High-Speed Backplane Connector Ground Shield Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current backplane connector systems face challenges in increasing density and speed while maintaining signal integrity, as they struggle to accommodate the growing complexity and miniaturization of electronic components, leading to issues with signal propagation and crosstalk at higher frequencies.
Innovation Solution
The development of high-speed backplane connector systems that utilize wafer assemblies with specific geometries and ground structures to create a uniform impedance profile, including air gaps and encapsulating ground shields, which position electrical contacts in a three-dimensional manner to prevent undesirable signal modes and reduce crosstalk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the spacing between electrical terminals is reduced to increase density, then the number of electrical terminals per unit area increases, but signal integrity deteriorates due to increased crosstalk and electromagnetic interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces air gaps between adjacent wafer assemblies, creating a three-dimensional spacing structure. This vertical/dimensional separation allows terminals to be densely packed on the wafer surface while maintaining electromagnetic isolation through the air gap, thus increasing terminal density without compromising signal integrity
Solution Approach 2:
Ground shields are introduced as intermediary structures between adjacent electrical terminals and wafer assemblies. These ground shields act as electromagnetic barriers that block crosstalk and interference between closely spaced terminals, enabling high-density packaging while maintaining signal quality
2Quantity of substance
If the number of electrical terminals is increased to accommodate more components, then the connector density increases, but crosstalk and signal interference increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connector system is divided into separate wafer assemblies that are stacked with air gaps between them. This segmentation isolates groups of electrical terminals into discrete units, preventing crosstalk from propagating across the entire connector. Each wafer assembly becomes an independent segment with controlled electromagnetic fields
Solution Approach 2:
Ground shields serve as intermediary structures positioned between adjacent wafer assemblies and between closely spaced terminals. These ground shields actively block electromagnetic fields and prevent crosstalk, allowing a higher number of terminals to be packed into the connector without increasing interference
3Quantity of substance
If wafer assemblies are positioned adjacent to one another to increase density, then the pin density increases, but undesirable signal modes and crosstalk increase
Solution Approach 1:
Air gaps are introduced between adjacent wafer assemblies, creating vertical separation in the z-dimension. This dimensional change allows wafer assemblies to be closely positioned in the x-y plane for high pin density while maintaining electromagnetic isolation through the air gap, preventing the propagation of undesirable signal modes
Data Source
AI summary
High-speed backplane connectors systems for mounting a substrate that are capable of operating at speeds of up to at least 25 Gbps, while in some implementations also providing pin densities of at least 50 pairs of electrical connectors per inch are disclosed. Implementations of the high-speed connector systems may provide ground shields and/or other ground structures that substantially encapsulate electrical connector pairs, which may be differential electrical connector pairs, in a three-dimensional manner throughout a backplane footprint, a backplane connector, and a daughtercard footprint. These encapsulating ground shields and/or ground structures prevent undesirable propagation of non-traverse, longitudinal, and higher-order modes when the high-speed backplane connector systems operates at frequencies up to at least 30 GHz.