Dielectric Waveguide Assembly for CCA Impedance Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
The miniaturization of electronic components on circuit card assemblies (CCAs) makes it challenging to implement traditional waveguides due to high component density, leading to sensitivity issues with physical gaps and out-of-flatness conditions, which affect the impedance transition and signal propagation.
Innovation Solution
A self-adjusting dielectrically loaded multistep waveguide assembly with a metallic carrier and wave washer, where the waveguides have varying dielectric constants, allowing for contact adjustment to compensate for out-of-flatness conditions and maintain optimal contact with the CCA surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a high dielectric constant waveguide is used to miniaturize the waveguide size, then the waveguide size is reduced, but the waveguide becomes highly sensitive to physical gaps and out-of-flatness conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The waveguide assembly incorporates a flexible circuit board that can bend and conform to the CCA surface, transforming a rigid structure into a dynamic one that adapts to surface variations. This flexibility allows the waveguide to maintain reliable contact despite out-of-flatness conditions, resolving the sensitivity issue while preserving miniaturization benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the mechanical parameter of the waveguide assembly by introducing flexibility through the flexible circuit board. This parameter change allows the assembly to physically adapt to surface irregularities, converting the rigid-high-dielectric combination into a flexible-high-dielectric system that is tolerant of manufacturing variations
2Reliability
If traditional waveguides are used on a dense circuit card assembly, then signal propagation is reliable, but the available board area is insufficient due to high component density
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the dielectric parameter by using a high dielectric constant material in the waveguide structure. This parameter change allows the waveguide to be miniaturized while maintaining signal propagation characteristics, enabling integration on densely populated circuit card assemblies where traditional waveguides would not fit
Solution Approach 2:
The waveguide structure is nested within the existing circuit card assembly architecture, with the flexible circuit board integrating into the available space among other components. This nesting approach allows the waveguide to coexist with high component density without requiring additional board area
3Ease of manufacture
If the CCA surface is not perfectly flat, then manufacturing is easier and tolerances are relaxed, but gaps form between the waveguide and CCA surface affecting impedance transition
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible circuit board provides dynamic adaptation to surface variations, allowing the waveguide assembly to conform to the actual CCA surface geometry rather than requiring perfect flatness. This dynamic capability absorbs manufacturing tolerances and eliminates the need for precision flatness control
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible circuit board performs self-adjustment by naturally bending and conforming to the CCA surface during assembly. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for external adjustment mechanisms or precision machining, allowing easy manufacturing while maintaining good contact
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic circuit assembly comprising: i) a circuit card assembly (CCA) having circuits integrated on a circuit surface; ii) a housing having an upper surface and a lower surface disposed on the CCA circuit surface, the housing comprising a via extending from the lower surface to the upper surface; and iii) a waveguide assembly disposed in the via. The waveguide assembly comprises: a) a first waveguide having a first dielectric value, a contact end of the first waveguide configured to make contact with the CCA circuit surface; b) a second waveguide having a second dielectric value, wherein the first dielectric value is greater than the second dielectric value; and c) a carrier for holding the first waveguide in contact with the second waveguide. The electronic circuit assembly further comprises: iv) a wave washer disposed in the via on a support surface of the carrier; and v) a third waveguide having a third dielectric value that is less than the second dielectric value. The third waveguide is disposed in the via between an end of the second waveguide and the upper surface of the housing. The wave washer presses apart the third waveguide and the waveguide assembly such that the contact end of the first waveguide is pressed into contact with the CCA circuit surface and the third waveguide is pressed into contact with an external circuit disposed above the housing.