BGA-to-Pin Adaptor for Low-Profile Edge Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Surface Mount Technology (SMT) techniques are inadequate for electrical devices that require a streamlined profile, as they do not effectively utilize the mounting edges of printed circuit boards for a low-profile configuration of electrical components with ball-grid arrays (BGA).
Innovation Solution
An electrical device with a printed circuit board and an adaptor that allows for end mount electrical connections, where the adaptor is interposed between the mounting edge of the printed circuit board and the electrical component, featuring electrically non-conductive and conductive materials, and electrical pins that are edge-mounted to both surfaces of the circuit board, enabling a perpendicular component mounting surface for a more compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If conventional SMT techniques are used to mount BGA components on the mounting surface of the printed circuit board, then the electrical connections are reliable, but the vertical profile of the device is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from mounting components on the flat mounting surface (2D plane) to mounting on the vertical mounting edge (3D structure). The adaptor enables BGA components to be positioned perpendicular to the circuit board, utilizing the edge dimension to reduce vertical profile while maintaining connection reliability through pins that extend through the adaptor body to contact pads on opposite faces of the mounting edge.
Solution Approach 2:
The adaptor serves as an intermediary component between the BGA component and the printed circuit board. It provides the mounting structure and electrical connection pathway, allowing the component to be mounted on the vertical edge rather than the horizontal surface, thereby reducing the device's vertical profile while maintaining reliable electrical connections through its conductive pins.
2Reliability
If the adaptor uses electrically non-conductive material for the body, then the electrical isolation is improved, but the mechanical strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The adaptor employs a composite construction combining electrically non-conductive body material (for electrical isolation) with electrically conductive pin materials (for electrical connections). This composite approach allows the non-conductive body to provide electrical isolation while the embedded conductive pins provide both mechanical support and electrical connectivity, resolving the trade-off between isolation and strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The adaptor exhibits local quality by having different material properties in different regions: the body is made of electrically non-conductive material for isolation, while the pins are made of electrically conductive material for connections. This localized material differentiation allows each region to perform its specific function optimally without compromising the other.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical device that comprises a printed circuit board, which has a first mounting surface, a second mounting surface, a mounting edge, and a plurality of mounting pads on the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface, and an electrical component that has a ball grid array. The electrical device further comprises an adaptor, interposed between the mounting edge and the electrical component, and comprising a body, made of an electrically non-conductive material, and a plurality of electrical pins, made of an electrically conductive material and passing at least partially through the body of the adaptor. The first end of each one of the plurality of electrical pins is electrically directly mounted to a corresponding one of the spaced apart solder balls. The second end of each one of the plurality of electrical pins is electrically directly mounted to a corresponding one of the plurality of mounting pads.