Compact connectors, method of assembling a connector, and related electronic system and wafer

Abstract

This invention provides a snap-edge connector for providing high-speed interconnection between different printed circuit boards. The snap-edge connector may include multiple sheet elements, each sheet element having multiple conductors. These conductors may include a tail at one end and mating contacts at the opposite end. The connector may have more columns of tails than rows of mating contacts, such that the tails extend a small distance from the edge of the PCB toward its center. The connector may be formed from multiple sheet elements of different sizes. Shorter sheet elements may have rows of mating contacts and columns of tails. Taller sheet elements may have mating contacts in the same rows as the other shorter sheet elements and tails in columns parallel to and offset from the columns of tails of the other shorter sheet elements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Apparatus and methods for compact connectors, such as edge connectors, are disclosed, which can be snapped onto the periphery of a printed circuit board and connected to the printed circuit board, occupying a small area of ​​the printed circuit board that could otherwise be used for functional components. Prior Technology

[0002] Electrical connectors are used in electronic systems to connect circuitry on one printed circuit board (PCB) to circuitry on another PCB. For some systems, it is easier and more cost-effective to manufacture most of the system's circuitry on individual electronic components, such as PCBs, which can be connected together using electrical connectors. A common example is a memory card that inserts into an electrical connector on a personal computer motherboard.

[0003] In servers and other powerful computers, multiple memory cards can be connected to the same motherboard. The memory card can contain solid-state memory and can also function as a solid-state drive. For example, in some systems, the memory card can be orthogonal to the motherboard and aligned parallel to its edge. This configuration is described in industry standard SFF-TA-1007.

[0004] Card edge connectors are designed to support this configuration because they can be mounted to a PCB and mate with add-in cards, such as memory cards. The card edge connector may have a mating interface with a slot sized to accommodate the edge of the add-in card. A conductor with mating contacts at one end and a tail at the other end passes through the slot to the mounting interface. At the mounting interface, the tail can be attached to the PCB. At the mating interface, the mating contacts are exposed in the slot, where they can make electrical contact with pads on the edge of the add-in card inserted into the slot.

[0005] Conventional edge connectors have two rows of mating contacts, one row on each side of the slot. The ends of the conductors are arranged in two rows along the PCB in a similar manner. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This embodiment relates to a connector for connecting an add-in card to a PCB. In some cases, the connector of this embodiment can connect the add-in card to the PCB in an orthogonal orientation and can be configured as an orthogonal connector. The connector can be configured as a multi-row connector, having more rows of tail ends connecting to the PCB on one side or one end of the connector compared to the rows of mating contacts connected to the add-in card on the other side or end of the connector.

[0007] Some embodiments relate to a connector for mounting to a peripheral area of ​​a printed circuit board. The connector may include a plurality of conductors, each conductor including a tail portion configured to connect to the printed circuit board when the connector is attached to the printed circuit board, and mating contacts. The mating contacts of the plurality of conductors may be arranged in M ​​rows, configured to extend perpendicularly from the surface of the printed circuit board when the connector is attached to multiple printed circuit boards, and the tail portions of the plurality of conductors may be arranged in N columns, positioned for connection to mating features on the printed circuit board, wherein N and M are integers and N is greater than M.

[0008] Some embodiments relate to an electronic system including a printed circuit board (PCB), a card having contact pads on one or more surfaces, and a connector mounted to a peripheral region of the PCB and configured to electrically connect circuitry on the card to circuitry on the PCB. The connector may include a plurality of conductors, each conductor including a tail portion configured to connect to the PCB and mating contacts. The mating contacts of the plurality of conductors may be arranged in M ​​rows, configured to extend perpendicularly from the surface of the PCB, and the tail portions of the plurality of conductors may be arranged in N columns and connected to mating features on the PCB, wherein N and M are integers and N > M.

[0009] Some embodiments relate to a method of assembling and mounting a connector to a peripheral area of ​​a printed circuit board. The method may include actions such as: positioning the tail of a first column of a first sheet member next to the tail of a second column of a second sheet member; aligning a first mating contact of the first sheet member connected to the tail of the first column with a second mating contact of the second sheet member connected to the tail of the second column along the same row, wherein the first sheet member has a first shape and the second sheet member has a second shape different from the first shape; and retaining the first sheet member and the second sheet member using the housing of the connector.

[0010] Some embodiments relate to a connector for connecting a card to a peripheral area of ​​a printed circuit board. The connector may include a first sheet and a second sheet. The first sheet has a first shape and a first plurality of conductors extending perpendicularly from the surface of the printed circuit board when the connector is attached to the printed circuit board. The second sheet has a second shape different from the first shape and a second plurality of conductors extending perpendicularly from the surface of the printed circuit board when the connector is attached to the printed circuit board. The conductors of the first and second sheets may include tail portions configured for connection to the printed circuit board and mating contacts, wherein the first plurality of mating contacts connected to at least a portion of the first plurality of conductors are aligned in the front housing of the connector with second plurality of mating contacts connected to at least a portion of the second plurality of conductors.

[0011] Some embodiments relate to a sheet-like component for mounting to a peripheral area of ​​a printed circuit board (PCB). The sheet-like component may include a plurality of conductors, each conductor including a tail portion configured to connect to the PCB when the connector is attached to the PCB, and a mating contact portion. The mating contact portion may be disposed in a first plane and configured to extend perpendicularly from the surface of the PCB when the connector is attached to the PCB. The tail portion may be disposed in a second plane parallel to and offset relative to the first plane.

[0012] Some embodiments relate to a connector comprising a plurality of conductors, each conductor including a tail portion configured to connect to a printed circuit board (PCB) when the connector is attached to the PCB and a mating contact portion. The mating contact portion is configured to extend perpendicularly from the surface of the PCB when the connector is attached to the PCB. The first plurality of tail portions are configured to connect to the surface of the PCB along a second straight line, and the second plurality of tail portions are configured to connect to the surface of the PCB along a third straight line different from the second straight line.

[0013] Some embodiments relate to a connector comprising a plurality of conductors having tails at opposite ends and mating contacts, with two or more rows of tails arranged side-by-side. The two or more rows of tails may be configured for connection to a printed circuit board. The mating contacts are arranged in a row extending vertically from the surface of the printed circuit board when the connector is attached to the printed circuit board.

[0014] The above and other states, embodiments and features of this teaching can be more fully understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0015] The accompanying drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only. It is to be understood that, in some cases, various aspects of the invention may be exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate understanding of the invention. In the drawings, the same reference numerals generally refer to the same features, functionally similar, and / or structurally similar elements throughout the figures. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, but rather focus on illustrating the principles of the teaching. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the teaching in any way. Figure 1A shows a top plan view of an example application of the card edge connector, wherein the card edge connector according to some embodiments is installed in a peripheral partition of a PCB for connecting multiple additional cards to the PCB. Figure 1B is a front view of a portion of the system illustrated in Figure 1A. Figure 2A is a side view of an exemplary card edge connector according to some embodiments. Figure 2B is a bottom view of the card edge connector in Figure 2A. Figure 3 is an exploded view of the card edge connector in Figure 2A. Figure 4A is an example front view of a lead frame with multiple conductors, which can be used in manufacturing a snap-edge connector such as the snap-edge connector in Figure 2A. Figure 4B is a front view of an example lead frame of Figure 4A with secondary molding and insulating material. Figure 4C is a front view of an exemplary metal protective member that may be included in a sheet according to some embodiments. Figure 4D is a front view of the metal protective member of Figure 4C installed in the insulating material of Figure 4B according to some embodiments. Figure 4E is a front view of a sheet formed by molding a lossy material onto a metal protective member of Figure 4C, according to some embodiments. Figure 5 illustrates the actions associated with a method for manufacturing a card edge connector according to some embodiments.

[0016] The features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent from the detailed description given below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Implementation

[0017] The inventors have recognized and realized a connector design that enables the economical implementation of systems requiring a large number of interconnects. Such a connector may have a mating interface with a large number of mating contacts, but when mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB), the connector may occupy an area extending only a relatively small distance from the edge of the PCB. Such a connector may have a mating interface having one or more rows, each row having a large number of mating contacts of conductors. The contact tails of the conductors in each of the one or more rows may be arranged in multiple columns, each column extending from the edge toward the periphery of the PCB by a distance less than the length of the row of mating contacts. Compared to conventional footprints for a similar number of conductors with the same pitch, such a connector can occupy a smaller footprint from the edge. As a result, the connector footprint occupies less area on the PCB where functional components can be mounted, enabling the use of a smaller and therefore lower-cost PCB.

[0018] When configured as a card edge connector, such connectors can support cost-effective system architectures for integrating powerful add-on cards into servers or other computer systems. In some embodiments, the connector may be configured as a card edge connector, and one or more such connectors may be mounted along the edge of the PCB of the server or other computer system in a relatively small peripheral area. Such connectors may have a mating interface with at least one row of mating contacts designed to mate with pads on the surface of the add-on card. Because a relatively large number of mating contacts can be provided, large memory arrays can be connected to the PCB, while enabling the use of a relatively small and low-cost PCB.

[0019] In some embodiments, multiple such connectors may be mounted along the edge of the PCB. For example, the system may have a PCB that acts as a motherboard with multiple add-on cards, each holding a large number of non-volatile memory chips. The connectors allow relatively large memory arrays to be connected to components on the motherboard. This memory array may, for example, act as a solid-state drive.

[0020] Memory cards can be spaced apart along the edge of the PCB to ensure adequate cooling airflow within the system. Since connectors are conventionally spaced at the same pitch as the memory cards, in systems using conventional connectors, the connectors may be separated by areas of the PCB. These areas of the PCB may be largely unused because they are neither occupied by connector footprints nor used for mounting functional components to the PCB. However, using the connector design described herein, the unused area between connectors on the PCB is smaller because the multiple rows of contact tails in each row of mating contacts result in a wider connector footprint. In this way, the unused space between connectors is used to reduce the distance the connector footprint extends into the PCB, enabling the use of a smaller and less expensive PCB.

[0021] The connector itself also features an economical design. In some embodiments, the connector can be implemented using sheet-like components. Each sheet-like component may contain multiple conductors. The contacts and tails of these conductors can be fixed in a straight line. In conventional connector designs, the straight lines of the mating contacts can form a row at the mating interface, and the straight lines of the contact tails can form a column at the mounting interface. In some embodiments, the straight lines of the mating contacts of each sheet-like component can form part of a row at the mating interface. For example, two sheets-like components can be aligned collinearly with their mating contacts, so that the mating contacts of the two sheets-like components together form a row of mating contacts at the mating interface. The contact tails of the two sheets-like components may not be collinear. Instead, the contact tails can be arranged in two straight lines, which are parallel but offset along the direction of the PCB edge, so that the two sheets-like components provide two columns of contact tails at the connector mounting interface.

[0022] In some embodiments, a first sheet forming a portion of the row of mating contacts can be configured to form a connector with a shorter row of mating contacts. A second sheet forming a portion of the row of mating contacts can be configured to conform to the periphery of the first sheet. In this way, the first sheet can be used in connectors with both shorter and longer rows of mating contacts. This allows the same sheet to be used in connectors of two different lengths, reducing the overall tooling cost for both longer and shorter connectors, thus making the manufacture of both types of connectors more economical.

[0023] For example, as electronic systems become more advanced, more channels and / or processing capabilities may be added, which can lead to additional interconnect paths between PCBs. For instance, the number and density of circuitry on the midplane, backplane, or motherboard may increase, potentially requiring additional off-board interconnects. In some cases, while the size of the add-on card may increase, the size of the midplane, backplane, or motherboard may be limited (e.g., for mounting in standardized server racks or other packages). In some embodiments of the connectors described herein, a plate for an add-on card of one size can be reused in a connector that mates with a larger add-on card.

[0024] Internet servers and routers are examples of data processing systems that can support multiple high-data-rate channels. The data transfer rate of each channel in such systems can be as high as, and well exceed, 10 billion bits per second (Gb / s). In some implementations, for example, the data rate may be as high as 150 Gb / s. In some embodiments, as described herein, multiple such high-speed data channels may be used to transmit data.

[0025] Figures 1A and 1B depict an example system 100 that can use such multi-row connectors. For example, the illustrated system 100 shows five PCBs and may be part of a server. One of the PCBs 101 (a portion of which is shown) may be the motherboard of the server and may include circuitry and patterned conductors on one or more planes of the PCB. System 100 may also include one or more card edge connectors 110a…110d (also referred to as connectors 110a…110d) that receive add-on cards 120a…120d. Connectors 110a…110d may be located in the peripheral area 130 of PCB 101 and provide multiple interconnect paths between PCB 101 and add-on cards 120a…120d. For the configuration shown in Figures 1A and 1B, because the connected add-on cards 120a…120d are orthogonally oriented with their circuit planes or board surfaces orthogonally to the circuit planes(s) of PCB 101, the connectors may be referred to as "orthogonal" connectors. According to some implementations, PCB 101 and add-on cards 120a…120d can be assembled in a support frame or housing to fit into a standard unit (1U) of an information technology (IT) equipment rack (approximately 1.75 inches high for a 19-inch or 23-inch wide rack). The add-on cards may contain non-volatile memory chips and can be used as solid-state drives (SSDs) in the system.

[0026] In some implementations, such multi-row connectors 110 may conform to industry standards or specifications, such as small form factor (SFF) specifications. As just one example, the card edge connector may receive cards conforming to the SFF-TA-1007 specification. This specification defines the number, arrangement, and spacing of contact pads on the add-on card that are electrically connected to the contacts on the multi-row connector. In some embodiments, the center-to-center spacing between the contact pads on add-on cards 120a…120d may be substantially or precisely 0.6 mm, but other spacings may be used in other embodiments. For the SFF-TA-1007 specification, there may be between 56 and 84 contact pads (or approximately between those endpoint values) distributed between the two sides of the add-on card. In some cases, the card may have connectors that require additional contact pads for mating contacts.

[0027] According to some embodiments, the specification may also define the spacing between the add-on cards 120a…120d, which can be used for airflow between the cards. In some implementations, a fan may be present on the PCB to move air between the add-on cards 120a…120d. In some embodiments, more than one spacing may be specified between the cards. For example, the fan may be oriented to blow air from right to left or from left to right as shown in Figures 1A and 1B. Different spacings can be used for different power levels obtained by different add-on cards (e.g., a center-to-center spacing of at least 9.5 mm uses 25 watts, and a center-to-center spacing of at least 18 mm uses 40 watts).

[0028] The inventors have further recognized and realized that it is advantageous for the connector to be compatible with different types of cards (e.g., different versions of add-on cards 120a…120d, which have more or fewer contact pads that connect to mating contacts in connectors 110a…110d when the add-on card 120a…120d is inserted into connectors 110a…110d). Furthermore, it is advantageous if the length of the connector does not exceed the maximum length of the previous version of the connector (along the direction perpendicular to the edge of the PCB on which the connector is mounted), so that connectors 110a…110d can be secured to the same peripheral area of ​​PCB 101 as the previous version of the connector. In some embodiments, it is advantageous if connectors 110a…110d extend a smaller distance toward the center of PCB 101 than the previous version of the connector.

[0029] Figure 2A depicts a side view of a snap-edge connector 200 (also referred to as connector 200) that can be used as any of connectors 110a…110d. The snap-edge connector 200 may be configured to accommodate a large number of interconnect paths between PCBs and extend a distance D, in some embodiments extending no more than 35 mm from the edge of the PCB, or approximately that value. According to some embodiments, the tail 220 may be located within an area extending no more than 32 mm from the edge of the PCB. In some cases, this distance is equal to or less than the distance extended by a previous version of the connector, which contained fewer interconnect paths.

[0030] For example, a card edge connector can provide a total of 84 mating contacts arranged in two rows at the mating interface. This tail can occupy an area extending from the edge of the PCB equal to or less than 32 mm. Such connectors can have a contact density greater than 2.5 contacts per millimeter of board length. Conventional right-angle connectors used for orthogonal connection with add-on cards having contacts of the same pitch can only accommodate 56 contacts per 32 mm, resulting in a contact density of less than 2 contacts per millimeter. Furthermore, the contact density of conventional designs is the same for the same pitch, while in multi-row connectors as described herein, the contact density can increase with the number of rows and can be 2 or more contacts per millimeter.

[0031] Connector 200 may include a connector body 210 through which multiple conductors pass. Connector body 210 may be formed of multiple sheet elements. In this example, body 210 is formed of four sheet elements 250a, 250b, 250c, and 250d (shown in FIG. 2). Sheet elements 250a…250d may each include multiple conductors, each conductor having a tail 220 forming a mounting interface at one end and one or more mating contacts 230 forming a mating interface 242 at the opposite end (as seen in FIG. 4A). In this example, mating interface 242 includes two rows of mating contacts located on opposite sides of slots into which the edges of add-on cards—such as one of add-on cards 120a…120d—can be inserted. The mating contacts are positioned such that a pad on the add-on card mates with the mating contacts of the connector.

[0032] The mating interface 242 may be located within the housing 240. For example, the housing 240 may be metallic, such as die-cast aluminum or machined. The housing 240 may provide mechanical support for the connector body 210. According to some embodiments, the overall height H of the connector may be less than 40 mm, or approximately that value. According to some embodiments, the overall height H may be between 30 mm and 42 mm, or approximately between these values, so that the connector can be used with components that fit into a standard unit of an IT equipment rack. In alternative embodiments, the height may be greater than 42 mm.

[0033] The tail 220 shown in Figure 2A is a press-fit tail that is pressed into a conductive via in the PCB. In an alternative embodiment, the tail may be a surface mount tail soldered to a contact pad on the PCB. There may be 40 to 150 tails 220 extending from connector 200, arranged in two or more rows. In some cases, there may be multiple tails extending from a compliant connector, such as 56, 84, or 140.

[0034] Figure 2B depicts a bottom view of the connector 200 of Figure 2A. According to some embodiments, multiple sheet elements may form the connector body 210. In the illustrated example, there are four sheet elements 250a…250d, but in alternative embodiments, there may be fewer or more sheet elements than four. In this example, the tails of each sheet element are aligned in a row, so that the four sheet elements 250a…250d provide four rows of tails 252a, 252b, 252c, and 252d. These rows are parallel to each other and offset along the edge of the PCB to which the connector 200 can be mounted. In this example, columns 252a and 252b are of the same length. Columns 252c and 252d are of the same length, but shorter than the lengths of columns 252a and 252b.

[0035] In this example, four columns 252a, 252b, 252c, and 252d form a connector footprint for a large number of connections—such as 84 connections. Columns 252a and 252b have footprints that can be matched with footprints constructed for conventional connectors with fewer connections—such as 56 connections. In some embodiments, plates 250a and 250b may be plates used when manufacturing conventional connectors supporting a smaller number of connections. Plates 250c and 250d may be configured to mount against plates 250a and 250b, thereby creating a connector supporting a larger number of connections without extending the length of the connector's mounting interface.

[0036] One or more of the sheet elements may interlock or otherwise secure with one or more other sheet elements, thereby providing a mechanically secure connector body 210. For example, a post, lock, or other protrusion of one sheet element may extend into a hole in another sheet element. Such features may cooperate to form an interference fit, a snap-fit ​​fit, or otherwise secure the sheet elements together. Alternatively or otherwise, clamps or other fasteners may be applied to two or more sheet elements to secure them together. In this example, sheet elements 250a and 250b may be fastened to each other. Sheet elements 250c and 250d may also be fastened to each other, wherein sheet element 250c is fastened to sheet element 250a and sheet element 250d is fastened to sheet element 250d.

[0037] Connector 200 may also include one or more mounting features 260 that allow the connector to be fastened to a PCB. In this example, the mounting feature is formed as part of the housing 240. Examples of mounting features include, but are not limited to, gaps or threaded holes for screws, bolts, or snap-in pins; openings for snap-fit ​​structures; flexible pins, snap-in pins, or snap-fit ​​structures for press-fitting into receiving holes on the PCB. The overall width W of the connector may be between 8 mm and 12 mm, or approximately between these values. The overall length L of the connector may be between 40 mm and 48 mm, or approximately between these values.

[0038] Figure 3 illustrates an exploded view of an example component of a snap-fit ​​connector 200. In this example, connector 200 includes multiple sheets shown herein as plates 250a, 250b, 250c, and 250d, a front housing 330, retainers 352 and 354, and a housing 240. Some sheets may have substantially the same overall size and shape, but different sizes and shapes from other sheets in connector 200. The sheets may be of different sizes, such that the mating contacts and tails of the conductors are arranged in different numbers of rows at the mating and mounting interface. There may be multiple first sheets 250a and 250b having a first size and shape, and multiple second sheets 250c and 250d having a second size and shape different from the first size and shape. In some embodiments, sheets of the same size and shape may be eccentric (e.g., left-handed or right-handed) or substantially comprise two mirror images of each other. Mirror-image sheet-like components can be assembled into the connector body 210 such that the contact surfaces of their mating contacts face each other. In this way, the mating contacts can be aligned in a straight line on opposite sides of the slot in the mating interface 242 so as to form contact with the pads on both sides of the add-on card inserted into the slot.

[0039] In this example, the outer sheet members 250c and 250d are higher and located at the outer edge of the stacked sheet members, having a flat and / or smooth surface 311 exposed for user touch and visibility. Sheet members 250a and 250b are lower and located inside the stacked sheet members. According to some embodiments, this flat or smooth surface can be formed when secondary molding the insulating material on the lead frame.

[0040] In some embodiments, some of the plates 250c and 250d may have a greater height than adjacent plates 250a and 250b. The mating contact portion 317 of the taller plate may be offset relative to the tail portion of the same plate extending from its extension. When the plates are assembled together in the connector 200, the offset portion 317 extends above the adjacent plate 250a. For example, the offset portion 317 may be located directly above the adjacent plate. The mating contact portion of each of the taller plates 250c and 250d may be aligned with the mating contact portions of the respective shorter plates 250a and 250b. In this way, the mating contacts of the taller and shorter plates may each form a portion of a row of mating contacts at the mating interface of the connector. In some embodiments, the first sheet may have one or more portions extending over or at least partially adapted around an adjacent sheet, such that the first sheet at least partially cradles the adjacent sheet.

[0041] According to some implementations, some of the sheets may have the size and shape for a connector version containing fewer interconnects. For example, two sheets 250a and 250b may be assembled together in a connector having fewer tails 222 and mating contacts than a connector containing additional sheets 250c and 250d. For example, such a connector may be suitable for an add-on card with 56 contact pads. Connectors with fewer tails and mating contacts are compatible with existing add-on cards and printed circuit boards. In some cases, existing sheets may be used for some of the sheets 250a and 250b, so that these sheets do not need to be designed, developed, or manufactured using new tools to build larger connectors. Regardless of whether existing sheet designs are used, different numbers of sheets can be assembled into the connector to allow for different numbers of interconnects in the card edge connector for add-on cards. Furthermore, the sheets may be configured to limit the distance D of the mounting interface extending from the edge of the PCB. In some embodiments, the distance D of the tail extending into the PCB may remain unchanged even if the number of interconnects increases. Depending on the number of sheet-like components assembled in the card edge connector 200, different sizes of front shell 330, outer shell 240 and retainers 352, 354 can be used.

[0042] Each of the sheet elements 250a, 250b, 250c, and 250d may include a plurality of conductors supported by one or more layers of material (as further described below). The conductors may include tails 220, 222 configured at one end to connect to a PCB, and mating contacts 322, 324, 326, and 328 contacting contact pads of an add-on card at opposite ends. The tail 222 of sheet element 250b may be arranged in a straight line and form one row of tails in the card edge connector 200. While some embodiments may have the same number of tails on each sheet element, the number of tails 222 extending from sheet element 250a may differ from the number of tails 220 in another sheet element 250c. When the sheet elements are assembled into the connector 200, two or more rows of tails may be arranged side-by-side.

[0043] While some embodiments may have the same number of mating contacts on each sheet, the number of mating contacts 324 or 322 extending from one sheet 250a or 250b may differ from the number of mating contacts 326 or 328 extending from another sheet 250c or 250d. The mating contacts may be shape-dependent, flexible, and eccentric, allowing them to slide over and press against the opposite sides of the add-on card.

[0044] The mating contacts may extend from the front portion of the sheet member, be arranged in a straight line, and form at least a portion of a row of mating contacts. There may be mating contacts 326 extending from the offset portion 317 of the sheet member 250c, such that when the sheet member is assembled in the connector 200, these mating contacts are aligned with the mating contacts 324 of the adjacent sheet member 250a along the same row. According to some embodiments, the mating contacts 326 of the sheet member 250c may be arranged along a first straight line and the tail portion of the same sheet member 250c may be arranged along a second straight line. The extensions of the first and second straight lines may intersect, but are offset relative to each other at their closest points. This offset distance may be between 1 mm and 8 mm, or in some cases between 1 mm and 4 mm. In some embodiments, a larger offset distance may be used.

[0045] Plates 250b and 250d may have similar structures. Mating contact 328 may be aligned with mating contact 322 to form a row of mating contacts at the mating interface of the connector.

[0046] According to some embodiments, there may be fewer rows of mating contacts in the connector 200 than in the tail column. For example, even if there are three or more plates in the connector, the mating contacts from the plates may be aligned into two rows of mating contacts that slide and press against the opposing surfaces of the add-on card. However, the tail of each plate may be located in a separate column at the mounting interface of the connector.

[0047] Connector 200 may include one or more components for holding sheet members together within the connector. Examples of such components include, but are not limited to, retainers such as clamps 352, 354. Alternatively or otherwise, other components may hold the sheet members together. Such components may include a front housing 330 and a housing 240. Metal or plastic clamps 352, 354 may be adapted to protruding features 319 on two or more sheet members to hold two or more sheet members together. According to some embodiments, metal or plastic clamps may clamp around some or all of the sheet members to hold two or more sheet members together. In some embodiments, a corrosion-resistant metal or a metal with a corrosion-resistant coating may be used for the clamps and / or retainers. For example, the metal may include stainless steel, steel alloys, chrome-plated steel, aluminum, chrome-plated aluminum, aluminum alloys, copper, chrome-plated copper, copper alloys, etc. In some cases, any suitable plastic or reinforced plastic may be used for the clamps or retainers. In some cases, the plastic may be reinforced with glass, carbon, or metal fibers. In some embodiments, the fixtures 352, 354 may be stamped, cut, or molded.

[0048] The front housing 330 may be formed of plastic or reinforced plastic. Examples of suitable materials include, but are not limited to, liquid crystal polymers (LCP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), high-temperature nylon or poly(p-phenylene oxide) (PPO), or polypropylene (PP). Other suitable materials may also be used. In some cases, the plastic may be reinforced with glass, carbon, or metal fibers. According to some embodiments, the front housing 330 is molded and includes a front end of a sheet and one or more central cavities 332a or 332b into which mating contacts can be inserted. The one or more cavities may be aligned and / or extended to form slots into which the edges of an add-on card can be inserted.

[0049] One or more ribs 334 may span the slot, dividing the slot into sub-regions such as cavities 332a and 332b. In this example, the mating contact portion of the shorter sheet is inserted into the front housing 330 to be exposed in the surface of the front housing 330 forming the boundary of cavity 332b. The mating contact portion of the longer sheet is inserted into the front housing 330 to be exposed in the surface of the front housing 330 forming the boundary of cavity 332a.

[0050] There may be alignment and / or retaining features that align and secure the sheet members 250a…250d within the front housing. For example, there may be two or more slots into which two or more sheet members slide and are securely secured by an interference fit. As a result of snap-fit ​​features, interference fit features, or other retaining features, the front housing may be retained within the housing 240 during connector assembly.

[0051] According to some embodiments, the housing 240 may be formed of any (or a variety of) suitable materials, such as stainless steel, steel alloys, chrome-plated steel, aluminum, chrome-plated aluminum, aluminum alloys, copper, chrome-plated copper, copper alloys, etc. Other metals or metal compounds may also be used. In some embodiments, the housing 240 may be formed of die-cast metal. When formed of metal, the housing may include one or more stamped, machined, and / or die-cast parts. In some cases, the housing 240 may be formed of plastic, conductive plastic, or plastic that has been reinforced and / or made conductive by additives such as carbon, carbon fiber, glass fiber, or metal fiber. In some implementations, the housing 240 may include insulating plastic and a conductive coating on the insulating plastic. According to some embodiments, mounting features 260 may be located on the housing 240.

[0052] Figures 4A to 4E illustrate further details of example components that may be included in the sheet members 250a…250d of the edge connector 200. The sheet member can be formed by inserting one or more types of material around a lead frame having multiple conductors, thereby forming a shell around the middle portion of the conductors. In the illustrated embodiment, the sheet member shell is formed of insulating plastic and lossy plastic. Generally, a flat protective element can be attached to the shell.

[0053] Figure 4A depicts a lead frame 410 comprising multiple conductors 405. The conductors provide multiple electrical paths between PCBs connected by edge connectors 200. Each conductor 405 may include a tail 220 at one end and a mating contact 230 at the opposite end. The lead frame 410 has conductors of a number and shape suitable for use in manufacturing the sheet component 250a. A similar, but mirrored, lead frame may be used in manufacturing the sheet component 250b.

[0054] The lead frame 410 may contain different types of conductors 405. For example, there may be a reference conductor 412, which may be wider than some other conductors. In some cases, the reference conductor 412 may include an opening 413 that allows material to pass through the reference conductor 412 during insert molding operations. The reference conductor 412 may be designed to be connected to a reference potential such as ground. Some conductors may be differential pairs 415. For example, the pair 415 may be positioned between two adjacent reference conductors 412. According to some embodiments, the differential pair 415 may be configured to transmit high data rate signals (e.g., signals with data rates exceeding 25 Gb / s in the case of PAM4 encoding) or high frequency signals (e.g., exceeding 56 or 112 Gb / s). There may also be one or more single-trace conductors 416 and one or more common conductors 407. According to some embodiments, the single-trace conductor 416 can transmit low-frequency signals (e.g., frequencies less than 500 MHz), signals with low data rates (e.g., less than 100 Mb / s), logic control signals, bias potentials, or reference potentials. The common conductor 407 may have more than one tail 220 and more than one mating contact 230. The common conductor 407 can transmit direct current. In addition to or alternatively, the common conductor 407 can transmit other high-current and low-frequency signals.

[0055] According to some embodiments, the lead frame 410 may be formed by stamping or cutting a metal sheet. The metal used for the lead frame may include, but is not limited to, copper or copper alloys, such as phosphor bronze, chrome-plated copper, or beryllium copper, or aluminum, chrome-plated aluminum, aluminum alloys, etc. During stamping or cutting, connecting strips 409 may be present, which secure the conductors 405 separated by a fixed interval. Connecting strips 409 may be small pieces of metal attached between adjacent conductors 405. During or after subsequent secondary forming steps, at least a portion of one or more connecting strips 409 may be cut and / or removed to electrically isolate one or more of the plurality of conductors 405.

[0056] Figure 4B depicts an example of a secondary molded lead frame 420. According to some embodiments, one or more secondary molding processes can be performed to form an insulating plastic secondary molded part 422 on one or both sides of the lead frame 410. As an example, the lead frame 410 can be placed in or against a mold and plastic can be injected into the mold, allowing the plastic to flow and contact one or both sides of the lead frame 410. Various types of plastics can be used, such as, but not limited to, liquid crystal polymers (LCP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), high-temperature nylon, or poly(p-phenylene oxide) (PPO) or polypropylene (PP). Other materials may also be used. In some cases, the plastic may be a thermosetting plastic. In some cases, the insulating plastic may contain insulating reinforcement materials, such as glass fiber. The electrical conductivity of the insulating plastic secondary molded part 422 may be very low, such as 0.01 Siemens / meter or lower.

[0057] According to some embodiments, the secondary molded part may include one or more alignment features 424, 426. These alignment features help align the lead frame 410 and the insulating secondary molded part 422 with other components within the sheet 250c, and / or help align the sheet 250c with one or more adjacent sheets 250d, 250b. Some of the alignment features 424, 426 may extend away from the lead frame and / or extend beyond the plane of the lead frame and beyond the flat surface 425 of the insulating secondary molded part 422. Some alignment features may include holes or recesses in the insulating secondary molded part 422 into which mating alignment features on adjacent sheets may be inserted. Some alignment features 426 may assist in aligning a metal protector (shown in FIG. 4C) with the secondary molded part 422 and the lead frame 410. The insulating secondary molded part 422 may also include holes or openings 428 extending into the lead frame 410. Some openings 428 may be aligned with openings 413 in the reference conductor 412 of the lead frame 410. For example, such openings 428 may allow lossy material to flow through openings 413 to electrically connect the reference conductor 412 via the lossy material. Some openings in the insulating secondary molding 422 may be aligned with connecting strips 409 on the lead frame 410 and allow at least a portion of the connecting strip to be removed or disconnected.

[0058] The sheet members 250a…250d of the edge connector 200 may include one or more metal protectors 430 positioned adjacent to the conductors 405 of the lead frame and spaced apart from the conductors by a layer 435 of insulating material in the insulating secondary molding 422. An example of the metal protector 430 is depicted in Figure 4C, and its installation in a portion of the sheet member assembly 440 is shown in Figure 4D. In some cases, the metal protector may be electrically connected to a reference potential such as a ground terminal. According to some embodiments, the metal protector 430 may be stamped or cut from a sheet of metal. Examples of metals that can be used for the metal protector 430 include, but are not limited to, copper or copper alloys, such as phosphor bronze, chrome-plated copper or beryllium copper, or stainless steel, aluminum, chrome-plated aluminum, aluminum alloys, etc. According to some embodiments, the metal protector 430 may include alignment holes or openings 436 on alignment features 426 fitted onto the insulating secondary molding 422. The metal protector 430 may also include an opening 438 aligned with the opening 413 in the reference conductor 412 and the opening 428 in the insulating secondary molding 422. These aligned openings may allow conductive or dissipative materials to flow from the metal protector 430 to the reference conductor 412.

[0059] According to some embodiments, the metal protector 430 is sized such that it is positioned only adjacent to the high-speed differential pairs 415 in the multi-row connector, as depicted in FIG4D. In other embodiments, the metal protector 430 may be positioned adjacent to additional conductors 405 in the edge connector 200, such as single-trace conductors 416 and / or common conductors 407.

[0060] One or more sheet-like parts 250a…250d of the edge connector 200 may also include conductive and lossy material 450, as shown in FIG4E. According to some embodiments, the lossy material 450 may be applied to a higher conductivity metal guard 430 using a secondary molding process (e.g., injection molding). In some cases, the lossy material 450 may be applied to form ribs or strips or a mesh pattern with strips 452. The strips may be positioned between differential pairs 415 of the conductors and may be aligned, for example, with a reference conductor 412. Including the conductive metal guard 430 and lossy material 450 in certain locations allows the differential pairs 415 in the connector 200 to operate at very high data rates (e.g., up to 56 Gb / s in some cases with PAM4 encoding, up to 112 Gb / s in some cases, or up to 160 Gb / s in some cases). The metal guard 430 and lossy material 450 can provide effective isolation of the signal conductors at very high frequencies and data rates. For example, the loss material 450 coupled to the reference conductor 412 and the metal guard 430 can help reduce resonance that would otherwise occur, and thus reduce crosstalk between the differential pairs 415.

[0061] Any suitable lossy material can be used for the lossy material 450 of the card edge connector 200. Materials that are conductive but have some loss, or materials that absorb electromagnetic energy in the frequency range of interest through another physical mechanism, are collectively referred to herein as "lossy" materials. The frequency range of interest may be between 500 MHz and 160 GHz, but in some cases, lower frequencies (e.g., down to 50 MHz) and higher frequencies may be of interest.

[0062] Electrically degrading materials can be formed from degrading dielectric materials and / or poorly conductive materials and / or degrading magnetic materials. Magneticly degrading materials can be formed, for example, from materials conventionally considered ferromagnetic materials—such as those with a magnetic loss factor greater than approximately 0.05 in the frequency range of interest. The magnetic loss factor is the ratio of the imaginary to the real part of the material's complex electrical permeability. Actual degrading magnetic materials, or mixtures containing degrading magnetic materials, can also exhibit useful amounts of dielectric or conductive loss effects in portions of the frequency range of interest.

[0063] Dissipative materials can be formed from materials conventionally considered dielectric materials, such as those having a loss factor greater than approximately 0.05 in the frequency range of interest. The loss factor is the ratio of the imaginary to the real part of the material's complex electrical permeability. Dissipative materials can also be formed from materials generally considered conductors, but which are relatively poor conductors in the frequency range of interest, containing sufficiently dispersed conductive particles or regions that do not provide high conductivity, or otherwise prepared to have properties that result in relatively weak bulk conductivity compared to good conductors such as copper in the frequency range of interest.

[0064] Electrically dissipative materials typically have a bulk conductivity of approximately 1 siemen / meter to approximately 10,000 siemens / meter (or precisely between these endpoints), and preferably approximately 1 siemens / meter to approximately 5,000 siemens / meter (or precisely between these endpoints). In some embodiments, materials with a bulk conductivity of approximately 10 siemens / meter to approximately 200 siemens / meter (or precisely between these endpoints) may be used. As a specific example, materials with conductivity between 40 siemens / meter and 60 siemens / meter can provide significantly improved results for the frequency range of interest. However, it should be appreciated that the conductivity of the material can be selected empirically or by electrical simulation using known simulation tools to determine a suitable conductivity that provides appropriate low crosstalk with suitable low signal path attenuation or insertion loss.

[0065] The loss-inducing material can be a partially conductive material, such as a material having a surface resistivity between 1 Ω / square and 100,000 Ω / square (or approximately between these values). In some embodiments, the loss-inducing material has a surface resistivity between 10 Ω / square and 1,000 Ω / square (or approximately between these values). As a specific example, the material has a surface resistivity between 20 Ω / square and 80 Ω / square, and can provide significantly improved results for the frequency range of interest.

[0066] In some embodiments, the lossy material 450 is formed by adding a filler comprising conductive particles to a polymeric adhesive. In such embodiments, the lossy material 450 can be applied and formed by molding or otherwise shaping the adhesive-filler mixture into a desired form. Examples of conductive particles that can be used as fillers to form the lossy material include carbon or graphite formed as fibers, flakes, nanoparticles, or other types of particles. Metals in powder, flake, fiber, or other particulate form can also be used to provide suitable lossy properties. Alternatively, combinations of fillers can be used. For example, metal-plated carbon particles can be used. Silver and nickel are suitable metal platings for fibers. Coated particles can be used alone or in combination with other fillers such as carbon flakes.

[0067] The adhesive can be any material that will fix, cure, impregnate, or otherwise use to retain the filler material. The adhesive can be considered a matrix material in which the filler is dispersed to generate electrical and / or magnetic loss material. In some embodiments, the adhesive can be a thermoplastic material conventionally used in the manufacture of electrical connectors to facilitate the molding of the loss material into the desired shape and position as part of the manufacturing process. Examples of such materials include liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) and nylon. However, many alternative forms of adhesive materials can be used. Curable materials such as epoxy resins or resins can act as adhesives. Materials such as thermosetting resins or adhesives can also be used.

[0068] Furthermore, while the adhesive materials described above can be used to generate electrical and / or magnetic loss materials by forming an adhesive around the conductive particle filler, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the conductive particles can be impregnated in the formed substrate material, or can be coated onto the formed substrate material, such as by applying a conductive coating to a plastic, ceramic, or metal component. In some cases, the loss material 450 can be formed by depositing a loss coating, such as a diffused metallic coating, onto a plastic or other insulating material. As used herein, the term "adhesive" includes materials that encapsulate fillers, are impregnated with fillers, or otherwise serve as a substrate for retaining fillers.

[0069] Preferably, the filler can be present in sufficient volume percentage to allow for the creation of conductive paths from particle to particle. For example, when using metal fibers, the fibers can be present in a value between 3% and 40% by volume. In some cases, the conductive filler can be present in any value between 5% and 70% by weight of the formed lossy material 450. The amount of filler can affect the conductivity properties of the material.

[0070] In some embodiments, the filler material that can be used as the loss material 450 is commercially available, such as a material sold by Celanese under the trademark Celestran®, which may be filled with carbon fiber or stainless steel filaments. Such preforms may include an epoxy adhesive filled with carbon fiber and / or other carbon particles. The adhesive surrounds the carbon particles that act as reinforcements for the preform. In some embodiments, the preform may be bonded by adhesive components within the preform (e.g., bonded to the metal protector 430 and the reference conductor 412), which may be cured in a heat treatment process. In some embodiments, separate conductive or non-conductive adhesive layers may be used to bond the loss material 450 to one or more components of the edge connector 200. In some embodiments, the adhesive in the preform may be used to secure one or more connector components, such as foil strips, to the loss material.

[0071] Various forms of reinforcing fibers—woven or nonwoven, coated or uncoated—can be used as filler for loss material 450. Nonwoven carbon fiber is a suitable material. Other suitable materials, such as custom blends sold by RTP, can be used, as the invention is not limited in this respect.

[0072] In some embodiments, the lossy material 450 of the card edge connector 200 may be formed by stamping a preform or sheet of lossy material. For example, the desired pattern of the lossy material 450 for the connector may be formed by stamping a preform or filling adhesive using a suitable topographical pattern as described above. However, other materials may be used in addition to or as an alternative to such preforms. For example, sheets of ferromagnetic material may be used.

[0073] The lossy material 450 can be formed in other ways. In some embodiments, the lossy material can be formed by alternating layers of lossy and conductive material, such as metal foil, with layers of insulating adhesive. These layers can be bonded together, for example, by epoxy resin or other adhesives present in the adhesive, or can be held together by any other suitable means. In some cases, the alternating layers may have a desired shape before being fixed together, or may be stamped or otherwise shaped after they are held together.

[0074] Figures 4A…4E illustrate the steps for manufacturing sheet 250a. A similar process can be used to manufacture sheet 250b, except that the lead frame of sheet 250b may have mating contacts with their contact surfaces facing opposite directions. Furthermore, when molding the shell of sheet 250b, it may have complementary features to those shown in sheet 250a. For example, at the location of protrusion 454, sheet 250b may have a hole to receive protrusion 454, thereby interlocking sheet 250a and 250b. In this example, protrusion 454 is formed of a consumable material, thus the consumable materials of the two sheet 250a and 250b are interconnected.

[0075] Similar manufacturing steps can be used to form the outer sheet components, such as sheet components 250c and 250d. The lead frames for such sheet components may have different numbers and / or shapes of conductors relative to the lead frame 410. For example, the tails 220 of these lead frames may be configured to be located in columns 252c and 252d, outside of columns 252a and 252b of sheet components 250a and 250b. The mating contacts of the lead frames for the outer sheet components 250c and 250d may be aligned with the mating contacts of the respective shorter sheet components 250a and 250b.

[0076] This type of construction can originate from the jog in the lead frame used in manufacturing the outer sheet members 250c and 250d. Compared to the normally flat lead frame 410, the lead frame of the outer sheet members 250c and 250d can protrude along the direction facing the mating surface of the mating contact portion. Such a jog can be introduced during metal forming operations. The jog can extend through an offset portion such as an offset portion 317.

[0077] The lead frame for the outer sheet members 250c and 250d can be incorporated into the sheet member housing. This operation can be performed using any of the techniques described for manufacturing the short sheet members 250a and 250b. For example, the lead frame can be secondary-formed with an insulating housing. The housings of the outer sheet members 250c and 250d can be shaped such that the two interlocking short sheet members can be held between the outer sheet members. To support this configuration, the sheet member housing of either or both of the outer sheet members 250c and 250d can be formed with a sidewall 254 (FIG. 3), which serves as the boundary of the cavity in which the short sheet members 250a and 250b are received.

[0078] Similarly, the protective element 256 can be incorporated into the outer sheet elements 250c and 250d. Like the metal protective element 430, the protective element 256 can be secured to the second molded part 258 (FIG. 3) during the molding operation. This second molded part can be made of an insulating material. Alternatively, the second molded part can be made of a dissipative material and can mechanically hold the protective element in place and provide a dissipative connection between the protective element 256 and other structures within the connector designed to be grounded during use. For example, a dissipative insert can contact and / or pass through a reference conductor in the lead frame.

[0079] Figure 5 illustrates an example flowchart of actions associated with a method of assembling a card edge connector. One implementation of the method may include more or fewer actions compared to those shown. In some embodiments, the actions shown may be performed in a different order, and are not limited to the order illustrated in Figure 5.

[0080] Some methods of assembling the snap-edge connector 200 may include receiving a first sheet of a first shape (action 505). For example, the first sheet may be a sheet 250a of an orthogonal snap-edge connector having a first shape, as depicted in FIG3. The method may further include receiving a second sheet having a second shape different from the first shape (action 510). Continuing with the example of FIG3, the second sheet may be a sheet 250c having a shape different from the first sheet 250a. The method may then include aligning the mating contacts of the first sheet and the second sheet in the same row (action 515). For example, the mating contacts 324, 326 of the first sheet 250a and the second sheet 250c may be aligned in a single row when the two sheets are positioned side by side. Thus, the mating contacts 324, 326 may be arranged along a single straight line in the connector. In addition, a method may include positioning the tail column of the second sheet next to the tail column of the first sheet (action 520). For example, and again referring to FIG3, when the first sheet 250a and the second sheet 250c are positioned side by side, the tail column of the second sheet 250c may be arranged next to the tail column of the first sheet. According to some embodiments, the first sheet and the second sheet may be held at least partially in the sheet assembly by the front housing of the connector (Action 525). In some cases, additional sheets may be held in the sheet assembly.

[0081] In this way, a set of conductive elements can be configured such that a single row of mating contacts connects to multiple rows of contact tails at the mounting interface.

[0082] All references and similar materials cited in this application, including but not limited to patents, patent applications, articles, books, papers, and web pages, regardless of their format, are expressly incorporated in their entirety by reference. Where one or more of the incorporated references and similar materials differ from or contradict this application, including but not limited to the definition of terminology, terminology usage, and described techniques, this application shall prevail.

[0083] The section headings used in this article are for organizational purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the subject matter in any way.

[0084] While this teaching has been described in conjunction with various embodiments and examples, it is not intended to be limited to such embodiments or examples. Rather, as those skilled in the art will recognize, this teaching includes various substitutions, modifications, and equivalents.

[0085] For example, connector design techniques are shown for application to right-angle, snap-edge connectors. Similar techniques can be applied to connectors with other constructions, such as vertical connectors and / or two-piece connectors.

[0086] As another example of a variation, the sheet is designed to be manufactured via a two-stage molding operation, wherein the insulating plastic is molded twice in a primary mold, and the waste plastic is molded twice into a second mold. It should be appreciated that more or fewer molds can be used, or in some embodiments, the sheet may be manufactured without secondary molding. In some embodiments, for example, the waste material may be omitted, making a single-stage molding operation suitable. Alternatively, the waste material may be molded separately as a separate component subsequently inserted into an opening in the insulating secondary mold. As yet another example of a variation, the insulating shell of the sheet may be molded as a separate component, and the conductor may be inserted into an opening in the insulating shell.

[0087] Furthermore, it is described that the inner plate can be configured for use in conventional connectors or combined with an outer plate for use in multi-row connectors as described herein. Regardless of whether the inner plate is used in a connector of a conventional design, the multi-row connector can be formed from both the inner and outer plates.

[0088] Furthermore, two sheet elements—an inner sheet element and an outer sheet element—are described to cooperate in forming a row of conductive elements at the mating interface of the connector. In other embodiments, each row may be formed using three or more sheet elements.

[0089] Alternatively, a single row can be formed using a single sub-component. Such a sub-component can be formed, for example, by inserting an insulating shell around a column of conductors and inserting a second column of conductors into the insulating shell. As another variation, a column of conductors can be inserted into one side of the shell, and a second column of conductors can be inserted into the opposite side of the shell.

[0090] It should also be recognized that the position and orientation of connector features are described relative to the printed circuit board. Those skilled in this art will appreciate that the connector does not need to be mounted to the printed circuit board for the purpose of identifying its position or orientation. Instead, the position and orientation can be determined relative to the connector's mating and mounting interface, which can be configured to be mounted in a predetermined orientation relative to the printed circuit board.

[0091] Unless otherwise specified, the scope of the patent application should not be construed as limited to the described order or elements. It should be understood that those skilled in the art may make various changes in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended patent application. All embodiments falling within the spirit and scope of the appended patent application and its equivalents are claimed.

[0092] 100: System 101: Printed Circuit Board (PCB) 110a: Edge connector / connector 110b: Edge connector / connector 110c: Edge connector / connector 110d: Edge connector / connector 120a: Additional Card 120b: Additional Card 120c: Additional Card 120d: Additional Card 130: Surrounding Area 200: Card edge connector / connector 210: Connector body 220: Tail 222: Tail 230: Mating contact part 240: Outer shell 242: Interface 250a: Sheet-shaped component 250b: Sheet-like component 250c: Sheet-shaped part 250d: Sheet-shaped part 252a: Tail / Column 252b: Tail / Column 252c: Tail / Column 252d: Tail / Column 254: Sidewall 256: Protective components 258: Second molded part 260: Installation Feature Section 311: Surface 317: Offset portion 319: Highlighting Feature Section 322: Mating contact part 324: Mating contact part 326: Mating contact part 328: Mating contact part 330: Front shell 332a: Central cavity 332b: Central cavity 334: Ribs 352: Holder 354: Retainer 405: Conductor 407: Common Conductor 409: Connecting strip 410: Lead frame 412: Reference Conductor 413: Opening 415: Difference Pairs 416: Single-trace conductor 420: Lead frame 422: Insulating plastic secondary molding parts 424: Alignment Feature 425: Flat surface 426: Alignment Feature 428: Hole or opening 430: Metal protective components 435: Floor 436: Alignment hole or opening 438: Opening 440: Sheet assembly 450: Conductive and lossy materials 452: Strip 454: Protrusion 505: Action 510: Action 515: Action 520: Action 525: Action D: Distance H: Total height L: Total length W: Total width

Claims

1. A connector for mounting to a peripheral area of ​​a printed circuit board, the connector comprising: A plurality of conductors, each conductor including a tail portion configured to connect to the printed circuit board when the connector is attached to the printed circuit board and mating contacts, wherein the mating contacts of the plurality of conductors are arranged in M ​​rows and configured to extend perpendicularly from one surface of the printed circuit board when the connector is attached to the printed circuit board, wherein each of the M rows includes a first group of mating contacts and a second group of mating contacts positioned further away from one surface of the printed circuit board than the first group of mating contacts, and wherein the tail portions of the plurality of conductors are arranged in N columns and positioned for connection to mounting features on the printed circuit board, wherein: N and M are integers; N > M; the first group of mating contacts in each row is connected to a corresponding first column tail portion; and the second group of mating contacts in each row is connected to a corresponding second column tail portion.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein when the connector is mounted to the peripheral area of ​​the printed circuit board, the tails extend no more than 35 mm from the edge of the printed circuit board.

3. The connector as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the connector includes a front housing having a slot configured as an edge of a receiving card, and the M rows include a first row disposed on a first side of the slot and a second row disposed on a second side of the slot.

4. The connector as requested in item 1 or 2, wherein: The first plurality of tails are arranged along a first straight line; the first plurality of mating contact portions that mate with the first plurality of tails are arranged along a second straight line; and the extensions of the first straight line and the second straight line intersect, but are offset from each other by a certain distance at the point where the extensions are closest.

5. The connector of claim 4, further comprising a first sheet member, wherein the first plurality of tail portions and the first plurality of mating contacts are attached to the first sheet member.

6. The connector of claim 4, wherein the first portion of the plurality of conductors electrically connecting the first plurality of tails and the first plurality of mating contacts includes at least two differential conductor pairs separated by a reference conductor.

7. The connector as described in claim 5, further comprising: A second sheet-like component, a second plurality of tail portions and a second plurality of mating contact portions are attached to the second sheet-like component; And a conductive and lossy material for signals with data rates of 1 GHz or higher, the lossy material being located between the first sheet and the second sheet.

8. The connector of claim 7, wherein the lossy material extends through a hole in the reference conductor of the plurality of conductors.

9. The connector of claim 1 or 2, further comprising a common conductor electrically connecting two or more tails and two or more mating contacts of the connector, wherein the tails are arranged sequentially in one of the N columns.

10. The connector as requested in item 1 or 2, wherein the first plurality of tails are flexible pins.

11. An electronic system comprising: Printed circuit boards; A card having contact pads on one or more surfaces; and a connector mounted to a peripheral area of ​​a printed circuit board and configured to electrically connect circuitry on the card to circuitry on the printed circuit board, the connector comprising: a plurality of conductors, each conductor including a tail portion configured to connect to the printed circuit board and mating contacts, wherein the mating contacts of the plurality of conductors are arranged in M ​​rows and configured to extend perpendicularly from the surface of the printed circuit board, wherein each of the M rows includes a first group of mating contacts and a second group of mating contacts positioned further away from the printed circuit board than the first group of mating contacts, and wherein the tail portions of the plurality of conductors are arranged in N columns and connected to mounting features on the printed circuit board, wherein: N and M are integers; N > M; the first group of mating contacts in each row is connected to a corresponding first column tail; and the second group of mating contacts in each row is connected to a corresponding second column tail.

12. The electronic system of claim 11, wherein the connector is further configured to electrically connect circuitry on one or more add-on cards to circuitry on the printed circuit board.

13. The electronic system of claim 12, wherein the connector separates the cards in a substantially parallel arrangement.

14. An electronic system as described in any of claims 11 to 13, wherein the card is a memory card or an add-on card.

15. Electronic systems as described in any of claims 11 to 13, including those in a network server.

16. An electronic system of any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein one end of the card is inserted into the connector such that the contact pads on one or more surfaces of the card contact the mating contacts on the conductors of the connector.

17. An electronic system as claimed in any of claims 11 to 13, wherein the connector extends no more than 35 mm from the edge of the printed circuit board.

18. A method of assembling and mounting a connector to a peripheral area of ​​a printed circuit board, the method comprising: Positioning the first column tail of a first sheet member next to the second column tail of a second sheet member; aligning the first mating contact of the first sheet member connected to the first column tail with the second mating contact of the second sheet member connected to the second column tail along the same row, wherein the first sheet member has a first shape and the second sheet member has a second shape different from the first shape; and holding the first sheet member and the second sheet member by a housing of the connector.

19. The method of request 18, wherein the row extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the first column.

20. The method of claim 18 or 19, further comprising: A lead frame is formed having one of the conductors, the conductors including the first column tail and the first mating contacts, wherein the conductors are bent about a first axis of rotation; and the conductors are pressed such that the conductors are bent about a second axis of rotation substantially orthogonal to the first axis.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising: The conductors are formed into an array to include at least two differential conductor pairs separated by a reference conductor; And to form a hole in the reference conductor.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising: Insulating material is injected around the conductors; The conductors, the insulating material, and a metal protective component are assembled into the first sheet-like component; And through the holes in the reference conductor, conductive and loss-inducing materials are injected and make contact with the metal protective element.

23. A connector for connecting a card to a peripheral area of ​​a printed circuit board, the connector comprising: A first sheet having a first shape and a first plurality of conductors extending vertically from the surface of the printed circuit board when the connector is attached to the printed circuit board; and a second sheet having a second shape different from the first shape and a second plurality of conductors extending vertically from the surface of the printed circuit board when the connector is attached to the printed circuit board, wherein the conductors of the first sheet and the second sheet include tail portions configured for connection to the printed circuit board and mating contacts, and wherein the first plurality of mating contacts connected to at least a portion of the first plurality of conductors are aligned in a front housing of the connector with a second plurality of mating contacts connected to at least a portion of the second plurality of conductors.

24. The connector of claim 23, wherein the first plurality of mating contacts and the second plurality of mating contacts are formed in a single row of mating contacts extending perpendicularly from the surface of the printed circuit board when the connector is attached to the printed circuit board.

25. The connector of claim 23 or 24, wherein the first plurality of mating contacts are positioned at a first distance from the printed circuit board when the connector is attached to the printed circuit board, and the second plurality of mating contacts are positioned at a second distance from the printed circuit board at a distance greater than the first distance when the connector is attached to the printed circuit board.

26. The connector as claimed in claim 23 or 24, further comprising: The first sheet-like member supports the first insulating material of the first plurality of conductors; and the second insulating material supporting the second plurality of conductors of the second sheet, wherein a portion of the second insulating material extends above the first insulating material and adjacent to the edge of the first insulating material when the first sheet and the second sheet are assembled in the connector.

27. The connector of claim 26, further comprising: A metal protective element located between the first and second sheet members when the first and second sheet members are assembled in the connector; and a conductive and lossy material for a signal having a data rate of 1 billion bits per second or higher, the conductive and lossy material being located between the first and second sheet members and in contact with the metal protective element when the first and second sheet members are assembled in the connector.

28. The connector of claim 27, wherein the conductive and lossy material extends through holes in some of the first plurality of conductors.

29. The connector of claim 23, wherein the first plurality of mating contacts are aligned with the second plurality of mating contacts on a first side of one of the front housings.

30. A sheet member for mounting to a connector in a peripheral area of ​​a printed circuit board, the sheet member comprising: A plurality of conductors, each conductor including a tail portion configured to connect to the printed circuit board when the connector is attached to the printed circuit board and a mating contact portion, wherein the mating contacts are disposed in a first plane and configured to extend perpendicularly from the surface of the printed circuit board when the connector is attached to the printed circuit board, and wherein the tail portions are disposed in a second plane parallel to and offset relative to the first plane.

31. The sheet-like member of claim 30, further comprising an insulating material supporting the plurality of conductors, wherein the insulating material comprises a first portion near the tail portions and a second portion near the mating contacts, the second portion being offset from the first portion in a direction perpendicular to the second plane.

32. The sheet as claimed in claim 31, wherein the mating contacts are supported at a distance from the surface of the printed circuit board when the connector is attached to the printed circuit board, such that a plurality of mating contacts of a second sheet can be aligned with the mating contacts of the sheet between the mating contacts of the sheet and the printed circuit board.

33. The sheet as claimed in claim 31, wherein the second portion extends above the second sheet when the second sheet is adjacent to the first portion, and wherein the mating contacts are aligned with the mating contacts of the second sheet.

34. A connector comprising: A plurality of conductors, each conductor including a tail portion configured to connect to a printed circuit board when the connector is attached to a printed circuit board and mating contacts, wherein the mating contacts are arranged along a first straight line extending perpendicularly from the surface of the printed circuit board when the connector is attached to the printed circuit board, a first plurality of tail portions configured to connect to the surface of the printed circuit board along a second straight line, and a second plurality of tail portions configured to connect to the surface of the printed circuit board along a third straight line different from the second straight line, wherein a first portion of the mating contacts and the first plurality of tail portions extend from a first sheet member, and a second portion of the mating contacts and the second plurality of tail portions extend from a second sheet member, the first sheet member and the second sheet member being assembled in the connector.

35. The connector of claim 34, wherein the second straight line and the third straight line are arranged side by side and parallel to each other.

36. The connector of claim 34, wherein the second portions of the mating contacts are further from the first plurality of tails than the first portions of the mating contacts.

37. The connector of claim 34, wherein the second portions of the mating contacts extend from the extension of the second sheet to an offset portion above the first sheet.

38. The connector of claim 34 or 35, wherein at least four of the mating contacts are connected to two differential conductor pairs separated by a reference conductor.

39. The connector of claim 38 further includes a lossy material in contact with the reference conductor.

40. The connectors requested in items 34 or 35 shall be included in the server.

41. A connector, comprising: A plurality of conductors having tails at opposite ends and mating contacts; and two or more rows of the tails arranged side by side, wherein the tails are configured to connect to a printed circuit board, and wherein the mating contacts are arranged in a row extending vertically from the surface of the printed circuit board when the connector is attached to the printed circuit board, wherein the mating contacts extend from two different sheet members assembled in the connector.

42. The connector of claim 41, wherein the connector is configured to be mounted to a peripheral area of ​​the printed circuit board, and the tails extend from an edge of the printed circuit board by no more than 35 mm.

43. The connector of claim 41 or 42, wherein at least four of the conductors comprise differential pairs separated by a reference conductor.

44. The connector of claim 43 further includes a rib of lossy material formed on a metal guard adjacent to one of the plurality of conductors, wherein at least one of the ribs of lossy material is in electrical contact with the reference conductor.

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