Communication cable and communication cable assembly

Abstract

The invention provides a communication cable and a communication cable assembly. The communication cable can use a reversible plug which can be inserted into a socket even if the forward and reverse rotation is carried out, and can prolong the communication distance and the power supply distance relative to the cable diameter. A communication cable (1) is a communication cable in which a pair of plug connectors (110A, 110B) are electrically connected to both ends, and is provided with: two first differential pairs (2A, 2B) for transmitting a high-speed differential signal; one or more power supply lines (4) and one or more ground lines (5) for supplying power to a device connected to the terminal; and disposing a channel line (6) for detecting the forward and reverse orientations of the plug connectors (110A, 110B), the first differential pair having no one of the first differential pairs (2A, 2B) other than the two first differential pairs (2A, 2B).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to communication cables and communication cable assemblies. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, transmission cables that can reduce costs and improve transmission characteristics have been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Regarding the USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard, one of the interface standards, various specifications have been developed to date, with maximum transmission speeds increasing. For example, it is 12 Mbps in USB 1.0 and USB 1.1, 480 Mbps in USB 2.0, 5 Gbps in USB 3.0, 10 Gbps in USB 3.1, and 20 Gbps in USB 3.2. On the other hand, regarding connectors, Type-A and Type-B were specified, but after USB 3.1, the Type-C connector with a reversible design was specified.

[0004] Furthermore, USB cables can perform various communications using a single cable, thus increasing the complexity of the wire configuration and the number of wires. For example, 4 wires are recommended for USB 2.0, 8 wires for USB 3.0, and 15 wires for USB Type-C.

[0005] The transmission cable described in Patent Document 1 is a transmission cable conforming to the USB Type-C standard. It is a 17-core cable including 8 coaxial cables (for 10Gbps transmission), 4 signal lines (first SBU line, second SBU line, CC line and Vconn line), 1 power line, 2 ground lines and a pair of twisted pairs.

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-10747

[0007] Existing USB Type-C standard cables are widely used as charging cables for smartphones in many countries. Furthermore, beyond smartphones, USB Type-C is also being adopted as power and communication cables for PCs, other communication devices, and imaging equipment. This adoption isn't primarily about standardizing cable characteristics, but rather about improving convenience by standardizing the connector plug (fitting part) and the socket of the connected device. However, the USB Type-C standard specifies separate specifications for cables and connectors. Due to limitations in the connector substrate size, the cable's outer diameter is also limited. This restricts the increase in the conductor cross-sectional area of ​​each core, leading to communication quality degradation with longer cables. Additionally, while the Type-C standard allows for both data transmission and power supply using a single cable, the cable length is limited by the shorter distance if either the communication distance or the power supply distance is shorter than the other. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The objective of this invention is to provide a communication cable and a communication cable assembly that can use a reversible plug that can be inserted into a socket even when the orientation is reversed, and that can extend the communication distance and the power supply distance relative to the cable diameter.

[0009] [1] A communication cable having a pair of plug connectors electrically connected at both ends, wherein,

[0010] The above-mentioned communication cables have:

[0011] Two first differential pairs transmit high-speed differential signals;

[0012] A power cord and a grounding wire, used to supply power to the equipment connected to the aforementioned terminals, and there shall be one or more of each; and

[0013] Configure channel lines for detecting the orientation of the aforementioned plug connector.

[0014] The aforementioned first differential pair does not have the aforementioned first differential pair other than the aforementioned two first differential pairs.

[0015] [2] According to the communication cable described in [1] above, the signal line constituting the first differential pair has a central conductor and an insulating layer covering the conductor, wherein the ratio of the conductor diameter to the cable diameter is 0.06 or more.

[0016] [3] According to the communication cable described in [2] above, the power line and the grounding line each have a conductor and an insulating layer covering the conductor, the ratio of the conductor diameter of the power line and the grounding line to the cable diameter is 0.10 or more, and when there are multiple power lines and multiple grounding lines, the conductor diameter is calculated as the diameter of one conductor after converting them into one conductor with equal resistance values.

[0017] [4] According to the communication cable described in [1] above, the signal line constituting the first differential pair has a central conductor and an insulating layer covering the conductor, and the conductor of the signal line has a thickness of 0.06 mm. 2 The above refers to the cross-sectional area.

[0018] [5] According to the communication cable described in [4] above, the power line and the grounding wire each have a conductor and an insulating layer covering the conductor, and the conductors of the power line and the grounding wire have a thickness of 0.30 mm. 2 The cross-sectional area mentioned above, when there are multiple power lines and grounding wires, is the sum of their individual cross-sectional areas.

[0019] [6] The communication cable described in [1] above has a core number of 6 or more cores and 14 or less cores.

[0020] [7] The communication cable described in [1] above also includes a second power cable.

[0021] [8] The communication cable described in [1] above also includes a second differential pair for transmitting low-speed differential signals.

[0022] [9] In the communication cable described in [1] above, instead of the grounding wire, a wire that functions as a grounding wire for supplying power to the device connected to the above end is used.

[0023]

[10] A communication cable assembly, wherein,

[0024] The aforementioned communication cable assembly includes:

[0025] The communication cables described in any of [1] to [9] above; and

[0026] The aforementioned pair of plug connectors are electrically connected to the two ends of the aforementioned communication cable.

[0027]

[11] According to the communication cable assembly described in

[10] above, one of the plug connectors of the pair of plug connectors has a circuit element that records the value of the power that can be supplied to the device.

[0028] According to the present invention, a reversible plug that can be inserted into a socket even when reversed can be used, thereby extending the communication distance and the power supply distance relative to the cable diameter. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a top view showing an example of a communication cable assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 It means Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of an example of a communication cable shown.

[0031] Figure 3 The diagram shows a connector substrate corresponding to a cable conforming to the USB Type-C standard. (a) is a top view of the connector substrate viewed from the surface side, and (b) is a top view of the connector substrate viewed from the back side.

[0032] Figure 4 An example of a connector substrate according to the first embodiment is shown, (a) is a top view of the connector substrate viewed from the surface side, and (b) is a top view of the connector substrate viewed from the back side.

[0033] Figure 5 This indicates that it is used to connect the first differential pair involved in the first embodiment with... Figure 4 The figures shown illustrate the connection status of the connector substrates. (a) is a top view of the connector substrate viewed from the surface side, and (b) is a top view of the connector substrate viewed from the back side.

[0034] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a communication cable according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a communication cable according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 8 This indicates that it is used to connect the first differential pair involved in the third embodiment with... Figure 4 The figures shown illustrate the connection status of the connector substrates. (a) is a top view of the connector substrate viewed from the surface side, and (b) is a top view of the connector substrate viewed from the back side.

[0037] Figure 9A This is a graph showing the attenuation characteristics when the cable length is 3m.

[0038] Figure 9B It is a graph showing the attenuation characteristics based on the cable length corresponding to each communication distance.

[0039] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0040] 1…Communication cable; 2A, 2B…First differential pair; 2a~2d…Signal line; 3…Second differential pair; 3a, 3b…Signal line; 4…Power line; 5…Grounding line; 6…CC line; 7…Sheath; 8…Vconn line; 9a~9d…Coaxial line; 10…Shielded line; 11…Shielding layer; 11a…Inner shielding layer; 11b…Outer shielding layer; 12…Shielding layer; 12a…Inner shielding layer; 12b…Outer shielding layer; 13, 14a, 14b…Filling cord; 15…IC chip (eMarker); 21…Conductor; 22…Insulation layer; 31…Conductor; 32…Insulation layer; 41…Conductor; 42…Insulation layer; 51…Conductor; 52…Insulation layer; 61…Conductor; 62…Insulation layer; 81…Conductor; 82…Insulation layer; 91…Center conductor; 92…Inner insulation layer; 93…Outer conductor; 94…Outer insulation layer; 100…Communication cable assembly; 110A…First connector; 110B…Second connector; 111A, 111B…Housing; 112A, 112B…Plug; 200A, 200B…Connector substrate; 201…Substrate; 201a…Surface; 201b…Back side; 211…Plug side surface terminal group; 211a~211l, 221a, 221b…Terminals; 212…Plug side back terminal group; 212a~212j, 222a, 222b…Terminals; 231…Cable side surface terminal group; 231a~231e…Terminals; 231f…Shielding terminal; 232…Cable side back terminal group; 232a~232e…Terminals; 232f…Shielding terminal. Detailed Implementation

[0041] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, in each drawing, components having substantially the same function are labeled with the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0042] [First Implementation Method]

[0043] Figure 1 This is a top view illustrating an example of a communication cable assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The communication cable assembly 100 includes a communication cable 1 of a predetermined length within a communication distance and a power supply distance, a first plug connector (hereinafter referred to as "first connector") 110A connected to one end of the communication cable 1, and a second plug connector (hereinafter referred to as "second connector") 110B connected to the other end of the communication cable 1.

[0044] Communication cable 1 is a communication cable that reduces the number of cores in a cable conforming to the USB Type-C standard to 10 cores. That is, a cable conforming to the USB Type-C standard has 4 pairs of high-frequency signal lines (SSTX1 line, SSRX1 line, SSTX2 line, SSRX2 line), but this communication cable 1 limits the high-frequency signal lines to 2 pairs (e.g., SSTX1 line, SSRX1 line).

[0045] Furthermore, cables conforming to the USB Type-C standard have signal lines (SBU1 line, SBU2 line) for alternating modes (HDMI, DisplayPort, etc.), but this communication cable 1 is configured without alternating modes; in other words, it is configured without signal lines (SBU1 line, SBU2 line) or specifically for USB signals. Alternatively, signal lines (SBU1 line, SBU2 line) can be added as needed.

[0046] With the above configuration, the number of core wires can be reduced, and while keeping the cable diameter the same as before, the conductor diameters of the SSTX1 and SSRX1 lines can be increased, extending the communication distance. Furthermore, the conductor diameters of the power lines and grounding lines used to supply power to devices connected to the end of the communication cable 1 can be increased, extending the power supply distance. In other words, both the communication distance and the power supply distance relative to the cable diameter can be extended. Additionally, by retaining the CC line according to the USB Type-C standard, a reversible plug can be used that can be inserted into a USB Type-C standard connector, i.e., a socket, even if the orientation is reversed. Furthermore, since the number of core wires can be reduced, the core wires can be thickened, resulting in advantages in resin layer material selection and manufacturing, as described later. Moreover, to enjoy the convenience brought by the standardization of USB Type-C standard connectors, as long as at least the shape and structure of the connector's mating portion matches the shape and structure of the USB Type-C standard mating portion of the device to be connected, the shape and structure of the connector substrate, other than the mating portion, and the cable can also be different from the USB Type-C standard. In addition, the cable length can be extended without degrading communication quality, and it can also be made lightweight, so it can be used in vehicle equipment, for example.

[0047] The first connector 110A, for example, connects to a socket provided in a computer (hereinafter referred to as the first device), and includes a resin housing 111A, a plug 112A exposed from the housing 111A, and a connector substrate 200A disposed within the housing 111A. The connector substrate 200A of the first connector 110A electrically connects the plug 112A to one end of a communication cable 1. The plug 112A is an example of a mating portion.

[0048] The second connector 110B is connected, for example, to a socket located in a peripheral device (hereinafter referred to as the second device), such as... Figure 1 As shown in (a), the same connector as the first connector 110A is used. That is, the second connector 110B has a resin housing 111A, a plug 112A exposed from the housing 111A, and a connector substrate 200A disposed within the housing 111A. The connector substrate 200A of the second connector 110B electrically connects the plug 112A to the other end of the communication cable 1.

[0049] The first and second devices connected to the first connector 110A or the second connector 110B include, for example, personal computers, tablet terminals, smartphones, digital cameras, printers, mice, headphones, USB memory devices, chargers, etc. Additionally, the devices sometimes also have charging functions. The first and second devices, for example, have a PD control unit according to the USB PD (Power Delivery) standard. The PD control unit performs PD communication according to the USB PD standard.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown in (a), the first connector 110A and the second connector 110B use the same connector, but as Figure 1 As shown in (b), different connectors can also be used. For example, the second connector 110B includes: a resin housing 111B with screws to prevent the connector from falling out; a plug 112B exposed from the housing 111B; and a connector substrate 200A disposed within the housing 111B. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the connector substrate 200A of the first connector 110A and the connector substrate 200A of the second connector 110B use the same substrate, but different substrates can also be used. Additionally, this embodiment does not include cables (USB Type-C conventional cables) with a plug of the type described in this embodiment connected to one end and a plug conforming to the Type-A or Type-B standard connected to the other end. The plug 112B is an example of a mating portion.

[0051] (Composition of communication cables)

[0052] Figure 2 It means Figure 1The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of an example of a communication cable 1. This communication cable 1 has two first differential pairs 2A and 2B for transmitting high-speed differential signals (e.g., 5Gbps to 20Gbps), a second differential pair 3 for transmitting low-speed differential signals (e.g., 480Mbps), one or more power lines 4 (Vbus lines), one or more ground lines 5, a configuration channel line (hereinafter referred to as "CC line") 6 for detecting the orientation of the plug according to the USB Type-C standard, and a power line 8 for the internal circuitry of the plug according to the USB Type-C standard (hereinafter referred to as "Vconn line"). The first differential pairs do not have any first differential pairs other than the two first differential pairs 2A and 2B. Furthermore, the communication cable 1 is not limited to a 10-core cable; it can also be a cable with 8 or fewer cores, 9 or fewer cores, or 14 or fewer cores. By using 14 or fewer cores, differentiation from the recommended number of cores (15 cores) in USB Type-C can be achieved. Additionally, the CC line 6 may not conform to the USB Type-C standard. Alternatively, Vconn cable 8 may not conform to the USB Type-C standard. Vconn cable 8 is an example of a second power cable.

[0053] In the signal lines 2a to 2d constituting the first differential pair 2A, 2B, two adjacent signal lines 2a and 2b form a first differential pair, and two other adjacent signal lines 2c and 2d form a second differential pair. A pair of signal lines 2a and 2b are twisted together with the drain wire 10 and covered by the shielding layer 11. This constitutes a first twinax cable. Another pair of signal lines 2a and 2b are also twisted together with the drain wire 10 and covered by the shielding layer 11, thus constituting a second twinax cable. Hereinafter, the communication cable 1 using twin-stranded wire in the first differential pair 2A, 2B will also be referred to as a twinax-type communication cable. Alternatively, a non-twisted type can also be used as a twin-stranded cable. The drain wire 10 is, for example, a stranded wire made by twisting together multiple metal wires. Signal lines 2a to 2d are an example of the signal lines constituting the first differential pair.

[0054] Signal lines 2a-2d include a conductor 21 and an insulating layer 22 covering the conductor 21. The conductor 21 is, for example, a stranded wire formed by twisting together multiple metal wires. The insulating layer 22 is formed of a resin material (e.g., cross-linked polyethylene). The conductor 21 of the signal lines 2a-2d constituting the first differential pair 2A, 2B has, for example, a cross-sectional area for a communication distance of at least 4.0 m, preferably 5.0 m, and more preferably 6.0 m or more at a transmission speed of 5 Gbps. Specifically, the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor 21 of the signal lines 2a-2d is preferably 0.06 mm². 2 The above, preferably 0.08mm 2That's all. Additionally, the cross-sectional area of ​​conductor 21 in signal lines 2a to 2d is preferably 0.35 mm². 2 The following is a preferred value: 0.23mm 2 The following measures are taken to ensure that the connection operation to the connector substrate 200A is not difficult. Due to the size limitations of the connector substrate 200A used for the mating part according to the USB Type-C standard, the ratio of the conductor diameter of the conductor 21 of the signal lines 2a to 2d to the cable diameter is preferably 0.06 or more. Conductor 21 is an example of the center conductor.

[0055] The shielding layer 11 includes: an inner shielding layer 11a, which is disposed on the inner side and formed by winding a conductive strip (e.g., a strip made of aluminum and polyester laminated together); and an outer shielding layer 11b, which is disposed on the outer side of the inner shielding layer 11a and formed by winding a resin strip (e.g., a polyester strip).

[0056] The second differential pair 3 is formed by twisting two signal lines 3a and 3b together. The signal lines 3a and 3b have conductors 31 and an insulating layer 32 covering the conductors 31. The conductors 31 are, for example, stranded wires formed by twisting multiple metal wires together. The insulating layer 32 is formed of a resin material (e.g., polyethylene).

[0057] The power cord 4 has a conductor 41 and an insulating layer 42 covering the conductor 41. The conductor 41 is, for example, a stranded wire formed by twisting together multiple metal wires. The insulating layer 42 is formed of a resin material (e.g., a fluoropolymer such as tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer (ETFE) or polyvinyl chloride).

[0058] The grounding wire 5 has a conductor 51 and an insulating layer 52 covering the conductor 51. The conductor 51 is, for example, a stranded wire formed by twisting together multiple metal wires. The insulating layer 52 is formed of a resin material (e.g., a fluoropolymer such as tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer (ETFE) or polyvinyl chloride). Alternatively, the grounding wire 5 may also be a bare wire without an outer insulating layer.

[0059] The power supply distance for conductor 41 of power line 4 and conductor 51 of grounding wire 5, for example, when supplying 60W (20V, 3A) power, is at least 3.0m, preferably 5.0m, and more preferably 6.0m or more, provided that the voltage drop of power line 4 is 500mV or less and the voltage drop of grounding wire 5 is 250mV or less. Specifically, the cross-sectional area of ​​conductor 41 of power line 4 and conductor 51 of grounding wire 5 is preferably 0.30mm². 2 The above, preferably 0.50mm 2That's all. Furthermore, if the cross-sectional areas of conductor 41 of power line 4 and conductor 51 of ground line 5 increase, the cable diameter becomes thicker, making the connection to the connector substrate 200A more difficult. Therefore, the cross-sectional areas of conductor 41 of power line 4 and conductor 51 of ground line 5 are preferably 1.5 mm². 2 Hereinafter, 1.0mm is preferred. 2 The following measures are taken to ensure that the connection operation to the connector substrate 200A is not difficult. Furthermore, multiple power lines 4 and ground lines 5 can be used. In this case, the cross-sectional areas of conductors 41 and 51 are considered based on the total cross-sectional area of ​​the multiple conductors. By setting the power supply distance to the same level as the communication distance (for example, making the difference between the communication distance and the power supply distance less than 2m or less, or less than 1m), the distance at which data communication and power supply can be performed simultaneously can be extended. Due to the size limitations of the connector substrate 200A for the mating part according to the USB Type-C standard, the ratio of the conductor diameter of conductor 41 of the power line 4 and conductor 51 of the ground line 5 to the cable diameter is preferably 0.10 or more and 0.23 or less.

[0060] CC wire 6 has a conductor 61 and an insulating layer 62 covering the conductor 61. The conductor 61 is, for example, a stranded wire formed by twisting together multiple metal wires. The insulating layer 62 is formed of a resin material (e.g., polyvinyl chloride).

[0061] Vconn wire 8 has a conductor 81 and an insulating layer 82 covering the conductor 81. The conductor 81 is, for example, a stranded wire formed by twisting together multiple metal wires. The insulating layer 82 is formed of a resin material (e.g., polyvinyl chloride).

[0062] Vconn line 8 can also be used to identify devices connected to communication cable 1 and determine their functions and conditions. Thus, the host device (typically a computer or charger) can supply appropriate power to the device connected to communication cable 1. For example, a docking station or monitor, as a second device conforming to the USB Type-C standard, communicates with the host via Vconn line 8, requesting the required power level and functions. This allows for identification of the connected device and ensures the necessary power and functionality. Additionally, cables with an IC chip (eMaker) (active cables) can also use Vconn line 8 to efficiently transmit data and power. The internal IC chip (eMaker) communicates with the host via Vconn line 8 to establish appropriate power and data transmission protocols. This enables faster data transmission and adequate power supply. Furthermore, Vconn line 8 is sometimes used to supply power to devices. For example, devices connected to a USB Type-C port (e.g., headphones or a mouse) can receive power via Vconn line 8. This eliminates the need for a separate power supply, enabling simpler and more compact designs.

[0063] The first differential pair 2A, 2B, the second differential pair 3, the power line 4, the grounding line 5, the CC line 6, and the Vconn line 8, together with the filler rope 13, are covered by the shielding layer 12, which is then covered by a sheath 7. The sheath 7 is formed of a resin material (e.g., polyvinyl chloride) with a thickness of approximately 0.6 to 0.9 mm. The filler rope 13 is formed of a fibrous material (e.g., cotton, silk, etc.). The filler rope 13 is an example of a clamping device.

[0064] The shielding layer 12 includes: an inner shielding layer 12a, disposed on the inside and formed by winding a conductive strip (e.g., a strip made of aluminum and polyester laminate); and an outer shielding layer 12b, disposed on the outside of the inner shielding layer 12a and formed of a metal braid (e.g., a tin-plated soft copper wire braid).

[0065] (Structure of the connector substrate)

[0066] Figure 3 The connector substrate 200B corresponding to a cable conforming to the USB Type-C standard is shown in (a) top view of the connector substrate 200B viewed from the surface side and (b) top view of the connector substrate 200B viewed from the rear side. Figure 4 To illustrate an example of the connector substrate 200A according to this embodiment, (a) is a top view of the connector substrate 200A viewed from the surface side, and (b) is a top view of the connector substrate 200A viewed from the back side. Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the diagram, A represents the plug side, B represents the cable side, and C represents the width direction of the connector substrate.

[0067] (The configuration of the connector substrate corresponding to the USB Type-C standard cable)

[0068] like Figure 3 As shown, the connector substrate 200B corresponding to the cable according to the USB Type-C standard has a configuration that can correspond to an 18-core cable, that is, the number of terminals (also called pads) is 18, and it has a substrate 201 formed of insulating material.

[0069] like Figure 3 As shown in (a), a plug-side surface terminal group 211 is formed on the surface 201a of the substrate 201, consisting of terminals 211a to 211l provided on the plug side A, terminals 221a and 221b provided between the plug side A and the cable side B, and a cable-side surface terminal group 231 is formed on the surface 201a of the substrate 201.

[0070] like Figure 3 As shown in (b), a plug-side back terminal group 212 is formed on the back side 201b of the substrate 201, consisting of terminals 212a to 212j provided on the plug side A, terminals 222a and 222b provided between the plug side A and the cable side B, and a cable-side back terminal group 232 is formed on the back side 201b of the substrate 201.

[0071] Terminals 231a to 231i of the cable-side surface terminal group 231 are formed with a spacing of 0.9 to 1.0 mm, and terminals 232a to 232i of the cable-side back terminal group 232 are formed with a spacing of 0.9 to 1.0 mm. That is, the minimum spacing of the terminals in the width direction C of the connector substrate 200B is 0.9 mm.

[0072] (The structure of the connector substrate involved in this embodiment)

[0073] Although the connector substrate 200A involved in this embodiment conforms to the USB Type-C standard, it is as follows: Figure 4 As shown, it has a configuration that can correspond to a 10-core cable, that is, the number of terminals (also called pads) is 10, and it has a substrate 201 formed of insulating material. In addition, the number of terminals of the connector substrate 200A can be increased or decreased according to the number of cores of the communication cable 1.

[0074] like Figure 4As shown in (a), a plug-side surface terminal group 211, consisting of terminals 211a to 211l provided on the plug side A, terminals 221a and 221b (not shown) provided between the plug side A and the cable side B and serving as a metal cover for the plug 112A, and a cable-side surface terminal group 231, consisting of terminals 231a to 231f provided on the cable side B, are formed on the surface 201a of the substrate 201. Terminal 231f in the cable-side surface terminal group 231 is a shielding terminal and has a rectangular shape in which the length direction is the width direction C of the connector substrate 200A. Terminals 231a and 231b of the cable-side surface terminal group 231 are an example of a pair of surface terminals. Shielding terminal 231f is an example of a surface shielding terminal.

[0075] like Figure 4 As shown in (b), a plug-side back terminal group 212, consisting of terminals 212a-212j provided on the plug side A, terminals 222a and 222b (not shown) for a metal cover of plug 112A provided between plug side A and cable side B, and a cable-side back terminal group 232 consisting of terminals 232a-232f provided on cable side B are formed on the back side 201b of the substrate 201 of the substrate 201. Terminal 232f in the cable-side back terminal group 232 is a shielding terminal and has a rectangular shape in which the length direction is the width direction C of the connector substrate 200A. In addition, an IC chip (also called an eMarker) 15 for power supply-related control is mounted on the back side 201b of the substrate 201 of one of the pair of connector substrates 200A. Alternatively, the IC chip 15 may be mounted on the surface 201a of the substrate 201. Alternatively, depending on the specifications of the connected device, the pair of connector substrates 200A may not have the IC chip 15. Surface 201a and back surface 201b are examples of one surface. Terminals 232a and 232b of the cable-side back terminal group 232 are examples of a pair of back terminals. Shielding terminal 232f is an example of a back shielding terminal. IC chip (eMarker) 15 is an example of a circuit element configured within the plug.

[0076] The IC chip 15 records manufacturer information (Vender ID), power capacity (Max Voltage, Max Current), and other specifications. Under the USB PD 3.1 standard, it can supply a maximum of 240W (48V, 5A) of power; under the USB PD 3.0 standard, it can supply a maximum of 100W (20V, 5A) of power corresponding to 5A, and a maximum of 60W (20V, 3A) of power corresponding to 3A. In the IC chip 15 of this embodiment, output power rules are recorded, for example, voltages of 5V, 9V, 15V, and 20V and current of 3A; power capacity is recorded, for example, a maximum voltage of 20V and a maximum current of 3A. Because the communication cable assembly 100 includes the IC chip 15, even if the second device requests an output exceeding the output power (e.g., 60W) of the first device (e.g., 100W), the PD control unit of the first device supplies power close to the output request (20V, 3A) to the second device via the communication cable 1 based on the output power rules.

[0077] The terminals 231a to 231e, excluding the shield terminal 231f, in the cable-side surface terminal group 231 are formed with a spacing of 1.0 to 1.57 mm, and the terminals 232a to 232e, excluding the shield terminal 232f, in the cable-side back terminal group 232 are formed with a spacing of 1.2 to 2.0 mm. That is, the minimum spacing of the terminals in the width direction C of the connector substrate 200A is 1.2 mm.

[0078] According to the connector substrate 200A of this embodiment, the minimum spacing of terminals in the width direction C can be increased to more than 1.3 times the minimum spacing in the width direction C of the connector substrate 200B according to the USB Type-C standard. Furthermore, since the number of cable cores is reduced, the number of pads on the connector substrate 200A can also be reduced. Compared to the same size and area as the connector substrate 200B according to the USB Type-C standard, the pad width can be expanded, for example, from 0.5 mm to 0.8 mm. With the above configuration, connection operations can be performed visually. Furthermore, even without using a clamp (cable assembly) to hold the connection ends of the communication cable 1, the connection operation of the communication cable 1 to the connector substrate 200A can be performed.

[0079] (Manufacturing method for communication cable assemblies)

[0080] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the communication cable assembly 100 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0081] First, prepare two first differential pairs 2A and 2B, a second differential pair 3, a power line 4, a ground line 5, a CC line 6, a Vconn line 8, and a filler rope 13. For the first differential pairs 2A and 2B, twist the two signal lines 2a and 2b or signal lines 2c and 2d and the shielding wire 10 together, and wrap a conductive strip around the outer periphery to form an inner shielding layer 11a. Wrap a resin strip around the outer periphery of the inner shielding layer 11a to form an outer shielding layer 11b. The second differential pair 3 is formed by twisting the two signal lines 3a and 3b together.

[0082] Next, an inner shielding layer 12a is formed by twisting together the two prepared first differential pairs 2A and 2B, the second differential pair 3, the power line 4, the ground line 5, the CC line 6, the Vconn line 8, and the filler rope 13, and then winding conductive strip around their outer periphery. An outer shielding layer 12b is formed by winding metal braid around the outer periphery of the inner shielding layer 12a. Next, a sheath 7 is formed around the outer periphery of the shielding layer 12 by extrusion molding using an extruder.

[0083] The communication cable 1 is manufactured as described above. Then, by cutting the communication cable 1 to the required length and connecting the ends to the connector substrate 200A of the first connector 110A and the connector substrate 200A of the second connector 110B, a communication cable assembly 100 with the first connector 110A and the second connector 110B at both ends of the communication cable 1 is manufactured. Furthermore, the connection operation of the first differential pairs 2A and 2B to the connector substrate 200A will be described later.

[0084] (Connection operation of the first differential pair)

[0085] Figure 5 This indicates the signal lines 2a to 2d of the first differential pair 2A and 2B involved in the first embodiment, and... Figure 4 The figures illustrating the connection status of the connector substrate 200A are shown in (a) a top view of the connector substrate 200A from the surface side and (b) a top view of the connector substrate 200A from the back side.

[0086] The conductors 21 of the signal lines 2a and 2b constituting the first differential pair 2A and Figure 5 Terminals 231a and 231b shown in (a) are connected. Conductors 21 of the signal lines 2c and 2d constituting the first differential pair 2B are connected to... Figure 5 Terminals 232a and 232b shown in (b) are connected. Here, the conductors 21 of the signal lines 2a and 2b constituting the first differential pair 2A are connected to... Figure 3When connecting terminals 231a and 231b of the cable-side surface terminal group 231 of the connector substrate 200B corresponding to a cable conforming to the USB Type-C standard, as shown in (a), the shielding layer 11 must be stripped, and the insulation layer 22 of the signal lines 2a and 2b must be stripped, so that the exposed conductors 21 are connected to the narrowly spaced terminals 231a and 231b. On the other hand, when connecting the conductors 21 of the signal lines 2a and 2b constituting the first differential pair 2A to... Figure 4 When terminals 231a and 231b of the cable-side surface terminal group 231 of the connector substrate 200A shown in (a) are connected, the signal lines 2a and 2b can be easily connected due to the wide spacing between terminals 231a and 231b. This situation occurs in... Figure 4 The back side 201b of the connector substrate 200A shown in (b) is the same. The shielding wire 10 is pulled out from the shielding layer 11 and connected to the metal cover (not shown) of the plug 112A.

[0087] Furthermore, the conductor 31 constituting the signal lines 3a and 3b of the second differential pair 3 is, for example, connected to... Figure 5 Terminals 231c and 231d shown in (a) are connected, and conductor 51 of grounding wire 5 is connected, for example, to... Figure 5 The terminal 231e shown in (a) is connected. Power line 4, for example, is connected to... Figure 5 Terminal 232e is connected as shown in (b), and conductor 61 of CC line 6 is connected, for example, with... Figure 5 Terminal 232c shown in (b) is connected, and Vconn line 8 is connected, for example, with Figure 5 Terminal 232d is connected as shown in (b). CC line 6 and Vconn line 8 are connected to IC chip (eMarker) 15 via a wiring pattern not shown.

[0088] (Effects of the first implementation method)

[0089] The communication cable assembly 100 according to the first embodiment has the following effects.

[0090] (a) The number of cores in cables conforming to the USB Type-C standard can be reduced, which can reduce manufacturing costs and make the cable lighter.

[0091] (b) With the same cable outer diameter, the outer diameter of the core wire can be increased, thus improving various properties (communication performance, bending resistance (referring to the characteristic of not easily breaking when repeatedly bent; the same applies below), and mechanical strength). Furthermore, by increasing the conductor thickness, the risk of wire breakage caused by injection pressure during molding is reduced, thus expanding the options for molding methods. Additionally, with the same cable outer diameter, the core wires of signal lines 2a, 2b, etc., can be thickened, thus expanding the range of materials that can be selected for the insulation layer. For example, the constituent material can be selected from expensive nylon-based resins such as polyamide to inexpensive polyolefin-based resins such as polyethylene, and the molding machine can be changed from a dedicated low-pressure molding machine to a general-purpose injection molding machine, thereby shortening the molding time.

[0092] (c) By reducing the first differential pair for transmitting high-speed differential signals to two, the conductors 21 of signal lines 2a to 2d can be thickened, thus extending the communication distance of high-speed differential signals relative to the cable diameter. That is, by reducing the cable diameter (e.g., 3.7 mm), the communication distance can be reduced without shortening it, achieving a lighter communication cable. Furthermore, by setting the cable diameter to the same level as before (e.g., 6.8 mm), the communication distance can be extended.

[0093] (d) Because it has CC line 6 and Vconn line 8, the charger and the device can be connected using the communication cable 1 to charge the device at high speed with power corresponding to the USB PD standard. In addition, by reducing the first differential pair that transmits high-speed differential signals to two, the conductor 41 of the power line 4 and the conductor 51 of the ground line 5 can be thickened, thus extending the power supply distance (e.g., to the same extent as the communication distance).

[0094] (e) Because it has CC line 6, it is possible to use a reversible plug that can be inserted relative to the socket even if it is reversed (up or down).

[0095] (f) Since the spacing between terminals 231a and 231b and the spacing between terminals 232a and 232b of the connector substrate 200A are relatively wide, it is easy to connect the signal lines 2a to 2d that constitute the first differential pair 2A and 2B to the connector substrate 200A.

[0096] [Second Implementation]

[0097] Figure 6This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a communication cable according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the communication cable 1 of the first embodiment, one power line 4 and one ground line 5 are used respectively, but in the communication cable 1 of this embodiment, multiple power lines 4 and multiple ground lines 5 are used respectively (for example, two). Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. In addition, since the communication cable assembly 100 according to the second embodiment is manufactured in the same manner as the first embodiment, its description is omitted.

[0098] The communication cable 1 in this embodiment is the same as in the first embodiment, and is a 12-core cable having a first differential pair 2A, 2B, a second differential pair 3, a CC line 6, and a Vconn line 8, and also having a pair of power lines 4A, 4B and a pair of ground lines 5A, 5B. The pair of power lines 4A, 4B and the pair of ground lines 5A, 5B are distributed separately. Furthermore, the number of power lines is not limited to 2, and can be 3 or more. Similarly, the number of ground lines is not limited to 2, and can be 3 or more.

[0099] The conductors 41 of power lines 4A and 4B and the conductors 51 of grounding wires 5A and 5B are the same as in the first embodiment. For example, when supplying 60W (20V, 3A) of power, the voltage drop of power line 4 is 500mV or less, and the voltage drop of grounding wire 5 is 250mV or less, and the power supply distance is at least 3.0m or more, preferably 5.0m or more, and more preferably 6.0m or more. Specifically, the total cross-sectional area of ​​the conductors 41 of power lines 4A and 4B and the total cross-sectional area of ​​the conductors 51 of grounding wires 5A and 5B are preferably 0.30mm². 2 The above, preferably 0.50mm 2 That's all. Furthermore, the total cross-sectional area of ​​conductor 41 in power lines 4A and 4B and the total cross-sectional area of ​​conductor 51 in grounding lines 5A and 5B are preferably 1.5 mm². 2 Hereinafter, 1.0mm is preferred. 2 The following measures are taken to ensure that the connection operation to the connector substrate 200A is not difficult. Due to the size limitations of the connector substrate 200A used for the mating part according to the USB Type-C standard, the ratio of the conductor diameter (wherein, the conductor diameter is converted to the diameter of one conductor in a way that makes the resistance value equal) of the conductor 41 of the power lines 4A and 4B and the conductor 51 of the ground lines 5A and 5B to the cable diameter is preferably 0.10 or more and 0.23 or less.

[0100] According to the second embodiment, compared to using only the power line 4 and the grounding wire 5, the conductors 41 of the pair of power lines 4A and 4B and the conductors 51 of the pair of grounding wires 5A and 5B can be made thicker, thus extending the power supply distance to the same extent as in the first embodiment. Furthermore, by distributing the pair of power lines 4A and 4B and the pair of grounding wires 5A and 5B, the cable structure can be stabilized, and the overall cross-sectional shape of the communication cable 1 can be maintained as circular.

[0101] [Third Implementation Method]

[0102] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a communication cable according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In the communication cable 1 of the first embodiment, the first differential pair of signal lines 2a and 2b constituting the two first differential pairs 2A and 2B and the second differential pair of signal lines 2c and 2d are shielded by the shielding layer 11. However, the communication cable 1 of this embodiment uses coaxial cables 9a to 9d as the signal lines constituting the two first differential pairs 2A and 2B (also called a coaxial type communication cable). Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0103] The communication cable 1 according to the third embodiment consists of a first differential pair 2A formed by a first differential pair of coaxial cables 9a and 9b, and a second differential pair 2B formed by a pair of coaxial cables 9c and 9d. These coaxial cables 9a to 9d are arranged on the outer periphery, and a CC line 6 and filler cords 14a and 14b are arranged at the center. The first differential pair 2A and 2B, the second differential pair 3, the power line 4, and the ground line 5, together with the filler cords 13, are covered by a shielding layer 12, and the outer side is covered by a sheath 7. The filler cords 14a and 14b are formed of a resin material (e.g., polyethylene). The coaxial cables 9a to 9d are an example of signal lines constituting the first differential pair. The filler cords 14a and 14b are an example of a clamping device.

[0104] Coaxial cables 9a-9d include a center conductor 91, an inner insulating layer 92 covering the center conductor 91, an outer conductor 93 formed outside the inner insulating layer 92, and an outer insulating layer 94 covering the outer conductor 93. The center conductor 91 is, for example, a stranded wire formed by twisting together multiple metal wires. The inner insulating layer 92 is formed of a resin material (e.g., cross-linked polyethylene). The outer conductor 93 is, for example, formed of a metal braid. The outer insulating layer 94 includes a first outer insulating layer 94a formed of a resin material (e.g., polyvinyl chloride) and a second outer insulating layer 94b formed of a resin material (e.g., polyvinyl chloride) disposed outside the first outer insulating layer 94a. The center conductor 91 is an example of a central conductor.

[0105] The center conductor 91 of the coaxial lines 9a to 9d constituting the first differential pair 2A and 2B is the same as in the first embodiment, for example, having a cross-sectional area with a communication distance of at least 4.0 m, preferably 5.0 m or more, and more preferably 6.0 m or more at a transmission speed of 5 Gbps. Specifically, the cross-sectional area of ​​the center conductor 91 of the coaxial lines 9a to 9d is preferably 0.06 mm². 2 The above, preferably 0.08mm 2 That's all. Additionally, the cross-sectional area of ​​the center conductor 91 of the coaxial lines 9a to 9d is preferably 0.35 mm². 2 The following is a preferred value: 0.23mm 2 The following measures are taken to ensure that the connection operation to the connector substrate 200A is not difficult. Due to the size limitations of the connector substrate 200A for the mating part according to the USB Type-C standard, the ratio of the conductor diameter of the center conductor 91 of the coaxial cables 9a to 9d to the cable diameter is preferably 0.06 or more.

[0106] (Manufacturing method for communication cable assemblies)

[0107] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the communication cable assembly 100 according to the third embodiment will be described.

[0108] First, prepare two first differential pairs 2A and 2B, a second differential pair 3, a power line 4, a ground line 5, a CC line 6, a Vconn line 8, and filler wires 13, 14a, and 14b. For the first differential pairs 2A and 2B, prepare four coaxial cables 9a to 9d that constitute them. The second differential pair 3 is formed by twisting two signal lines 3a and 3b together.

[0109] Next, an inner shielding layer 12a is formed by twisting together the two prepared first differential pairs 2A and 2B, the second differential pair 3, the power line 4, the ground line 5, the CC line 6, the Vconn line 8, and the filler ropes 13, 14a, and 14b, and then winding conductive strips around their outer periphery. An outer shielding layer 12b is formed by winding metal braid around the outer periphery of the inner shielding layer 12a. Next, a sheath 7 is formed around the outer periphery of the shielding layer 12 by extrusion molding using an extruder.

[0110] The communication cable 1 is manufactured as described above. Then, by cutting the communication cable 1 to the required length and connecting the ends to the connector substrate 200A of the first connector 110A and the connector substrate 200A of the second connector 110B, a communication cable assembly 100 with the first connector 110A and the second connector 110B at both ends of the communication cable 1 is manufactured. Furthermore, the connection operation of the coaxial lines 9a to 9d constituting the first differential pair 2A, 2B to the connector substrate 100A will be described later.

[0111] (Connection operation of the first differential pair)

[0112] Figure 8 This indicates that it is used to connect the first differential pair involved in the third embodiment with... Figure 4 The figures shown illustrate the connection status of the connector substrates. (a) is a top view of the connector substrate viewed from the surface side, and (b) is a top view of the connector substrate viewed from the back side.

[0113] The center conductor 91 of the coaxial lines 9a and 9b of the communication cable 1 according to the third embodiment is connected to... Figure 3 When connecting terminals 231a and 231b of the cable-side surface terminal group 231 of the connector substrate 200B corresponding to a cable conforming to the USB Type-C standard, as shown in (a), the outer insulating layer 94 must be stripped, and the inner insulating layer 92 of the coaxial cables 9a and 9b must be stripped. The exposed center conductor 91 must then be connected to the narrowly spaced terminals 231a and 231b. Additionally, the outer conductor 93 needs to be pulled out like a wire and connected to the shielding terminal (the metal cover of the plug 112A, not shown). On the other hand, when connecting the center conductor 91 of the coaxial cables 9a and 9b to... Figure 4 When terminals 231a and 231b of the cable-side surface terminal group 231 of the connector substrate 200A shown in (a) are connected, the wide spacing between terminals 231a and 231b facilitates easy connection of coaxial cables 9a and 9b. Furthermore, even without pulling out the exposed outer conductor 93 like a wire, the outer peripheral surface can be connected to the shielding terminal 231f. This situation applies in... Figure 4 The back side 201b of the connector substrate 200A shown in (b) is the same.

[0114] (Effects of the third implementation method)

[0115] The communication cable assembly 100 according to the third embodiment has the same effect as the first embodiment, and has the following effects.

[0116] (a) By reducing the first differential pair for transmitting high-speed differential signals to two, the center conductor 91 of the coaxial cables 9a to 9d can be thickened, thus extending the communication distance of the high-speed differential signals relative to the cable diameter.

[0117] (b) Since the conductor 41 of the power line 4 and the conductor 51 of the grounding wire 5 can be thickened, the power supply distance can be extended (e.g., to the same extent as the communication distance).

[0118] (c) Since coaxial lines 9a to 9d are used as signal lines constituting the first differential pair 2A and 2B, the outer insulating layer 94 of coaxial lines 9a to 9d can be peeled off and the outer peripheral surface of the exposed outer conductor 93 can be connected to the shielding terminals 231f and 232f, thus making the connection operation of coaxial lines 9a to 9d to the connector substrate 200A easier.

[0119] (d) Since coaxial cables 9a to 9d are used as the first differential pair 2A and 2B, the coaxial cables 9a to 9d are independent of each other, so the characteristic changes in the differential are very small, thus improving the bending resistance compared with Twinax type communication cables.

[0120] (Variation Example 1)

[0121] In the above embodiments, the communication cable 1 includes a second differential pair 3 for transmitting low-speed differential signals, but the second differential pair 3 can also be omitted from the communication cable 1. This allows for further thickening of the conductors of the signal lines constituting the first differential pairs 2A and 2B, further extending the communication distance for high-speed differential signals. Furthermore, the conductor diameters of the power line and grounding line can be further increased, further extending the power supply distance.

[0122] (Variation Example 2)

[0123] In the above embodiments, the communication cable 1 includes a Vconn line 8 and an IC chip 15 is mounted on the connector substrate 200A. However, depending on the specifications of the connected device, the Vconn line 8 and the IC chip 15 may be omitted.

[0124] (Variation Example 3)

[0125] In the above embodiments, the communication cable 1 includes a Vconn line 8 and an IC chip 15 is mounted on the connector substrate 200A. However, the IC chip 15 can be omitted without omitting the Vconn line. This allows for cost reduction.

[0126] (Variation Example 4)

[0127] In the above embodiments, the communication cable 1 includes a second differential pair 3 for transmitting low-speed differential signals. However, the second differential pair 3, Vconn line 8, and IC chip 15 can also be omitted from the communication cable 1, resulting in a 7-core cable. This allows for further thickening of the conductors of the signal lines constituting the first differential pairs 2A and 2B, further extending the communication distance for high-speed differential signals. Furthermore, the conductor diameters of the power line and ground line can be further increased, further extending the power supply distance.

[0128] (Variation Example 5)

[0129] In the above embodiments, the communication cable 1 includes a grounding wire 5. However, the grounding wire 5 can also be omitted from the communication cable 1, and a shielding wire or other additional material can be added to replace the grounding wire 5, or the overall shielding wire can be increased to replace the grounding wire 5. This allows for a reduction in cable diameter. The shielding wire and the overall shielding wire are examples of wire materials that function as a grounding wire.

[0130]

Example

[0131] For Embodiment 1 corresponding to the first embodiment, Embodiment 2 corresponding to the second embodiment, a portion of Embodiment 3 corresponding to the first embodiment, and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, communication performance (communication distance) and power supply performance (power supply distance) were tested and evaluated. Table 1 shows the configuration of the communication cables for Embodiments 1, 2, and 3 of the test objects, and Table 2 shows the configuration of Comparative Examples 1 and 2. Furthermore, in Tables 1 and 2, T represents tin-plated soft copper wire, and AG represents silver-plated soft copper wire.

[0132] Table 1

[0133]

[0134] Table 2

[0135]

[0136] In Example 1, corresponding to the first embodiment, conductor 21, which constitutes the signal lines 2a to 2d of the first differential pair 2A and 2B, uses AWG size 27 (conductor diameter 0.42 mm), and conductors 41 and 51, which constitute the power line 4 and ground line 5, use AWG size 18 (conductor diameter 1.19 mm, cross-sectional area 0.823 m²). 2 The conductor resistance is 23.8 Ω / km. Furthermore, the conductor resistance is measured using a resistivity of 0.0196 Ω·mm² per unit area. 2 The calculated ratio (d / D) of the conductor diameter d relative to the cable diameter D associated with the first differential pair 2A, 2B is 0.062.

[0137] Example 2 corresponds to the second embodiment. The conductor 21, which constitutes the signal lines 2a-2d of the first differential pair 2A and 2B, uses the same AWG size 27 (conductor diameter 0.42 mm) as in Example 1. The conductors 41 and 51, which constitute the power lines 4A and 4B and the ground lines 5A and 5B, use AWG size 22 (conductor diameter 0.80 mm, total cross-sectional area 0.763 mm²). 2 (Conductor resistance 25.7Ω / km). The ratio (d / D) of the conductor diameter d to the cable diameter D associated with the first differential pair 2A, 2B is 0.062.

[0138] In Example 3, compared to Example 1, the conductors 41 and 51, which serve as the power line 4 and ground line 5, use a finer AWG size 22 (conductor diameter 0.76 mm, cross-sectional area 0.342 m²). 2 The conductor resistance is 57.5 Ω / km, and everything else is the same as in Example 1. The ratio (d / D) of the conductor diameter d associated with the first differential pair 2A, 2B to the cable diameter D is 0.062.

[0139] In Comparative Example 1, conductor 21, which constitutes the signal lines 2a to 2d of the first differential pair, uses an AWG size 32 (conductor diameter 0.24 mm) that is thinner than that in Example 1. Conductors 41 and 51, which constitute the power line 4 and ground line 5, use an AWG size 26 (conductor diameter 0.48 mm, cross-sectional area 0.140 m²) that is thinner than that in Example 1. 2 (Conductor resistance 134Ω / km). The ratio of conductor diameter d to cable diameter D (d / D) associated with the first differential pair 2A, 2B is 0.065.

[0140] Comparative Example 2 uses a 17-core cable with a diameter of 5.2 mm, forming a 17-core configuration with four first differential pairs. The conductor 21, constituting the signal lines 2a to 2d of the first differential pairs, uses an AWG size 30 (conductor diameter 0.30 mm), which is thinner than in Example 1. The conductors 41 and 51, constituting the power line 4 and ground line 5, use an AWG size 26 (conductor diameter 0.50 mm, cross-sectional area 0.150 mm²), which is thinner than in Example 1. 2 (Conductor resistance 132Ω / km). The ratio (d / D) of the conductor diameter d associated with the first differential pair 2A, 2B to the cable diameter D is 0.058. If this ratio (d / D) exceeds 0.08, the weight of the communication cable increases. Therefore, in order to suppress the increase in the weight of the communication cable, according to Examples 1, 2, 3 and Comparative Examples 1, 2, it can be said that the ratio (d / D) associated with the first differential pair 2A, 2B is preferably 0.06 or more and 0.08 or less.

[0141] (Methods for evaluating communication distance)

[0142] Images captured by the camera were transmitted to a PC via the test subject's communication cable. Communication performance (communication range) was evaluated based on the presence of any stuttering, dropouts, noise, or color distortion during the 10-minute recording period. A "○" was marked as no issues during the 10-minute recording, and an "×" was marked as no image displayed on the PC. The evaluation results are shown in Table 3.

[0143] (Attenuation characteristics)

[0144] Figure 9A This is a graph showing the attenuation characteristics when the cable length is 3m. Figure 9BThis is a graph showing the attenuation characteristics based on the cable length (using cable length) corresponding to each communicable distance. Since the camera used has a data transmission speed of 5Gbps, the attenuation characteristics were measured around 2.5GHz.

[0145] The attenuation when the communication cable is 3m long is caused by the AWG size of the communication cable, such as... Figure 9A As shown, the smaller the AWG size (the larger the conductor diameter), the smaller the attenuation. That is, the attenuation near the frequency of 2.5 GHz is 6 dB in Examples 1, 2, and 3, 11 dB in Comparative Example 1, and 8 dB in Comparative Example 2. These attenuation values ​​are shown in Table 3.

[0146] like Figure 9B As shown, in Examples 1, 2, 3, and Comparative Example 1, the attenuation in the cable length corresponding to the communication distance is 13 dB near a frequency of 2.5 GHz, which can be inferred as the communication limit. On the other hand, in Comparative Example 2, although it is as low as 8 dB near a frequency of 2.5 GHz, due to other factors such as the power supply specifications of power line 4 (Vbus line) and the potential difference with GND, the communication distance is considered to be the shortest at 3 m. The values ​​of the above attenuation are shown in Table 3.

[0147] Table 3

[0148]

[0149] (Evaluation results of communication distance)

[0150] (1) Compared with Comparative Example 2 (cable diameter 5.2 mm), Examples 1, 2, and 3 (cable diameter 6.8 mm) can extend the communication distance by 2 times from 3 m to 6 m. Compared with Comparative Example 2 (cable diameter 5.2 mm), Comparative Example 1 (cable diameter 3.7 mm) has the same communication performance and can achieve lightweight communication cable.

[0151] (2) When the cable diameter is set to D and the communication distance is set to L, the ratio of the communication distance L to the cable diameter D (L / D) is L / D = 6000mm / 6.8mm = 882 in Examples 1, 2, and 3, L / D = 3500mm / 3.7mm = 946 in Comparative Example 1, and L / D = 3000mm / 5.2mm = 577 in Comparative Example 2. Therefore, it can be said that the ratio of the communication distance to the cable diameter L / D is preferably 800 or more or 880 or more, and more preferably 900 or more or 940 or more.

[0152] (Evaluation method for distance to be supplied with electricity)

[0153] For the communication cable of the test object, a voltage drop (IR drop) test was conducted under a power supply of 60W (20V, 3A) to measure the voltage drop caused by the internal resistance of the power supply line 4. The USB PD standard Tester (QuadraMAX) was used. The judgment criteria were: a voltage drop of less than 500mV for the power supply line and less than 250mV for the grounding line were considered acceptable; failure to meet either or both criteria was considered unacceptable. The judgment results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0154] (Evaluation results of power supply distance)

[0155] In Example 1, the voltage drop up to 7.0m was within the allowable range. In Example 2, the voltage drop up to 6.0m was within the allowable range. In Example 3, the voltage drop up to 3.0m was within the allowable range, but exceeded the allowable range at 4.0m. In Comparative Example 1, since it was a 9-core circuit, it could not handle PD communication and was therefore not included in the evaluation. In Comparative Example 2, the voltage drop up to 2.0m was within the allowable range, but exceeded the allowable range at 3.0m.

[0156] (Overall Evaluation)

[0157] In Examples 1, 2, and 3, a communication distance of 6.0m can be achieved relative to a cable diameter of 6.8mm. In Examples 1 and 2, a power supply distance of over 6m can be achieved relative to a cable diameter of 6.8mm. Therefore, in Examples 1 and 2, a communication distance and a power supply distance of 6.0m can be achieved, respectively.

[0158] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified and implemented in various ways.

Claims

1. A communication cable, wherein a pair of plug connectors are electrically connected to both ends, characterized in that, The communication cable has the following features: Two first differential pairs transmit high-speed differential signals; A power cord and a grounding wire, used to supply power to the device connected to the terminal, and there are one or more of each; as well as Configure channel lines for detecting the orientation of the plug connector (positive or negative). The first differential pair does not have a first differential pair other than the two first differential pairs.

2. The communication cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, The signal line constituting the first differential pair has a central conductor and an insulating layer covering the conductor, wherein the conductor diameter is 0.06 or more relative to the cable diameter.

3. The communication cable according to claim 2, characterized in that, The power line and the grounding wire each have a conductor and an insulating layer covering the conductor. The ratio of the conductor diameter of the power line and the grounding wire to the cable diameter is 0.10 or more. When there are multiple power lines and multiple grounding wires, the conductor diameter is calculated as the diameter of one conductor after converting each conductor to the same resistance value.

4. The communication cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, The signal line constituting the first differential pair has a central conductor and an insulating layer covering the conductor, the conductor of the signal line having a thickness of 0.06 mm. 2 The above refers to the cross-sectional area.

5. The communication cable according to claim 4, characterized in that, The power line and the grounding wire each have a conductor and an insulating layer covering the conductor, and the conductor of the power line and the grounding wire has a thickness of 0.30 mm. 2 The cross-sectional area mentioned above, when there are multiple power lines and multiple grounding wires, is the sum of the cross-sectional areas of each individual wire.

6. The communication cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of cores is 6 or more but less than 14.

7. The communication cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also has a second power cord.

8. The communication cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also has a second differential pair for transmitting low-speed differential signals.

9. The communication cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, Instead of the grounding wire, a wire that functions as a grounding wire for supplying power to the device connected to the end is used.

10. A communication cable assembly, characterized in that, The communication cable assembly includes: The communication cable according to any one of claims 1 to 9; and The pair of plug connectors are electrically connected to the two ends of the communication cable.

11. The communication cable assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that, One of the plug connectors in the pair has a circuit element that records the value of the power that can be supplied to the device.

Images