within the terminal subassembly are attached to the PCB using BGA attachment. The planar ground conductors may be attached using pins and paste. In this example, the terminal subassembly may include a housing subsection, such as in Fig. 8A , Figure 8B , Figure 8C and Fig.8D However, the arrangement of the terminals aligned with the footprint shown may be different. Fig. 8A , Figure 8B , Figure 8C and Fig.8D The terminal arrangements shown in the terminal subassemblies are different.

[0098] Section 910 may be repeated for each terminal subassembly in the connector, thereby producing a Fig. 9 A connector footprint is shown having mounting locations for multiple parallel columns of terminals. In this example, each of the terminal subassemblies has two columns of terminals arranged as six pairs of signal terminals and seven groups of ground terminals. Furthermore, in this example, the centers of the pairs in the first column are offset in the column direction relative to the centers of the pairs in the adjacent second column. Additionally, the ground terminal group at one end of each column includes two ground terminals, while the ground terminal group at the other end has only one ground terminal. Such a terminal subassembly can be constructed from two base subsections having the same configuration, but one base subsection can be rotated 180 degrees relative to the other.

[0099] Trace sets 920A, 920B, and 920C may represent traces within the same routing channel on different layers of a PCB. For example, trace set 920C may be set on a lower layer than trace set 920B, and trace set 920B may be set on a lower layer than trace set 920A. Each trace is connected to a single signal hole. Fig. 9 In the example of , the trace set includes two traces for differential pair 930 .

[0100] Section 910 may include one or more anti-pads 950. Anti-pads 950 represent void areas in the internal ground layer of the PCB surrounding vias 940A and 940B so that vias 940A and 940B are not connected to the ground. Vias 940A and 940B within anti-pads 950 may be connected to a trace set, such as trace set 920A, trace set 920B, or trace set 920C. When the terminal subassembly is mounted on a PCB having section 910 of a connector footprint, solder balls fused to signal terminals are electrically connected to vias such as vias 940A and 940B. For example, the PCB may be manufactured to have a pad on the surface above each of vias 940A and 940B, and the solder balls may be fused to the pad.

[0101] Vias 950 disposed outside the solder resist pad and aligned with the vias in the solder resist pad can be connected to ground structures within the PCB. These vias can similarly intersect with pads on the surface of the PCB to achieve solder ball attachment of ground terminals in the terminal subassembly.

[0102] The vias 960 on either side of the solder resist pad 950 may also be connected to a ground structure within the PCB. These vias may be configured to receive pins such as pin 862A of a flat conductor of a base sub-portion such as a shield 860A-860D. Optionally, one or more shadow vias may be included. The shadow via may be a small drilled plated through hole (PTH) via that may be used near a differential pin pair (e.g., a pin pair to be mounted to 940A and 940B) to provide desired normal transmission and differential transmission. The shadow via may be allowed to be plated shut. For example, a conductive material may be filled in the via to establish an electrical connection with the ground layer of the PCB. According to some embodiments, the diameter of the shadow via may be smaller than the diameter of the via 960 receiving the pin. Via 960 may also have a larger diameter than the ground via 950 and / or signal vias 940A and 940B.

[0103] Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B1 and 2 are top and bottom side perspective views, respectively, of a terminal subassembly 1000 configured for mounting to a PCB using an alternative hybrid termination technique, according to some embodiments. Fig. 10C The terminal subassembly is Fig. 10B An enlarged view of the portion labeled 10C.

[0104] Fig. 10C The terminal array within the terminal subassembly is shown to include signal terminal pairs 1050A and 1050B. One or more ground terminals 1060 can be positioned on either side of the signal terminal pairs 1050A and 1050B. In this example, the tails of the signal terminals and the ground terminals are terminated in recesses on the bottom of the terminal subassembly housing, wherein solder balls 1052A, 1052B, and 1040 are fused to the tails, respectively. In this example, each ground terminal 1060 is wider than the signal terminal, and two solder balls 1040 are fused to each ground terminal 1060.

[0105] like Fig. 11B As shown, a plurality of terminal subassemblies 1000 can be held together to form a connector having a plurality of parallel terminal columns. The terminal subassembly 1000 can be connected to the PCB 1100 using a hybrid technology. For example, one or more shields of the terminal subassembly 1000 can have a lead portion, such as a J-shaped lead portion or a gull-wing lead portion, which is configured to be mounted to a pad of a PCB using a surface mount technology.

[0106] The terminal subassembly 1000 may include a housing 1030. As described in the present application, the housing 1030 may be made of an insulating material, such as nylon or other thermoplastic materials. The housing 1030 may hold the terminal array 1010. The terminals may include a signal terminal 1011A and a ground terminal 1011B. The housing 1030 may hold the terminal 110. For example, the housing 1030 may be molded onto the middle portion of the terminal 1010. Alternatively, the terminal may be inserted into an opening of the housing.

[0107] When the connector including the terminal subassembly 1000 is mounted to a PCB, the ground terminal 1011B can be electrically connected to one or more ground conductors of the PCB. According to some embodiments, the signal terminal can have a first width and the ground terminal can have a second width, wherein the second width is greater than the first width, for example, substantially twice the first width.

[0108] The bottom of the housing 1030 may include a dimple column 1034. The mounting end of the terminal 1010 may extend into the dimple 1034, and the solder ball 1040 may be fused to the mounting end of the terminal within the dimple. As described in conjunction with the terminal assembly 1000, when the terminal subassembly 1000 is combined with other similar terminal subassemblies into a connector, the solder balls 1040 of each terminal subassembly may form a plurality of solder ball columns that form a ball grid array (BGA) at the mounting interface of the connector.

[0109] The terminal subassembly 1000 may also include one or more conductors that may be connected to one or more ground conductors of the PCB on which the connector is mounted. The ground conductor may be flat and may be used as a shield. For example, the terminal subassembly 1000 includes two ground conductors that extend parallel to and adjacent to the column 1010 on opposite sides of the housing 1030 and serve as a shield 1020. When the terminal subassembly 1000 is incorporated into a connector together with other similar terminal subassemblies as described herein, the shield 1020 may prevent crosstalk between the terminal column 1010 and other columns corresponding to other terminal subassemblies.

[0110] As described herein, the mounting end of the electrical contact 1010 can have a solder wettable edge, and the surface of the joining edge has a solder non-wettable coating. The mounting ends of the two contacts 1011A and 1011B can include a protrusion that extends into a recess formed in the surface of the housing. The shield 1020 can include a protrusion, such as a J-shaped lead portion or a gull-wing lead portion 1021. In this example, the protrusion is configured as one or more gull-wing lead portions 1021, and the gull-wing lead portions connect the shield 1020 to the ground conductor of the PCB. The lead portion can be configured to be mounted to a corresponding pad of the PCB using a surface mount termination technology.

[0111] The shield 1020 may also include a protrusion 1022. The protrusion 1022 may be shaped to provide electrical contact with the solder ball 1040 when the electrical contact of the terminal subassembly 1000 receives the solder ball 1040 at its mounting end. For example, the protrusion 1022 of the shield may be bent inwardly toward the centerline of the terminal column in the terminal subassembly. The bent end of the protrusion 1022 may extend into a recess 1034 in a surface of the housing 1030 configured to be mounted against the circuit assembly. The ends of the protrusion 1022 may each be fused to a corresponding tail of the terminal 1010 via a portion of the solder ball disposed in the corresponding recess 1034.

[0112] Fig.11A yes Fig. 10A End view of the terminal subassembly in .

[0113] Fig. 11B Yes Fig. 10A An end view of a plurality of terminal subassemblies mounted to a printed circuit board. Fig. 10A , Fig. 10B and Fig. 10C The structure 1000 in FIG. 1 can be repeated to form a connector having multiple parallel terminal columns. For example, terminal subassemblies 1001A, 1001B, 1001C, and 1001D are mounted to PCB 1100 in adjacent parallel columns. Protrusions 1021 are mounted to pads 1101. Solder balls 1040 are mounted to pads 1102.

[0114] In some examples, a connector as described herein may include one or more Fig. 10A , Fig. 10B and Fig. 10C The terminal subassembly 1000 is shown. For example, as shown in Fig. 11B In some embodiments, the connector may have four terminal subassemblies. In an optional example, the electronic assembly may include more than one such connector. For example, the assembly may include a second printed circuit board parallel to the first printed circuit board, and a second connector mounted to the second PCB and mating with the first connector. In some embodiments, the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board may be separated by a distance between 3 millimeters (mm) and 6 mm (e.g., 4 mm, 5 mm).

[0115] Fig. 12A is a bottom side perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a terminal subassembly configured for mounting to a PCB according to some embodiments. In this example, the terminal subassembly includes a flat ground conductor that can be included in a circuit board such as a Fig. 12A Shielding and / or impedance control is provided at the mounting interface of the connector of the subassembly shown. However, no additional mounting location is required to connect the flat ground conductor to the ground structure within the PCB to which the connector is mounted. Rather, the connection to the ground of the PCB is achieved through a solder ball that is used to connect the ground terminal to the ground of the PCB. Fig. 12A The terminal subassembly may be as described above in conjunction with terminal subassembly 1000 , with the gull-wing lead portion 1021 omitted.

[0116] Fig. 12B yes Fig. 12A An enlarged view of the portion of the terminal subassembly labeled 12B in FIG. 1 in the manufactured state with the first planar conductor attached and before the solder ball is fused to the tail of the ground conductor of the terminal assembly.

[0117] Fig. 12C yes Fig. 12AAn enlarged view of the portion of the terminal subassembly labeled 12B in FIG. 1 in the manufactured state with the first and second flat conductors attached and before the solder ball is fused to the tail of the ground conductor of the terminal assembly.

[0118] As in Fig.11A , Fig. 11B 11C and 11D, the structure 1200 can be repeated to form a connector having multiple parallel columns of terminals. The terminal subassembly 1200 can include a housing 1230 made of an insulating material such as nylon or other thermoplastic material.

[0119] The housing 1230 can hold the terminal column 1210, which can include a signal terminal 1211A and a ground terminal 1211B. As described herein, the housing 1230 can hold the terminal 1210. For example, the housing 1230 can be molded on the middle portion of the terminal 1210, or inserted into an opening of the housing. The ground terminal 1211B can be electrically connected to one or more ground conductors of the PCB. According to some embodiments, the signal terminal can have a first width, and the ground terminal can have a second width, wherein the second width is greater than the second width, for example, substantially twice the first width.

[0120] The bottom of the housing 1230 may include an array of dimples 1234. The mounting ends of the terminals 1210 may extend into the dimples 1234, and solder balls 1240 may be fused to the mounting ends of the terminals within the dimples.

[0121] Similar to the structure described in conjunction with terminal assembly 1000, terminal subassembly 1200 may also include one or more conductors that may be connected to one or more ground structures of the PCB to which the connector is mounted. The ground conductor may be flat and may be used as a shield. For example, terminal subassembly 1200 includes two ground conductors that extend parallel to and adjacent to column 1210 on opposite sides of housing 1230 and serve as shield 1220. When terminal subassembly 1200 is incorporated into a connector as described herein along with other similar terminal subassemblies, shield 1220 may prevent crosstalk between terminal column 1210 and other columns of other terminal subassemblies.

[0122] As described herein, the mounting end of the electrical contact 1210 can have a solder wettable edge and the surface of the joining edge can have a solder non-wettable coating.The mounting end of the contact can include a protrusion that extends into a recess formed in a surface of the housing.

[0123] The shield 1220 may include a protrusion 1221 shaped to provide electrical contact with the solder ball 1240 when the electrical contact of the terminal subassembly 1200 receives the solder ball 1240 at its mounting end. FIG. 12A to FIG. 12D In the example of FIG. 1 , the protrusion 1221 of the shield is curved so that the end of the protrusion extends into the recess 1234 in the surface of the housing 1230. For example, the end of the protrusion 1221 can be bent inwardly in a direction toward the solder ball it is to contact.

[0124] exist Fig. 12B and Fig. 12C In the example of , the protrusion 1221 surrounds the indentation 1231 of the shield 1230 and lines a portion of the wall of the recess 1234 so that when the solder ball is fused to the contact extending into the recess 1234, the solder ball also fuses to the protrusion.

[0125] Fig.12D Yes Fig. 12A The enlarged cross section of the ground terminal in the manufacturing state with the first flat conductor and the second flat conductor and two solder balls attached. The end of the protrusion 1221 is welded to the terminal (eg Fig.12D The tail of terminal 1211B).

[0126] Such a material may be considered lossy: the material dissipates a sufficient portion of the electromagnetic energy that interacts with the material to significantly affect the performance of the connector. The significant effect is caused by attenuation within the frequency range of interest to the connector. In some configurations, the lossy material can suppress resonances within the ground structure of the connector, and the frequency range of interest may include the natural frequency of the resonant structure. In other configurations, the frequency range of interest may be the operating frequency range of the connector. Unless otherwise specified, the frequency range of interest may extend from at least 1 GHz to at least 25 GHz.

[0127] Losses may be caused by the interaction of the electric field component of the electromagnetic energy with the material, in which case the material may be referred to as electrically lossy. Alternatively or additionally, losses may be caused by the interaction of the magnetic field component of the electromagnetic energy with the material, in which case the material may be referred to as magnetically lossy.

[0128] Generally speaking, an electrically lossy material can be a material that conducts electricity over a frequency range of interest, but with some losses such that the material is less conductive than a conductor but better than an insulator. An electrically lossy material can be formed from lossy dielectric materials and / or poorly conductive materials. An electrically lossy material can be formed from materials that are traditionally considered dielectric materials, such as those having an electric loss tangent greater than about 0.01, greater than 0.05, or between 0.01 and 0.2 over a frequency range of interest. The "electrical loss tangent" is the ratio of the imaginary part to the real part of the complex dielectric constant of a material.

[0129] Electrically lossy materials may also be formed from materials that are generally considered conductors but are relatively poor conductors in the frequency range of interest. Such materials may contain conductive particles or regions that are sufficiently dispersed that they do not provide high conductivity, or that are otherwise prepared to have properties that result in relatively poor bulk conductivity compared to good conductors such as copper in the frequency range of interest. Electrically lossy materials of this type typically have a bulk conductivity of about 1 siemens / meter to about 100,000 siemens / meter, and preferably about 1 siemens / meter to about 30,000 siemens / meter. In some embodiments, materials having a bulk conductivity of between about 10 siemens / meter to about 500 siemens / meter may be used. As a specific example, a material having a conductivity of about 50 siemens / meter may be used. However, it should be understood that the conductivity of the material can be selected empirically or through electrical simulation using known simulation tools to determine the appropriate conductivity that provides suitably low crosstalk with suitably low signal path attenuation or insertion loss. It should also be understood that any other suitable signal integrity (SI) characteristics can be used in such empirical testing or electrical simulations for selecting the conductivity of the electrically lossy material.

[0130] In some embodiments, a lossy material is formed by adding a filler containing particles to a binder. In such embodiments, a lossy member can be formed by molding or otherwise forming a binder with a filler into a desired form. The lossy material can be molded on a conductor and / or molded in a conductor through an opening, and the conductor can be a ground conductor or a shield of a connector. Molding the lossy material on a conductor or in a conductor through an opening can ensure close contact between the lossy material and the conductor, which can reduce the possibility of the conductor supporting resonance at a frequency of interest. However, close contact is not necessary, because sufficient electrical coupling such as capacitive coupling between the lossy member and the conductor can produce the desired result. For example, in some cases, a coupling of 100pF between the lossy member and the ground conductor can have a significant effect on suppressing resonance in the ground conductor. In other examples employing signal frequencies in the range of about 10 GHz or higher, the reduction in electromagnetic energy in the conductor can be provided by sufficient capacitive coupling between the lossy material and the conductor, the capacitive coupling having a mutual capacitance in the range of between about 0.01 pF to about 100 pF, between about 0.01 pF to about 10 pF, or between about 0.01 pF to about 1 pF. Alternatively or additionally, the lossy material can be molded over the insulating material, or vice versa, such as in a secondary injection molding operation, and can be pressed against or positioned sufficiently close to the ground conductor to allow for significant capacitive coupling with the ground conductor.

[0131] To form an electrically lossy material, the filler can be a conductive particle. Examples of conductive particles that can be used as fillers to form electrically lossy materials include carbon or graphite formed into fibers, flakes, nanoparticles, or other types of particles. Various forms of fibers can be used, in woven or non-woven form, coated or uncoated. Non-woven carbon fiber is a suitable material. Metals in the form of powders, flakes, fibers, or other particles can also be used to provide suitable electrical loss characteristics. Alternatively, a combination of fillers can be used. For example, metal-coated carbon particles can be used. Silver and nickel are suitable metal coatings for fibers. Coated particles can be used alone or in combination with other fillers such as carbon flakes.

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

[0133] The bonding agent or matrix can be any material that will solidify to position the filler, solidify to position the filler, or can be used to position the filler in other ways. In some embodiments, the bonding agent can be a thermoplastic material traditionally used to make electrical connectors to facilitate molding the electrical loss material into a desired shape and molded to a desired position as part of making the electrical connector. Examples of such materials include liquid crystal polymers (LCP) and nylon. However, many optional forms of bonding agent materials can be used. Curable materials such as epoxy resins can be used as bonding agents. Alternatively, materials such as thermosetting resins or adhesives can be used.

[0134] Moreover, while the above-described binder materials can be used to form an electrically lossy material by forming a binder around a conductive particle filler, aspects of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, the conductive particles can be impregnated into the formed matrix material, or can be coated onto the formed matrix material, such as by applying a conductive coating to a plastic housing. As used herein, the term "binder" includes materials that encapsulate fillers, are impregnated with fillers, or otherwise act as a substrate to hold fillers.

[0135] Although the above-described binder materials can be used to form an electrically lossy material by forming a binder around a conductive particle filler, aspects of the present invention are not limited thereto. In a non-limiting example, the electrically lossy material can include a metal. In some examples, the conductive particles can be impregnated into the formed matrix material, or can be coated onto the formed matrix material, such as by applying a conductive coating to a plastic part or a metal part. As used herein, the term "binder" includes a material that encapsulates a filler, is impregnated with a filler, or otherwise acts as a substrate to retain a filler.

[0136] For example, magnetic lossy materials can be formed from materials that are traditionally considered ferromagnetic materials, such as those having a magnetic loss tangent greater than about 0.05 over the frequency range of interest. The "magnetic loss tangent" is the ratio of the imaginary part to the real part of the complex dielectric constant of a material. Materials with higher loss tangent values ​​can also be used.

[0137] In some embodiments, the magnetic loss material can be formed of a binder or matrix material filled with particles, wherein the particles provide magnetic loss properties to the layer. The magnetic loss particles can be in any convenient form, such as flakes or fibers. Ferrites are common magnetic loss materials. Materials such as magnesium ferrite, nickel ferrite, lithium ferrite, yttrium garnet or aluminum garnet can be used. Ferrites typically have a magnetic loss tangent value greater than 0.1 in the frequency range of interest. Currently preferred ferrite materials have a loss tangent value between about 0.1 and 1.0 in the frequency range of 1 GHz to 3 GHz, and more preferably have a magnetic loss tangent value greater than 0.5.

[0138] Actual magnetic lossy materials or mixtures containing magnetic lossy materials may also exhibit useful magnitudes of dielectric loss or conductive loss effects over portions of the frequency range of interest. Similar to the manner in which electrically lossy materials may be formed as described above, suitable materials may be formed by adding fillers that produce magnetic losses to a binder.

[0139] A material may be both a lossy dielectric or lossy conductor and a magnetic lossy material. For example, such a material may be formed by using a partially conductive magnetic lossy filler or by using a combination of a magnetic lossy filler and an electrical lossy filler.

[0140] The lossy portion may also be formed in a variety of ways. In some embodiments, the lossy portion may be formed by interleaving layers of lossy and conductive materials such as metal foil. The layers may be firmly attached to each other, such as by using an epoxy or other adhesive, or may be held together in any other suitable manner. The layers may have the desired shape before being secured to each other, or may be stamped or otherwise formed after they are held together. As a further alternative, the lossy portion may be formed by coating a plastic or other insulating material with a lossy coating such as a diffusion metal coating.

[0141] The present disclosure is not limited to the details of construction or the arrangement of components set forth in the above description and / or drawings. The various embodiments are provided for illustrative purposes only, and the concepts described herein can be practiced or carried out in other ways.

[0142] For example, the terminal subassembly may include a standoff located on the bottom. FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D In the terminal subassembly shown, the housing 130 may include one or more legs (not shown) extending from the base portion 132. When the terminal subassembly 100 is mounted at the PCB, the legs may provide clearance between the bottom of the base portion 132 and the top surface of the PCB. The legs may be separately attached to the housing 130, or may be molded as part of the housing 130.

[0143] As another example, the tail of the terminal can be shaped in various ways to accommodate solder ball attachment. The terminal can be bent as shown in FIG. 1B to facilitate attachment to the surface of the tail parallel to the mounting interface of the connector. Alternatively, the tail can be shaped so that the solder ball is fused to the opposite sides of the tail perpendicular to the mounting interface, or preferably to the edge of the tail facing the mounting interface. For example, the mounting end of the tail can have an edge that is wettable by solder, and the surface of the connecting edge has a coating that is not wettable by solder (also known as anti-wetting).

[0144] Alternatively or additionally, the mounting end of the tail may include a protrusion extending into a recess formed in a surface of the housing that is configured to be mounted against the circuit assembly. These protrusions may have solder wettable edges, which may help attach the solder ball to the contact. The edge may be made solder wettable by applying a soldering agent (e.g., by using a flux pin transfer technique). Alternatively or additionally, the edge may be made solder wettable by applying a solder wettable layer (e.g., a layer of copper, gold, nickel, a nickel-vanadium alloy) to the edge.

[0145] As another example, the contact pads on the surface of the PCB for BGA attachment are shown as circular pads. The pads may have other shapes, such as square or oval.

[0146] As another example, one or more rows of terminals in a connector are described as being implemented as terminal subassemblies. The connector can be constructed from a plurality of such terminal subassemblies, which are held together by a support member. However, the configuration of the same signal terminals and grounding structures can also be optionally implemented with a common connector housing.

[0147] As an exemplary embodiment, a mezzanine connector includes: a shell having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side; a plurality of terminal columns held within the shell, each of the plurality of terminals including a tail; a plurality of solder balls, each of the plurality of solder balls being attached to a tail of a corresponding terminal of the plurality of terminals adjacent to the first side of the shell; and a plurality of conductive members, each of the plurality of conductive members extending perpendicularly to the first side of the shell and parallel to and adjacent to at least one corresponding column of the plurality of terminal columns, wherein each of the plurality of conductive members may include a plurality of protrusions, each of the plurality of protrusions being configured to be connected to a grounding structure of the printed circuit board via solder when the mezzanine connector is mounted to a surface of the printed circuit board.

[0148] Optionally, each of the plurality of conductive members includes an edge, and the plurality of protrusions extend from the edge. Optionally, the edge of each of the plurality of conductive members is adjacent to the first side, and the plurality of protrusions include pins extending perpendicular to the first side. Optionally, the plurality of solder balls extend beyond the first side by a first distance; and each of the plurality of conductive members extends beyond the first side by a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance. Optionally, the second distance is such that the edge of each of the plurality of conductive elements is configured to extend into a groove in the surface of the printed circuit board when the mezzanine connector is mounted to the surface of the printed circuit board using a reflow operation, wherein the reflow operation fuses the plurality of solder balls to pads on the surface of the printed circuit board.

[0149] Optionally, the first side of the housing includes a plurality of dimples; the tail of each of the plurality of terminals extends into a corresponding dimple of the plurality of dimples; and the plurality of protrusions are bent to extend into a dimple of the plurality of dimples. Optionally, each of the plurality of solder balls is partially disposed in a dimple of the plurality of dimples; and for each of the plurality of conductive members, each of the plurality of protrusions is fused to a corresponding tail of one of the plurality of terminals via a portion of the solder ball disposed in one of the plurality of dimples. Optionally, for each of the plurality of conductive members, the plurality of protrusions are a plurality of first protrusions; each of the plurality of conductive members includes a plurality of second protrusions; and the protrusions of the plurality of second protrusions are configured as J-leads.

[0150] Optionally, the mezzanine connector includes a plurality of terminal subassemblies, each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies including: a portion of the housing; and at least one of the plurality of terminal columns held within the housing portion. Optionally, each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies also includes at least one of the plurality of conductive members. Optionally, each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies includes a lossy material electrically coupled to the corresponding at least one conductive member. Optionally, the at least one of the plurality of terminal columns is two terminal columns. Optionally, for each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies: the portion of the housing includes a first subsection and a second subsection of the housing; the first column of the at least one of the plurality of terminal columns is held within the first subsection of the housing; the second column of the at least one of the plurality of terminal columns is held within the second subsection of the housing; and for each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies, the at least one of the plurality of conductive members includes a first conductive member attached to the first subsection of the housing and a second conductive member attached to the first subsection of the housing. Optionally, for each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies, at least one of the plurality of conductive members further comprises a third conductive member mechanically coupled to the first subsection of the housing and a fourth conductive member mechanically coupled to the first subsection of the housing. Optionally, each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies further comprises a lossy material electrically coupling the first conductive member and the third conductive member and the second conductive member and the fourth conductive member. Optionally, each of the plurality of terminals comprises a mating contact portion; and each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies further comprises a shield between the mating contact portions of the terminals of the first column and the second column. Optionally, each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies comprises a lossy material coupled to the shield, the first conductive member, the second conductive member, the third conductive member, and the fourth conductive member.

[0151] Optionally, for each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies: the portion of the housing includes a base and a wall extending perpendicular to the base; the terminals of the first column of the two terminal columns are held in the base and include mating contact portions; the terminals of the second column of the two terminal columns are held in the base and include mating contact portions; and the wall is located between the mating contact portions of the terminals of the first column and the mating contact portions of the terminals of the second column. Optionally, for each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies: the at least one conductive element includes a flat conductive element, the flat conductive element including a first edge extending beyond the first portion of the housing at the first side and a second edge extending from the portion of the housing at the second side. Optionally, for each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies: the portion of the housing is molded onto the flat conductive element.

[0152] Optionally, for each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies: the at least one terminal column includes pairs of terminals having a first width and terminals having a second width greater than the first width, the terminals having the second width being arranged alternately with pairs of terminals having the first width; the solder balls in the first subset of the plurality of solder balls are each fused to a corresponding tail of the terminal having the second width and a corresponding protrusion of one of the plurality of conductive members. Optionally, the pairs of terminals in the at least one column are spaced apart along the column with a center-to-center pair spacing of between 4 mm and 5 mm. Optionally, for each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies: for each of the plurality of conductive members, the plurality of protrusions are a plurality of first protrusions; each of the plurality of conductive members includes a plurality of second protrusions; and the protrusions in the plurality of second protrusions are configured as J-shaped lead portions. Optionally, the density of the mezzanine connector is greater than 9 differential pairs (DP) / cm 2 . Optionally, the diameter of the solder ball is between 20 mils and 25 mils. Optionally, adjacent columns of the plurality of columns are separated by a distance between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm. Optionally, for each of the plurality of conductive members, a first portion of each of the plurality of protrusions comprises a solder wettable coating and a second portion of the conductive member comprises an anti-wetting coating. Optionally, the first side of the housing comprises a plurality of legs.

[0153] As an exemplary embodiment, an electrical connector includes: a plurality of terminal subassemblies, wherein each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies includes: an insulating portion having a first side; a column, the column including a plurality of terminals held within the insulating portion, wherein: each of the plurality of terminals includes a tail portion extending from the insulating portion at the first side, a mating contact portion extending from the insulating portion, and an intermediate portion, the intermediate portion connecting the tail portion and the mating contact portion, and for each of the plurality of terminals, the intermediate portion is held by the insulating portion; a plurality of solder balls, the plurality of solder balls being connected to corresponding tail portions of the tail portions of the plurality of terminals at the first side; and at least one flat conductive member extending parallel to the column, wherein the flat conductive member includes a plurality of protrusions, the plurality of protrusions extending from the flat conductive member adjacent to the first side.

[0154] Optionally, each of the plurality of protrusions is configured to be connected to a ground structure of the printed circuit board via solder when the electrical connector is mounted to the surface of the printed circuit board in a manner that the first side of the insulating portion faces the surface of the printed circuit board. Optionally, the edge of each of the at least one flat conductive member is adjacent to the first side, and the plurality of protrusions include pins extending perpendicular to the first side. Optionally, the plurality of solder balls extend beyond the first side by a first distance; and each of the at least one flat conductive member extends beyond the first side by a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance. Optionally, the second distance is configured such that the edge of each of the plurality of conductive members extends into a groove in the surface of the printed circuit board when the mezzanine connector is mounted to the surface of the printed circuit board using a reflow operation, wherein the reflow operation fuses the plurality of solder balls to pads on the surface of the printed circuit board.

[0155] Optionally, each of the plurality of protrusions extends into a corresponding recess in a plurality of recesses. Optionally, the first side of the housing includes a plurality of recesses; the tail of each of the plurality of terminals extends into a corresponding recess in the plurality of recesses; and the plurality of protrusions extend into recesses in the plurality of recesses. Optionally, the insulating portion is molded over the middle portion of the terminal. Optionally, each of the plurality of protrusions includes a first portion having a solder wettable coating and a second portion having an anti-wetting coating. Optionally, each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies includes a lossy material that intersects the at least one conductive member in at least a portion of the conductive member. Optionally, the lossy material is electrically coupled to the at least one conductive member. Optionally, the lossy material also intersects the insulating portion of each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies in at least a portion of the insulating portion.

[0156] As an exemplary embodiment, an electronic component includes: a printed circuit board, the printed circuit board including: a surface; a plurality of solder pads on the surface; and a grounding structure within the printed circuit board; and a connector mounted to the surface, the connector including: a shell, the shell including a side facing the surface of the printed circuit board; the plurality of terminals held by the shell, each of the plurality of terminals including a tail; a plurality of solder blocks between the shell and the surface of the printed circuit board, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of solder blocks is attached to the tails of the plurality of terminals to connect the tails of the plurality of terminals to corresponding pads among the plurality of solder pads; and a plurality of conductive members, the plurality of conductive members being mechanically connected to the shell and being disposed at least between the tails of a set of terminals among the plurality of terminals, wherein: the plurality of conductive members each include a plurality of protrusions extending into a space between the one side of the shell and the surface of the printed circuit board; and the plurality of protrusions are electrically coupled to the grounding structure within the printed circuit board through solder blocks among the plurality of solder blocks.

[0157] Optionally, the plurality of solder masses include solder balls. Optionally, the plurality of protrusions of the plurality of conductive members extend from the housing into a space between the one side of the housing and the surface of the printed circuit board. Optionally, each of the plurality of conductive members includes an edge, and the plurality of protrusions of each of the plurality of conductive members extend from the edge. Optionally, the printed circuit board includes a plurality of pads coupled to the ground structure within the printed circuit board; a subset of the plurality of solder masses are mechanically and electrically coupled to: tails of terminals of the plurality of terminals, protrusions of the plurality of protrusions, and pads of the plurality of pads coupled to the ground structure within the printed circuit board.

[0158] Optionally, the printed circuit board includes a plurality of solder pads coupled to the ground structure within the printed circuit board; the plurality of solder blocks are a plurality of first solder blocks; the electronic component also includes a plurality of second solder blocks; and the plurality of protrusions of the plurality of conductive members include J-shaped lead portions and are welded to the plurality of solder pads coupled to the ground structure within the printed circuit board via solder blocks among the plurality of second solder blocks.

[0159] Optionally, the printed circuit board is a first printed circuit board; the connector is a first connector; the electronic component includes: a second printed circuit board parallel to the first printed circuit board; a second connector, the second connector is mounted to the second printed circuit board and cooperates with the first connector, wherein the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board are separated by a distance between 3 mm and 6 mm.

[0160] Optionally, the conductive member of the first connector is electrically coupled to the lossy material of the second connector. Optionally, the lossy material of the second connector is electrically coupled to the conductive member of the second connector that is connected to a ground layer of the PCB. Optionally, the lossy material of the second connector is electrically coupled to the conductive member by intersecting the conductive member in at least a portion of the conductive member of the second connector. Optionally, each of the plurality of protrusions includes a first portion having a solder wettable coating and a second portion having an anti-wetting coating.

[0161] As an exemplary embodiment, a connector is configured to be electrically coupled to a printed circuit board (PCB) using hybrid attachment, the connector comprising: a plurality of first signal terminals and a plurality of second signal terminals, wherein the plurality of first signal terminals and the plurality of second signal terminals are configured to be electrically connected to traces of the PCB using solder balls to form a ball grid array (BGA) termination; and a shield between the plurality of first signal terminals and the plurality of second signal terminals, wherein the shield comprises one or more pins configured to be inserted into one or more holes of the PCB.

[0162] Optionally, the one or more pins of the shielding member are configured to be electrically connected to a ground layer of the PCB through the hole. Optionally, the connector further comprises a housing, wherein the shielding member is disposed in a groove of the housing. Optionally, the plurality of first signal terminals and the plurality of second signal terminals comprise differential signal pairs. Optionally, the housing is an insulating housing. Optionally, the signal terminals of the plurality of first signal terminals are arranged in a first column, and the signal terminals of the plurality of second signal terminals are arranged in a second column parallel to the first column.

[0163] As an exemplary embodiment, a printed circuit board (PCB) is configured to be electrically coupled to a connector, the PCB comprising: a plurality of first signal pads and a plurality of second signal pads, wherein the plurality of first signal pads and the plurality of second signal pads are configured to be electrically connected to signal terminals of the connector using a ball grid array (BGA) termination; and a plurality of holes disposed between the plurality of first pads and the plurality of second pads, wherein the plurality of holes are configured to receive a plurality of corresponding pins of a shielding member of the connector.

[0164] Optionally, the PCB further comprises a slot, and the plurality of holes are disposed within the slot. Optionally, the PCB comprises a ground layer, and one or more pins of a shield of a connector are configured to be electrically connected to the ground layer of the PCB. Optionally, the signal pads of the plurality of first signal pads are arranged in a first column, and the pad signal terminals of the plurality of second pad signal terminals are arranged in a second column parallel to the first column. Optionally, the drilling size of the hole is between 9 mils and 13 mils. Optionally, the drilling size of the hole is approximately 11 mils. Optionally, the drilling size of the hole is at least 25% larger than the diameter of the one or more pins.

[0165] As an exemplary embodiment, a connector includes: a signal terminal configured to be electrically connected to a printed circuit board; wherein the connector is configured to be mounted to a surface of the printed circuit board; and a shield having an edge configured to be set below the surface of the printed circuit board, wherein the shield is configured to be electrically connected to a grounding structure of the printed circuit board.

[0166] Optionally, the connector is mounted using a soldering operation. Optionally, the connector is mounted using a J-lead portion configured for attachment to the printed circuit board using surface mount soldering. Optionally, the connector is mounted using a ball grid array located at a mounting interface of the connector. Optionally, the signal terminals are configured for electrical connection to pads on the printed circuit board. Optionally, the signal terminals are configured for electrical connection to traces of the printed circuit board.

[0167] The various aspects of the present disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or in various arrangements not specifically discussed in the above embodiments, and therefore their application is not limited to the component details and arrangements shown in the above description or the accompanying drawings. For example, aspects described in one embodiment may be combined in any manner with aspects described in other embodiments.

[0168] Although the present teaching has been described in conjunction with various embodiments and examples, the present teaching is not intended to be limited to these embodiments or examples. On the contrary, the present teaching encompasses various alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which will be understood by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the above description and the accompanying drawings are only examples.

[0169] In addition, the words and terms used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered limiting. "Including," "comprising," "having," "containing," or "involving" and variations thereof as used herein are intended to encompass items listed thereafter (or their equivalents) and / or as additional items.

Claims

1. A mezzanine connector, comprising: a housing having a first side and a second side opposite the first side; a plurality of terminal columns held within the housing, each of the plurality of terminals including a tail portion; a plurality of solder balls, each of the plurality of solder balls being attached to a tail portion of a corresponding terminal of the plurality of terminals adjacent to the first side of the housing; as well as a plurality of conductive members, each of the plurality of conductive members extending perpendicularly to the first side of the housing and parallel to and adjacent to at least one corresponding column of the plurality of terminal columns, Wherein, each of the plurality of conductive members comprises a plurality of protrusions, each of the plurality of protrusions being configured to be connected to a ground structure of the printed circuit board via solder when the mezzanine connector is mounted to a surface of the printed circuit board.

2. The mezzanine connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the plurality of conductive members includes an edge, and the plurality of protrusions extend from the edge.

3. The mezzanine connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The edge of each of the plurality of conductive members is adjacent to the first side, and the plurality of protrusions include pins extending perpendicular to the first side.

4. The mezzanine connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The plurality of solder balls extend beyond the first side a first distance; and Each of the plurality of conductive members extends beyond the first side a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

5. The mezzanine connector according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second distance is such that the edge of each of the plurality of conductive elements is configured to extend into a groove in the surface of the printed circuit board when the mezzanine connector is mounted to the surface of the printed circuit board using a reflow operation, wherein the reflow operation fuses the plurality of solder balls to pads on the surface of the printed circuit board.

6. The mezzanine connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first side of the housing includes a plurality of dimples; The tail portion of each of the plurality of terminals extends into a corresponding recess of the plurality of recesses; and The plurality of protrusions are bent to extend into a recess among the plurality of recesses.

7. The mezzanine connector according to claim 6, characterized in that: The plurality of solder balls are each partially disposed within a dimple of the plurality of dimples; as well as For each of the plurality of conductive members, each of the plurality of protrusions is fused to a corresponding tail portion of one of the plurality of terminals via a portion of a solder ball disposed within one of the plurality of dimples.

8. The mezzanine connector according to claim 6, characterized in that: For each of the plurality of conductive members, the plurality of protrusions are a plurality of first protrusions; Each of the plurality of conductive members includes a plurality of second protrusions; and The protrusions of the plurality of second protrusions are configured as J-shaped lead portions.

9. The mezzanine connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mezzanine connector includes a plurality of terminal subassemblies, Each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies comprises: a portion of the housing; and At least one of the plurality of columns of terminals is retained within the housing portion.

10. The mezzanine connector according to claim 9, characterized in that: Each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies also includes at least one conductive member of the plurality of conductive members.

11. The mezzanine connector according to claim 10, characterized in that: Each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies includes a lossy material electrically coupled to a corresponding at least one conductive member.

12. The mezzanine connector according to claim 10, characterized in that: The at least one column of the plurality of terminal columns is two terminal columns.

13. The mezzanine connector according to claim 12, characterized in that: For each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies: The portion of the housing includes a first sub-portion and a second sub-portion of the housing; a first column of the at least one of the plurality of columns of terminals being held within the first subsection of the housing; a second column of the at least one of the plurality of columns of terminals being held within the second subsection of the housing; as well as For each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies, the at least one conductive member of the plurality of conductive members includes a first conductive member attached to the first subsection of the housing and a second conductive member attached to the first subsection of the housing.

14. The mezzanine connector according to claim 13, characterized in that: For each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies, the at least one of the plurality of conductive members further includes a third conductive member mechanically coupled to the first subsection of the housing and a fourth conductive member mechanically coupled to the first subsection of the housing.

15. The mezzanine connector according to claim 14, characterized in that: Each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies further includes a lossy material electrically coupling the first and third conductive members and the second and fourth conductive members.

16. The mezzanine connector according to claim 14, characterized in that: Each of the plurality of terminals includes a mating contact portion; and Each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies further includes a shield between the mating contact portions of the terminals of the first and second columns.

17. The mezzanine connector according to claim 16, characterized in that: Each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies includes a lossy material coupled to the shield, the first conductive member, the second conductive member, the third conductive member, and the fourth conductive member.

18. The mezzanine connector according to claim 12, wherein: For each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies: The portion of the housing includes a base and a wall extending perpendicular to the base; The terminals of a first column of the two columns of terminals are held in the base and include mating contacts; The terminals of a second column of the two columns of terminals are held in the base and include mating contacts; and The wall is located between the mating contact portions of the terminals of the first column and the mating contact portions of the terminals of the second column.

19. The mezzanine connector according to claim 18, characterized in that For each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies: The at least one conductive element comprises a planar conductive element including a first edge extending beyond the first portion of the housing at the first side and a second edge extending from the portion of the housing at the second side.

20. The mezzanine connector according to claim 19, wherein: For each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies: The portion of the housing is molded over the planar conductive element.

21. The mezzanine connector according to claim 9, characterized in that For each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies: The at least one terminal column includes a pair of terminals having a first width and a terminal having a second width greater than the first width, and the terminals having the second width are alternately arranged with the pair of terminals having the first width; The solder balls in the first subset of the plurality of solder balls are each fused to a corresponding tail portion of the terminal having the second width and a corresponding protrusion of one of the plurality of conductive members.

22. The mezzanine connector according to claim 21, characterized in that Pairs of terminals in the at least one column are spaced apart along the column at a center-to-center pair spacing of between 4 mm and 5 mm.

23. The mezzanine connector according to claim 21, characterized in that For each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies: For each of the plurality of conductive members, the plurality of protrusions are a plurality of first protrusions; Each of the plurality of conductive members includes a plurality of second protrusions; and The protrusions of the plurality of second protrusions are configured as J-shaped lead portions.

24. The mezzanine connector according to claim 1, wherein: The density of the mezzanine connector is greater than 9 differential pairs (DP) / cm 2 .

25. The mezzanine connector according to claim 1, wherein: The solder balls have a diameter between 20 mils and 25 mils.

26. The mezzanine connector according to claim 1, wherein: Adjacent columns of the plurality of columns are separated by a distance between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm.

27. The mezzanine connector according to claim 1, wherein: For each of the plurality of conductive members, a first portion of each of the plurality of protrusions includes a solder wettable coating and a second portion of the conductive member includes an anti-wetting coating.

28. The mezzanine connector according to claim 1, wherein: The first side of the housing includes a plurality of feet.

29. An electrical connector, comprising: A plurality of terminal subassemblies, wherein each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies comprises: an insulating portion having a first side; A column comprising a plurality of terminals held within the insulating portion, wherein: Each of the plurality of terminals includes a tail portion extending from the insulating portion at the first side, a mating contact portion extending from the insulating portion, and an intermediate portion joining the tail portion and the mating contact portion, and For each of the plurality of terminals, the intermediate portion is held by the insulating portion; a plurality of solder balls coupled at the first side to corresponding ones of the tails of the plurality of terminals; and At least one planar conductive member extends parallel to the columns, wherein the planar conductive member includes a plurality of protrusions extending from the planar conductive member adjacent the first side.

30. The electrical connector according to claim 29, characterized in that: Each of the plurality of protrusions is configured to be connected to a ground structure of the printed circuit board via solder when the electrical connector is mounted to the surface of the printed circuit board with the first side of the insulating portion facing the surface of the printed circuit board.

31. The electrical connector according to claim 29, characterized in that: The edge of each of the at least one planar conductive member is adjacent to the first side, and the plurality of protrusions include pins extending perpendicular to the first side.

32. The electrical connector according to claim 31, characterized in that: The plurality of solder balls extend beyond the first side a first distance; and Each of the at least one planar conductive member extends beyond the first side a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

33. The electrical connector according to claim 32, characterized in that: The second distance is configured such that the edge of each of the plurality of conductive members extends into a groove on the surface of the printed circuit board when the mezzanine connector is mounted to the surface of the printed circuit board using a reflow operation, wherein the reflow operation fuses the plurality of solder balls to pads on the surface of the printed circuit board.

34. The electrical connector according to claim 29, characterized in that Each of the plurality of protrusions extends into a corresponding recess of the plurality of recesses.

35. The electrical connector according to claim 29, characterized in that: The first side of the housing includes a plurality of dimples; The tail portion of each of the plurality of terminals extends into a corresponding recess of the plurality of recesses; and The plurality of protrusions extend into recesses of the plurality of recesses.

36. The electrical connector according to claim 29, characterized in that The insulating portion is molded on the intermediate portion of the terminal.

37. The electrical connector according to claim 29, characterized in that Each of the plurality of protrusions includes a first portion having a solder wettable coating and a second portion having an anti-wetting coating.

38. The electrical connector according to claim 29, characterized in that Each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies includes a lossy material that intersects the at least one conductive member in at least a portion of the conductive member.

39. The electrical connector according to claim 38, characterized in that The lossy material is electrically coupled to the at least one conductive member.

40. The electrical connector according to claim 38, characterized in that The lossy material also intersects the insulating portion of each of the plurality of terminal subassemblies in at least a portion of the insulating portion.

41. An electronic component comprising: A printed circuit board, the printed circuit board comprising: surface; a plurality of pads on the surface; and a ground structure within the printed circuit board; and A connector mounted to the surface, the connector comprising: a housing, the housing including a side facing the surface of the printed circuit board; the plurality of terminals held by the housing, each terminal of the plurality of terminals comprising a tail portion; a plurality of solder masses between the housing and the surface of the printed circuit board, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of solder masses are attached to the tails of the plurality of terminals to couple the tails of the plurality of terminals to corresponding ones of the plurality of pads; and a plurality of conductive members mechanically coupled to the housing and disposed at least between tail portions of a set of terminals among the plurality of terminals, wherein: The plurality of conductive members each include a plurality of protrusions extending into a space between the one side of the housing and the surface of the printed circuit board; and The plurality of bumps are electrically coupled to the ground structure within the printed circuit board through solder bumps of the plurality of solder bumps.

42. The electronic assembly according to claim 41, characterized in that: The plurality of solder masses include solder balls.

43. The electronic assembly according to claim 42, characterized in that: The plurality of protrusions of the plurality of conductive members extend from the housing into a space between the one side of the housing and the surface of the printed circuit board.

44. The electronic assembly according to claim 43, characterized in that: Each of the plurality of conductive members includes an edge, and the plurality of protrusions of each of the plurality of conductive members extend from the edge.

45. The electronic assembly according to claim 43, characterized in that: The printed circuit board includes a plurality of pads coupled to the ground structure within the printed circuit board; A subset of the plurality of solder bumps are mechanically and electrically coupled to: tail portions of terminals among the plurality of terminals, a protrusion of the plurality of protrusions, and A pad of the plurality of pads is coupled to the ground structure within the printed circuit board.

46. ​​The electronic assembly according to claim 43, characterized in that: The printed circuit board includes a plurality of pads coupled to the ground structure within the printed circuit board; The plurality of solder bumps are a plurality of first solder bumps; The electronic assembly further includes a plurality of second solder bumps; and The plurality of protrusions of the plurality of conductive members include J-shaped lead portions and are fused to the plurality of pads coupled to the ground structure within the printed circuit board via solder bumps of the plurality of second solder bumps.

47. The electronic assembly according to claim 41, characterized in that: The printed circuit board is a first printed circuit board; The connector is a first connector; The electronic components include: a second printed circuit board parallel to the first printed circuit board; a second connector mounted to the second printed circuit board and mating with the first connector, Wherein, the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board are separated by a distance between 3 mm and 6 mm.

48. The electronic assembly according to claim 47, characterized in that The conductive member of the first connector is electrically coupled to the lossy material of the second connector.

49. The electronic assembly according to claim 47, characterized in that The lossy material of the second connector is electrically coupled to a conductive member of the second connector that is connected to a ground layer of the PCB.

50. The electronic assembly according to claim 49, characterized in that The lossy material of the second connector is electrically coupled to the conductive member by intersecting the conductive member in at least a portion of the conductive member of the second connector.

51. The electronic assembly according to claim 41, characterized in that Each of the plurality of protrusions includes a first portion having a solder wettable coating and a second portion having an anti-wetting coating.

52. A connector configured for electrical coupling to a printed circuit board (PCB) using hybrid attachment, the connector comprising: a plurality of first signal terminals and a plurality of second signal terminals, wherein the plurality of first signal terminals and the plurality of second signal terminals are configured to be electrically connected to traces of a PCB using solder balls to form a ball grid array (BGA) termination; and A shield is provided between the plurality of first signal terminals and the plurality of second signal terminals, wherein the shield includes one or more pins configured to be inserted into one or more holes of the PCB.

53. The connector according to claim 52, characterized in that The one or more pins of the shield are configured to be electrically connected to a ground layer of the PCB through the hole.

54. The connector according to claim 52, characterized in that The connector also includes a housing, wherein the shield is disposed within a slot of the housing.

55. The connector according to claim 52, characterized in that The plurality of first signal terminals and the plurality of second signal terminals include differential signal pairs.

56. The connector according to claim 54, characterized in that The housing is an insulating housing.

57. The connector according to claim 52, characterized in that The signal terminals of the plurality of first signal terminals are arranged in a first column, and the signal terminals of the plurality of second signal terminals are arranged in a second column parallel to the first column.

58. A printed circuit board (PCB) configured to be electrically coupled to a connector, the PCB comprising: a plurality of first signal pads and a plurality of second signal pads, wherein the plurality of first signal pads and the plurality of second signal pads are configured to be electrically connected to signal terminals of the connector using a ball grid array (BGA) termination; and A plurality of holes are disposed between the plurality of first solder pads and the plurality of second solder pads, wherein the plurality of holes are configured to receive a plurality of corresponding pins of a shield of the connector.

59. The PCB according to claim 58, characterized in that The PCB further includes a slot, and the plurality of holes are disposed within the slot.

60. The PCB according to claim 58, characterized in that The PCB includes a ground layer, and one or more pins of the shield of the connector are configured to be electrically connected to the ground layer of the PCB.

61. The PCB according to claim 58, characterized in that The signal pads of the plurality of first signal pads are arranged in a first column, and the pad signal terminals of the plurality of second pad signal terminals are arranged in a second column parallel to the first column.

62. The PCB according to claim 58, characterized in that The holes are drilled to a size between 9 mils and 13 mils.

63. The PCB according to claim 58, characterized in that The holes were drilled to a size of approximately 11 mils.

64. The PCB according to claim 58, characterized in that The hole may be drilled at least 25% larger than a diameter of the one or more pins.

65. A connector, comprising: a signal terminal configured to be electrically connected to a printed circuit board; wherein the connector is configured to be mounted to a surface of the printed circuit board; and A shield having an edge configured to be disposed below the surface of the printed circuit board, wherein the shield is configured to be electrically connected to a ground structure of the printed circuit board.

66. The connector according to claim 65, characterized in that The connector is mounted using a soldering operation.

67. The connector according to claim 65, characterized in that The connector is mounted using a J-shaped lead portion configured for attachment to the printed circuit board using surface mount soldering.

68. The connector according to claim 65, characterized in that The connector is mounted using a ball grid array located at the mounting interface of the connector.

69. The connector according to claim 65, characterized in that The signal terminals are configured to be electrically connected to pads on the printed circuit board.

70. The connector according to claim 65, characterized in that The signal terminals are configured for electrical connection to traces of the printed circuit board.

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