Connector, connecting cable, and electronic device
By tilting the pin slot of the connector and grounded return path of the conductive cavity, the problem of the height of the connector module limiting the increase of the radiator is solved, miniaturization and high-density layout of the connector are achieved, and the anti-cross-talk performance of signal transmission is improved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/CN2024/115781
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-02-21
- Filing Date
- 2024-08-30
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-28
AI Technical Summary
With the increase in the transmission rate in the field of information and communication technology, the board height of the connector module limits the increase in the volume of the chip radiator, affects the heat dissipation ability, and cannot meet the trend design requirements of high-density layout.
Design a connector with a pin slot inclined relative to the mounting surface of the base body, reducing the height dimension of the connector, and electrically connecting it with the formation on the side of the printed circuit board through the conductive cavity, building a grounding return path, and using metal materials and elastic grounding sheets to improve the anti-crosstalk performance.
Effectively reduce the board height of the connector, increase the layout space of the chip radiator, improve heat dissipation capabilities, and improve electromagnetic crosstalk between signal transmission paths, meeting the requirements of product miniaturization and high-density layout.
Smart Images

Figure CN2024115781_28082025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Connector, connecting cable and electronic equipment
[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on February 21, 2024, with application number 202410199284.5 and invention name “A connector, connecting cable and electronic device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field
[0002] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of computer hardware, and in particular to a connector, a connecting cable, and an electronic device. Background Art
[0003] As transmission speeds in the information and communications technology (ICT) field increase, connector modules are often placed on substrates near chips to minimize onboard trace lengths and reduce printed circuit board (PCB) trace losses. At the same time, as speeds increase, chip power consumption also increases, increasing the size of chip heat sinks. This necessitates properly controlling the height of the connector module's footprint to meet the increasing demands of chip upgrades.
[0004] Summary of the Invention
[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a connector, a connecting cable, and an electronic device, which reasonably control the board height of the connector while meeting the performance requirements of the scenario.
[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a connector comprising a base body and a plurality of pins disposed on the base body, each pin being used to electrically connect to a corresponding cable. The base body comprises a mounting surface, and the base body is provided with a plurality of rows of pin slots extending through the mounting surface, the pin slots being arranged at an angle relative to the mounting surface of the base body. Each pin is inserted into a corresponding inclined pin slot, and the pin terminals are exposed on the mounting surface for electrical connection to an interface on a printed circuit board. This arrangement, in which each pin is inserted into the inclined pin slot on the base body, can reduce the height of the connector, effectively reducing the height of the connector's board footprint.
[0007] The connector's relatively small height footprint increases the space available for other components within the application. For example, the chip heat sink located above the connector can be increased in height, improving heat dissipation through the connector's increased volume. This provides technical support for upgrading chip performance while meeting the trend toward product miniaturization.
[0008] Exemplarily, two pins may form a group, and a differential pair terminal for transmitting differential signals is formed at the extended ends of the pins.
[0009] Based on the first aspect, the present application also provides a first implementation of the first aspect: the pin slots on the base body can form a conductive cavity, and at least the edge of the conductive cavity located on the mounting surface is electrically connected to a low-level reference layer on the printed circuit board side. Exemplarily, the low-level reference layer can be a ground layer on the PCB side. In this way, the mounting surface of the base body can be electrically connected to the ground layer on the PCB side, thereby establishing a ground return path, effectively reducing the impact of electromagnetic crosstalk between adjacent signal transmission paths and providing good isolation performance.
[0010] In practical applications, a reference shielding link can also be built based on other low-level reference layers on the PCB side. The electromagnetic signal stimulated by the signal transmission path can be promptly absorbed through the above-mentioned reference shielding link and quickly return.
[0011] Based on the first embodiment of the first aspect, the present application also provides a second embodiment of the first aspect: the base body is made of metal, and the conductive cavity is formed by the inner wall surface of the pin slot. After assembly, the cable's metal shielding layer can be electrically connected to the corresponding conductive cavity. The metal base body can be directly electrically connected to the ground layer on the PCB side through the base body's mounting surface, thereby establishing a return path. Overall, the process has excellent processing and assembly processability.
[0012] In practical applications, a metal conductive layer can be provided on the inner wall of the pin slot, extending to the mounting surface, thereby forming a conductive cavity on the base body for establishing a ground return path. This conductive layer can also be electrically connected to the ground layer on the PCB side, establishing a ground return path that allows for rapid return current.
[0013] Exemplarily, the conductive layer may be a metal plating layer formed on the inner wall of the pin slot; in another exemplary embodiment, the conductive layer may also be a metal cylinder embedded in the pin slot.
[0014] Based on the first embodiment of the first aspect, or the second embodiment of the first aspect, the embodiment of the present application further provides a third embodiment of the first aspect: the connector further includes an elastic grounding plate, the elastic grounding plate is provided with a plurality of through-holes, the through-holes on the elastic grounding plate are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the pin slots on the base body, and the terminals of the pins pass through the through-holes to be electrically connected to the corresponding interfaces on the printed circuit board side; the mounting surface of the base body is pressed against the printed circuit board through the elastic grounding plate, and the conductive cavity is electrically connected to the low-level reference layer on the printed circuit board side through the elastic grounding plate. In this way, under the action of the assembly pressure formed by the upper plate of the connector, the elastic grounding plate is compressed and deformed to a certain extent, so that the mounting surface of the base body can be tightly engaged with the PCB, and a return grounding path is constructed based on the conductive cavity formed by the pin slots and the elastic grounding plate, which can effectively avoid the possibility of energy leakage between the two and further improve the anti-crosstalk performance.
[0015] Exemplarily, the elastic grounding sheet may be made of a flexible conductive adhesive having a conductivity of 60 S / m to 60,000,000 S / m, and may be fixedly connected to the mounting surface of the base body.
[0016] In practical applications, the elastic grounding sheet can be fixed to the base body by bonding, welding or other process methods.
[0017] Based on the third embodiment of the first aspect, the present application also provides a fourth embodiment of the first aspect: the thickness of the elastic grounding sheet is 0.01 mm to 0.5 mm. In this way, the height occupied can be reduced while ensuring reliable grounding function.
[0018] Based on the first embodiment of the first aspect, or the second embodiment of the first aspect, or the third embodiment of the first aspect, or the fourth embodiment of the first aspect, the embodiments of the present application further provide a fifth embodiment of the first aspect: the base body includes a retaining portion, the retaining portion forming a mounting recess around the periphery of each pin slot, and the cable lead-out port of the connector is located on one side of the retaining portion. This facilitates reliable assembly of the pins and facilitates orderly lead-out of the cables from the base body.
[0019] Based on the first embodiment of the first aspect, or the second embodiment of the first aspect, or the third embodiment of the first aspect, or the fourth embodiment of the first aspect, or the fifth embodiment of the first aspect, the present application also provides a sixth embodiment of the first aspect: the pins corresponding to each row of pin slots are integrated on the carrier to form a connector body. This arrangement allows the pins to be assembled in rows, thereby improving assembly efficiency; at the same time, based on the structural characteristics of the connector body, the assembly accuracy of the connector can be further ensured.
[0020] In practical applications, each set of pins is sequentially spaced apart on the carrier and connected to a cable in a one-to-one correspondence. The pins on the connector body can be arranged at equal intervals to improve processing and assembly processability. Of course, the pins on the connector body can also be arranged at unequal intervals.
[0021] Based on the sixth embodiment of the first aspect, the embodiment of the present application also provides a seventh embodiment of the first aspect: the carrier of the connection body includes an insulating outer shell and multiple metal inner shells, the metal inner shells are embedded in the insulating outer shell, and the metal inner shells are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the pins integrated on the carrier; one end of the metal inner shell is used to electrically connect to the metal shielding layer of the cable, and the other end is electrically connected to the conductive cavity formed by the corresponding pin slot. In actual application, each group of pins is welded to the metal wire of the corresponding cable, and the metal shielding layer of the cable is electrically connected to the conductive cavity on the side of the base body through the metal inner shell. In this way, a complete grounding path can be formed for each cable, thereby enhancing the anti-crosstalk capability between each signal transmission channel and improving SI (Signal Integrity) performance.
[0022] Based on the sixth embodiment of the first aspect, or the seventh embodiment of the first aspect, the embodiment of the present application also provides the eighth embodiment of the first aspect: a plurality of limiting steps are arranged on the inner side of the enclosure portion of the base body, and the limiting steps are arranged one-to-one corresponding to each row of pin slots, and are arranged along the row arrangement direction of the pin slots. The insertion end of the carrier body of the connecting body is offset against the corresponding limiting step to form a pre-positioning, which can effectively ensure the relative position accuracy of each pin on the connecting body and the corresponding pin slot, thereby improving the product yield.
[0023] Based on the first aspect, or the first embodiment of the first aspect, or the second embodiment of the first aspect, or the third embodiment of the first aspect, or the fourth embodiment of the first aspect, or the fifth embodiment of the first aspect, or the sixth embodiment of the first aspect, or the seventh embodiment of the first aspect, or the eighth embodiment of the first aspect, the embodiment of the present application also provides a ninth embodiment of the first aspect: in the direction of the pin slots being arranged in rows, the pin slots of two adjacent rows are arranged in a staggered manner. In other words, the pin slots in one row are arranged in a staggered manner with the pin slots in the adjacent row. With such an arrangement, the assembly space can be fully utilized for structural configuration, for example, the overall space occupied by each cable can be saved, and the interface layout space on the PCB side that is adapted to the terminal can also be saved. Overall, it has a good degree of integration and meets the trend of product miniaturization.
[0024] Exemplarily, two adjacent rows of pin slots are staggered by 0.55 mm to 1.5 mm.
[0025] Based on the first aspect, or the first embodiment of the first aspect, or the second embodiment of the first aspect, or the third embodiment of the first aspect, or the fourth embodiment of the first aspect, or the fifth embodiment of the first aspect, or the sixth embodiment of the first aspect, or the seventh embodiment of the first aspect, or the eighth embodiment of the first aspect, or the ninth embodiment of the first aspect, the embodiment of the present application also provides a tenth embodiment of the first aspect: the angle between the extension direction of the pin slot and the mounting surface of the base body is 30° to 60°. In this way, on the basis of effectively reducing the height size of the connector, the board area can be reasonably controlled. For example, for an ultra-high density (UHD) board, which has a very high circuit density, more electronic components can be installed and connected in a limited space, which can reasonably take into account both the board height and the board area.
[0026] Based on the first aspect, or the first embodiment of the first aspect, or the second embodiment of the first aspect, or the third embodiment of the first aspect, or the fourth embodiment of the first aspect, or the fifth embodiment of the first aspect, or the sixth embodiment of the first aspect, or the seventh embodiment of the first aspect, or the eighth embodiment of the first aspect, or the ninth embodiment of the first aspect, or the tenth embodiment of the first aspect, the embodiment of the present application further provides an eleventh embodiment of the first aspect: the terminal of the pin is in an arc shape protruding toward the mounting surface. Compared with the implementation scheme with a straight pin end, the arc-shaped terminal design can reduce the head size of the terminal and reduce loss.
[0027] Based on the first aspect, or the first embodiment of the first aspect, or the second embodiment of the first aspect, or the third embodiment of the first aspect, or the fourth embodiment of the first aspect, or the fifth embodiment of the first aspect, or the sixth embodiment of the first aspect, or the seventh embodiment of the first aspect, or the eighth embodiment of the first aspect, or the ninth embodiment of the first aspect, or the tenth embodiment of the first aspect, or the eleventh embodiment of the first aspect, the embodiment of the present application further provides a twelfth embodiment of the first aspect: the body of the pin is a straight bar, or the body of the pin is a concave arc. Compared with the aforementioned pin with a straight bar body, on the basis of providing the same electrical performance, the height of the concave arc pin body is reduced, which can further reduce the overall height of the connector.
[0028] Based on the first aspect, or the first embodiment of the first aspect, or the second embodiment of the first aspect, or the third embodiment of the first aspect, or the fourth embodiment of the first aspect, or the fifth embodiment of the first aspect, or the sixth embodiment of the first aspect, or the seventh embodiment of the first aspect, or the eighth embodiment of the first aspect, or the ninth embodiment of the first aspect, or the tenth embodiment of the first aspect, or the eleventh embodiment of the first aspect, or the twelfth embodiment of the first aspect, the embodiment of the present application also provides a thirteenth embodiment of the first aspect: the connector also includes a cover body, which is adapted to the base body and covers each pin and the cable connection end connected to the pin.
[0029] In practical applications, the cover can be formed by injection molding, for example but not limited to, assembling the pins and cables on the base body, and injection molding the cover body with the base body as the base, that is, the cover body is injection molded on the base body assembled with the pins and cables.
[0030] In other practical applications, the cover body can be independently processed and formed, and then assembled on the base body.
[0031] Illustratively, the cover body may be entirely built into the base body, or the cover body may be partially built into the base body.
[0032] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a connecting cable, which includes a cable, at least one end of which is provided with the connector as described above.
[0033] In practical applications, the aforementioned connectors can be configured at both ends of the cable to be used in different scenarios for signal transmission between two substrates, such as, but not limited to, management boards, switch boards, or line cards.
[0034] Based on the second aspect, the present application also provides a first implementation of the second aspect: the cable includes a Mylar stripping section, one end of which is located inside the connector's cable outlet and the other end is located outside the outlet. In other words, by stripping the Mylar insulation from a portion of the wires, the overall thickness of the cable is reduced, thereby reducing the overall height of the connector housing enclosing all the cables.
[0035] A third aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device comprising a first component and a second component connected by a cable, the cable being a connecting cable as described above; at least one of the first component and the second component being a printed circuit board; and the connecting cable being electrically connected to an interface on the printed circuit board via a connector. By properly controlling the height of the connector footprint, the device capacity can be effectively increased while meeting SI performance requirements for high-speed signal transmission in various application scenarios.
[0036] Exemplarily, the electronic device may be a computing device, a server, a network device, or other device types. For a network device, for example but not limited to, it may be a core router, an aggregation router, a rack switch, a transmission switch, or the like.
[0037] Based on the third aspect, the present application also provides a first implementation of the third aspect: the interface is a solder pad located on the surface of a printed circuit board, and the pins of the connector mounted on the printed circuit board can be deformed under pressure, and the terminals of the pins can slide relative to each other along the corresponding solder pads while maintaining electrical connection. This structure is simple and reliable, and the implementation cost is controllable.
[0038] Based on the first embodiment of the third aspect, the present application also provides a second embodiment of the third aspect: the pad has a partition portion that divides the pad into adjacent sub-pads in the sliding direction, each sub-pad being connected to a corresponding signal layer conductor. After assembly, the pin can slide relative to the sliding start end of the pad to the sliding end and press against the sub-pad. In this way, a corresponding signal transmission channel is established through the relatively short sub-pad connected to the corresponding signal layer conductor, which can effectively reduce link loss and improve SI performance.
[0039] For example, a plurality of partitions are provided, and the plurality of partitions are sequentially spaced apart in the sliding direction. In the sliding direction, the plurality of partitions can be used to divide the pad into multiple sub-pads, thereby maximizing the link length of the signal transmission channel and further reducing link loss.
[0040] In practical applications, the width of the partition can be smaller than the size of the pin terminal. When the pin terminal presses against the location of the partition, the reaction force generated by the deformation can press against the sub-pads on both sides of the partition, establishing a reliable signal transmission channel. The pin terminal can slide to any position relative to the pad surface to establish an effective signal transmission channel.
[0041] In other practical applications, the length of the sub-pad at the sliding end may be 0.4 mm to 0.6 mm, so that the assembled pin terminal can reliably press against the sub-pad at the sliding end to establish a stable signal transmission channel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0042] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture of a connector application scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;
[0043] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a connector provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0044] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of an assembly relationship of the connector shown in FIG2 ;
[0045] FIG4 is an exploded schematic diagram of the assembly of the connector shown in FIG2 ;
[0046] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of an assembly relationship of a connection body provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0047] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of the base body shown in FIG2 ;
[0048] FIG7 is a view taken along the line A of FIG6 ;
[0049] FIG8 is a sectional view BB in FIG7;
[0050] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the assembly relationship between the connecting body shown in FIG5 and the base body shown in FIG6;
[0051] FIG10 is a CC sectional view in FIG9 ;
[0052] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of the layout of through holes on the elastic grounding sheet shown in FIG4 ;
[0053] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the pad layout on the PCB shown in FIG4 ;
[0054] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of an assembly relationship between a pin and a pad provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0055] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a pin provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0056] FIG15 is a side view of the pin shown in FIG14;
[0057] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of the assembly relationship of another connection body provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0058] FIG17 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another pin provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0059] The embodiment of the present application provides an implementation solution for a substrate connector, which effectively reduces the board height occupied by the connector module while meeting the requirements of high-speed signal transmission.
[0060] To reduce PCB trace losses, the connector module is typically positioned adjacent to the chip on the substrate. Referring to Figure 1 , which illustrates a system architecture diagram for a connector application scenario according to an embodiment of the present application, a chip 40 is positioned on a PCB 20 and dissipates heat via a chip heat sink 30 located on top of the chip 40. The chip 40 is electrically connected to an external circuit or device via a connector 10 and cable 50 disposed on the PCB 20, for example, but not limited to, signal (data and control) transmission.
[0061] As product performance improves, the power consumption of chip 40 increases accordingly, and the size of chip heat sink 30 also increases accordingly. The heat sink extends along the board surface to above connector 10, which is located adjacent to chip 40. Furthermore, to meet the design trend of high-density layout, product dimensions need to be reasonably controlled. The height of the connector module requires a certain amount of board height, which limits the space for increasing the chip heat sink volume and affects heat dissipation capacity, leading to a development bottleneck for chip upgrades.
[0062] Based on this, an embodiment of the present application provides a connector comprising a base body and a plurality of pins for electrically connecting to a cable, each pin being fixed to the base body. The base body includes a mounting surface, and the base body is provided with multiple rows of pin slots extending through the mounting surface. Each pin slot is arranged at an angle relative to the mounting surface of the base body, and a plurality of pins are respectively inserted into the pin slots, with the pin terminals exposed on the mounting surface for electrical connection to an interface on the PCB side. This arrangement, in which each pin is inserted into the pin slots arranged at an angle on the base body, can reduce the height of the connector, effectively reducing the board height.
[0063] In practical applications, the connector's height footprint within the assembly space is relatively small, freeing up space for other components. For example, the chip heat sink located above the connector can be increased in height, boosting its volume and improving heat dissipation. This provides technical support for chip performance improvements while meeting the trend toward product miniaturization.
[0064] To better understand the technical solutions and technical effects of this application, a specific embodiment is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Please refer to Figures 2 and 3, where Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a connector provided in an embodiment of this application, and Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an assembly relationship of the connector shown in Figure 2.
[0065] As shown, the connector 10 comprises a base 1 and a cover 2. Pins 31, which are used to electrically connect to a cable 50, are arranged at an angle within the base 1 and extend through the body. The terminals of the pins 31 are exposed on the mounting surface 11 of the base 1 (see the cross-sectional view). As shown in Figure 1, after the connector 10 is assembled and secured to the PCB 20, the terminals of the pins 31 electrically connect to corresponding connectors on the PCB 20, establishing a signal transmission channel.
[0066] In a specific implementation, the cover 2 can be formed using an injection molding process. For example, but not limited to, the pins 31 and the cable 50 are assembled on the base body 1, and the cover 2 is injection molded using the base body 1 as a substrate. In other words, the cover 2 is injection molded onto the base body 1 assembled with the pins 31 and the cable 50. In other possible implementations, the cover 2 can be independently machined and formed, and then assembled onto the base body 1. This also allows the pins 31 and the cable 50 connection ends to be securely enclosed within the connector 10 body.
[0067] Here, the cover body 2 may be entirely built into the base body 1 , or the cover body 2 may be partially built into the base body 1 .
[0068] Please refer to Figures 4 and 5 together, where Figure 4 is an exploded diagram of the assembly of the connector shown in Figure 2, and Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the assembly relationship of a connection body provided in an embodiment of the present application.
[0069] In this embodiment, multiple rows of pins 31 are provided on the base body 1, and each row of pins 31 is integrated on a carrier body 32 to form a connector body 3. In other words, multiple pins 31 in the same row are provided by a single connector body 3, and multiple sequentially arranged connector bodies 3 form multiple rows of pins 31. In specific implementations, the number of pins provided in the connector can be determined based on the functional requirements of different scenarios, such as, but not limited to, the specific number of rows of pins provided on the base body 1, or the specific number of pins in each row.
[0070] As shown in Figure 5, two pins 31 form a group, and a differential pair terminal 311 for transmitting differential signals is formed at the extended end of the pins 31. Each group of pins 31 is sequentially arranged on the carrier 32 and connected to the cable 50 one by one.
[0071] In a specific implementation, the groups of pins 31 on the connecting body 3 can be arranged at equal intervals to improve processing and assembly processability; of course, in other possible implementation schemes, the groups of pins 31 on the connecting body 3 can also be arranged at non-equal intervals, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.
[0072] Please refer to Figures 6, 7, and 8, where Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of the base body shown in Figure 2, Figure 7 is a view taken along the A line of Figure 6, and Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the BB line of Figure 7. The base body 1 is provided with multiple rows of pin slots 12 extending through the mounting surface (the surface that mates with the PCB) 11. Each row of pin slots 12 is arranged sequentially and spaced apart, with each pin slot 12 correspondingly receiving a group of pins 31.
[0073] Each pin slot 12 is arranged at an angle relative to the mounting surface 11 of the base body 1. Please refer to Figures 9 and 10 . Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the assembled connection body shown in Figure 5 and the base body shown in Figure 6 , and Figure 10 is a CC cross-sectional view of Figure 9 . To clearly illustrate the arrangement of the connection bodies, Figure 9 only shows a portion of the cable 50 connected to the connection bodies.
[0074] For a pin structure with the same transmission capability, compared with a structure in which the pins are arranged vertically, the pins 31 of this embodiment are inserted into the pin slots 12 arranged obliquely, and the height space occupied by the pins assembled on the base body 1 is effectively reduced, thereby reducing the height dimension of the connector.
[0075] In other possible implementations, a signal transmission channel can be formed by connecting one pin to one cable (not shown in the figure), for example, for single-ended signal transmission, and is not limited to the differential pair pin structure shown in the figure. It is understood that for a configuration in which one pin is connected to one cable to form a signal transmission channel, one pin is inserted into one pin slot 12. This is not limited in the present embodiment.
[0076] In a specific implementation, the inclination angle of the pin slot 12 can be determined according to the overall design requirements of the product, and the angle between the extension direction of the pin slot 12 and the mounting surface 11 of the base body 1 is α. For example, but not limited to, the angle α can be 30° to 60°. In this way, the board area can be reasonably controlled on the basis of effectively reducing the height of the connector. It is understandable that the PCB 20 can be a substrate with different layout densities, such as but not limited to a UHD board. For UHD boards, which have very high circuit density and can install more electronic components and achieve connections in a limited space, the advantage of the connector 10 in taking into account both the board height and the board area is particularly significant.
[0077] For high-speed wire structures, a typical structure includes, from the inside to the outside, the following: metal conductor - insulation skin - metal shielding layer (such as shielding aluminum foil) - insulating Mylar layer (not shown in the figure). It can be understood that the specific functional structure of the cable 50 can be implemented using existing technology and will not be repeated in the embodiments of this application.
[0078] Furthermore, the overall thickness of the cable can be reduced by stripping the insulating Mylar layer of some wires in a specific area, thereby reducing the overall height of the connector housing covering all cables. The "specific area" here refers to the area on the base body 1 adjacent to the cable outlet 131. As shown in Figure 3, at the location of the cable outlet 131, each cable 50 has a Mylar layer stripping section 501. One end of the Mylar layer stripping section 501 is located on the inside of the cable outlet 131, and the other end is located on the outside of the cable outlet 131. The "inside" and "outside" here are defined based on the description of the connector. Relative to the cable outlet 131 on the base body 1, the "inside" is the side close to the inside of the connector, and the "outside" is the side away from the connector.
[0079] In a specific implementation, the insulating Mylar layer can be stripped off based on the existing wire material. For example, but not limited to, the length of the Mylar layer stripping section 501 can be about 6 mm. Further, the board height of the connector 10 module can be controlled within 10 mm.
[0080] To improve the assembly processability of the connector body 3, as shown in Figures 6, 8, and 10, the base body 1 includes a retaining portion 13. This retaining portion 13 forms a mounting recess around the periphery of each pin slot 12 to support the carrier 32 of each connector body 3, facilitating assembly of the connector body 3. A cable outlet 131 is located on one side of the retaining portion 13 to facilitate orderly extraction of the cables 50 from the base body 1.
[0081] Corresponding to each row of pin slots 12, a limiting step 14 is provided on the inner side of the retaining portion 13 of the base body 1. As shown in Figure 6, the limiting step 14 is provided along the arrangement direction of each row of pin slots 12. That is, corresponding to each row of pin slots 12, the limiting step 14 extends along the insertion side surface along the arrangement direction of each pin slot 12. The insertion end of the carrier body 32 of each connecting body 3 can abut against the corresponding limiting step 14 to form a pre-positioned position. Combined with Figure 10, this ensures the relative positional accuracy of each pin 31 on the connecting body 3 and the corresponding pin slot 12.
[0082] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, in the direction of the pin slots being arranged in rows, the pin slots 12 of two adjacent rows are arranged in a staggered manner. That is, the pin slots 12a in one row are arranged in a staggered manner with the pin slots 12b in the adjacent row. With this arrangement, the assembly space can be fully utilized for structural configuration. For example, the overall space occupied by each cable 50 can be saved, while also saving the interface layout space of the PCB 20 adapted to the terminal 311. For example, the pin slots 12 of two adjacent rows (pin slots 12a and pin slots 12b) are staggered by 0.55mm to 1.5mm. It has a good degree of integration and meets the trend of product miniaturization.
[0083] To reduce crosstalk between signal transmission paths, the insertion cavity formed by pin slots 12 is a conductive cavity. Specifically, the base body 1 can be made of metal, forming a conductive cavity within the base body 1. Specifically, the conductive cavity is formed by the inner wall of pin slots 12. This cavity can be electrically connected to the ground plane on the PCB 20 side via the mounting surface 11 of the base body 1, thereby establishing a ground return path. This provides excellent isolation performance and reduces the impact of electromagnetic crosstalk between adjacent signal transmission paths.
[0084] In a possible implementation, a metal conductive layer (not shown) can be provided on the inner wall surface of the pin slot 12, and the conductive layer can extend to the mounting surface 11, thereby forming a conductive cavity on the base body 1. Similarly, the conductive layer can be electrically connected to the ground layer on the PCB 20 side to establish a ground return path that can quickly achieve return current. In a specific implementation, the conductive layer can be a metal plating formed on the inner wall of the pin slot 12, or the conductive layer can also be a metal cylindrical structure embedded in the pin slot 12, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.
[0085] In other possible implementation schemes, the conductive cavity formed based on the pin slot 12 can also be electrically connected to other low-level reference layers on the PCB20 side, and a complete reference shielding link can also be built to timely absorb the electromagnetic signals stimulated by the signal transmission path through the above-mentioned reference shielding link, and quickly realize backflow, thereby improving the electromagnetic crosstalk between adjacent signal transmission paths.
[0086] In order to further improve the anti-crosstalk performance, optionally, as shown in Figure 10, the carrier 32 includes an insulating shell 321 and a plurality of metal inner shells 322 embedded in the insulating shell 321, and each metal inner shell 322 is arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the pin slot 12 and the cable 50. After assembly is completed, each group of pins 31 is connected to the metal wire (not shown in the figure) of the corresponding cable 50 by welding, the metal shielding layer (not shown in the figure) of the cable 50 is electrically connected to one end of the metal inner shell 322, and the other end of the metal inner shell 322 is electrically connected to the conductive cavity formed by the corresponding pin slot 12, and then covered and fixed by the insulating shell 321. In this way, a complete grounding path can be formed for each cable 50, thereby improving the anti-crosstalk capability between each signal transmission channel and improving the SI performance.
[0087] As shown in Figure 4, when the connector 10 is assembled on the PCB 20, the mounting surface 11 of the base body 1 can be pressed against the PCB 20 through the elastic grounding plate 4, and at least the edge of the conductive cavity formed by the pin slot 12 on the mounting surface 11 side is electrically connected to the ground layer on the PCB 20 side, or electrically connected to other low-level reference layers; at the same time, each pin 31 exposed on the mounting surface 11 is electrically connected to the corresponding interface on the PCB 20 through the corresponding through-hole 41 opened on the elastic grounding plate 4.
[0088] Please refer to FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 , where FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the through-hole layout on the elastic grounding sheet 4 shown in FIG. 4 , and FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the pad layout on the PCB 20 shown in FIG. 4 .
[0089] As shown in Figure 11, the through holes 41 on the elastic grounding plate 4 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the pin slots 12 on the base body 1, so that the pins 31 extending through the corresponding pin slots 12 pass through the corresponding through holes 41 and are electrically connected to the interface on the PCB 20 side. In this way, under the action of the assembly pressure of the connector 10, the elastic grounding plate 4 can be compressed to produce a certain deformation, and the mounting surface 11 of the base body 1 and the PCB 20 can be tightly joined. The conductive cavity formed by the pin slots 12 and the elastic grounding plate 4 construct a return grounding path, which can effectively avoid the possibility of energy leakage between the two and further improve the anti-crosstalk performance. According to simulation tests, the crosstalk performance of the connector 10 provided in the embodiment of the present application can be improved by -33dB to -51dB, and the bandwidth can be increased to 50GHz.
[0090] In a specific implementation, the elastic grounding sheet 4 can be made of a flexible conductive adhesive having a conductivity of 60 S / m (Siemens / meter) to 60,000,000 S / m, and can be disposed on the mounting surface 11 of the base body 1, for example but not limited to, by bonding, welding, or other process methods to the base body 1. This embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto.
[0091] The elastic grounding sheet 4 made of flexible conductive adhesive has a thickness of 0.01 mm to 0.5 mm, which can reduce the height occupied while meeting the reliable grounding function.
[0092] Corresponding to the two adjacent rows of staggered pin slots 12 on the connector 10, the openings 41 on the elastic grounding plate 4 are also arranged in multiple rows. In the direction of their arrangement, the openings 41 in two adjacent rows are staggered to provide corresponding passageways for each pin. In other words, the spacing between the openings 41 in two adjacent rows is consistent with the spacing between the pin slots 12 in two adjacent rows. Furthermore, the spacing between the staggered rows of openings 41 in two adjacent rows is consistent with the spacing between the staggered rows of pin slots 12 in two adjacent rows. The specific spacing can be determined based on the overall product design requirements and is not limited in this embodiment.
[0093] The terminals 311 of each pin 31 can be pressed against a corresponding interface on the PCB 20. As shown in FIG12 , the interface on the PCB 20 for establishing an electrical connection with each pin 31 is in the form of a solder pad structure. In other possible implementations, the interface can have different structural forms and is not limited to the solder pad located on the surface of the PCB 20 shown in the figure.
[0094] Please also refer to Figure 13, which is a schematic diagram of the assembly relationship between a pin and a pad provided in an embodiment of the present application. The terminal 311 of the pin 31 is pressed against the pad 201 on the surface of the PCB 20, and is compressed and deformed upward to generate a reaction force to maintain electrical connection with the corresponding pad 201.
[0095] Figure 13(a) shows the relative positional relationship between the pin and the pad in the initial state, and Figure 13(b) shows the relative positional relationship between the pin and the pad in the assembled state. To clearly illustrate the deformation of the pin caused by pressure, Figure 13(b) shows the deformed pin 31c after assembly with a solid line, and the undeformed pin 31 with a dashed line.
[0096] During the installation of connector 10 onto PCB 20, as connector 10 is pressed downward, terminal 311 of pin 31 will slide relative to the surface of pad 201, that is, from the right position shown in Figure (a) relative to pad 201 to the left position shown in Figure (b). For ease of description, the position of pad 201 where terminal 311 contacts when connector 10 is initially pressed downward is defined as the sliding start point, and the position of pad 201 where terminal 311 contacts after connector 10 is fully assembled is defined as the sliding end point. The distance from the sliding start point to the sliding end point is the sliding travel of terminal 311 of pin 31 relative to the surface of pad 201.
[0097] Based on this assembly adaptation relationship, the pad 201 needs to have a certain length in the sliding direction to accommodate the potential impact of the cumulative tolerances of the pin adaptation structure, such as but not limited to the cumulative impact of factors such as the processing tolerances and assembly tolerances of each structure, to ensure that the matching pins and pads maintain a reliable electrical connection. In other words, the sliding travel of the terminal 311 of the pin 31 relative to the surface of the pad 201 is no less than the length of the pad 201 in the sliding direction.
[0098] To avoid unnecessary link loss caused by pads of a certain length, optionally, as shown in FIG3 , the pad 201 has a partition 2011 that can divide the pad 201 into two adjacent sub-pads in the sliding direction. In other words, the pad 201 corresponding to one pin 31 includes two sub-pads separated by the partition 2011, and the two sub-pads are respectively connected to corresponding signal layer conductors. After assembly, when the pin 31 slides to the left position shown in FIG3 (b) and presses against the sub-pad on the left, it is connected to the corresponding signal layer conductor through the relatively short sub-pad, establishing a corresponding signal transmission channel, which can effectively reduce link loss and improve SI performance.
[0099] In other specific implementations, the pad 201 has multiple partitions 2011 (not shown) spaced apart, such as, but not limited to, two or a plurality of partitions 2011, which are not limited in this embodiment. Thus, in the sliding direction, the pad 201 can be divided into multiple sub-pads by the multiple partitions 2011, thereby maximizing the link length of the signal transmission channel and further reducing link loss.
[0100] Of course, the width of the barrier 2011 is smaller than the size of the terminal 311 of the pin 31. When the terminal 311 of the pin 31 presses against the barrier 2011, the reaction force generated by the deformation presses against the sub-pads on both sides of the barrier 2011, establishing a reliable signal transmission channel. This arrangement allows the terminal 311 of the pin 31 to slide to any position relative to the surface of the pad 201, while still establishing an effective signal transmission channel.
[0101] Further optionally, the length of the sub-pad at the end of the slide is 0.4 mm to 0.6 mm, so that the pin terminal can be reliably pressed against the sub-pad at the end of the slide, establishing a stable signal transmission channel. In other words, for the implementation method of providing multiple partitions 2011, the distance between the partition 2011 near the end of the slide and the edge of the pad 201 is 0.4 mm to 0.6 mm.
[0102] It should be noted that for a group of differential pair pins 21 , the pads 201 on the surface of the PCB 20 are arranged in groups, so that two pins 31 (a group) for transmitting differential signals form a corresponding data channel.
[0103] Corresponding to the two adjacent rows of staggered pin sockets 12 on the side of connector 10, the groups of solder pads 201 on the surface of PCB 20 are similarly arranged in multiple rows. In the direction in which the pads 201 are arranged in rows, the two adjacent rows of pads 201 are staggered to connect with each group of pins to form corresponding signal transmission channels. In other words, the spacing between the two adjacent rows of pads 201 is consistent with the spacing between the two adjacent rows of pin sockets 12 and the two adjacent rows of through-holes 41. Furthermore, the spacing between the staggered arrangements of the two adjacent rows of pads 201 is consistent with the spacing between the staggered arrangements of the two adjacent rows of pin sockets 12 and the two adjacent rows of through-holes 41.
[0104] In addition, in order to further reduce the size of the terminal, in a specific implementation, the head of the pin 31 can be an outward-protruding arc-shaped contact.
[0105] Please refer to Figures 14 and 15 . Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a pin provided in an embodiment of the present application, and Figure 15 is a side view of the pin shown in Figure 14 . The body of the pin 31 is straight, and the terminal 311 at the head of the pin 31 is arc-shaped, protruding toward the mounting surface. This arc-shaped terminal design reduces the size of the terminal head and reduces losses.
[0106] In a specific implementation, the arc-shaped terminal 311 can be an arc-shaped contact with a diameter of 1 / 4 to 1 / 2 of a circle, and along the extension direction of the pin 31, the cross section of the terminal 311 changes in a decreasing trend from the body of the pin 31 to the head. This application is not limited thereto.
[0107] The pin 31 described in the above embodiment is in the shape of a straight bar. In other implementations, the pin 31 may have other structural forms.
[0108] Please refer to Figures 16 and 17, where Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of the assembly relationship of another connecting body provided in an embodiment of the present application, and Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another pin provided in an embodiment of the present application. To clearly illustrate the differences and connections between the pins described in this embodiment and the previous embodiments, components or structures with the same functions are indicated with the same reference numerals in the figures.
[0109] As shown in FIG. 16 , the pins 31 a of the connection body 3 are sequentially arranged on the carrier 32 at intervals, and two pins 31 a form a group. Each group of pins 31 a is connected to a cable 50 in a one-to-one correspondence.
[0110] In this embodiment, the body of pin 31a is concavely arcuate, such as, but not limited to, the semicircular arc-shaped pin 31a shown in the figures. As shown in Figures 16 and 17 , the terminal 311 at the head of pin 31a is also arc-shaped, protruding toward the mounting surface, to reduce the size of the terminal head. Compared to the aforementioned straight pins, the concave arc-shaped pin 31a reduces the height of the body while maintaining the same electrical performance, further reducing the overall height of the connector.
[0111] As for other components and connection relationships of the connection body 3 described in FIG16 , the specific structural form may be the same as that of the aforementioned embodiment and will not be described in detail here.
[0112] In addition to the aforementioned connector, this embodiment also provides a connection cable. As shown in FIG1 , the connection cable includes a cable 50 and a connector 10 as described in FIG2 to FIG17 . The connector 10 is connected to the cable 50. In a specific implementation, the connector 10 can be provided at the end of the cable 50 connected to the PCB 20, acting as a substrate connector for connecting to the PCB 20.
[0113] In other specific implementations, both ends of the cable 50 may be configured with the connector 10 to be applied in different scenarios of signal transmission between two substrates.
[0114] The implementation schemes of the connectors and connecting cables described in the aforementioned embodiments can be widely applied to various electronic devices including a link to be connected. The electronic device includes a first component and a second component connected by a cable, wherein the cable is the connecting cable described in the aforementioned embodiments. At least one of the first component and the second component is a PCB (substrate), such as, but not limited to, a management board, a switch board, or a line card, to provide a signal transmission channel.
[0115] In a specific implementation, if one of the first component and the second component is a PCB application scenario, a connector provided by an embodiment of the present application may be configured at one end of the connecting cable. In other specific implementations, if both the first component and the second component are PCB application scenarios, connectors provided by an embodiment of the present application may be configured at both ends of the connecting cable.
[0116] In a specific implementation, the electronic device can be a computing device, a server, a network device, and other device types. For network devices, for example but not limited to, it can be a core router, an aggregation router, a rack switch, a transmission switch, etc. In the scenario when the rate is upgraded, the aforementioned connector or connecting cable is used to realize data exchange or routing forwarding, etc.
[0117] By properly controlling the connector's board height, device capacity can be effectively increased, meeting SI performance requirements for high-speed signal transmission in various application scenarios. In practical applications, the established high-speed signal transmission links can meet 112Gbps to 224Gbps requirements, thereby achieving performance upgrades and capacity increases for network equipment. For example, in core routers, data transmission rates can be upgraded from 1.6T or 3.2T to 6.4T, 12.8T, or 19.2T, among others. By reducing the connector's board height, the chip heat sink can be increased in size. This improved heat dissipation ensures the router can handle large amounts of data traffic without sacrificing performance.
[0118] It should be understood that the other functions of the above-mentioned electronic device are not the core invention of this application, and those skilled in the art can implement them according to the existing technology, so they will not be described in detail herein.
[0119] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the present invention. These improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A connector, characterized in that: It comprises a base body and a plurality of pins for electrically connecting to a cable; wherein the base body comprises a mounting surface, and the base body is provided with a plurality of rows of pin slots extending through the mounting surface, and the pin slots are arranged at an angle relative to the mounting surface of the base body; the pins are respectively inserted into the corresponding pin slots, and the terminals of the pins are exposed on the mounting surface for electrical connection to the interface on the printed circuit board side.
2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein: The pin slot forms a conductive cavity, and at least an edge of the conductive cavity located on the mounting surface is electrically connected to the low-level reference layer on the printed circuit board side.
3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein: The base body is made of metal material, and the conductive cavity is formed by the inner wall surface of the pin slot.
4. The connector according to claim 2, wherein: The inner wall surface of the pin slot is provided with a metal conductive layer, and the conductive cavity is formed by the metal conductive layer.
5. The connector according to claim 4, wherein: The metal conductive layer is a metal plating layer, or a metal cylinder embedded in the pin slot.
6. The connector according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: It also includes an elastic grounding sheet, which has a plurality of through holes, and the through holes are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the pin slots. The terminals of the pins pass through the through holes and are electrically connected to the corresponding interfaces on the printed circuit board side; the mounting surface of the base body is pressed against the printed circuit board through the elastic grounding sheet, and the conductive cavity is electrically connected to the low-level reference layer on the printed circuit board side through the elastic grounding sheet.
7. The connector according to claim 6, wherein: The elastic grounding sheet is made of a flexible conductive adhesive with a conductivity of 60S / m to 60,000,000S / m, and is fixedly connected to the mounting surface of the base body.
8. The connector according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The thickness of the elastic grounding sheet is 0.01 mm to 0.5 mm.
9. The connector according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that: The base body includes a blocking portion, wherein the blocking portion forms a mounting recess on the periphery of each pin slot, and the cable outlet of the connector is located on one side of the blocking portion.
10. The connector according to any one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that: The pins corresponding to each row of the pin slots are integrated on the carrier to form a connecting body.
11. The connector according to claim 10, wherein: The carrier includes an insulating outer shell and multiple metal inner shells embedded in the insulating outer shell, and each of the metal inner shells is arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the pins integrated on the carrier; one end of the metal inner shell is used to electrically connect to the metal shielding layer of the cable, and the other end is electrically connected to the conductive cavity formed by the corresponding pin slot.
12. The connector according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: A plurality of limiting steps are provided on the inner side of the enclosure portion of the base body. The limiting steps are arranged one-to-one corresponding to each row of the pin slots and are arranged along the row arrangement direction of the pin slots; the insertion end of the carrier body of the connecting body is against the corresponding limiting step.
13. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that: In the row arrangement direction of the pin slots, the pin slots in two adjacent rows are staggered.
14. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that: The included angle between the extending direction of the pin slot and the mounting surface of the base body is 30° to 60°.
15. The connector according to claims 1 to 14, characterized in that The terminal of the pin is in an arc shape protruding toward the mounting surface.
16. The connector according to claims 1 to 15, characterized in that The body of the pin is in the shape of a straight bar, or the body of the pin is in the shape of a concave arc.
17. The connector according to claims 1 to 16, characterized in that: It also includes a cover body, which is adapted to the base body and covers each of the pins and the cable connection ends connected to the pins.
18. A connecting cable, characterized in that: The connecting cable includes a cable, at least one end of which is provided with a connector, and the connector is the connector according to any one of claims 1 to 17.
19. The connecting cable according to claim 18, characterized in that The cable has a Mylar layer stripping section, one end of the Mylar layer stripping section is located inside the cable outlet of the connector, and the other end is located outside the cable outlet.
20. An electronic device, characterized in that: It includes a first component and a second component connected by a cable, the cable adopts the connecting cable according to claim 18 or 19, at least one of the first component and the second component is a printed circuit board, and the connecting cable is electrically connected to the interface on the printed circuit board side through a connector.
21. The electronic device according to claim 20, characterized in that The interface is a solder pad located on the surface of the printed circuit board, and the pins of the connector mounted on the printed circuit board can be deformed under pressure, and the terminals of the pins can slide relatively along the corresponding solder pads and maintain electrical connection.
22. The electronic device according to claim 21, wherein: The pad has a partition portion that divides the pad into adjacent sub-pads in the sliding direction.
23. The electronic device according to claim 22, wherein: The partition portion is provided in plurality, and the plurality of partition portions are sequentially spaced apart in the sliding direction.
Citation Information
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