Electrical Connector Grounding via Segmented Conductors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional electrical connectors face limitations in high-speed performance due to issues such as crosstalk, noise persistence, footprint impedance, and skew, which hinder their ability to operate effectively in modern high-frequency and high-density electrical systems.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connector design features a housing with contact module assemblies that include a dielectric body encasing a lead frame with signal and ground conductors, where ground conductors extend partially between mating and mounting contacts, and a commoning member electrically connects ground conductors, reducing noise persistence and impedance while increasing spacing between signal conductors through trenches and compensation regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ground conductors extend fully between mating and mounting contacts, then electrical continuity is improved, but noise persistence and crosstalk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ground conductors are segmented into multiple sections with gaps between them, rather than forming continuous paths. This segmentation breaks up noise propagation while maintaining electrical continuity through the commoning member that connects ground contacts at strategic locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The grounding approach transitions from planar continuous grounding to three-dimensional discontinuous grounding using vertically oriented ground contacts that extend through the connector housing, providing grounding in multiple spatial dimensions rather than just along the signal path plane.
2Productivity
If signal conductors are placed closer together, then connector density is improved, but crosstalk and impedance control become problematic
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the connector have different conductor spacing configurations. High-speed signal pairs maintain larger spacing to reduce crosstalk, while lower-speed or less critical signals can be placed closer together, optimizing overall connector density without compromising high-speed performance.
Solution Approach 2:
Ground conductors and ground contacts serve as intermediary elements between signal conductors, providing electromagnetic shielding and reference planes that reduce crosstalk between closely spaced signal pairs while allowing high density configuration.
3Area of stationary object
If connector footprint is reduced, then space utilization is improved, but impedance control and signal integrity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The connector design utilizes vertical space and three-dimensional conductor routing to achieve compact footprint while maintaining proper impedance control. Conductors are positioned at different heights and angles rather than being constrained to a single plane, allowing impedance matching in a reduced footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The design adjusts conductor geometry parameters such as trace width, spacing, and routing angles to maintain characteristic impedance values despite the reduced footprint. Compensation techniques modify conductor dimensions and positioning to preserve signal integrity in the compact configuration.
4Manufacturing precision
If signal paths are lengthened for proper impedance matching, then impedance control is improved, but skew and signal delay increase
Solution Approach 1:
Signal paths incorporate curved and angled routing segments rather than straight lines, allowing impedance-matching length adjustments without excessive linear distance. The curved paths provide the necessary electrical length for impedance control while minimizing the physical travel distance and associated delay.
Solution Approach 2:
Signal routing utilizes three-dimensional paths through the connector housing rather than confined two-dimensional plane routing. This allows optimization of electrical path length for impedance matching while keeping physical signal travel distance minimal, reducing skew and delay.
Data Source
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AI summary
An electrical connector comprises a housing and first and second contact module assemblies held by the housing. Each of the contact module assemblies comprises a dielectric body having a mating end with a plurality of mating contacts (20) and a mounting end with a plurality of mounting contacts (56A,56B). A lead frame is at least partially encased by the dielectric body. The lead frame has a plurality of conductors (116) representing both signal conductors (S) and ground conductors (G) extending along a lead frame plane. The signal and ground conductors extend from respective ones of the mating contacts (20) and the mounting contacts (56A,56B). At least some of the ground conductors (G) include a mating contact terminal (120) proximate the respective mating contact (20) and a mounting contact terminal (122) proximate the respective mounting contact (56B). The ground conductors extend only partially between the mating contact (20) and the mounting contact (56B) associated with the respective ground conductor such that a gap (124) exists between the mating contact terminal (120) and the mounting contact terminal (122) of the ground conductor. A commoning member electrically connects the mating contact terminal (120) and the mounting contact terminal (122) of at least one of the ground conductors, wherein the commoning member is oriented in a non-coplanar relation with the lead frame plane.