Electrical Connector Terminal Structure for Low Return Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connector assemblies face challenges in impedance matching for high-speed signal transmission due to significant variations in cross-sectional area along the signal transmission path, leading to increased return loss and noise, and require modifications in shape to accommodate changes in circuit board distance, resulting in increased manufacturing time and cost.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connector assembly features plug and socket connectors with terminals arranged perpendicular to the mating connection direction, utilizing resilient portions with smaller cross-sectional areas that contact at two points, reducing cross-sectional area variations and allowing flexible adaptation to changes in circuit board distance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If terminals are designed with main portions of the same cross-sectional area throughout their length, then manufacturing is simplified, but significant variations in cross-sectional area occur in the signal transmission path, causing impedance mismatch and increased return loss
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal structure is divided into different sections with different cross-sectional areas: the main portion has a first cross-sectional area, while the resilient portion has a second cross-sectional area that is smaller than the first. This local variation in cross-sectional area compensates for the area reduction caused by contact points, thereby maintaining more consistent impedance along the signal transmission path and reducing return loss.
2Adaptability or versatility
If connector depth of mating is modified to accommodate changes in circuit board distance, then adaptability to different configurations is improved, but manufacturing time and cost increase due to requiring new connector shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient portion is designed to be elastically deformable, allowing the terminal to dynamically adjust its contact depth with the counterpart terminal. This elastic deformation capability enables the connector to adapt to variations in circuit board distance without requiring different connector shapes, thereby maintaining manufacturing efficiency while achieving adaptability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design reduces return loss and noise in high-speed signal transmission while enabling flexible adaptation to changes in circuit board distance, maintaining signal quality and simplifying manufacturing by using identical terminal shapes for both plug and socket connectors.
Implementation Method 1
a plug resilient portion (211E), which is positioned closer to the socket connector in the direction of mating connection than the plug retained portion (211B) and is resiliently deformable in the connector width direction
Data Source
AI summary
Connectors to reduce the occurrence of return loss if high-speed signals are transmitted and to flexibly adapt to changes in the distance between the two circuit boards in the direction of mating connection of the connectors if low-speed signals are transmitted.The plug resilient portion is formed of a smaller cross-sectional area than the maximum cross-sectional area of the plug retained portion, and the socket resilient portion is formed of a smaller cross-sectional area than the maximum cross-sectional area of the socket retained portion. When, upon connector mating, the plug contact point portion makes contact with the socket resilient portion, the socket contact point portion is adapted to make contact with the plug resilient portion, and when, upon connector mating, the plug contact point portion and the socket retained portion come into contact, the socket contact point portion is adapted to make contact with the plug retained portion.