Connector With Ground Plate Openings For Cross-Talk Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
In high-density, miniaturized connectors, cross-talk between signal contacts remains unsatisfactorily suppressed despite attempts to widen the space between them, especially at high-speed transmission rates of 5 Gbps or more, due to the reduced pitch and the placement of ground contacts and plates.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring signal contacts and non-signal contacts arranged on a contact array plane, with a ground plate parallel to the contacts and having openings facing the non-signal contacts, which are positioned between signal contacts to prevent cross-talk, ensuring none of the signal contacts are on the ground plane.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the space between signal contacts is widened to suppress cross-talk, then cross-talk suppression is improved, but the connector size increases and contact density decreases
Solution Approach 1:
A ground plate is introduced as an intermediary element between signal contacts to suppress cross-talk. The ground plate acts as a shield that blocks electromagnetic interference between adjacent signal contacts, allowing them to be placed closer together without increasing connector size.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from two-dimensional contact arrangement to three-dimensional shielding by introducing a ground plate that extends in the connector fitting direction. This vertical dimension provides electromagnetic shielding without increasing the horizontal footprint of the connector.
2Volume of moving object
If contact pitch is reduced to about 0.5 mm or less to decrease connector size, then connector size is reduced, but cross-talk cannot be satisfactorily suppressed even with ground contacts and ground plates
Solution Approach 1:
The ground plate serves as an intermediary shielding element that enables close spacing of signal contacts (0.5 mm or less) while maintaining cross-talk suppression. Without this intermediary shield, such close spacing would result in unacceptable cross-talk levels.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If non-signal contacts are disposed between signal contacts to suppress cross-talk, then cross-talk suppression is improved, but space for signal contacts is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using non-signal contacts in the horizontal plane between signal contacts, the solution uses a ground plate that extends in the vertical direction (connector fitting direction). This three-dimensional approach provides cross-talk suppression without consuming horizontal space needed for signal contacts.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector includes a plurality of signal contacts and a plurality of non-signal contacts arranged on at least one contact array plane, a ground plate disposed on a ground plane parallel to the contact array plane so as to face the plurality of signal contacts and the plurality of non-signal contacts, and an insulator which holds the plurality of signal contacts, the plurality of non-signal contacts and the ground plate, at least one of the non-signal contacts being disposed between each of the signal contacts and other of the signal contacts, the ground plate having at least one opening at a location facing the at least one of the non-signal contacts disposed between each of the signal contacts and other of the signal contacts, none of the signal contacts being disposed on the ground plane.