Electrical connector for a data or communication cable

Abstract

Electrical connector (1) for a data or communication cable with the following features: - a housing (3), - a circuit board (50), wherein the circuit board (50) is at least partially arranged in the housing (3), - the circuit board (50) has at least one differential line (53), - the differential line (53) has a first conductor track (51) and a second conductor track (52), - the first (51) and second conductor track (52) each have a conductor path (57) and first contact pads (54) and second contact pads (55) at the ends of the conductor path (57), - the second contact pads (55) are electrically connected to second contact elements (65), - at least one capacitance plate (91) is formed on the circuit board (50), characterized by the following additional features: - a single capacitance plate (91) is formed at least partially overlapping with one of the second contact elements (65) on the circuit board (50), wherein the capacitance plate (91) is not electrically connected to the overlapping second contact element (65).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an electrical connector according to the features of the preamble of claim 1. DE 20 2021 103 404 U1 and US 2015 / 0 194 767 A1 are known from the prior art.

[0002] In electrical connectors, particularly in high-frequency technology, cables and plug contacts exhibit frequency-dependent electromagnetic coupling, particularly capacitive coupling. This results in unwanted crosstalk between cables or plug contacts. Especially in high-frequency applications, crosstalk leads to transmission losses. To compensate for this unwanted crosstalk as much as possible, capacitors are connected to negate the crosstalk signal. It is advantageous to position the capacitors as close as possible to the location of the crosstalk.

[0003] A connector in which capacitors are arranged near the plug contacts is known, for example, from WO2017132697A1.

[0004] A disadvantage is that in existing products there is often just enough space in the area of ​​the plug contacts to accommodate capacitors. If the aim is to make the electrical connector more compact, there is often no space for capacitors in the area of ​​the plug contacts. In addition, the capacitance required for compensation is low, which is why arranging a plate capacitor within the circuit board quickly becomes too large due to the large conductive plates that are arranged closely opposite one another. Using smaller plates is disadvantageous because this makes etching tolerances much more important, as these depend on the manufacturing process used and not on the size of the plates. It is therefore advantageous if the plates have a certain minimum size in order to minimize the influence of etching tolerances.The interplay of space issues and requirements for the minimum size of the capacitor plates is problematic.

[0005] This problem is solved by an electrical connector having the features of patent claim 1.

[0006] Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0007] According to the invention, an electrical connector for a data or communications cable is provided, comprising a housing and a circuit board, wherein the circuit board is at least partially arranged in a housing and the circuit board has at least one differential line. The differential line has a first conductor track and a second conductor track, wherein the first and second conductor tracks each have a conduction path and contact pads at the ends of the conduction path. The contact pads are electrically connected to contact elements, wherein at least one capacitance plate is formed on the circuit board. According to the invention, a single capacitance plate is formed on the circuit board so as to at least partially overlap one of the contact elements, wherein the capacitance plate is not electrically connected to the overlapping second contact element.

[0008] Because only one capacitance plate is used for compensation, it can preferably be arranged on one of the middle circuit board layers, thus maintaining the standardized distance from the second contact pads. This allows the capacitance plate to be made sufficiently large to keep the etching tolerances small compared to the surface area of ​​the plates. Furthermore, the large distance from the overlapping second contact element allows the capacitance value of the capacitance arrangement to be made sufficiently small.

[0009] The contact elements can be divided into first and second contact elements, wherein the first contact elements are preferably designed as insulation displacement contacts and the second contact elements as plug contacts. The contact pads can be divided into first and second contact pads, wherein the first contact elements are directly connected to the first contact pads, and wherein the second contact elements are directly connected to the second contact pads. The first and second contact pads are formed around first and second through-openings. A contact pad can be formed on multiple circuit board layers. The through-openings are copper-plated on the side surfaces, wherein these copper-plated side surfaces connect the individual levels of the contact pad to one another and are part of a contact pad. The contact pads can have the shape of a circle, an oval, or a square.

[0010] In electrical connectors, data transmission preferably takes place on differential lines. A differential line has a first conductor track and a second conductor track. The conductor track, often referred to as the plus conductor track or tip conductor track, is defined here and below as the first conductor track, whereas the minus conductor track or ring conductor track is defined here and below as the second conductor track. A signal is transmitted on the first conductor track, while the second conductor track transmits the inverted signal. The receiver forms the difference between the two signals, whereby the difference corresponds to the original signal to be transmitted. In electrical connectors, an undesirable capacitive coupling exists between conductor tracks, especially when they are close to one another.In addition, there is undesirable electromagnetic coupling between conductive contact surfaces, especially between second contact elements, which are preferably designed as plug contacts. Plug contacts are large conductive surfaces arranged in close proximity to one another. The closer the two plug contacts are arranged to each other and the larger the conductive surfaces, the greater the capacitive coupling between two plug contacts.

[0011] An unwanted capacitive coupling between a first conductor track and a second conductor track of different differential lines one and two can be compensated for by inserting an additional capacitance between the first two conductor tracks of the previously considered differential lines one and two. The first conductor track of differential line two now sees, on the one hand, the unwanted crosstalk resulting from the unwanted capacitive coupling between the second conductor track of differential line one and the first conductor track of differential line two, and, on the other hand, the desired crosstalk due to the additionally inserted capacitance between the first two conductor tracks of differential lines one and two.Since the first conductor track of the second differential line is capacitively coupled to both the first conductor track and the second conductor track of differential line one, and the signals to be transmitted on these conductor tracks are inverted to one another, the crosstalk signals cancel each other out at best. In electrical connectors, the capacitance must be designed such that the desired crosstalk is just large enough to negate the unwanted crosstalk or keep it within a standardized range. In particular, crosstalk in connectors is designed such that the connector, in conjunction with a complementary electrical connector, which is usually designed as a socket, has the lowest possible crosstalk. The good socket compensates for the poor connector. The same applies to all other components, especially plug contacts, which have an unwanted capacitive coupling to one another.If the capacitance turns out to be too large, it must be compensated for by a mutual capacitance at another location. The mutual capacitance is designed in such a way that it is connected to the same conductor tracks as the conductor tracks or plug contacts between which the unwanted crosstalk is injected.

[0012] According to the invention, the capacitance that injects the desired crosstalk is formed by a single capacitance plate and a surface or partial surface of the overlapping plug contact that is capacitively coupled to this capacitance plate, whereby the arrangement resembles that of a plate capacitor. This arrangement is defined here and below as a capacitance arrangement. Because only a single capacitance plate needs to be formed according to the invention, the space required for the capacitance arrangement is significantly reduced. For example, conductor tracks can run and cross on the circuit board layers where the capacitance plate is not arranged.

[0013] Between the capacitance plate and the overlapping capacitance plate of the plug contact, depending on the board layer on which the capacitance plate is formed, there is either just air and the carrier element, or air and the board substrate and the carrier element. Both air and the board substrate as well as the carrier element are dielectric. One of the most important physical properties of a dielectric is the relative permittivity. This is directly proportional to the capacitance. For air, the relative permittivity is very close to one, whereas the relative permittivity of the substrate for common materials is between 3.2 and 5. Thus, the arrangement of the capacitance plate on different board layers represents another degree of freedom for ideally adjusting the capacitance.Common materials for circuit boards are FR4 or polymide, with the relative permittivity for polymide typically ranging between 3.2 and 3.7 and for FR4 between 3.5 and 5. The carrier element has a permittivity of approximately 3.5.

[0014] The capacitance of a plate capacitor is directly proportional to the overlapping area of ​​the plug contact and the capacitance plate, and inversely proportional to the distance between the capacitance plate and the overlapping area of ​​the plug contact. According to the invention, the capacitance array is positioned close to the location where unwanted crosstalk occurs. Since crosstalk is particularly high due to the large conductive surfaces of the plug contacts in the area of ​​the contact point of the connector and a complementary electrical connector, the capacitance array is positioned close to these plug contacts.

[0015] The dependencies listed above assume that a homogeneous electric field develops between the plates of the capacitor. In applications where a homogeneous field cannot be assumed, other dependencies may arise. In particular, linearity of the parameters plate area, plate spacing, and relative permittivity may no longer be assumed, which makes the calculation and design significantly more complex. Furthermore, the relative arrangement of the conductive plates, the arrangement of the dielectric, and the underlying model are crucial for the calculation.

[0016] Under certain circumstances, it is necessary to connect a parasitic capacitance between a first conductor track and a second conductor track of the same differential line in order to meet the standard requirements for the electrical connector. The parasitic capacitance artificially amplifies unwanted crosstalk.

[0017] Advantageously, the capacitance plate is connected to a conductor track via a stub line.

[0018] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, one of the contact elements, preferably the second contact element, especially when the second contact element is designed as a plug-in contact, is arranged at least partially parallel to the capacitance plate. This increases the overlapping area of ​​the capacitance arrangement and results in a larger capacitance. This is necessary because the capacitance arrangement has partially formed air between the conductive surfaces, with air having a low permittivity compared to the substrate of the circuit board or the carrier element. The low permittivity must be compensated for by larger overlapping areas of the capacitance arrangement.

[0019] Advantageously, the capacitance plate is arranged so as to completely overlap the contact element, preferably the second contact element, in particular if the second contact element is designed as a plug contact, or a central part of the plug contact is arranged so as to completely overlap the capacitance plate.

[0020] According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the capacitance plate is preferably at least one and a half times as wide as the width of the conductor track sections that are directly connected to the second contact pads. Furthermore, the capacitance plate can be at least twice, two and a half times, three times, four times, or five times as wide as the width of the conductor track sections that are directly connected to the second contact pads. The capacitance plate can be at least one and a quarter, one and a half, twice, two and a half, or three times as wide as the widest or thinnest conductor track width on the circuit board that lies directly in the signal path or outside the signal path. The signal path is defined as the path that directly connects a first contact element and a second contact element.

[0021] Advantageously, the board is designed as a multilayer board. This allows the capacitance plate of the capacitance array to be arranged on any board layer. In addition to reducing space constraints, the capacitance can be varied by altering the spacing and dielectric ratio. Two-layer, four-layer, six-layer, or eight-layer boards can be used.

[0022] In an advantageous development of the invention, the capacitance plate is formed in one of the middle layers of the multilayer board or the capacitance plate is formed in one of the outer layers of the multilayer board.

[0023] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, four differential lines are formed on the circuit board. A first and a second conductor track each form a differential line. The conductor tracks are defined from one to eight, with conductor tracks one and two, conductor tracks three and six, conductor tracks four and five, and conductor tracks seven and eight each forming a differential line. In particular, conductor tracks four and five as well as conductor tracks three and six are particularly challenging when considering crosstalk. If the capacitance value of the capacitance arrangement is too large, this can be counteracted with the help of mutual capacitances. Such mutual capacitances can, for example, be capacitors connected between conductor tracks five and six or three and four. The impedance of the conductor track depends on many factors.These include the track width, the spacing between the tracks, the track height, and the substrate properties. By varying these parameters, it is possible to optimize insertion loss and return loss, which are essential properties of a good electrical connector in high-frequency technology.

[0024] In a non-claimed embodiment of this invention, the capacitance plate is connected to a different differential line than the overlapping second contact element, which is preferably designed as a plug-in contact. Because the signals are transmitted on the conductor tracks of a differential line with reversed polarity, crosstalk is negated in such an arrangement.

[0025] According to the invention, the capacitance plate is connected to the first conductor track, and the second contact element is connected to a second conductor track of the same differential line. Such an arrangement is used when the capacitive coupling between the plug contacts is too small. Such a measure may be necessary, particularly for plug contacts that do not have large capacitance plates.

[0026] In a non-claimed embodiment of the invention, the capacitance plate is connected to a first conductor track of a differential line, wherein the second contact element is also connected to a first conductor track of another differential line. The contact element is preferably the second contact element, in particular if the second contact element is designed as a plug-in contact. The capacitance plate can be connected to the second contact pad or to the conduction path via a stub line. This shifts the inductive components within a conductor track, whereby the insertion loss and return loss can be optimized. The capacitance plate of the capacitance arrangement can also be connected to a preferably second contact pad or a conduction path.

[0027] In a non-claimed embodiment of the invention, the capacitance plate is connected to a second conductor track of a differential line, wherein the overlapping second contact element, which is preferably designed as a plug contact, is also connected to a second conductor track of another differential line.

[0028] In a non-claimed embodiment of the invention, the capacitance plate is connected to a first conductor track of a differential line, wherein the overlapping second contact element, which is preferably designed as a plug contact, is connected to a second conductor track of another differential line.

[0029] According to a favorable development of the invention, the second contact pads are arranged in two rows, wherein the rows are arranged such that the rows have a different distance from the plug-in side, wherein the rows are arranged such that a second contact pad of one row is at least partially arranged between two second contact pads of the other row. This arrangement enables a more compact plug-in connector. The plug-in connectors are preferably soldered to the second contact pads, wherein these second contact pads must have a standardized distance from one another. This ensures that the required creepage distances and flashover distances are maintained. With such an arrangement, the required distance is achieved, among other things, by shifting the second contact pads towards the long side of the plug-in connector.The arrangement of the second contact pads can be arranged in one row or in more than two rows, in particular in an even number of rows. The design of the plug contact changes with the different arrangements of the second contact pads; in particular, the central part of the plug contact is made longer or shorter depending on the arrangement of the second contact pad.

[0030] Advantageously, the capacitance plate forms the shape of a square or an oval or a circle or a triangle or a parallelogram, in particular in order to comply with the normative distances with regard to creepage distance and flashover distance and to set the largest possible overlapping area with the plug contact.

[0031] According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the second contact element is designed as a plug contact. The plug contact can be U-shaped. The U-shaped plug contact has a base, a central part, and an overhang. The central part connects the base and overhang and is preferably formed parallel to the surface of the circuit board or along the longitudinal axis, whereas the base and overhang are arranged perpendicular to the circuit board or along the transverse axis. The base of the plug contact can be passed through the second contact feedthrough and is electrically and mechanically contacted with the second contact pad by means of soldering or pressing.

[0032] Advantageously, the first contact elements are designed as insulation displacement connectors. Insulation displacement connectors, also known as IDCs, are characterized by their quick and easy installation. The wires can be electrically connected using the insulation displacement connectors without having to remove the insulation, thus reducing time and the risk of errors. Furthermore, no special tools are required to strip the wires. Insulation displacement connectors are characterized by an extremely reliable connection. When assembled, the terminals of the insulation displacement connector cut through the insulation, creating a gas-tight connection between the wire and the insulation displacement connector, preventing the ingress of moisture and other contaminants.

[0033] Overlap is defined above, here, and below as the existence of at least one vector that intersects two surfaces arranged in space, where the vector intersects one of the surfaces orthogonally. The surfaces are then arranged so as to overlap each other. Complete overlap exists when there is no vector that, when intersecting one of the two surfaces orthogonally, does not also intersect the other surface.

[0034] The front side is the side that can be inserted into another electrical connector or the side into which another electrical connector is inserted. The mating side is located at the front. The rear side is the side into which a connecting cable can be inserted into the electrical connector.

[0035] The longitudinal axis is the axis that intersects the front and back surfaces orthogonally. The transverse axis is the axis that intersects the top and bottom surfaces orthogonally.

[0036] A plane is an infinitely extended surface in three-dimensional space in two spatial directions, with the spatial direction that does not span the surface characterizing the transverse axis. The transverse axis is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. The transverse axis intersects the top and bottom surfaces. The transverse axis points from the bottom of the housing toward the top of the housing. The highest point of the electrical connector spans the top surface within a plane of the transverse axis, whereas the lowest point of the electrical connector spans the bottom surface within a plane of the transverse axis.

[0037] A spur line is a line that is not located in the transmission path. The transmission path is the path over which a signal transmitted via the electrical connector is transmitted directly.

[0038] An embodiment of the invention is explained below with reference to the figures. They show: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the electrical connector in exploded view, which comprises an upper housing part consisting of a loading piece and a carrier element, a lower housing part, a metal housing and a circuit board, Fig. 2 a perspective view of the board Fig. 1, on which insulation displacement terminals and plug contacts are arranged, Fig. 3 a top view of the board Fig. 1, where the top layer of the board is shown by solid lines and the underlying layers by dashed lines, Fig. 4 a perspective view of a second conductor track of a first differential line and a second conductor track of a second differential line with contact pads and stub lines with capacitance plates connected thereto, Fig. 5 a plan view of the second conductor tracks of the first differential line and second differential line from Fig. 4.

[0039] In the following figures, the same reference symbols designate the same parts with the same meaning.

[0040] In Fig. 1 shows an electrical connector 1, which is designed as a plug-in connector 1. The plug-in connector 1 has a housing 3, wherein the housing 3 consists of an upper housing part 10 and a lower housing part 30. Both the lower housing part 30 and the upper housing part 10 are made of a non-conductive material, in particular plastic. A metal housing 40 is arranged above the plastic housing 3 in order to reduce electromagnetic compatibility and electromagnetic interference. The metal housing 40 can be formed, for example, from sheet metal or a die-cast metal part, in particular a die-cast zinc part.

[0041] The upper housing part 10 has a carrier element 20 and a charging piece 15. The charging piece 15 has a cable entry side 16. A cable (not shown) can be inserted through the cable entry side 16. A cable consists of a plurality of individual wires, wherein these individual wires, which may previously have been twisted in pairs, for example, are separated and inserted into the holding terminals of the charging piece 15 and mechanically secured. The individual wires can be mechanically secured to the charging piece 15 by means of a screw, an adhesive, or preferably by means of a clamp. The charging piece 15 has cavities into which, for example, insulation displacement terminals penetrate during assembly and strip the individual wires of the inserted cable, establishing an electrical connection. The carrier element 20 is connected to the circuit board 50 by soldering the plug contacts 66 located in the carrier element 20 to the circuit board 50.The carrier element 20 and the circuit board 50 can be snapped into the housing 3.

[0042] The loading piece 15 can be connected to the metal housing 40 by means of a snap-fit ​​connection. For this purpose, the loading piece 15 has a holding means on each of its side surfaces 18, which is preferably designed as a locking lug 17. The locking lug 17 engages in a recess 41 in the metal housing 40. The advantage of such snap-fit ​​connections is that the assembly and disassembly of the subcomponents can be accomplished without tools. The loading piece 15 has guides 19 that can be inserted into recesses 21 in the carrier element 20 and connect the carrier element 20 and the loading piece 15 to one another. In addition, the loading piece 15 has an overhang 14 that nestles into a recess 22 in the carrier element 20 when the loading piece 15 and the carrier element 20 are assembled.

[0043] The carrier element 20 has a holding means on the side surfaces 23, which is preferably designed as a locking lug 24 and fits into a recess 31 in the lower housing part 30. This holds the lower housing part 30 and the carrier element 20 together in the assembled state by means of a snap-fit ​​connection. In the area of ​​the plug-in side 4, the carrier element 20 has slots 25 which are L-shaped and extend from the plug-in side 4 on the upper side 26 of the carrier element along the longitudinal axis L. The plug contacts 66 can be inserted or are inserted into the slots 25 of the carrier element 20. The lower edge 27 of the side surfaces 23 of the carrier element 20 are designed to slope downwards along the longitudinal axis L in the direction of the charging piece 15.The part of the support element 20 which is arranged directly on the loading piece 15 is larger along the transverse axis Q than the part of the support element 20 which is formed on the front side 4.

[0044] The lower housing part 30 is trough-shaped and can be divided into a first partial body 32 and a second partial body 33. The lower housing part 30 is preferably made of a non-conductive material, in particular of plastic. The first partial body 32 has a larger internal volume than the second partial body 33. The charging piece 15 can primarily be inserted into the first partial body 32, whereas the carrier element 20 can primarily be inserted into the second partial body 33. Within the lower housing part 30, a support surface 34 is formed which runs obliquely to the longitudinal axis L. The circuit board 50 can be placed onto the support surface 34. The circuit board 50 is thus arranged obliquely in the housing 3 with respect to the longitudinal axis L. Due to the oblique arrangement of the circuit board 50 in the housing 3, the plug connector 1 can be made shorter along the longitudinal axis L. The circuit board 50 has an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis L.The circuit board 50 can also be arranged parallel or orthogonal to the longitudinal axis L.

[0045] Two clamping devices 42 are arranged on the rear side 43 of the metal housing 40. The clamping devices 42 protrude into the housing interior and towards one another. The two clamping devices 42 have retaining lugs 44 at their ends, which, when assembled, engage in recesses 35 in the lower housing part 30 and connect the metal housing 40 and the lower housing part 30 to one another. The metal housing 40 is divided into a first partial area 45 and a second partial area 46. The second partial area 46 is trough-shaped, with the free side being the side facing towards the upper housing part 10. The first partial area 45 has a roof 47 in sections. The section with the roof 47 is arranged in the transition area from the first partial area 45 to the second partial area 46. The remaining section of the first partial area 45 has an open surface 49 on its upper side.The first section 45 and the second section 46 are connected to each other via a metal plate on the respective base 48. The metal plate is designed to be slightly springy, thus simplifying the assembly of the connector 1.

[0046] In Fig. 2 is the board 50 from Fig. 1. The circuit board 50 has eight conductive tracks 100, wherein a distinction is made between first conductive tracks 51 and second conductive tracks 52, with four conductive tracks 100 running on the top side and the other four conductive tracks 100 running on one of the other circuit board layers (not shown). In each case, a first conductive track 51 and a second conductive track 52 form a differential line 53. The first conductive track 51 of the differential line 53 is defined as the commonly referred to positive or tip conductive track, whereas the second conductive track 52 of the differential line 53 is defined as the commonly referred to negative or ring conductive track. Each of the conductive tracks 100 has a first contact pad 54 and a second contact pad 55, wherein the first contact pad 54 and the second contact pad 55 are connected to one another via a conductive path 57.The first contact pads 54 are formed around first through-openings 71, and the second contact pads 55 are formed around second through-openings 72, with the first 71 and second through-openings 72 preferably being copper-plated on the side surfaces. The first contact pad 54 and second contact pad 55 can be formed on multiple circuit board layers, with the copper-plated side surfaces of the first 71 and second through-openings 72 being part of the first 54 and second contact pads 55. The first 54 and second contact pads 55 can have the shape of a circle, an oval, a polygon, or in particular a quadrilateral.

[0047] Each of the conductor tracks 100 connects a first contact element 60, which is preferably designed as an insulation displacement contact 61, and a second contact element 65, which is preferably designed as a plug-in contact 66. A conductor track 100 can run on more than one circuit board layer. The individual line sections on the different circuit board layers are connected to one another by vias 56. The insulation displacement contacts 61 are arranged near the cable entry side 16, with the plug-in contacts 66 being arranged near the plug-in side 4. The insulation displacement contacts 61 and the plug-in contacts 66 point towards the upper housing part 20. The insulation displacement contact 61 has a foot 62 that can be passed through the first through-opening 71. The foot 62 of the insulation displacement contact 61 is electrically and mechanically contacted with the first contact pad 54 by means of soldering or pressing.The insulation displacement terminal 61 has a hole 59 in its center, into which a single wire of the cable to be inserted can be pressed through an opening 63. When pressed in, the single wires are arranged in the loading piece 15. The insulation of the single wires is stripped by the clamping elements 58 of the insulation displacement terminal 61, creating an electrical connection between the insulation displacement terminal 61 and the single wire. Lugs 64 arranged on the insulation displacement terminal 61 prevent the single wire of the cable from slipping out of the hole 59 of the insulation displacement terminal 61. The base 62 of the insulation displacement terminal 61 protrudes on the side of the circuit board 50 facing the housing base 30.

[0048] The insulation displacement terminals 61 are arranged in two rows, wherein a row is characterized in that the feet 62 of the insulation displacement terminals 61 of a row are arranged at the same distance from the mating side 4 of the connector 2. The insulation displacement terminals 61 can be arranged in one row or in more than two rows, for example in three, four, or five rows. The insulation displacement terminal surfaces 73 are aligned parallel to one another in the present case. The insulation displacement terminal surfaces 73 of different rows can be at an angle to one another. The insulation displacement terminal surfaces 73 of insulation displacement terminals in one row can have different angles to one another. The insulation displacement terminal surfaces 73 can be perpendicular to one another. The insulation displacement terminals 61 of one row can have a different height than the insulation displacement terminals 61 of another row. This saves installation space because the individual wires are arranged one above the other in the loading piece 15.

[0049] The plug contacts 66 each have a foot 68. The plug contacts 66 protrude beyond the circuit board 50. The part of the plug contacts 66 closest to the plug-in side 4 runs parallel to the foot 68 of the plug contact and would intersect the circuit board 50 perpendicularly on a further imaginary line. This area is defined as the overhang 67. The area that connects the overhang 67 and the foot 68 is the central part 69 of the plug contact 66. The central part 69 of the plug contact 66 protrudes beyond the foot 68 towards the center of the circuit board. The overhang 67 of all plug contacts 66 is arranged in a row, with the feet 68 of the plug contacts 66 being arranged in two rows. The feet of the plug contacts 66 can be arranged in one row or in more than two rows.The central part 69 and partial sections of the overhang 67 belong to the contact point 70, wherein at the contact point 70 the plug connector 1 is connected to a complementary socket (not shown) in the mated state. The plug contacts 66 are U-shaped. In addition, the plug contacts 66 can have a metal plate on which a foot 62 is arranged. The metal plate is preferably square and has a hole in the center of the metal plate. The diameter of the hole determines, among other things, the capacitive coupling of the plug contacts 66 to one another. The plug contact 66 can also have two or three feet 68. A stub line 84 can be connected to each of the feet 68, which in turn is connected to a capacitance plate 91 arranged to overlap the plug contact section 66.

[0050] In Fig. 3 is a plan view of the circuit board 50 of Fig. 1. The solid lines show the electrical elements on the topmost board layer, with the dashed lines showing the electrical elements on the layers below. The board 50 is designed as a multi-layer board 50, preferably as a four-layer board 50. The board 50 can have two or more than four board layers. The second contact pads 55 are arranged in two rows, each row consisting of four second contact pads 55. A second contact pad 55 of the other row is at least partially arranged between two second contact pads 55 of one row. An open space 93 is thus formed between the second contact pads 55 of a row. A capacitance plate 91 of a capacitance arrangement 90 is arranged in this open space 93. The capacitance plate 91 is connected to a second conductor track 52 via a stub line 84.The capacitance plate 91 can be arranged in the outer or middle circuit board layers. Due to the variable arrangement of the capacitance plate 91 on the circuit board 50, the capacitance value of the capacitance arrangement 90 can be changed. The capacitance arrangement 90 is formed near the plug-in side 4. The capacitance plate 91 can be arranged between the second contact pads 55, closer or further to the plug-in side 4 than the second contact pads 55. The capacitance plate 91 can be arranged between the second contact pads 55 of the first row or between the second contact pads 55 of the second row. The second contact pads 55 can be arranged in one row or in more than two rows. The conductor tracks 100 running between the second contact pads 55 have tapers 85 in order to maintain the normative distance from the second contact pads 55 or to change the impedance of the conductor tracks 100.

[0051] The first 51 and second conductor tracks 52 of a differential line 53 run parallel to each other over large areas on the circuit board 50, thus maintaining a constant spacing between the conductor tracks 100 over a wide range. Furthermore, the conductor track width of the conductor tracks 100 is variable. The impedance can be adjusted by both the variable spacing between two conductor tracks 100 and the conductor track width. This allows for optimized insertion loss and return loss.

[0052] The eight conductor tracks 100 arranged on the circuit board 50 have four first conductor tracks 51 and four second conductor tracks 52. The four first conductor tracks 51 are defined as conductor track one 101, conductor track three 103, conductor track five 105, and conductor track seven 107, whereas the second conductor tracks 52 are defined as conductor track two 102, conductor track four 104, conductor track six 106, and conductor track eight 108. Conductor track one 101 and conductor track two 102 form a differential line one 111. Conductor track three 103 and conductor track six 106 form a differential line two 112. Conductor track four 104 and conductor track five 105 form a differential line three 113 and conductor track seven 107 and conductor track eight 108 form a differential line four 114.

[0053] In total, the circuit board 50 has six compensation units 80, five of which are designed as capacitors 81, preferably as plate capacitors 82. The plates 83 of the plate capacitors 82 are preferably square and arranged almost completely overlapping one another. However, the plates 83 can also be polygonal, round, or oval. The plates 83 of the plate capacitors 82 are connected, for example, via stub lines 84 to a conductor track 100. The plates 83 of the plate capacitors 82 can also be connected directly to a conductor track 100. One of the five plate capacitors 82 is connected between conductor track one 101 and conductor track three 103. Another plate capacitor 82 is connected between conductor track one 101 and conductor track four 104. Another plate capacitor 82 is connected between conductor track two 102 and conductor track eight 108.Another plate capacitor 82 is connected between conductor track three 103 and conductor track eight 108. Another plate capacitor 82 is connected between conductor track five 105 and conductor track seven 107. The plate capacitors 82 can also be designed as interdigital capacitors.

[0054] The sixth compensation unit 80 is the capacitance assembly 90, which consists of a capacitance plate 91 and the plug-in contact 66. This capacitance assembly 90, consisting of a capacitance plate 91 and the plug-in contact 66, is preferably arranged between conductor tracks three and five and four and six. However, the capacitance assembly 90 can also be arranged between all other conductor tracks 100.

[0055] In Fig. 4, conductor track four 104 of differential line three 113 and conductor track six 106 of differential line two 112 are shown in perspective view, detached from the other circuit elements. A plug contact 66 is connected to conductor track six 106 of differential line two 112. Capacitance plate 91 of capacitance arrangement 90 is connected to conductor track four 104 via a stub line 84. Stub line 84 is connected to a second contact pad 55 but can also be connected to conduction path 57 of second conductor track 52. Capacitance plate 91 is arranged on circuit board 50 such that it at least partially overlaps plug contact 66. Capacitance plate 91 can be arranged in any circuit board layer.

[0056] In Fig.5 shows a top view of conductor track four 104 of differential line three 113 and conductor track six 106 of differential line two 112. Capacitance plate 91 of capacitance arrangement 90 is arranged to completely overlap plug contact 66. Capacitance plate 91 is connected to conduction path 57 via stub line 84. However, capacitance plate 91 can also be arranged to only partially overlap plug contact 66. Capacitance plate 91 can also be connected to any other first conductor track 51 of a differential line 53, and the overlapping plug contact 66 can be connected to any other second conductor track 52 of the same or different differential line 53, or vice versa.

Claims

[1] Electrical connector (1) for a data or communication cable having the following features: - a housing (3), - a circuit board (50), wherein the circuit board (50) is at least partially arranged in the housing (3), - the circuit board (50) has at least one differential line (53), - the differential line (53) has a first conductor track (51) and a second conductor track (52), - the first (51) and second conductor tracks (52) each have a conduction path (57) and first contact pads (54) and second contact pads (55) at the ends of the conduction path (57), - the second contact pads (55) are electrically connected to second contact elements (65), - at least one capacitance plate (91) is formed on the circuit board (50), characterized by the other features: - a single capacitance plate (91) is formed at least partially overlapping with one of the second contact elements (65) on the circuit board (50), wherein the capacitance plate (91) is not electrically connected to the overlapping second contact element (65), and - the capacitance plate (91) is connected to the first conductor track (51) and the second contact element (65) is connected to the second conductor track (52) of the same differential line (53). [2] Electrical connector (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that the capacitance plate (91) is connected to a conductor track (100) via a stub line (84). [3] Electrical connector (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that one of the second contact elements (65) is arranged at least in sections parallel to the capacitance plate (91). [4] Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the capacitance plate (91) is arranged to completely overlap the second contact element (65) or that a central part (69) of the second contact element (65) is arranged to completely overlap the capacitance plate (91). [5] Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the capacitance plate (91) is at least one and a half times as wide as the width of the conductor track sections which are directly connected to second contact pads (55). [6] Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the circuit board (50) is designed as a multi-layer circuit board (50). [7] Electrical connector (1) according to claim 6, characterized by that the capacitance plate (91) is formed in a middle layer of the multilayer board (50) or the capacitance plate (91) is formed in an outer layer of the multilayer board (50). [8] Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that four differential lines (53) are formed on the circuit board (50). [9] Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by in that the second contact pads (55) are arranged in two rows, wherein the rows are arranged such that the rows have a different distance from the plug-in side (4), wherein the rows are arranged such that a second contact pad (55) of one row is arranged at least partially between two second contact pads (55) of the other row. [10] Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the capacitance plate (91) has the shape of a square or an oval or a circle or a triangle or a parallelogram. [11] Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the second contact element (65) is designed as a plug contact (66), wherein the plug contact (66) is U-shaped.