Signal transmission device

Abstract

This signal transmission device (10) comprises a housing (20) that includes a side wall (22A) that supports a connector (31) including a connector core wire (31A), and a side wall (22B) that supports a connector (32) including a connector core wire (32A). The signal transmission device (10) further comprises: a substrate (40) that forms a transmission path (L1) for transmitting an electrical signal from the connector core wire (31A) to the connector core wire (32A); and an electronic component 50 that is disposed in the middle of the transmission path L1. The substrate (40) includes two substrate pieces (41, 42) that are arranged spaced apart in the left-right direction. Each of the substrate pieces (41, 42) is provided with an electrically conductive layer (41B, 42B) that is a part of the transmission path (L1). The electronic component (50) is connected to the electrically conductive layer (41B) of the substrate piece (41) and the electrically conductive layer (42B) of the substrate piece (42). The substrate piece (41) is in contact with the side wall (22A), and the substrate piece (42) is in contact with the side wall (22B).

Description

signal transmission device

[0001] The present invention relates to a signal transmission device.

[0002] Signal transmission devices are known that transmit electrical signals between devices, and include electronic components that process the electrical signals, such as a DC block that cuts the direct current (DC) component of the electrical signal (Non-Patent Document 1).

[0003] H. Wakita, T. Jyo, M. Nagatani and H. Takahashi, "108-GHz-Bandwidth Compact InP-HBT Baseband Amplifier Module With Integrated DC-Block Functions," in IEEE Microwave and Wireless Technology Letters, vol. 33, no. 6, pp. 711-714, June 2023, doi: 10.1109 / LMWT.2023.3243233.

[0004] The signal transmission device may have the following configurations (1) to (5): (1) a first connector including a first connector core wire extending in the left-right direction; (2) a second connector including a second connector core wire extending in the left-right direction; (3) a housing including a bottom perpendicular to the up-down direction, a first side wall extending upward from the bottom and supporting the first connector, and a second side wall extending upward from the bottom, facing the first side wall in the left-right direction, and supporting the second connector; (4) a substrate disposed between the first side wall and the second side wall, forming a transmission path for transmitting an electrical signal from the first connector core wire to the second connector core wire; and (5) N electronic components (where N is an integer of 1 or greater) disposed along the transmission path and processing the electrical signal transmitted by the transmission path.

[0005] In the above-described configuration, dimensional tolerances are set so that the board can be placed between the first and second side walls of the housing. As a result, the length of the board is set shorter than the distance between the first and second side walls. This provides a gap between the board and each of the first and second side walls, which absorbs dimensional errors of the board and / or the housing. However, this gap may adversely affect, for example, the characteristic impedance of the signal transmission device. Furthermore, this gap may result in, for example, the board being positioned off to one side of the first or second side wall rather than midway between the first or second side wall, causing inconveniences such as the connector core wires supported by the other side wall not reaching the board. For these reasons, it is preferable to eliminate the gap between the board and each of the first and second side walls.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to eliminate the gaps between the substrate and each of the first and second side walls while ensuring a structure that can absorb dimensional errors in the housing and / or substrate.

[0007] a first connector including a first connector core wire extending in the left-right direction; a second connector including a second connector core wire extending in the left-right direction; a housing including a plate-shaped bottom extending in a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction; a first side wall extending upward from the bottom and supporting the first connector; and a second side wall extending upward from the bottom, facing the first side wall in the left-right direction, and supporting the second connector; a substrate disposed between the first side wall and the second side wall and forming a transmission path for transmitting an electrical signal from the first connector core wire to the second connector core wire; and N (N is an integer of 1 or more) electronic components disposed along the transmission path and processing the electrical signal transmitted by the transmission path, the substrate being spaced apart in the left-right direction. the i+1 substrate pieces arranged with N+1 spaces between them, each of the N+1 substrate pieces having a conductive layer that is a part of the transmission path, the i-th electronic component (where i is an integer ranging from 1 to N) among the N electronic components includes a first electrode connected to the conductive layer of the i-th substrate piece, counting from the first side wall side, of the N+1 substrate pieces, and a second electrode connected to the conductive layer of the i+1-th substrate piece, the conductive layer of the i=1-th substrate piece among the N+1 substrate pieces being electrically connected to the first connector core wire, the i=1-th substrate piece being in contact with the first side wall, the conductive layer of the i=N+1-th substrate piece among the N+1 substrate pieces being electrically connected to the second connector core wire, and the i=N+1-th substrate piece being in contact with the second side wall.

[0008] According to the above configuration, it is possible to eliminate the gaps between the substrate and the first side wall and between the substrate and the second side wall, while ensuring a structure that can absorb dimensional errors in the housing and / or the substrate.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a signal transmission device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a signal transmission device according to a comparative example. FIG. 4 is a graph showing frequency characteristics in the embodiment and frequency characteristics in the comparative example. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a signal transmission device according to a modified example. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a signal transmission device according to a modified example. FIG. 7 is a plan view of a signal transmission device according to a modified example. FIG. 8 is a plan view of a signal transmission device according to a modified example. FIG. 9 is a view of the electronic component of FIG. 8 as viewed from below.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments and modifications of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the thickness direction of the bottom of the housing and the board is referred to as the up-down direction, and two directions that are perpendicular to the up-down direction and perpendicular to each other are referred to as the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. These directions are not intended to indicate the installation direction of the signal transmission device. For example, the up-down direction does not have to coincide with the top-to-bottom direction. Furthermore, corresponding elements between the embodiments and modifications are assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted.

[0011] 1 and 2 , a signal transmission device 10 according to this embodiment includes a box-shaped housing 20 with an open top, and connectors 31 and 32 fixed to the housing 20. The signal transmission device 10 further includes a substrate 40 housed within the housing 20 and electrically connected to the connectors 31 and 32, and an electronic component 50 electrically connected to the substrate 40. The signal transmission device 10 is configured to transmit a high-frequency electrical signal from a device D1 ( FIG. 2 ) to a device D2 ( FIG. 2 ) via a transmission path L1 (described below). The electronic component 50 is configured to process the electrical signal.

[0012] The housing 20 includes a plate-shaped bottom 21 extending in the left-right and front-rear directions, and a rectangular cylindrical side wall 22 extending upward from the bottom 21. The side wall 22 includes side walls 22A and 22B that face each other in the left-right direction. The housing 20 is made of a conductor such as a metal.

[0013] Through holes 22AA and 22BA are formed in the side walls 22A and 22B, respectively, penetrating in the left-right direction. A connector 31 is inserted into the through hole 22AA. A connector 32 is inserted into the through hole 22BA. The connectors 31 and 32 are fixed to the side wall 22A or 22B while inserted into the through hole 22AA or 22BA, and are supported by the side wall 22A or 22B.

[0014] The connector 31 includes a connector core wire 31A, which is a conductor that transmits electrical signals from the device D1; a cylindrical connector bead 31B made of a dielectric material through which the connector core wire 31A passes; and a cylindrical conductor shield 31C sandwiched between the connector bead 31B and the side wall 22A. The connector 31 forms a hermetic seal. Examples of dielectric materials include glass, ceramic, resin, and quartz (the same applies to dielectric materials hereinafter). The shield 31C is connected to the housing 20. The shield 31C surrounds the left side of the connector core wire 31A.

[0015] The connector core wire 31A and shield 31C protrude from the side wall 22A to the outside of the housing 20. A push-on type jack J1 (shown simply by a dotted-dash line in FIG. 2 ) constituting the other end of a cable C1 (shown simply by a dotted-dash line in FIG. 2 ), one end of which is connected to the device D1, is connected to this portion. The shield portion of the jack J1 is connected to the shield 31C, and the core portion of the jack J1 is connected to the connector core wire 31A. The jack J1 may be a screw-type jack that screws into the housing 20. In this case, the shield 31C is not necessary; instead, a circular slit hole is formed between the side wall 22A and the connector bead 31B, into which the shield portion of the jack is inserted and screwed.

[0016] The right end 31AA of the connector core wire 31A protrudes from the side wall 22A into the interior of the housing 20 and is electrically connected to a board piece 41 (described later) of a board 40 housed within the housing 20 (details will be described later).

[0017] The connector 32 includes a connector core wire 32A, which is a conductor that transmits electrical signals to the device D2, a cylindrical connector bead 32B made of a dielectric material and through which the connector core wire 32A passes, and a cylindrical conductor shield 32C sandwiched between the connector bead 32B and the side wall 22B. The connector 32 forms a hermetic seal. The shield 32C is connected to the housing 20. The shield 32C surrounds the right side of the connector core wire 32A.

[0018] Similar to connector 31, but with the left and right reversed, connector core wire 32A and shield 32C protrude from side wall 22A to the outside of housing 20. This portion is connected to push-on type jack J2 (shown schematically by a dotted line in FIG. 2) which constitutes the other end of cable C2 (shown schematically by a dotted line in FIG. 2) one end of which is connected to device D2. The description and variations thereof are as per the description of connector 31.

[0019] The left end 32AA of the connector core wire 32A protrudes from the side wall 22B into the interior of the housing 20 and is electrically connected to a board piece 42 (described later) of the board 40 housed within the housing 20 (details will be described later).

[0020] The substrate 40 is disposed between the side walls 22A and 22B of the housing 20 and on the bottom 21. The substrate 40 forms a transmission path L1 that transmits an electrical signal from the connector core wire 31A (i.e., an electrical signal from the device D1) to the connector core wire 31A.

[0021] The substrate 40 is divided into substrate pieces 41 and 42 arranged in the left-right direction at a distance 91. The divided substrate pieces 41 and 42 are in contact with the side walls 22A and 22B, respectively.

[0022] The substrate piece 41 includes a dielectric layer 41A, a conductive layer 41B formed on the upper surface of the dielectric layer 41A, and a conductive film 41C formed on the lower surface of the dielectric layer 41A. The dielectric layer 41A is, for example, an insulating substrate made of a dielectric material. The conductive layer 41B is, for example, made of a metal foil or a conductive resin film and extends linearly in the left-right direction. Note that "linear" in this specification also includes the term strip-like. The conductive film 41C is formed over the entire lower surface of the dielectric layer 41A. The conductive film 41C is fixed to the bottom 21 of the housing 20 using a conductive resin (e.g., conductive paste) or solder. This fixation electrically connects the conductive film 41C to the housing 20. Note that the substrate piece 41 may be fastened to the bottom 21 with screws or the like, thereby contacting and electrically connecting the conductive film 41C to the housing 20.

[0023] Substrate piece 42 is formed bilaterally symmetrically to substrate piece 41. Substrate piece 42 includes a dielectric layer 42A, a conductive layer 42B formed on the upper surface of dielectric layer 42A, and a conductive film 42C formed on the lower surface of dielectric layer 42A. These elements 42A to 42C are similar to elements 41A to 41C of substrate piece 41, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0024] The conductive layers 41B and 42B constitute the transmission line L1. The right end 31AA of the connector core wire 31A is electrically connected to the left end of the conductive layer 41B by a conductive bonding material 61 such as solder or conductive paste. The left end 32AA of the connector core wire 32A is electrically connected to the right end of the conductive layer 42B by a conductive bonding material 62 such as solder or conductive paste.

[0025] Because the substrate pieces 41 and 42 are spaced apart from each other, the transmission path L1 formed by the conductive layers 41B and 42B has a gap 92 therebetween. The electronic component 50 is disposed across this gap 92. Specifically, the electrodes 51 and 52 arranged at a distance in the left-right direction of the electronic component 50 are electrically connected to the right end of the conductive layer 41B and the left end of the conductive layer 42B via bumps 71 and 72, respectively, by, for example, flip-chip bonding. With this connection, the electronic component 50 is disposed in the middle of the transmission path L1 and mounted on the substrate 40. The electronic component 50 may be disposed in the middle of the transmission path L1 by electrically connecting to the conductive layers 41B and 42B with a conductive resin such as conductive paste or by bonding wires.

[0026] In this embodiment, the electronic component 50 is a DC (Direct Current) block that cuts the direct current (DC) component of the electrical signal transmitted through the transmission line L1, more specifically, the electrical signal propagating through the conductive layer 41B, and transmits only the alternating current (AC) component to the subsequent stage, i.e., the conductive layer 42B. The DC block processes the electrical signal by cutting the DC component as described above. Examples of the DC block include a silicon capacitor and a multi-layer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) type chip capacitor. The electronic component 50 may be an integrated circuit (IC) chip that processes the electrical signal. The signal processing may include amplification or modulation of the electrical signal.

[0027] The shielded portions of the cables C1 and C2 (particularly the shielded portions of the jacks J1 and J2), the shields 31C and 32C, the housing 20, and the conductive films 41C and 42C are electrically connected to one another. These are connected to ground via the device D1 or D2 or the like. Examples of ground include earth. In other words, the connection to ground may be earth. The housing 20 may also be directly connected to ground (e.g., earth).

[0028] Because the conductive films 41C and 42C are connected to ground, the substrate 40 (substrate pieces 41 and 42) functions as a microstrip line through the elements 41A to 41C or 42A to 42C. This microstrip line transmits an electrical signal through the conductive layers 41B and 42B, i.e., the transmission line L1.

[0029] An electrical signal from device D1 propagates through conductive layer 41B via cable C1 and connector core wire 31A. Then, the DC component of this electrical signal is removed by electronic component 50, which serves as a DC block, and the electrical signal propagates through conductive layer 42B. Then, the electrical signal is transmitted to device D2 via connector core wire 32A and cable C2.

[0030] As described above, in this embodiment, the substrate piece 41 of the substrate 40 is positioned to contact the side wall 22A that supports the connector core wire 31A, and the substrate piece 42 of the substrate 40 is positioned to contact the side wall 22B that supports the connector core wire 32A. Furthermore, a gap 91 is provided at the position of the electronic component 50 to which the conductive layers 41B and 42B of the substrate pieces 41 and 42 are connected. Therefore, dimensional errors during manufacturing of the substrate 40 and / or the housing 20 are absorbed by the gap 91. With the above-described configuration, a structure capable of absorbing dimensional errors is ensured, while eliminating the gap between the substrate 40 (substrate piece 41) and the side wall 22A and the gap between the substrate 40 (substrate piece 42) and the side wall 22B. By eliminating the gap between the board 40 (board piece 41) and the side wall 22A and the gap between the board 40 (board piece 42) and the side wall 22B, the board 40 is prevented from being positioned with a bias to either the left or right, and the occurrence of a problem in which the board piece and the connector core wire become too far apart due to such a bias and the two cannot be connected is also suppressed. This is particularly true when the board 40 is formed as a single board, as in (1) to (5) above.

[0031] Furthermore, the signal transmission device 10 is impedance-matched with the connection targets (cables C1 and C2) of the signal transmission device 10. For example, the signal transmission device 10 is designed to have a characteristic impedance of 50 Ω. Consider a signal transmission device 110 according to a comparative example, in which a gap 99 is provided between the substrate piece 41 and the sidewall 22A, as shown in FIG. 3 . In this signal transmission device 110, the region A where the gap 99 exists forms a transmission path different from the microstrip line formed by the substrate piece 41, and the characteristic impedance of this region does not match the characteristic impedance of the substrate piece 41. Therefore, the gap 99 adversely affects the characteristic impedance of the signal transmission device 110. Furthermore, the gap 99 varies from one individual signal transmission device 110 to another due to dimensional errors. This variation changes the region of the gap 99 and, ultimately, the characteristic impedance. The variation in characteristic impedance makes it difficult to design the signal transmission device 110 for impedance matching. This also applies when a gap is provided between the substrate piece 42 and the sidewall 22B. This also applies when the substrate 40 is formed as a single substrate. In this embodiment, the substrate pieces 41 and 42 contact the sidewalls 22A and 22B, respectively, thereby eliminating the above-mentioned disadvantages. From this perspective, it is preferable that the conductive film 41C reach the left end of the substrate piece 41 (dielectric layer 41A) that contacts the sidewall 22A, and the conductive film 42C reach the right end that contacts the sidewall 22B of the substrate piece 42 (dielectric layer 42A). If necessary, the conductive layers 41B and 42B may also reach the left or right end. This allows the microstrip line formed by the substrate 40 to extend from the end that contacts the sidewall 22A of the substrate 40 (substrate piece 41) to the end that contacts the sidewall 22B of the substrate 40 (substrate piece 42). This microstrip line is interrupted by, for example, the spacing 99 where the electronic components 50 are arranged.

[0032] In this embodiment, electrodes 51 and 52 of electronic component 50 are connected to conductive layers 41B and 42B of substrate pieces 41 and 42, respectively, which are arranged with a gap 91 therebetween, which is used to absorb dimensional errors. In other words, electronic component 50 is mounted on substrate 40 so as to straddle gap 91 between substrate pieces 41 and 42. This ensures that electronic component 50 maintains a transmission path for electrical signals even in the portion where gap 91 is provided (the portion where transmission line L1 is interrupted). Therefore, gap 91 has little or no effect on the characteristic impedance of signal transmission device 10. Since electronic component 50 is designed to have a desired characteristic impedance, the characteristic impedance of the portion where transmission line L1 is interrupted can be set to the desired characteristic impedance of electronic component 50.

[0033] The frequency characteristics of the signal transmission device 10 according to the present embodiment, which has a structure in which no gap is provided between the substrate and both side walls but gaps that absorb dimensional errors are provided at the positions of the electronic components, are improved compared to the comparative example in which a gap 99 as shown in FIG. 3 is provided between the substrate 40 and the side wall 22A and a gap is also provided between the substrate 40 and the side wall 22B, i.e., an example in which the characteristic impedance is adversely affected. FIG. 4 shows simulation results of the frequency characteristics of the S parameters for the signal transmission device 10 according to the above embodiment and the signal transmission device according to the comparative example. As shown in FIG. 4, in a wide frequency band above 35 GHz, the reflection and transmission characteristics of the signal transmission device 10 are superior to those of the signal transmission device according to the comparative example. Furthermore, the signal transmission device 10 exhibits significantly improved reflection characteristics at a specific frequency (around 49 GHz). The specific frequency can be adjusted by adjusting the shape and material of each element of the signal transmission device 10. Therefore, the structure according to the present embodiment in which no gap is provided between the substrate and both side walls but gaps that absorb dimensional errors are provided at the positions of the electronic components can achieve favorable reflection characteristics at a specific frequency.

[0034] Furthermore, with the above configuration, the board pieces 41 and 42 can be individually arranged inside the housing 20. Therefore, the positions of the board pieces 41 and 42 in the front-to-rear direction can be individually adjusted to accommodate misalignment of the conductive layer 41B or 42B of the board piece 41 or 42 and misalignment of the connector 31 or 32 on the housing 20 side. As a result, this has the effect of improving the mounting yield of the board pieces 41 and 42 in response to the above-mentioned misalignment.

[0035] Next, some modifications of the above embodiment will be described.

[0036] (Variation 1) As in the signal transmission device 210 shown in FIG. 5 , another electronic element 255 may be mounted on the substrate piece 42 by flip-chip bonding, wire bonding, or bonding using conductive paste. Instead of the conductive layer 42B, the substrate piece 42 has a linear conductive layer 242B extending in the left-right direction as a whole, interrupted by a gap 294. The conductive layer 242B has linear conductive films 242BA and 242BB aligned in the left-right direction with the gap 294 between them. The first end electrode of the electronic element 255 is electrically connected to the conductive film 242BA, and the second end electrode is electrically connected to the conductive film 242BB. This connection allows the electronic element 255 to be positioned midway along the conductive layer 242B and mounted on the substrate piece 42. The electronic element 255 is, for example, an IC chip including a signal processing circuit that processes an electrical signal input to the conductive layer 42B (its internal structure is omitted in FIG. 4 ; the same applies to the other electronic elements). The electrical signal input to the conductive layer 42B is an electrical signal whose DC component has been removed by the electronic component 50, which is an RC block. The electronic element 255 outputs the processed electrical signal to the connector core wire 32A via the conductive layer 242B (conductive film 242BB). This modification makes it possible to remove the DC component of the electrical signal to be transmitted and process the signal within the signal transmission device.

[0037] (Variation 2) The number of board pieces and electronic components may be arbitrary. For example, the above-mentioned board may include N+1 board pieces arranged at intervals in the left-right direction, and each of the N+1 board pieces may have a conductive layer that is part of a transmission path. The electronic components are arranged across the gap between adjacent board pieces. The number of electronic components is N, corresponding to the number of gaps. The i-th electronic component of the N electronic components may include a first electrode connected to the conductive layer of the i-th board piece of the N+1 board pieces, counting from the side of the sidewall 22A, and a second electrode connected to the conductive layer of the i+1-th board piece. Here, i is an integer ranging from 1 to N. The conductive layer of the i=1-th board piece of the N+1 board pieces may be electrically connected to the connector core wire 31A, and the i=1-th board piece may be in contact with the sidewall 22A. The conductive layer of the i=N+1th substrate piece among the N+1 substrate pieces is electrically connected to the connector core wire 32A, and the i=N+1th substrate piece contacts the side wall 22B.

[0038] In the above embodiment, N=1. Therefore, the only value that i can take is 1, the number of electronic components is one, electronic component 50, and the number of board pieces is two, board pieces 41 and 42. The i=1th electronic component is electronic component 50. The i=1th board piece is board piece 41. The i=N+1th=2nd board piece is board piece 42.

[0039] 5 illustrates a modified example when N = 2. A signal transmission device 310 according to this modified example includes a substrate 340 including substrate pieces 41, 42, and 343, instead of the substrate 40. The signal transmission device 310 also includes an electronic component 350 and an electronic element 355 in addition to the electronic component 50.

[0040] The substrate piece 343 includes a dielectric layer 343A and a conductive layer 343B formed on the upper surface of the dielectric layer 343A. Similar to the conductive layer 242B, the conductive layer 343B is formed in a straight line extending in the left-right direction, interrupted by a gap 395 along the way. The conductive layer 343B, together with the conductive layers 41B and 42B, constitutes the transmission path L1. The substrate piece 343 further includes a conductive film 343C, similar to the conductive film 41C of the substrate piece 41, which is provided on the entire lower surface of the dielectric layer 343A and electrically connected to the bottom of the housing 20.

[0041] The conductive layer 343B has linear conductive films 343BA and 343BB aligned in the left-right direction with a gap 395 between them. Similar to the electronic element 255, the electronic element 355 has a first end electrode electrically connected to the conductive film 343BA and a second end electrode electrically connected to the conductive film 343BB. This connects the electronic element 355 to the conductive films 343BA and 343BB across the gap 395. This connection places the electronic element 355 midway on the conductive layer 343B and mounts it on the substrate piece 343. The substrate piece 343 functions as a microstrip line with the electronic element 355 mounted midway.

[0042] The substrate pieces 41 and 343 are aligned in the left-right direction with a gap 391 between them. The substrate pieces 41 and 343 are aligned in the left-right direction with a gap 392 between them. The gaps 391 and 392, like the gap 91, are used to absorb dimensional errors. The electrodes at both ends of the electronic component 50 are connected to the conductive layers 41B and 343B of the substrate pieces 41 and 343, respectively, which are arranged with the gap 391 between them. As a result, the electronic component 50 is electrically connected to the substrate pieces 41 and 343 (conductive layers 41B and 343B) across the gap 391. The electronic component 350 can be configured as a component similar to the electronic component 50. The electrodes at both ends of the electronic component 350 are connected to the conductive layers 343B and 42B of the substrate pieces 343 and 42, respectively, which are arranged with the gap 392 between them. As a result, the electronic component 350 is electrically connected to the substrate pieces 343 and 42 (conductive layers 343B and 42B), respectively, across the gap 392. Through the connections described above, the electronic components 50 and 350 are each disposed midway along the transmission path L1 and mounted on the substrate 340.

[0043] The electronic components 50 and 350 and the electronic element 355 may be any suitable device, such as a DC block or an IC chip that processes electrical signals. Here, the electronic components 50 and 350 are DC blocks, and the electronic element 355 is an IC chip. The electronic component 50, acting as a DC block, cuts the DC component of the electrical signal from the conductive layer 41B and outputs the cut electrical signal to the conductive layer 343B (conductive film 343BA). The electronic element 355, acting as an IC chip, processes the DC-cut electrical signal that is input to the conductive layer 343B and propagates through the conductive layer 343B, and outputs the processed electrical signal to the conductive layer 343B (conductive film 343BB). The electronic component 350, acting as a DC block, cuts the DC component of the processed electrical signal from the conductive layer 343B and outputs the cut electrical signal to the conductive layer 42B. This electrical signal is output to the outside via the connector core wire 32A.

[0044] According to this modification, it is possible to cut the DC component of the electrical signal to be transmitted, process the signal, and cut the DC component of the electrical signal after signal processing, all within the signal transmission device.

[0045] To obtain a suitable characteristic impedance, each of the N+1 substrate pieces may include, for example, a dielectric layer, a conductive layer formed on the upper surface of the dielectric layer, and a conductive film formed on the lower surface of the dielectric layer and connected to ground, and may be configured to transmit electrical signals via a microstrip line. Each of the N+1 substrate pieces transmits electrical signals via a microstrip line throughout the entire area where the electrical signals are transmitted. In particular, each of the N+1 substrate pieces transmits electrical signals via a microstrip line having a conductive layer with the same cross-sectional shape throughout the entire area. The conductive film connected to ground formed on the lower surface of the dielectric layer does not need to be formed over the entire lower surface of the dielectric layer. For example, this conductive film connected to ground may have a width (length in the front-to-rear direction) wider than the portion of the conductive layer formed on the upper surface of the dielectric layer that actually transmits the electrical signal (e.g., excluding any interrupted portions), and may be formed to completely cover at least this portion of the conductive layer from below. Furthermore, the conductive film connected to ground of the i=1th substrate piece may extend to the left end that contacts the sidewall of the substrate piece. This forms a microstrip line from the right end surface of the sidewall 22A from which the connector core wire 31A protrudes. The conductive layer connected to the connector core wire 31A does not have to reach the left end where it contacts the sidewall 22A of the dielectric layer (i.e., the left end of this substrate piece). Even in this case, it is preferable that the conductive film connected to the ground of the i=1th substrate piece reach the left end of this substrate piece. This allows the connector core wire 31A and the conductive film reaching the left end to form a microstrip line. Similarly, it is preferable that the conductive film 42C connected to the ground of the i=N+1th substrate piece, that is, the substrate piece 42, reach the right end of the substrate piece 42.

[0046] (Variation 3) Each of the N+1 substrate pieces constituting the substrate may include a dielectric layer, a conductive layer formed on an upper surface of the dielectric layer, and first and second conductive films formed on the upper surface of the dielectric layer, sandwiching the conductive layer from the front and rear, and connected to ground, and may be configured to transmit electrical signals via coplanar waveguides. Each of the N+1 substrate pieces transmits electrical signals via coplanar waveguides throughout its entire area. In particular, each of the N+1 substrate pieces transmits electrical signals via coplanar waveguides having conductive layers with the same cross-sectional shape throughout its entire area.

[0047] 7, a signal transmission device 410 has substrate pieces 441 and 442 instead of the substrate pieces 41 and 42. The substrate pieces 441 and 442 form a substrate 440 corresponding to the substrate 40.

[0048] The substrate piece 441 has a configuration in which conductive films 441D and 441E connected to ground are added to the substrate piece 41 (elements 41A to 41C). This allows the substrate piece 441 to function as a coplanar line. Note that the coplanar line here is a grounded coplanar line that includes a conductive film 41C formed on the lower surface of the dielectric layer 41A. The substrate piece 441 may have a structure that does not include the conductive film 41C (FIG. 2).

[0049] The conductive films 441D and 441E extend linearly in the left-right direction and are respectively disposed in front of and behind the conductive layer 41B. The conductive layer 41B is sandwiched between the conductive films 441D and 441E in the front-to-rear direction. Like the conductive film 41C, the conductive films 441D and 441E preferably reach at least the left end of the dielectric layer 41A. This forms a coplanar line that reaches the left end of the substrate piece 41.

[0050] The substrate piece 442 has a configuration in which conductive films 442D and 442E connected to ground are added to the substrate piece 42 (elements 42A to 42C). This allows the substrate piece 442 to function as a coplanar line. As above, the substrate piece 442 may have a structure that does not include the conductive film 42C (FIG. 2). The conductive films 442D and 442E are formed in the same way as the conductive films 441D and 441E, although they are reversed from left to right, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0051] The signal transmission device 410 further includes a connection conductor 481 electrically connecting the conductive films 441D and 442D and a connection conductor 482 electrically connecting the conductive films 441E and 442E. The connection conductors 481 and 482 short-circuit the conductive films 441D and 442D with the conductive films 441E and 442E, respectively. This short-circuits the conductive films 441D and 442D and the conductive films 441E and 442E, respectively, which serve as paths for return current during electrical signal propagation. This ensures continuity of the conductors connected to ground, thereby further improving the frequency characteristics of the signal transmission device 410. Each of the connection conductors 481 and 482 may be a metal plate or block, or a substrate with a metal pattern laid out on a dielectric surface. Each of the connection conductors 481 and 482 may be a conductive paste or wire bonding.

[0052] The conductive films 441D and 442D, and 441E and 442E may be connected to ground by any method. They may be electrically connected to the housing 20 by solder or a conductive resin such as a conductive paste, thereby being connected to ground. Alternatively, they may be connected to ground by electrically connecting the connection conductors 481 and 482 to the housing 20 by solder or a conductive resin such as a conductive paste, thereby being connected to ground. Vias may be provided in the dielectric layer 41A to electrically connect each of the conductive films 441D and 441E to the conductive film 41C. Similarly, vias may be provided in the dielectric layer 42A to electrically connect each of the conductive films 442D and 442E to the conductive film 42C.

[0053] When there are N+1 substrate pieces, for example, the conductive films on the front or rear sides of the i-th substrate piece and the i+1-th substrate piece may be electrically connected to each other by connecting conductors.

[0054] (Variation 4) At least one of the N electronic components may be configured to include a connection conductor that connects the conductive films on the front or rear sides of adjacent substrate pieces to which the electronic component is connected.

[0055] For example, as shown in Fig. 8 , a signal transmission device 510 includes an electronic component 550 instead of the electronic component 50. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9 , the electronic component 550 has a configuration in which connecting conductors 481 and 482 are added to the electronic component 50. The connecting conductors 481 and 482 are arranged so as to be exposed on the lower surface of the electronic component 550. The connecting conductors 481 and 482 are arranged in front of and behind the electrodes 51 and 52 that are aligned in the left-right direction, respectively, and sandwich the electrodes 51 and 52 from the front-to-rear direction. The connecting conductors 481 and 482 extend linearly in the left-to-right direction.

[0056] The electronic component 550 is mounted on the substrate pieces 41 and 42 via bumps 71, 72, and 573 to 576 by, for example, flip-chip bonding. Both ends of the connection conductor 481 are electrically connected to the conductive films 441D and 442D, respectively, by bumps 573 and 574. Both ends of the connection conductor 482 are electrically connected to the conductive films 441E and 442E, respectively, by bumps 575 and 576. Each connection may be made by a conductive resin such as a conductive paste or by a bonding wire.

[0057] According to this modification, there is no need to provide a connecting conductor separately from electronic component 550. Furthermore, when manufacturing electronic component 550, it is possible to precisely adjust the shape or material of the line through which an electrical signal propagates within electronic component 550 and the shapes and materials of connecting conductors 481 and 482. This also makes it possible to adjust the characteristic impedance of electronic component 550.

[0058] (Modification 5) The frequency (operating frequency) of the electrical signal transmitted by the signal transmission device is arbitrary, but with the recent trend toward wider bandwidths for baseband signals, it can be set to 100 GHz or higher.

[0059] (Variation 6) The signal transmission device may include a plurality of pairs of connectors 31 and 32 to which a plurality of electrical signals are respectively input and output. Accordingly, the signal transmission device includes a plurality of transmission lines L1 that transmit electrical signals from the plurality of connectors 31. Any electronic component and / or electronic element is disposed along each of the plurality of transmission lines L1.

[0060] (Scope of the present invention) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications. For example, the present invention includes various modifications to the above-described embodiments and modifications that can be understood by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention. The configurations listed in the above-described embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate within a range that does not contradict. In addition, any of the above-described configurations can be deleted.

[0061] (Notes) The following are examples of the above-described embodiments and modifications. Only a partial configuration of the above-described embodiments and modifications may be applied to each note. Furthermore, parts of each note may be combined. (Supplementary Note 1) A housing including: a first connector including a first connector core wire extending in the left-right direction; a second connector including a second connector core wire extending in the left-right direction; a housing including: a plate-shaped bottom extending in a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, a first side wall extending upward from the bottom and supporting the first connector, and a second side wall extending upward from the bottom, facing the first side wall in the left-right direction, and supporting the second connector; a substrate arranged between the first side wall and the second side wall and forming a transmission path for transmitting an electric signal from the first connector core wire to the second connector core wire; and N (N is an integer of 1 or more) electronic components arranged along the transmission path and processing the electric signal transmitted by the transmission path, the substrate including N+1 substrate pieces arranged at intervals in the left-right direction, each of the N+1 substrate pieces including a conductive layer that is a part of the transmission path, a signal transmission device in which the i-th (where i is an integer ranging from 1 to N) electronic component of the N electronic components includes a first electrode connected to the conductive layer of the i-th substrate piece, counting from the first side wall side, of the N+1 substrate pieces, and a second electrode connected to the conductive layer of the i+1-th substrate piece, wherein the conductive layer of the i=1-th substrate piece of the N+1 substrate pieces is electrically connected to the first connector core wire, the i=1-th substrate piece is in contact with the first side wall, the conductive layer of the i=N+1-th substrate piece of the N+1 substrate pieces is electrically connected to the second connector core wire, and the i=N+1-th substrate piece is in contact with the second side wall. (Supplementary Note 2) The signal transmission device according to Supplementary Note 1, in which at least one of the N electronic components is a DC (Direct Current) block that processes the electrical signal by cutting off a DC component of the electrical signal.(Supplementary Note 3) The signal transmission device according to Supplementary Note 1 or 2, wherein each of the N+1 substrate pieces includes a dielectric layer, the conductive layer formed on an upper surface of the dielectric layer, and a conductive film formed on a lower surface of the dielectric layer and connected to ground, and is configured to transmit the electrical signal via a microstrip line. (Supplementary Note 4) The signal transmission device according to any of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, further comprising an electronic element that is mounted on any of the N+1 substrate pieces by being disposed midway through the conductive layer of the substrate piece, and that processes the electrical signal input to the conductive layer of the substrate piece. (Supplementary Note 5) The signal transmission device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4, wherein the i=j-th electronic component (where j is an integer from 1 to N) of the N electronic components is a DC block that processes the electrical signal by cutting off a DC component of the electrical signal, and further comprising an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip that is mounted on the i=j+1-th substrate piece by being disposed midway through the conductive layer of the i=j+1-th substrate piece among the N+1 substrate pieces, and processes the electrical signal, which has been input to the conductive layer of the substrate piece and has had the DC component cut off by the DC block. (Supplementary Note 6) The signal transmission device according to Supplementary Note 5, wherein N is 3 or more, j is an integer from 1 to (N-1), and the i=j+1-th electronic component of the N electronic components is a DC block that processes the electrical signal by cutting off a DC component of the electrical signal processed by the IC chip. (Supplementary Note 7) A signal transmission device described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1, 2, and 4 to 6, wherein each of the N+1 substrate pieces includes a dielectric layer, the conductive layer formed on an upper surface of the dielectric layer, and first and second conductive films formed on the upper surface of the dielectric layer, sandwiching the conductive layer from the front and rear directions, and connected to ground, and is configured to transmit the electrical signal via a coplanar line, wherein the first conductive films of the i-th substrate piece and the i+1-th substrate piece among the N+1 substrate pieces are electrically connected to each other by first connecting conductors, and the second conductive films are electrically connected to each other by second connecting conductors.(Supplementary Note 8) The signal transmission device according to Supplementary Note 7, wherein at least one electronic component among the N electronic components includes the first connecting conductor and the second connecting conductor.

[0062] 10...signal transmission device, 20...housing, 21...bottom, 22...side wall, 22A...side wall, 22AA...through hole, 22B...side wall, 22BA...through hole, 31...connector, 31A...connector core wire, 31AA...right end, 31B...connector bead, 31C...shield, 32...connector, 32A...connector core wire, 32AA...left end, 32B...connector bead, 32C...shield, 40...substrate, 41...substrate piece, 41A...dielectric layer, 41B...conductive layer, 41C...conductive film, 42...substrate piece, 42A...dielectric layer, 42B...conductive layer, 42C...conductive film, 50...electronic component, 51, 52...electrodes, 61, 62...conductive bonding material, 71, 72...bumps, 91, 92...spacing, 99...spacing, 110...signal transmission device, 210...signal Signal transmission device, 242B...conductive layer, 242BA, 242BB...conductive film, 255...electronic element, 294...interval, 310...signal transmission device, 340...substrate, 343...substrate piece, 343A...dielectric layer, 343B...conductive layer, 343BA, 343BB...conductive film, 343C...conductive film, 350...electronic component, 355...electronic element, 391, 392, 395...interval, 410...signal transmission device, 440...substrate, 441...substrate piece, 441D, 441E...conductive film, 442...substrate piece, 442D, 442E...conductive film, 481, 482...connecting conductor, 510...signal transmission device, 550...electronic component, 573-576...bump, A...area, C1, C2...cable, D1, D2...device, J1, J2...jack, L1...transmission line.

Claims

1. A housing comprising: a first connector including a first connector core wire extending in the left-right direction; a second connector including a second connector core wire extending in the left-right direction; a plate-shaped bottom extending in a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, a first side wall extending upward from the bottom and supporting the first connector, and a second side wall extending upward from the bottom, facing the first side wall in the left-right direction, and supporting the second connector; a substrate arranged between the first side wall and the second side wall and forming a transmission path for transmitting an electrical signal from the first connector core wire to the second connector core wire; and N (N is an integer of 1 or more) electronic components arranged along the transmission path and processing the electrical signal transmitted by the transmission path, the substrate comprising N+1 substrate pieces arranged at intervals in the left-right direction, each of the N+1 substrate pieces comprising a conductive layer that is a part of the transmission path, a signal transmission device in which the i-th electronic component (where i is an integer ranging from 1 to N) among the N electronic components includes a first electrode connected to the conductive layer of the i-th substrate piece, counting from the first side wall side, among the N+1 substrate pieces, and a second electrode connected to the conductive layer of the i+1-th substrate piece, wherein the conductive layer of the i=1-th substrate piece among the N+1 substrate pieces is electrically connected to the first connector core wire, the i=1-th substrate piece is in contact with the first side wall, the conductive layer of the i=N+1-th substrate piece among the N+1 substrate pieces is electrically connected to the second connector core wire, and the i=N+1-th substrate piece is in contact with the second side wall.

2. The signal transmission device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the N electronic components is a DC (Direct Current) block that processes the electrical signal by cutting off a direct current component of the electrical signal.

3. The signal transmission device according to claim 1, wherein each of the N+1 substrate pieces includes a dielectric layer, the conductive layer formed on the upper surface of the dielectric layer, and a conductive film formed on the lower surface of the dielectric layer and connected to ground, and is configured to transmit the electrical signal via a microstrip line.

4. The signal transmission device according to claim 1, further comprising an electronic element mounted on one of the N+1 substrate pieces by being placed midway through the conductive layer of the substrate piece, and processing the electrical signal input to the conductive layer of the substrate piece.

5. The signal transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the i=jth (where j is an integer from 1 to N) electronic component among the N electronic components is a DC block that processes the electrical signal by cutting off the DC component of the electrical signal, and further comprising an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip that is mounted on the i=j+1th substrate piece among the N+1 substrate pieces by being placed midway through the conductive layer of the i=j+1th substrate piece, and that processes the electrical signal, from which the DC component has been cut by the DC block, that has been input to the conductive layer of the substrate piece.

6. The signal transmission device according to claim 5, wherein N is 3 or greater, j is an integer between 1 and (N-1), and the i=j+1th electronic component of the N electronic components is a DC block that processes the electrical signal by cutting the DC component of the electrical signal processed by the IC chip.

7. The signal transmission device according to claim 1, wherein each of the N+1 substrate pieces includes a dielectric layer, the conductive layer formed on the upper surface of the dielectric layer, and first and second conductive films formed on the upper surface of the dielectric layer, sandwiching the conductive layer from the front and rear, and connected to ground, and is configured to transmit the electrical signal via a coplanar line, wherein the first conductive films of the i-th substrate piece and the i+1-th substrate piece among the N+1 substrate pieces are electrically connected to each other by first connecting conductors, and the second conductive films are electrically connected to each other by second connecting conductors.

8. The signal transmission device according to claim 7, wherein at least one electronic component among the N electronic components comprises the first connecting conductor and the second connecting conductor.

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