Cable unit, inter-module connection structure, and connector set

Abstract

To provide a cable unit, an inter-module connection structure, and a connector set that enables easy connection between multiple modules with a simple configuration and reduces costs.SOLUTION: A cable unit is configured such that a plurality of cables with connectors that can connect two modules are held together in an arranged shape.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cable unit, an inter-module connection structure, and a connector set, and in particular to a technique suitable for connecting a plurality of modules mounted on a device such as a server. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, servers have become faster in terms of processing speed in order to handle AI (Artificial Intelligence)-related processing, etc. Accordingly, multiple CPU (Central Processing Unit) / GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) modules are being installed, and the transmission speed between the modules is being increased (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 0194164 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] On the other hand, the server market is expanding, and there is also a demand for cost reduction. In order to achieve effective cost reduction, it is essential to simultaneously reduce component costs and improve ease of assembly.

[0005] However, currently, connectors are fitted and cables are arranged with the module installed in the device housing, which creates problems in terms of parts cost and ease of assembly. For example, the cables are arranged in the empty space inside the device housing, which results in long cable lengths, complicated wiring, and increased parts cost. In addition, the connector fitting work must be performed in a limited space, which is not necessarily easy to work with.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a cable unit, an inter-module connection structure, and a connector set that can easily connect a plurality of modules with a simple configuration and reduce costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To improve assembly, the cables are unitized (integrated) and placed under each module, greatly reducing the effort required for cable placement. At the same time, the cable length is kept to a minimum. With the unitized cable installed in the housing, a mechanism is provided to hold the connector position in the pre-mating state, so that after the module containing the mating partner is installed, mating is possible by pushing the connector in the mating direction. Mating is possible with a one-way movement, which also makes automation possible.

[0008] Twinax, which is currently mainly used, requires thicker wire diameters depending on the required transmission distance, which increases the thickness. In addition, Twinax is separate for each differential pair (differential transmission pair), and the cable connection process requires a cable arrangement process, which increases costs. On the other hand, in the case of flat cables (cables in which flat conductors are arranged and sandwiched between adhesive tape on both sides, and conductor tape that functions as a ground is further attached to the outside), the cable can be arranged during the manufacturing process (in an automated machine), which makes it possible to reduce costs. However, in order to be able to use flat cables, parallel wiring is required, not cross wiring, so parallel wiring is possible by reversing the relationship between the IC and connector mounting surface on the transmitting side and the receiving side (one side has the IC mounting surface and the connector mounting surface on the back side).

[0009] In the current configuration, the cable length is longer than necessary, and the same cable size is used regardless of the length. If the cable length can be kept short, a cable with a narrower diameter can be used. In the present invention, the same receptacle (board-side connector) has a configuration that can be mated with three different types of plugs. These three types are a type that connects a Twinax cable or the like to a conventional plug connector, a type that uses the pattern surface of the board as the contact point of the plug connector and connects a cable to the other end (so-called card edge type), and a type that uses the flat conductor of the FFC as the contact point of the plug-side connector. Of these, the FFC type is the lowest cost type because the cable part and the connector contact point are integrated (made of the same material).

[0010] When connecting within a server, the distance between each module varies depending on the position in which they are placed. By making it possible to use (interlock) three different types of plug-side connectors with the same receptacle connector, for example, by using an FFC type for short distances and a card edge type for long distances, and by incorporating a retimer on the board, it becomes possible to connect at a distance approximately twice as long as that of a normal type. Each module manufacturer only needs to use the same receptacle connector, regardless of the server manufacturer's configuration. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, a plurality of modules can be easily connected with a simple configuration, and costs can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the internal structure of a server to which a device unit to which the present invention can be applied is assembled. [Diagram 2] 2A to 2D are diagrams showing an example of an assembly process for the equipment unit. [Diagram 3] 3A and 3B are external perspective views of the cable unit. [Figure 4] 4A to 4C are diagrams showing an example of a cable with a connector. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5C are diagrams showing an example of a cable. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are diagrams showing an example of a pre-fitting holding portion of a holding plate. [Figure 7] 7A to 7C are diagrams showing a process of attaching a cable with a connector to a pre-fitting body holding portion. [Figure 8] 8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating a process of fitting a connector in a GPU module. [Figure 9] 9A to 9C are enlarged perspective views of a connector portion illustrating a process of fitting the connector in the GPU module. [Figure 10] 10A to 10C are enlarged side views of a connector portion showing a process of fitting the connector in the GPU module. [Figure 11] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a process of fitting a connector in a CPU module. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing another example of the cable unit. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a table showing the pin assignments of the interconnected modules. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of a connection structure between modules in this embodiment. [Figure 15] 15A and 15B are diagrams showing an example of a general wiring structure in which modules are connected with parallel cables. [Figure 16] 16A and 16B are diagrams illustrating an example of an inter-module connection structure according to an embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a connector set applied to the present embodiment. [Figure 18] 18A and 18B are diagrams showing an example of a module-side connector. [Figure 19] 19A to 19C are diagrams showing an example of a cable side connector. [Figure 20] 20A and 20B are diagrams showing an example of a cable side connector. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a wiring pattern of a printed circuit board. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a parallel cable connected to a printed circuit board. [Diagram 23] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of a cable side connector. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a diagram showing another example of the internal structure of a server to which a device unit to which the present invention can be applied is assembled. [Diagram 25] 25A to 25D are diagrams showing an example of an assembly process for the equipment unit. [Figure 26] 26A and 26B are diagrams showing examples of wiring when eight modules are connected to each other. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a diagram showing the types of connector arrangement. [Figure 28] 28A and 28B are diagrams showing modified examples of the cable side connector. [Figure 29] 29A and 29B are diagrams showing an example of an FFC that is applied to a cable-side connector of a modified example. [Diagram 30] FIG. 30 is a diagram showing an example of a ground plate that is applied to a cable-side connector of the modified example. [Diagram 31] 31A to 31C are diagrams showing the structure of a contact portion in a cable connector according to a modified example. [Diagram 32] 32A and 32B are diagrams showing modified examples of the cable side connector. [Diagram 33] 33A and 33B are diagrams showing an example of an FPC that is applied to a cable-side connector of a modified example. [Diagram 34] 34A and 34B are perspective views showing the structure of a contact portion and a wire connection portion in a cable side connector of a modified example. [Diagram 35]FIG. 35 is a diagram showing a modified example of a connector set to which the present invention can be applied. [Diagram 36] FIG. 36 is a diagram showing a module-side connector of a modified connector set. [Figure 37] FIG. 37 shows a cable-side connector of a modified connector set. [Figure 38] FIG. 38 is a diagram showing a cable-side connector main body of a modified cable-side connector. [Figure 39] 39A to 39C are diagrams showing variations of FPCs that are applied to the cable-side connectors of the modified examples. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0014] [First embodiment] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the internal structure of a server to which a device unit U1 to which the present invention can be applied is assembled. Fig. 2A to Fig. 2D are diagrams showing an example of an assembly process for the device unit U1.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the equipment unit U1 includes one CPU module M1 and two GPU modules M2 and M3.

[0016] The CPU module M1 has a CPU chip IC1, a CPU module substrate MB1 on which the CPU chip IC1 is mounted, and a heat sink HS1. The GPU modules M2 and M3 have GPU chips IC2 and IC3, GPU module substrates MB2 and MB3 on which the GPU chips IC2 and IC3 are mounted, and heat sinks HS2 and HS3, respectively. Hereinafter, the CPU module M1 and the GPU modules M2 and M3 will be collectively referred to as "modules M1 to M3," and the CPU module substrate MB1 and the GPU module substrates MB2 and MB3 will be collectively referred to as "module substrates MB1 to MB3." In addition, the CPU chip IC1 and the GPU chips IC2 and IC3 will be collectively referred to as "IC chips IC1 to IC3."

[0017] In this embodiment, four module side connectors MC1 are mounted on the CPU module board MB1. Two module side connectors MC2 and MC3 are mounted on the GPU module boards MB2 and MB3, respectively. Note that the module side connector MC2 is not shown in the drawings.

[0018] The CPU module M1 and the GPU modules M2 and M3 are connected to each other by a cable unit 1.

[0019] In the process of assembling the equipment unit U1, first, as shown in FIG. 2A, the four connector-equipped cables 10 are integrally attached to a holding plate 20 to assemble the cable unit 1.

[0020] 2B, the cable unit 1 is attached and fixed to the device housing 91. Since the connector-equipped cable 10 is integrated as the cable unit 1, it is possible to attach the cable unit 1 to the device housing 91 by, for example, sucking and transporting it using a robot.

[0021] 2C, the module boards MB1 to MB3 are attached and fixed to the device housing 91. The cable unit 1 is disposed in the space between the module boards MB1 to MB3 and the device housing 91. Furthermore, the cable side connectors of the cable unit 1 are fitted into the module side connectors MC1 to MC3 of the module boards MB1 to MB3.

[0022] 2D, the heat sinks HS1 to HS3 are attached and fixed to the module substrates MB1 to MB3. In this manner, the modules M1 to M3 are attached to the device housing 91, and the device unit U1 is assembled.

[0023] 3A and 3B are external perspective views of the cable unit 1. Fig. 3A is a perspective view after assembly, and Fig. 3B is an exploded perspective view before assembly.

[0024] The cable unit 1 has four connectorized cables 10 and a holding plate 20 that holds the connectorized cables 10. The connectorized cables 10 are held together by the holding plate 20 in a state in which they are shaped into an arrangement shape. The number of connectorized cables 10 may be two or more, and can be changed as appropriate depending on the number of modules to be connected to each other.

[0025] Each connectorized cable 10 has a cable 11 and cable side connectors 12 attached to both ends of the cable 11 (see Figs. 4A to 4C). In Figs. 4A to 4C, the cable side connector 12 connected to the module side connector MC1 of the CPU module M1 and the cable side connectors 12 connected to the module side connectors MC2 and MC3 of the GPU modules B2 and B3 are distinguished and referred to as "cable side connector 12A" and "cable side connector 12B," respectively.

[0026] Cable 11 is bent so that cable side connectors 12A, 12B attached to the respective ends are positioned so as to be able to mate with module side connectors MC1 to MC3 (pre-mating state). Instead of bending cable 11, cable 11 may be processed into a crank shape.

[0027] The cable 11 is a parallel cable in which a plurality of conductor lines are aligned in a row and has a flat rectangular cross-sectional shape as a whole. For example, a cable assembly (see FIG. 5A) in which a plurality of Tinax cables 30 are aligned, a flat cable 40 (see FIG. 5B), or an FFC 50 (see FIG. 5C) can be used as the cable 11.

[0028] The connector-equipped cable 10 is fixed to the main body 21 of the holding plate 20 (flat portion of the holding plate 20) by a fixing member 13 such as double-sided tape. The holding plate 20 may be provided with a cable holding mechanism for holding the connector-equipped cable 10. For example, when the holding plate 20 is formed of a metal plate, the connector-equipped cable 10 can be fixed to the holding plate 20 by raising a part of the main body 21, placing the connector-equipped cable 10 on the main body 21, and bending the raised part by 90°. Also, for example, when the holding plate 20 is made of an insulator, the cable 11 may be held by being clamped in a holding portion having a cantilever spring structure.

[0029] The holding plate 20 is formed, for example, by sheet metal processing of a metal plate material. The holding plate 20 has a pre-mating holding portion 22 that holds the cable side connectors 12A, 12B of the connector-attached cable 10 in a pre-mating state.

[0030] As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the pre-mating holding portion 22 has a connector receiving portion 23, a connector guide portion 24, a connector pressing portion 25, and a spring portion 26. Figures 6A and 6B show the pre-mating holding portion 22 that holds the cable side connector 12B that is connected to the module side connector MC3 of the GPU module M3. The structures of the pre-mating holding portion 22 that holds the cable side connector 12A that is connected to the module side connector MC1 of the CPU module M1 and the pre-mating holding portion 22 that holds the cable side connector 12B that is connected to the module side connector MC2 of the GPU module M2 are almost the same, except for the connector through-hole portion 27.

[0031] The connector receiving portion 23 is formed parallel to the main body portion 21. The connector guide portions 24 are formed on both ends of the connector receiving portion 23 in the left-right direction perpendicular to the fitting direction and the up-down direction. The cable side connector 12 is placed on the connector receiving portion 23, and the connector guide portions 24 guide the insertion and removal of the cable side connector 12.

[0032] The spring portion 26 is provided between the main body 21 and the connector pressing portion 25. In the pre-mating state, the connector pressing portion 25 presses the upper surface of the cable side connector 12 by the biasing force of the spring portion 26, thereby preventing the cable side connector 12 from falling off.

[0033] In this embodiment, the connector mating surfaces of the CPU module M1 and the GPU module M2 face each other, while the connector mating surfaces of the CPU module M1 and the GPU module M3 face the same direction.

[0034] The connector-attached cable 10A (see FIG. 7A, etc.) that connects the CPU module M1 and the GPU module M3 is folded back in a U-shape near the cable-side connector 12B. Therefore, the pre-mating holding portion 22 for the connector-attached cable 10A further has a connector through-hole portion 27. The connector through-hole portion 27 is disposed on the opposite side of the connector receiving portion 23 from the GPU module M3.

[0035] 7A to 7C, connector-attached cable 10A is placed in main body 21 of retaining plate 20, and cable-side connector 12A is inserted into connector through-hole 27 and folded back into a U-shape. Cable-side connector 12A is inserted between connector receiving portion 23 and connector pressing portion 25 while being guided by connector guide portion 24, and is held.

[0036] Figures 8A and 8B are diagrams showing the process of fitting the connector in the GPU module M3. Figures 9A to 9C are enlarged perspective views of the connector portion showing the process of fitting the connector in the GPU module M3. Figures 10A to 10C are enlarged side views of the connector portion showing the process of fitting the connector in the GPU module M3.

[0037] 8A, 8B, etc., cable side connector 12B held by pre-mating holding portion 22 moves in only one direction, the mating direction, during the mating process to be mated. That is, the pre-mating held state (see FIGS. 9A and 10A) is a state in which cable side connector 12A is held at a position moved a certain amount in the counter-mating direction from a predetermined mated state (see FIGS. 9C and 10C).

[0038] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing the mating process of the connectors in the CPU module M1. In this case as well, in the pre-mating state (see FIG. 11A), the cable-side connector 12B is held at a position moved a certain distance in the counter-mating direction from the predetermined mating state (see FIG. 11B).

[0039] In this manner, the cable unit 1 according to the embodiment has a plurality of cables 11 with connectors capable of connecting two modules held together in an arranged shape.

[0040] A plurality of connector-equipped cables 11 are held by being attached to a holding plate 20 (flat plate).

[0041] The connectorized cable 11 has a cable-side connector 12 that mates with a mating connector, and a plurality of connectorized cables 11 are held in a pre-mating state before the connectors 12 are mated with the mating connectors.

[0042] The cable unit 1 solves the above-mentioned problems, and by unitizing (integrating) the cables and arranging them under each module to improve assembly, the effort required for cable arrangement is significantly reduced. At the same time, the cable length is kept to a minimum. By providing a mechanism for holding the connector position in the pre-mating state with the unitized cable installed in the housing, mating is possible by pushing the connector in the mating direction after the module on which it is to be mated is installed. Mating is possible with a one-way movement, which also makes it possible to automate assembly.

[0043] In the cable unit 1, the case where multiple connector-equipped cables 10 are fixed to the holding plate 20 and integrally held in a state where they are shaped into an arranged configuration has been described, but multiple connector-equipped cables 10 may also be integrally held by connecting them with a fixing member 14 such as tape (see FIG. 12). In this case, since it is difficult to maintain the shape, the cables may be attached to the device housing 91 while housed in the tray 15.

[0044] In this embodiment, the modules M1 to M3 have the same pin assignment, and IC chips IC1 to IC3 are mounted on the same surface of the module substrates MB1 to MB3, respectively. Furthermore, flat parallel cables are used as the cables 11 for connection between the modules M1 and M2 and between the modules M1 and M3.

[0045] Fig. 13 is a table showing the pin assignments of the interconnected modules P1, P2. Fig. 14 is an explanatory diagram of the connection structure between modules in this embodiment, showing the board patterns from the respective IC chips 101, 201 to the module side connectors 103, 203. Fig. 14 shows the module side connectors 103, 203 mounted on the modules P1, P2 as viewed from the mating surface, and the IC chips 101, 201 as viewed from the top surface of the board.

[0046] The interconnected modules P1 and P2 are modules in which the mating surfaces of the module side connectors 103 and 203 face in opposite directions. "Modules in which the mating surfaces face in opposite directions" refer to modules in which the mating surfaces are arranged to face each other, or modules in which the mating surfaces face in opposite directions. Specifically, these are a CPU module M1 and a GPU module M2. The mounting surfaces of the module side connectors 103 and 203 on the module substrates 102 and 202 are the same as the mounting surfaces of the IC chips 101 and 201.

[0047] Module side connectors 103, 203 each have a two-row configuration, a top row and a bottom row. Pin numbers are expressed consecutively from 1 to 34. Pins 1 to 17 are arranged in the top row, and pins 18 to 34 are arranged in the bottom row.

[0048] Each of the modules P1 and P2 has a Tx pin for transmission and an Rx pin for reception. A signal sent from one Tx pin is received by the other Rx pin. In Fig. 13, "S", "G", and "OP" in the assignment indicate that a signal, ground, and option are assigned to the corresponding pin, respectively.

[0049] This pin assignment is for PCI-Express, and is a so-called differential transmission format in which two S's are lined up and G's are arranged on both sides of the S. In this embodiment, a pin assignment corresponding to PCI-Express is shown, but the pin assignment may be in another differential transmission format.

[0050] 13, for example, signal S is assigned to pin 4 for transmission of module P1 and pin 31 for reception of module P2, and → (arrow) indicates that these are interconnected. When the mating surfaces of module side connectors 103, 203 face each other, the relationship between modules P1 and P2 is point symmetric (rotated 180°) as shown in FIG.

[0051] In module P1, for example, pins 4 and 5 of IC chip 101 form a differential pair and are connected to pins 4 and 5 of module-side connector 103 in a parallel pattern. On module substrate 102, a wiring pattern is formed on the same surface without any wiring crossing each other. Similarly, in module P2, a wiring pattern is formed on module substrate 202 on the same surface without any wiring crossing each other.

[0052] In some cases, the differential pair is first connected to a lower layer of a multilayer board by a via hole, and then again connected from the lower layer to an upper layer by a via hole.

[0053] 15A and 15B are diagrams showing an example of a general wiring structure when modules P1 and P2 are connected with parallel cables. FIGs. 16A and 16B are diagrams showing an example of an inter-module connection structure according to an embodiment.

[0054] As described above, the modules P1 and P2 have the same pin assignment, and the module-side connectors 103 and 203 have the same structure. Generally, in the modules P1 and P2, the IC chips 101 and 201 and the module-side connectors 103 and 203 are mounted on the same surface of the module substrates 102 and 202, as shown in Figures 15A and 15B.

[0055] In this case, pins 1 to 17 in the top row of module side connector 103 will be respectively connected to pins 34 to 18 in the bottom row of module side connector 203. Also, pins 18 to 34 in the bottom row of module side connector 103 will be respectively connected to pins 17 to 1 in the top row of module side connector 203. For this reason, if modules P1 and P2 are to be connected with parallel cables (cables whose conductor lines do not cross), the wiring must be crossed between the upper and lower rows.

[0056] 16A and 16B, in the present embodiment, in module P1, module-side connector 103 is mounted on the surface of module substrate 102 opposite to the surface on which IC chip 101 is mounted, and in module P2, module-side connector 203 is mounted on the same surface of module substrate 202 as the surface on which IC chip 201 is mounted. In module P1, module-side connector 103 and IC chip 101 are connected via via hole 102a.

[0057] Thus, the inter-module connection structure according to the embodiment is an inter-module connection structure that connects two modules P1, P2 having the same pin assignment, and the two modules P1, P2 respectively have module side connectors 103, 203 and IC chips 101, 201 connected to the module side connectors 103, 203 by parallel patterns (wiring on the module substrate). The two module side connectors 103, 203 have the same structure, and the two IC chips 101, 201 are mounted on the same surface on the module substrates 102, 202, and the mounting surface of one module side connector 103 and the mounting surface of the other module side connector 203 have an inverse relationship to the mounting surfaces of the IC chips 101, 201.

[0058] Furthermore, when the module side connector 103 and the IC chip 101 are mounted on the opposite surface, the parallel pattern includes a via hole 102a.

[0059] That is, when the module side connectors MC1 and MC2 face in opposite directions, as in modules M1 and M2, the module side connectors MC1 and MC2 are mounted on the front and back of the module boards MB1 and MB2, enabling inter-module connection using parallel cables. Note that when the module side connectors MC1 and MC3 face in the same direction, as in modules M1 and M3, the module side connectors MC1 and MC2 are mounted on the same side of the module boards MB1 and MB3.

[0060] When using parallel cables such as flat cables (a cable in which flat conductors are arranged and sandwiched on both sides with adhesive tape, with conductor tape attached to the outside that functions as a ground), the cables can be arranged in the manufacturing process (in an automated machine), which allows for cost reduction. However, to be able to use flat cables, parallel wiring is required, not cross wiring. According to the inter-module connection structure of this embodiment, parallel wiring is possible by reversing the relationship between the IC mounting surface and the connector mounting surface on the transmitting side and the receiving side (mounting one connector mounting surface on the back side of the IC mounting surface).

[0061] Fig. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a connector set CS applied to this embodiment. The connector set SC shown in Fig. 17 is a horizontal fitting type connector set.

[0062] The connector set CS includes a module side connector 300 (first connector) mounted on the module substrate B, and a cable side connector 400 (second connector) attached to a cable connecting modules. The module side connector 300 is a receptacle connector having a contact spring piece. The cable side connector 400 is a plug connector having a contact point with the contact spring piece of the module side connector 300.

[0063] 18A and 18B are diagrams showing an example of a module-side connector 300. FIG.

[0064] 18A and 18B, the module-side connector 300 has a contact member 301 in which signal contacts S and ground contacts G are arranged in two rows (Top row and Bottom row) side by side in GSSG. The signal contacts S and ground contacts G have contacts that come into contact with the mating surface of the other side, SMT leads that are soldered to the module board B, and have a spring structure between them that allows elastic deformation.

[0065] In the contact member 301, the contacts S1 and G1 arranged in the Top row and the contacts S2 and G2 arranged in the Bottom row are arranged with their respective contact points facing each other. The contact member 301 sandwiches and contacts the contact surface of the mating contact member arranged back to back. The contact member 301 is held by the insulator 302.

[0066] The insulator 302 has an opening into which the mating insulator fits, and is positioned relative to the mating cable side connector 400 by the top, bottom, left and right walls of the opening.

[0067] The module-side connector 300 further includes a shell 303 attached so as to cover the insulator 302. The shell 303 comes into contact with the shell or ground contact of the cable-side connector 400 and functions as a ground.

[0068] 19A to 19C are diagrams showing an example of a cable connector 400. FIG.

[0069] In cable-side connector 410 shown in FIGS. 19A to 19C, contact points with module-side connector 300 are formed by flat conductors of two FFCs (flat flexible cables) 414 and 415.

[0070] FFC414, 415 are parallel multi-core electric wires in which a flat conductor with a rectangular cross section is sandwiched between plastic film tapes (PET, etc.) and heat and pressure are applied to heat-seal the tape joint surfaces or heat-seal them with an adhesive. The contact surface of FFC414, 415 with the mating side is formed, for example, by opening an opening before attaching the plastic film tape.

[0071] The flat conductors are arranged at regular intervals in a GSSG arrangement similar to the terminal arrangement (GSSG) of the module-side connector 300. The contacts are plated to ensure contact. In this embodiment, gold plating is used.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a metal-tipped tape is attached to one side of the plastic film tape with the metal part facing outward, making it function as a ground and enabling high frequency compatibility (two-layer FFC). Note that the FFCs 414 and 415 may also be configured with metal-tipped tape on both sides of the plastic film tape (three-layer FFC).

[0073] In the cable-side connector 410, the two FFCs 414, 415 are arranged so that their contacts are back-to-back. The metal surfaces (grounds) face each other, a ground plate 413 is sandwiched between them, and the upper and lower metal surfaces are adhered with conductive tape.

[0074] The distance between the contacts arranged on both sides is set to a thickness that provides the necessary amount of displacement to the contact spring piece of the module-side connector 300. Note that the structure for contacting the upper and lower metal surfaces may be a structure in which a metal part has a spring structure for contacting. Furthermore, a structure in which the contact G and the metal part of the metal film are contacted by a metal part may be provided.

[0075] The two FFCs 414, 415 and the ground plate 413 are held by an insulator 412. A shell 411 is attached to the outside of the insulator 412 so as to cover the insulator 412.

[0076] The insulator 412 has a groove in the mating surface, and has a structure for positioning with the outer shapes of the FFCs 414, 415. The mating portion of the insulator 412 is inserted into the opening of the insulator 302 of the module-side connector 300, whereby the mating position is determined and the mating occurs.

[0077] The thickness, width, and distance between S and G of cable side connector 410, and the thickness of the metal part of the metal film of FFC 414, 415 or the plastic film tape layer (including adhesive) from ground plate 413 to S are designed with a target impedance value of about 85 Ω, for example. The target impedance may be set according to the transmission method.

[0078] 20A and 20B are diagrams showing an example of a cable-side connector 400. FIG.

[0079] In the cable-side connector 420 shown in FIG. 20A and FIG. 20B, a contact point with the module-side connector 300 is formed by a pattern of a printed circuit board (PCB) 423.

[0080] The printed circuit board 423 has contact patterns 425 on the front and back sides for contacting the module-side connector 300. The contact patterns 425 are arranged at regular intervals in a GSSG arrangement similar to the terminal arrangement (GSSG) of the module-side connector 300.

[0081] The printed circuit board 423 has a cable connection pattern 426 to which a parallel cable is connected, at the end opposite to the contact pattern 425. Various cables such as a Twinax cable, an FFC, and a flat cable are connected to the cable connection pattern 426 by soldering, welding, or the like.

[0082] The contact patterns 425 and the cable connection patterns 426 are respectively arranged on the front and back surfaces of the printed circuit board 423. The distance between the contact patterns 425 arranged on both sides of the printed circuit board 423 is set to a thickness that provides a required amount of displacement to the contact spring pieces of the module side connector 300, similar to the FFC type (see FIG. 18A, etc.).

[0083] Contact pattern 425 is plated for contact. Cable connection pattern 426 is also plated. In this embodiment, gold plating is used. However, plating other than gold plating may be used.

[0084] S1 of the contact pattern 425 is wired to be connected to Sa1 of the cable connecting pattern 426. Similarly, S2, G1, and G2 of the contact pattern 425 are wired to be connected to Sa2, Ga1, and Ga2 of the cable connecting pattern 426.

[0085] In this embodiment, retimers 424 for enabling high-speed transmission over long distances are mounted on both sides of printed circuit board 423. S1, S2, G1, and G2 of contact pattern 425 are electrically connected to Sa1, Sa2, Ga1, and Ga2 of cable connection pattern 426 via retimer 424.

[0086] Printed circuit board 423 has signal patterns on both sides. Printed circuit board 423 also has a ground layer in the middle. The ground layer is connected to the ground wiring on the front and back sides through via holes.

[0087] 22A and 22B are diagrams showing the configuration of the Twinax cable 30 connected to the printed circuit board 423. FIG.

[0088] The Twinax cable 30 has two inner conductors 31, 32 covered with an insulator 33 (it may be possible to have a structure in which both cores are covered at the same time), the two cores are arranged in parallel and wrapped with a shielding tape 34, and two drain wires 35, 36 are arranged on the left and right, and all of these are covered together with a sheath 37.

[0089] After the cable connection, the twinax cable 30 is disposed above and below the printed circuit board 423. In this embodiment, the inner conductors 31, 32 and the drain wires 35, 36 of the twinax cable 30 are connected to Sa1, Sa2, Ga1, and Ga2 of the printed circuit board 423, respectively. The drain wires 35, 36 of adjacent twinax cables 30 are connected collectively to Ga1 or Ga2 of the printed circuit board 423.

[0090] In cable side connector 420, printed circuit board 423 having contacts on both sides is held by insulator 422. Shell 421 is attached to the outside of insulator 422 so as to cover it.

[0091] Insulator 422 has a groove in the mating surface, and has a structure for positioning with respect to the outer shape of printed circuit board 423. By inserting the mating portion of insulator 422 into the opening of insulator 302 of module-side connector 300, the mating position is determined and the mating is performed.

[0092] The thickness, width, and distance between S and G of cable side connector 420, and the thickness of the insulator from the intermediate ground layer of printed circuit board 423 to S are designed, for example, with a target impedance value of about 85 Ω. The target impedance may be set according to the transmission method.

[0093] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a cable side connector 400. As shown in FIG.

[0094] 22 is a connector in which a Twinax cable 30 is connected to a conventional connector having a contact portion in the shape of a flat terminal. For example, the structure described in International Patent Application No. PCT / JP2023 / 019767 can be applied to the cable side connector 430.

[0095] Thus, the connector set CS of this embodiment includes a module side connector 300 (first connector) having a contact spring piece, and a cable side connector 400 (second connector) that can be mated with the module side connector 300. The contact points of the cable side connector 400 are one of three types: a flat metal plate, a circuit board pattern, and a flat cable conductor, and the contact spring pieces of the module side connector 300 are compatible with all three types of contact points.

[0096] Moreover, cable-side connector 400 has two contacts, which are arranged back-to-back.

[0097] Currently, Twinax cables are mainly used for connecting modules, but the wire diameter needs to be made thicker depending on the required transmission distance, which increases the cable thickness. The cable length is longer than necessary, and the same cable size is used regardless of the length. In addition, Twinax cables are separate for each differential pair (differential transmission pair), and the cable connection process requires a cable arrangement process, which increases costs.

[0098] If the cable length can be kept short, a cable with a small diameter can be used. In this embodiment, the module side connector 300 has a configuration that can be fitted with three different types of cable side connectors 410 to 430. These three types include a type in which a Twinax cable or the like is connected to a conventional plug connector (see FIG. 23), a type in which the pattern surface of a printed circuit board forms a contact point with the cable side connector (see FIGS. 20A and 20B), and a type in which the flat conductor of the FFC serves as the contact point of the cable side connector (see FIGS. 19A to 19C). Of these, the FFC type is the lowest cost type because the cable part and the connector contact point are integrated (made of the same material).

[0099] When connecting within a server, the distance between each module varies depending on the location of each module. By making it possible to use (intermate) three different types of cable-side connectors with the same module-side connector, for example by using an FFC type for short distances and a card edge type for long distances, and by incorporating a retimer on the printed circuit board, it becomes possible to connect over distances approximately twice as long as with a normal type. Each module manufacturer can simply use the same module-side connector, regardless of the server manufacturer's configuration.

[0100] [Second embodiment] Fig. 24 is a diagram showing another example of the internal structure of a server to which a device unit U2 to which the present invention can be applied is assembled. Fig. 25A to Fig. 25D are diagrams showing an example of an assembly process for the device unit U2.

[0101] 24, the equipment unit U2 includes eight modules M21 to M28. Each of the modules M21 to M28 has one IC chip, a module substrate on which the IC chip is mounted, and seven module-side connectors. The IC chip is, for example, a CPU chip with an integrated GPU that integrates a CPU and a GPU.

[0102] The modules M21 to M28 are connected to each other by a cable unit 1A. The cable unit 1A has 28 connectorized cables 10 and a holding plate 20 that holds the connectorized cables 10. The connectorized cables 10 are held together by the holding plate 20 in a state in which they are shaped into an arrangement shape. The connectorized cables 10 are selected from 11 types. The assembly process for the equipment unit U2 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0103] Figures 26A and 26B are diagrams showing wiring examples when eight modules M21 to M28 are connected to each other. Figure 27 is a diagram showing connector arrangement types. In Figure 27, the "x" marks in the table indicate locations where no connectors are installed.

[0104] In this embodiment, a total of seven module side connectors are mounted on the upper surface (IC mounting surface) and lower surface (non-IC mounting surface) of the module substrate in each of the modules M21 to M28. An arrangement type in which four module side connectors are mounted on the IC mounting surface and three on the non-IC mounting surface of the module substrate is referred to as "Type A", and an arrangement type in which three module side connectors are mounted on the IC mounting surface and four on the non-IC mounting surface is referred to as "Type B". In other words, in the connection between the modules M21 to M28, there are two or less types of arrangement types of the module side connectors in the modules M21 to M28.

[0105] Furthermore, the mating surfaces of the module-side connectors that are connected to each other face in opposite directions, and the mounting surface of one module-side connector and the mounting surface of the other module-side connector have an inverse relationship to the IC mounting surface. The module-side connectors that are connected to each other may be arranged so that their mating surfaces face each other. In this case as well, the connector mating surfaces can be said to face in opposite directions.

[0106] Fig. 26B specifically shows the interconnection of module side connectors between modules. According to Fig. 26B, the module side connector numbered 2 on the upper surface (IC mounting surface) of the B type module M21 is connected to the module side connector numbered 1 on the lower surface (IC non-mounting surface) of the B type module M22 by cable A.

[0107] The invention made by the inventor has been specifically described above based on an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified within the scope of the gist of the invention.

[0108] Figures 28A and 28B are diagrams showing another example of cable side connector 400. Cable side connector 440 shown in Figures 28A and 28B is a modified example of FFC-type cable side connector 410 shown in Figure 19A etc.

[0109] 29A and 29B are diagrams showing an example of FFCs 444, 445 applied to a modified cable-side connector 440. In the cable-side connector 440, the contact points with the module-side connector 300 are formed by the flat conductors 61 of the two FFCs 444, 445 and the ground plate 443 sandwiched between the two FFCs 444, 445.

[0110] 29A and 29B, the FFCs 444 and 445 are parallel multi-core electric wires in which a flat conductor 61 is sandwiched between an insulating film 62 and a plastic film tape 63. The FFCs 444 and 445 have a laminated structure in which, from the top, a flame-retardant resin film 64, an insulating film 62, a flat conductor 61, a plastic film tape 63, and a flame-retardant resin film 64 are arranged. In addition, at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the insulating film 62, a reinforcing plate 65 is arranged on the underside of the base material 632 (the exposed portion not covered by the metal tape layer 633) (see FIGS. 31B and 31C).

[0111] The flat conductors 61 are arranged at predetermined intervals so as to correspond to the signal contacts S of the terminal arrangement (GSSG) of the module-side connector 300. In the flat conductors 61, plating required for contact with the signal contacts S of the module-side connector 300 is applied. In this embodiment, gold plating is applied.

[0112] The flat conductor 61 is sandwiched between the insulating film 62 and the plastic film tape 63. That is, the flat conductor 61 is disposed on the side opposite the metal surface with respect to the insulating film 62, and on the adhesive layer 631 side with respect to the plastic film tape 63.

[0113] The insulating film 62 has a metal surface formed by, for example, direct copper plating on one surface of the substrate (the upper surface in FIG. 29B). The dielectric constant of the substrate is 2.5 or less, and the dielectric tangent is 0.001 or less. The metal surface of the insulating film 62 comes into contact with the tip 68b of the contact piece 68 of the ground plate 443. For example, the metal surface is plated with gold or the like in the area that comes into contact with the tip 68b, and the other area is plated with copper or the like. The plating applied to the surface of the insulating film 62 may be tin plating over the entire surface.

[0114] The plastic film tape 63 has an adhesive layer 631 on one surface (upper surface in FIG. 29B) of the substrate 632, and a metal tape layer 633 on the other surface (lower surface in FIG. 29B). The adhesive layer 631 and the substrate 632 have a dielectric constant of 2.5 or less, and a dielectric loss tangent of 0.001 or less. The metal tape layer 633 has a metal surface formed of a metal material on the side opposite to the side on which the substrate 632 is disposed. The plastic film tape 63 functions as a ground by contacting the metal surface of the metal tape layer 633 with the contact portion 68a of the contact piece 68 of the ground plate 433, thereby enabling high frequency compatibility. The metal tape layer 633 may have a metal surface on the side in contact with the substrate 632, and may be configured to contact the ground plate 433 through an opening formed by laser processing or the like.

[0115] For oxidation prevention and insulation, a flame-retardant resin film 64 is attached to the metal surfaces of the upper surface of the insulating film 62 and the lower surface of the plastic film tape 63. Note that, instead of the flame-retardant resin film 64, an insulating layer may be formed on the metal surfaces of the insulating film 62 and the plastic film tape 63 by performing a resist treatment or the like.

[0116] 29A and 29B, the FFCs 444 and 445 are configured by sandwiching the flat conductor 61 between the insulating film 62 and the plastic film tape 63 from above and below, but the flat conductor 61 may be sandwiched between either the insulating film 62 or the plastic film tape 63 from above and below, and the joining surfaces may be thermally welded or thermally fused with an adhesive by applying heat and pressure. In this case, the contact surface of the FFCs 444 and 445 with the other side is formed by, for example, opening an opening before attaching the insulating film 62 or the plastic film tape 63.

[0117] Fig. 30 is a diagram showing an example of a ground plate 443 applied to a modified cable-side connector 440. Fig. 30 is a perspective view of the ground plate 443, showing the state before it is combined with the FFCs 444, 445. The ground plate 443 has a plate portion 66, a bent portion 67, and a contact piece 68.

[0118] In the ground plate 443, the two plate portions 66 are folded back 180° at the folding portion 67 and arranged so that the main surfaces face each other. The plate portions 66 are partially cut out to form leaf springs 66a. The leaf springs 66a come into contact with the metal tape layer 633 of the plastic film tape 63.

[0119] The contact piece 68 is formed in a rectangular shape at the end of the plate portion 66 opposite the bent portion 67 in the longitudinal direction, and is folded back towards the plate portion 66. Although only the upper plate portion 66 and the contact piece 68 are depicted in Fig. 30, the lower plate portion 66 and the contact piece 68 have the same configuration.

[0120] The contact pieces 68 are arranged at predetermined intervals so as to correspond to the ground contacts G of the terminal arrangement (GSSG) of the module-side connector 300. A plating process required for contact is applied to the contact portions 68a of the contact pieces 68 that contact the ground contacts G of the module-side connector 300. In this embodiment, gold plating is applied. A tip portion 68b of the contact piece 68 comes into contact with the metal surface of the insulating film 62.

[0121] Fig. 31A to Fig. 31C are diagrams showing the structure of a contact portion in a modified cable-side connector 440. Fig. 31A is a perspective view of the contact portion. Fig. 31B shows a cross section passing through flat conductor 61 along the longitudinal direction, and Fig. 31C shows a cross section passing through contact piece 68 of ground plate 443 along the longitudinal direction.

[0122] In the cable-side connector 440, the two FFCs 444 and 445 are arranged back to back so that the flat conductors 61 that serve as contacts are exposed on the surface. The ground plate 443 and the FFCs 444 and 445 are integrated by sandwiching the FFCs 444 and 445 with the contact pieces 68 (mainly the contact parts 68a) in a state where the FFCs 444 and 445 are arranged on the plate part 66 of the ground plate 443. The contact pieces 68 are bent, for example, while applying heat, and are joined by thermal fusion or adhesion with an adhesive while melting the resin material or adhesive of the insulating film 62 and the plastic film tape 63. Note that, if it is not necessary to melt the resin material or adhesive of the insulating film 62 and the plastic tape 63, the contact pieces 68 may be bent without applying heat. The distance between the contacts arranged on both sides in the vertical direction is set to a thickness that gives the contact spring pieces of the module-side connector 300 a required amount of displacement.

[0123] The ground plate 443 and the FFCs 444, 445 are integrally held by the insulator 442. A shell 441 is attached to the outside of the insulator 442 so as to cover the insulator 442. The insulator 442 has a groove in the mating surface, and has a structure for positioning with the outer shape of the FFCs 444, 445 and the ground plate 443. The mating portion of the insulator 442 is inserted into the opening of the insulator 302 of the module side connector 300, whereby the mating position is determined and the mating occurs.

[0124] The thickness, width, and distance between the GSSGs of each member constituting the cable side connector 440 are designed, for example, with a target impedance value (target impedance) of about 85Ω. The target impedance may be set according to the transmission method. In this embodiment, a reinforcing plate 65 is disposed between the plate portion 66 of the ground plate 443 and the FFCs 444 and 445, and the distance between the plate portion 66 of the ground plate 443 and the FFCs 444 and 445 can be adjusted by the thickness of the reinforcing plate 65.

[0125] Figures 32A and 32B are diagrams showing a modified example of cable side connector 400. Cable side connector 450 shown in Figures 32A and 32B is a modified example of card edge type cable side connector 420 shown in Figures 20, 20B, etc.

[0126] Figures 33A and 33B are diagrams showing an example of printed circuit boards (PCBs) 454, 455 applied to a modified cable side connector 450. Figures 34A and 34B are perspective views showing the structure of contact portions and wiring portions in a modified cable side connector 450. In cable side connector 450, contacts with module side connector 300 are formed by the conductor patterns (second conductor layer 722) of printed circuit boards 454, 454.

[0127] 33A and 33B, the printed circuit boards 454 and 455 have a laminated structure in which, from the top, a first insulating layer 711, a first conductor layer 721, a second insulating layer 712, a second conductor layer 722, a third insulating layer 713, a third conductor layer 723, and a fourth insulating layer 714 are arranged (a so-called three-layer printed circuit board). A reinforcing plate 73 is arranged on the lower surface of the fourth insulating layer 714. The printed circuit boards 454 and 455 may be configured as a so-called two-layer printed circuit board without the first insulating layer 711 and the first conductor layer 721. The printed circuit boards 454 and 455 may be rigid PCBs or FPCs.

[0128] The first insulating layer 711, the second insulating layer 712, the third insulating layer 713, and the fourth insulating layer 714 are made of an insulating film having a base material with a dielectric constant of 2.5 or less and a dielectric loss tangent of 0.001 or less. Via holes are appropriately formed in the second insulating layer 712 and the third insulating layer 713.

[0129] The first conductor layer 721, the second conductor layer 722, and the third conductor layer 723 are made of, for example, copper foil. The second conductor layer 722 forms a signal layer of the printed circuit boards 454, 455. The first conductor layer 721 and the third conductor layer 723 form a ground layer of the printed circuit boards 454, 455.

[0130] The second conductor layer 722 has a signal pattern 74 and a ground pattern 75. The signal pattern 74 and the ground pattern 75 are formed by photoresist or etching, respectively. The signal pattern 74 and the ground pattern 75 are plated for contact. In this embodiment, they are gold plated. However, the plating may be other than gold plating.

[0131] The signal patterns 74 are arranged at predetermined intervals so as to correspond to the signal contacts S of the terminal arrangement (GSSG) of the module-side connector 300. The front end of the signal pattern 74 contacts the signal contact S of the module-side connector 300. The rear end of the signal pattern 74 is connected by soldering, welding, or the like to signal lines of various parallel cables such as the Twinax cable 30, FFC, and flat cable.

[0132] The ground patterns 75 are arranged at a predetermined interval so as to correspond to the ground contacts G of the terminal arrangement (GSSG) of the module side connector 300. The rear ends of the ground patterns 75 are connected. The front ends of the ground patterns 75 contact the ground contacts G of the module side connector 300. A shield wire of a parallel cable (e.g., a drain wire of a Twinax cable 30) is connected to the rear end of the ground pattern 75. When the drain wire of the Twinax cable 30 is connected to the ground pattern 75, the drain wires of adjacent Twinax cables 30 may be connected to the ground pattern 75 collectively.

[0133] The third conductor layer 723 is electrically connected to the ground pattern 75 of the second conductor layer 722 and the first conductor layer 721 through via holes (not shown). The third conductor layer 723 is also connected to the ground plate 453 through openings (not shown) provided on both sides in the pitch direction of the fourth insulating layer 714 and the reinforcing plate 73. The frontage of the fourth insulating layer 714 may be widened or the fourth insulating layer 714 may be omitted so that the third conductor layer 723 comes into contact with the ground plate 453 over the entire surface.

[0134] The distance between the signal patterns 74 arranged on both sides of the printed circuit boards 454, 455 is set to a thickness that provides the necessary amount of displacement to the contact spring pieces of the module side connector 300, similar to the FFC type (see FIG. 18A, etc.).

[0135] In the cable-side connector 450, the two printed circuit boards 454, 455 are arranged back-to-back so that the conductor patterns that serve as contacts are exposed on the surface. A ground plate 453 is sandwiched between the printed circuit boards 454, 455, and is held together by an insulator 452. A shell 451 is attached to the outside of the insulator 452 so as to cover the insulator 452. The insulator 452 has a groove in the mating surface, and has a structure for positioning the insulator 452 relative to the outer shape of the printed circuit boards 454, 455. The mating portion of the insulator 452 is inserted into the opening of the insulator 302 of the module-side connector 300, and the mating position is determined and the insulator 452 is mated.

[0136] The thickness, width, and distance between GSSGs of each member constituting the cable-side connector 450 are designed with a target impedance of about 85Ω, for example. The target impedance may be set according to the transmission method.

[0137] Figure 35 is a diagram showing a modified example of the connector set CS to which the present invention can be applied. The connector set CS1 shown in Figure 35 is a vertical fitting type connector set.

[0138] The connector set CS1 includes a module side connector 500 (first connector) mounted on the module substrate B, and a cable side connector 600 (second connector) attached to a cable connecting modules. The module side connector 500 is a receptacle connector having a contact spring piece. The cable side connector 600 is a plug connector having a contact point with the contact spring piece of the module side connector 500.

[0139] Fig. 36 is a diagram showing an example of a module-side connector 500. As shown in Fig. 36, the module-side connector 500 has contact members 501A and 501B. In the contact members 501A and 501B, signal contacts S and ground contacts G are arranged side by side in the GSSG. The signal contacts S and the ground contacts G have contacts that come into contact with the mating surface of the mating side and SMT leads that are soldered to the module substrate B, and have a spring structure therebetween that allows elastic deformation.

[0140] The contact members 501A and 501B are arranged such that the contact points of the contacts S1 and G1 arranged on the contact member 501A face the contact points of the contacts S2 and G2 arranged on the contact member 501B. That is, the contact members 501A and 501B have two rows of terminal arrangements (GSSG) and contact each other by sandwiching the contact surfaces of the mating members arranged back to back.

[0141] The contact members 501A and 501B are connected by a ground wall 504 to improve electrical characteristics. The contact members 501A and 501B and the ground wall 504 are held by an insulator 502.

[0142] The insulator 502 has an opening into which the mating insulator fits, and is positioned relative to the mating cable side connector 600 by the front, rear, left and right walls of the opening.

[0143] The module side connector 500 further has a shell 503 attached so as to cover the insulator 502. The shell 503 comes into contact with the shell or ground contact of the cable side connector 600 and functions as a ground.

[0144] 37 and 38 are diagrams showing an example of a cable side connector 600 that can be used with the modified connector set CS1. The cable side connector 600 is a card edge type connector. Note that the cable side connector 600 may be a conventional type connector or an FFC type connector.

[0145] In cable side connector 600, contact points with module side connector 500 are formed by the conductor patterns of printed circuit boards 604 and 605. Note that cable side connector 600 is a vertical type of cable side connector 450 shown in FIG.

[0146] In the cable-side connector 600, two printed circuit boards 604, 605 are arranged back-to-back so that the conductor patterns that serve as contacts are exposed on the surface. A ground plate 603 is sandwiched between the printed circuit boards 604, 605 and is held together by an insulator 602. A shell 601 is attached to the outside of the insulator 602 so as to cover the insulator 602. The fitting portion of the insulator 602 is inserted into the opening of the insulator 502 of the module-side connector 500, and the fitting position is determined and the two are fitted together.

[0147] 39A to 39C are diagrams showing examples of the shapes of the printed circuit boards 604 and 605. As shown in FIG. 39A to 39C, the contact parts 604a and 605a with the module-side connector 500 have a planar shape that expands in the vertical direction (fitting direction) and the pitch direction, and the connection parts 604b and 605b with the parallel cables have a planar shape that expands in the horizontal direction and the pitch direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. The relay parts 604c and 605c connecting the contact parts 604a and 605a with the connection parts 604b and 605b may be L-shaped (see FIG. 39A), U-shaped (see FIG. 39B), or V-shaped (see FIG. 39C) in a cross section seen from the pitch direction. By configuring the printed circuit boards 604 and 605 with FPC, the relay parts 604c and 605c can be formed into various shapes including L-shaped, U-shaped, V-shaped, and the like.

[0148] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0149] 1 Cable unit 10 Cable with connector 11 Cable 12 Cable side connector 13 Fixing member 20 Holding plate 21 Main body 22 Pre-mating holding portion M1~M3 Modules IC1~IC3 IC chips MB1~MB3 module board MC1~MC3 Module side connector

Claims

1. A cable unit in which a plurality of cables with connectors capable of connecting two modules are integrally held in a state in which they are shaped into an arrangement state.

2. The cable unit according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of connectorized cables are held by being attached to a flat plate.

3. The connector-equipped cable has a connector that mates with a mating connector, 3. The cable unit according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of connectorized cables are held in a pre-mating state before the connector is mated with the mating connector.

4. An inter-module connection structure for connecting two modules having the same pin assignment, Each of the two modules has a connector and an IC chip connected to the connector in a parallel pattern; The two connectors have the same structure, The two IC chips are mounted on the same side of a module substrate; The mounting surface of one of the connectors and the mounting surface of the other connector have an inverse relationship with respect to the mounting surface of the IC chip. Inter-module connection structure.

5. When the connector and the IC chip are mounted on opposite sides, the parallel pattern includes via holes. The module connection structure according to claim 4.

6. In the connection between the plurality of modules, the number of types of arrangement of the connectors within the modules is two or less. The module connection structure according to claim 4 or 5.

7. A first connector having a contact spring piece and a second connector that can be fitted to the first connector, The contacts of the second connector are one of three types: a flat metal conductor, a circuit board pattern, and a flat cable conductor; The contact spring pieces of the first connector are compatible with all three types of contacts. Connector set.

8. The second connector has two of the contacts, The two contacts are arranged back to back.

8. A connector set according to claim 7.

Images