Interconnect or connector with reduced sket
By configuring insulating elements in the electrical connector to adjust the difference in dielectric constant and permeability, the skew problem caused by the difference in conductor length is solved, signal quality and electromagnetic compatibility are improved, and the shortcomings of existing technologies are avoided.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511167209.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-08-21
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-20
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-03
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, the skew problem caused by the difference in conductor length during electrical signal transmission affects signal integrity and electromagnetic compatibility, and existing solutions consume a lot of space or introduce other problems.
By arranging insulating elements between and/or around conductors, the difference in dielectric constant and permeability is adjusted to compensate for signal delay. Cavitation is used to reduce the dielectric constant of longer conductors and additives are used to increase the dielectric constant and permeability of shorter conductors, thereby minimizing the difference in conductor length.
It effectively reduces the skew caused by conductor length differences, improves signal integrity and electromagnetic compatibility, and avoids additional space consumption and impedance mismatch problems.
Smart Images
Figure CN121602102A_ABST
Abstract
Description
1. Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to a connector with reduced misalignment, particularly for automotive applications. 2. Background Technology
[0002] Electrical signal transmission is affected by distortion from signal path defects, delay imbalances, and electrical noise from the environment. One method to improve the quality of electrical signal transmission is to utilize the structural association of multiple mutually insulated conductive connecting elements (hereinafter referred to as conductors), which have well-designed mutual electromagnetic coupling.
[0003] Known configurations include two or more mutually coupled conductors, such as, but not limited to, a pair, triple, or quadruple. Skew is a problem that occurs when an electrical signal propagates through two or more conductors; the skew is the difference in propagation speed between the conductors. Skew can be caused by different geometric lengths of the signal conductors, such that, due to the finite signal propagation speed, the signal in the shorter conductor reaches the end of the conductor faster than the signal in the longer conductor.
[0004] Skew can affect signal integrity. For example, a portion of a differential signal can be converted into a common-mode signal (so-called mode switching), which can cause jitter and potentially impair signal detection. Skew can also negatively impact electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) due to poorer coupling attenuation (a measure of the symmetry of signal propagation and the quality of shielding).
[0005] Skew can typically occur between different lanes, i.e., when the data stream is split into various paths (inter-pair skew). It can also occur as the difference in signal propagation time between different conductors of a signal pair, triplet, etc. (intra-pair skew).
[0006] Therefore, it is advantageous to adjust the signal propagation time along the signal path on all associated conductors. In some cases, for example, if the signal path has such curvature that the geometric length of one conductor in an associated conductor bundle differs from the lengths of one or more other conductors, the quality of signal transmission will be compromised, especially at higher data rates, as described above.
[0007] One method to compensate for skew is to introduce a so-called reverse bend, which introduces offset towards the shorter conductor by a right bend and an opposite left bend. However, this solution requires additional space and is only applicable when bending the conductor is not necessary. It also has limited applications because it depends on the frequency and the conductor length. Another solution is to add some extra length to the shorter conductor. However, this introduces other problems, such as impedance mismatch.
[0008] A further solution involves conductors with complex three-dimensional geometry to avoid conductor length discrepancies, where conductors follow well-designed three-dimensional paths so that all conductors have essentially the same geometric length. However, this solution consumes a significant amount of additional space. Furthermore, this solution can create additional geometric constraints at one or both ends of the conductor, for example, by restricting the placement of conductor terminals on a printed circuit board (PCB).
[0009] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having two or more electrical conductors that minimizes skew and avoids the disadvantages of the prior art. 3. Summary of the Invention
[0010] The above objective is achieved by the electrical connector according to claim 1. Therefore, the electrical connector according to the invention comprises two or more electrical conductors, wherein the conductors are electrically insulated from each other, and wherein a first conductor of the two or more conductors is longer than a second conductor of the two or more conductors; and at least one insulating element disposed between and / or around at least one of the first or second conductors, wherein at least a portion of the insulating element causes a lower dielectric constant and / or permeability of the first conductor and a higher dielectric constant and / or permeability of the second conductor, and wherein the difference in dielectric constant and / or permeability between the first and second conductors is configured such that the difference in signal delay between the first and second conductors is substantially minimized.
[0011] According to the present invention, any skew caused by the difference in geometric length between conductors is compensated by the difference in dielectric constant and / or permeability at the respective conductors. The difference in dielectric constant and / or permeability is adjusted by correspondingly configuring insulating elements. Therefore, the present invention avoids the disadvantages of the prior art because it does not require modification of the conductors to minimize skew. Instead, the conductors can be formed according to other requirements and constraints (such as space requirements, terminal positions on the PCB, etc.).
[0012] Generally, dielectric constant is the ability of a dielectric material to store electrical energy in an electric field. Magnetic permeability is a measure of the magnetization produced in a material in response to an applied magnetic field. In the context of this invention, dielectric constant can be the effective dielectric constant. The effective dielectric constant is measured in a non-homogeneous material (a mixture of different materials with different relative dielectric constants). Therefore, the effective dielectric constant is the average of the individual relative dielectric constants configured throughout the material. The effective dielectric constant can also depend on the geometry and field distribution of the material near the electrical conductor. In the context of this invention, "material" also includes gases (such as air) or liquids. Similar considerations apply to effective magnetic permeability and magnetic fields.
[0013] In the context of this invention, “substantially minimized” regarding signal delay means a smaller signal delay compared to a connector having an insulating element (which is not configured to accommodate the dielectric constant and / or permeability at a particular conductor), or a smaller signal delay compared to the expected original signal delay due to pure geometric differences in conductor length.
[0014] The first and second conductors can be bent, thus creating a length difference between them. For example, in connectors with terminal interfaces at a 90° angle relative to the PCB, bent or folded conductors may be necessary. If some conductors are perpendicularly intersected at the terminal interfaces, the present invention advantageously helps to compensate for the length difference between the conductors.
[0015] Insulating elements may include at least one cavity that causes a lower dielectric constant in the first conductor. Cavitation is a very effective and inexpensive method for reducing the dielectric constant. In fact, air has the lowest possible dielectric constant (except for a vacuum). Therefore, cavitation in an insulating element effectively reduces the dielectric constant. Furthermore, cavitation can be readily integrated into the insulating element, for example, by molding the insulating element as described above. Conversely, the relative permeability (i.e., the magnetization produced in the material in response to an applied magnetic field) of most insulating materials is 1, the same as that of air. Therefore, the use of cavitation is suitable for reducing the dielectric constant rather than the permeability (unless special magnetizable materials such as composite polymers can be used).
[0016] Cavitation can be a recess or a groove. For example, if the insulating element is molded, a recess or groove can be formed by complementary protrusions in the mold.
[0017] Cavitation can be arranged closer to the first conductor than the second conductor. In this way, a lower dielectric constant and / or permeability can be caused in the first conductor.
[0018] Cavitation can be arranged such that a portion of the surface of the first conductor is exposed to air. In this way, a lower dielectric constant and / or permeability of the first conductor can be induced. Simultaneously, different portions of the surface of the first conductor can still be embedded in the insulating element. For example, in the case of a conductor with a rectangular cross-section, only one of the four sides of the conductor may be exposed to air. Therefore, the mechanical stability of the conductor is maintained, while the dielectric constant and / or permeability at the conductor can be tailored to minimize skewness. In an alternative configuration, a portion of the first conductor can be fully exposed. In the example of a conductor with a rectangular cross-section, a portion of the first conductor can have all four sides exposed to air.
[0019] The insulating element may include at least one additive that causes a higher dielectric constant and / or permeability in the second conductor. In this way, the dielectric constant and / or permeability can be increased to achieve a higher dielectric constant and / or permeability difference between the two conductors. Increasing the dielectric constant and / or permeability at the second conductor can be combined with decreasing the dielectric constant and / or permeability at the first conductor, as described above, for example, through recesses, slots, or cavitation. Therefore, even a large difference in the lengths of the two conductors can be compensated for.
[0020] Additives can be glass fibers and / or ceramics and / or pigments. These additives are readily available and can be easily added, for example, during the molding process.
[0021] The density of at least one additive can be substantially the same throughout the insulating element. Alternatively, the density of at least one additive near the second conductor can be higher than that near the first conductor. In this way, the dielectric constant and / or permeability at the second conductor are effectively increased to minimize the skew between the two conductors. As described herein, this can be combined with a decrease in the dielectric constant and / or permeability at the first conductor.
[0022] Electrical connectors can be insert molded leadframe assemblies (IMLA). An IMLA includes multiple electrical conductors typically arranged in an array within a leadframe housing.
[0023] The first and second conductors can form a differential pair, or they can form a parallel channel. As mentioned above, intra-pair skew can occur within a differential pair, while inter-pair skew can occur between parallel channels. Both types of skew are detrimental to connector performance. Therefore, the present invention can be advantageously applied to both types of skew.
[0024] The connector can be a data connector suitable for data transmission. The difference in propagation delay between the different conductors of the connector becomes more detrimental at high frequencies, which is typical for data transmission applications. Examples of this detrimental effect include jitter, signal waveform distortion, and EMC problems. Therefore, the present invention advantageously overcomes or at least reduces this negative impact in data transmission applications. 4. Description of the attached drawings
[0025] Possible embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below with reference to the following figures:
[0026] Figure 1 The illustration shows the skew caused by the length difference between two conductors in an electrical connector.
[0027] Figure 2 The illustration shows an embodiment of the connector according to the present invention; and
[0028] Figure 3 The illustration shows the different possibilities of guiding two conductors with a 90° turn and the different types of skew compensation according to the present invention. 5. Detailed Implementation
[0029] For the sake of brevity, only a few embodiments will be described below. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the features described with reference to these specific embodiments can be modified and combined in different ways, and individual features may be omitted. The general interpretations in the foregoing sections also apply to the more detailed explanations that follow.
[0030] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the misalignment caused by the length difference between the two conductors 2 and 3 in an electrical connector 1. The electrical connector 1 may be an insert molded lead frame assembly (IMLA). Conductors 2 and 3 each correspondingly include first ends 2a and 3a, which are arranged to form electrical contact with corresponding mating ends of another connector or plug. Conductors 2 and 3 each correspondingly include second ends 2b and 3b, which form pins for reception by through-holes in a printed circuit board (PCB). Each of conductors 2 and 3 passes through a bend 5, i.e., conductors 2 and 3 form a bend with a 90° angle. Because conductors 2 and 3 are perpendicularly staggered, i.e., conductor 2 is positioned above conductor 3, the two conductors have different mechanical lengths. This is... Figure 1 The lower left corner of the diagram shows the length difference 6 between the first conductor 2 and the second conductor 3 due to the bending segment 5.
[0031] Therefore, the first conductor 2 is longer than the second conductor 3. This results in a difference in the propagation delay of the electrical signals transmitted via conductors 2 and 3. For example, a signal fed to the first ends 2a and 3a of conductors 2 and 3 will arrive first at the second end 3b of the shorter conductor 3. Conversely, a signal fed to the second ends 2b and 3b of conductors 2 and 3 will arrive first at the first end 3a of the shorter conductor 3. If conductors 2 and 3 form a differential pair, this can lead to a shift from differential mode to common mode signal (so-called mode switching), which can contribute to jitter and potentially impair signal detection. Furthermore, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) may deteriorate. In the case where the two conductors 2 and 3 form a parallel path relative to a common reference potential (such as ground), if the offset in signal arrival time is not properly compensated (e.g., through a buffer in an electronic device), the skew can lead to different signal arrival times and thus data transmission problems. Therefore, the skew caused by the different mechanical lengths of conductors 2 and 3 should be minimized as much as possible to avoid the aforementioned harmful effects.
[0032] Figure 2 An embodiment of connector 1 according to the present invention is illustrated, which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages. Connector 1 is used with... Figure 1The example uses the same IMLA, and connector 1 includes a first conductor 2 and a second conductor 3. It should be noted that the invention is not limited to this type of connector, but generally covers different types of electrical connectors. Furthermore, the number of conductors can vary within the scope of this invention.
[0033] Conductors 2 and 3 each correspondingly include first ends 2a and 3a, which are arranged to form electrical contact with corresponding mating ends of another connector or plug. Conductors 2 and 3 each correspondingly include second ends 2b and 3b, which form pins for reception by through-holes in a printed circuit board (PCB). Similar to... Figure 1 For example, each of conductors 2 and 3 passes through the bend (in Figure 2 (Not highlighted in the image), conductors 2 and 3 form a bend of 90°. Because conductors 2 and 3 are perpendicularly intersecting, i.e., conductor 2 is positioned above conductor 3, the two conductors have different mechanical lengths.
[0034] Conductors 2 and 3 are embedded in insulating element 4. Figure 1 In the example, the insulating element 4 is arranged between and around conductors 2 and 3. In other embodiments, the insulating element 4 may be arranged only between or around conductors 2 and 3. The insulating element 4 can be obtained by molding. Exemplary materials for the insulating element include polyphthalamide (PPA), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). Advantageously, the insulating element 4 is overmolded, i.e., conductors 2 and 3 are embedded in the insulating element 4 during molding. For example, the insulating element 4 can be formed by injection molding.
[0035] The insulating element 4 includes a recess 7 such that the material of the insulating element 4 is not disposed on a portion of the longer conductor 2. A portion of the recess 7 is also disposed on a portion of the shorter conductor 3, but this portion is significantly smaller than the portion of the recess 7 on the longer conductor 2. Typically, for the purpose of impedance and return loss optimization, the shorter conductor 3 can be exposed in the same manner as the longer conductor 2 at sections where the conductors do not have a length difference.
[0036] Compared to the second conductor 3, the recess 7 forms a cavitation and reduces the dielectric constant and / or permeability at the first conductor 2. Since electromagnetic wave propagation occurs primarily outside the conductor, especially at high frequencies, the dielectric constant and permeability of the material near the conductor directly affect the propagation speed. The lower the dielectric constant and / or permeability of such a medium (or, in the case of a vacuum, there is no medium at all), the faster the signal propagates. Therefore, the recess 7 allows the signal to propagate faster through the longer conductor 2 than through the shorter conductor 3. Figure 2In the example, the recess 7 is designed such that the different dielectric constants and / or permeabilities caused by the recess 7 compensate for the length difference. Therefore, electrical signals coupled to the two conductors 2 and 3 at the first ends 2a and 3a will simultaneously reach the opposite ends 2b and 3b, and vice versa. In this way, the different mechanical lengths of conductors 2 and 3 are compensated by the recess 7 in the insulating element 4.
[0037] Figure 3 The illustrations depict different possibilities for guiding two conductors 2 and 3 with a 90° turn according to the present invention, and different types of skew compensation. Figure 3 The first column illustrates the two conductors 2 and 3 of the connector, such as... Figure 2 Connector 1 is shown. Each of conductors 2 and 3 includes a 90° bend. Figure 3 In the first row, conductors 2 and 3 form a sharp 90° turn, while in the second row, both conductors include two 45° bends. In the third row, both conductors 2 and 3 extend along a quarter circle. Figure 3 The second, third, and fourth columns illustrate different types of skew compensation.
[0038] In the second column, the insulating element 4 embedded in conductors 2 and 3 includes a recess 7a, exposing a portion of the longer conductor 2 below. Conductor 2 remains embedded in the insulating element 4 at the exposed portion, which increases the mechanical stability of the conductor. Figure 3 In the third column, the insulating element 4 additionally includes a slot 7b, which is arranged on the side of the first conductor 2 facing the second conductor 3. Figure 3 In the fourth column, the insulating element 4 further includes a slot 7c disposed on the opposite side of the first conductor 2. Therefore, the dielectric constant and permeability of the longer conductor 2 decrease from left to right.
[0039] List of reference numerals
[0040] 1. Electrical conductor
[0041] 2. The longer conductor, the first conductor
[0042] 3. Shorter conductor, second conductor
[0043] 4 Insulating elements
[0044] 5 bending section
[0045] 6. Length difference
[0046] 7. Recess or groove
[0047] 7a recess
[0048] 7b and 7c slots
Claims
1. An electrical connector (1), the electrical connector (1) comprising: Two or more electrical conductors (2, 3), The conductors (2, 3) are electrically insulated from each other, and The first conductor (2) of the two or more conductors (2, 3) is longer than the second conductor (3) of the two or more conductors (2, 3); as well as At least one insulating element (4) is arranged between and / or around at least one of the first conductor (2) or the second conductor (3). At least a portion of the insulating element (4) causes a lower dielectric constant and / or permeability of the first conductor (2) and a higher dielectric constant and / or permeability of the second conductor (3), and The difference in dielectric constant and / or permeability between the first conductor (2) and the second conductor (3) is configured such that the difference in signal delay between the first conductor (2) and the second conductor (3) is substantially minimized.
2. The electrical connector (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first conductor (2) and the second conductor (3) are bent, resulting in a length difference between the two conductors (2, 3).
3. The electrical connector (1) according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that, The insulating element (4) includes at least one cavitation, which causes a lower dielectric constant and / or magnetic permeability of the first conductor (2).
4. The electrical connector (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cavitation is a recess (7a) or a groove (7b, 7c).
5. The electrical connector (1) according to any one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that, The cavitation is arranged closer to the first conductor (2) than to the second conductor (3).
6. The electrical connector (1) according to any one of claims 3-5, characterized in that, The cavitation is arranged such that a portion of the surface of the first conductor (2) is exposed to air.
7. The electrical connector (1) according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The insulating element (4) includes at least one additive that causes the second conductor (3) to have a higher dielectric constant and / or magnetic permeability.
8. The electrical connector (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that, The additives are glass fibers and / or ceramics and / or pigments.
9. The electrical connector (1) according to any one of claims 7-8, characterized in that, The density of the at least one additive is higher near the second conductor (3) compared to the vicinity of the first conductor (2).
10. The electrical connector (1) according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The connector (1) is an insert molded lead frame assembly, IMLA.
11. The electrical connector (1) according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The first conductor (2) and the second conductor (3) form a differential pair, or the first conductor (2) and the second conductor (3) form a parallel channel.
12. The electrical connector (1) according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The connector (1) is a data connector suitable for data transmission.