Edge Launch RF Connector Arms for Flush PCB Grounding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional edge launch RF connectors face challenges in mounting flush with circuit boards, leading to poor RF transition at higher frequencies due to manufacturing tolerances, which results in reduced performance and requires time-consuming manual soldering to address gaps.
Innovation Solution
The edge launch RF signal connector features ground contact tabs with protruding arms that extend radially inwardly to cover gaps between the connector and the substrate, reducing the RF ground path and eliminating the need for manual soldering, with the arms and tabs being integrally formed with the connector body for simplified manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional edge launch RF connectors are mounted on circuit boards, then the connector can transmit RF signals, but manufacturing tolerances create gaps between the connector and substrate that cause poor RF transition at higher frequencies
Solution Approach 1:
The ground contact tabs with protruding arms are pre-configured on the connector body before mounting. These arms extend toward the substrate and make contact to cover gaps that would otherwise be created by manufacturing tolerances, thereby preliminarily compensating for potential misalignment issues before the actual RF signal transmission begins
Solution Approach 2:
The protruding arms of the ground contact tabs serve as an intermediary element between the connector body and the substrate. These arms fill the gap created by manufacturing tolerances and provide a continuous RF ground path, mediating the connection between the connector and substrate to maintain signal integrity
2Reliability
If manual touch labor soldering is used to cover gaps in the ground plane, then the RF connection is improved, but the manufacturing time and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is designed with self-adjusting ground contact tabs that have protruding arms which automatically extend to cover gaps in the ground plane during the mounting process. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual soldering operations, as the connector itself performs the function of compensating for manufacturing tolerances without requiring additional manual intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the manual soldering step from the manufacturing process. By integrating the gap-covering function directly into the connector structure through the protruding arms, the need for separate manual touch labor soldering operations is completely removed, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency
3Reliability
If the connector is mounted flush with the substrate, then RF transition is improved, but achieving precise alignment is difficult due to manufacturing tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical configuration of the ground contact elements by adding protruding arms to the ground contact tabs. This parameter change in the ground contact structure allows the arms to extend and make contact with the substrate, compensating for misalignment and making the mounting process easier while maintaining flush mounting benefits
Data Source
AI summary
An edge launch radio frequency (RF) signal connector includes ground contact tabs that have radially extending arms. The arms cover a gap between a substrate, such as a circuit board, and the connector to reduce the RF ground path between the RF reference ground and a signal pin supported by the connector. The arms extend radially inwardly from the protruding ground contact tabs toward a central support aperture that supports the signal pin. The arms and the ground contact tabs are formed integrally with the main connector body as one piece. The arms and the ground contact tabs may be planar in shape such that the arms and the ground contact tabs lie flush on the substrate when the connector is arranged over the edge of the substrate.