Ground Coupling Assembly for High Speed Electrical Connectors
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed electrical connectors experience significant cross-talk due to the close spacing of signal contacts, which compromises signal integrity, especially in miniaturized electronic devices with high-speed signal transmission.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a shieldless ground coupling assembly that electrically connects ground contacts within the connector, shifting unwanted spikes in insertion loss resonance frequencies to higher frequencies, thereby reducing cross-talk and enhancing signal integrity without altering the connector's form factor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If signal contacts are closely spaced to achieve miniaturization, then device size is reduced, but cross-talk between adjacent signal contacts increases
Solution Approach 1:
Ground contacts are introduced as intermediary elements between adjacent signal contacts. These ground contacts act as mediators that block electromagnetic field coupling between signal contacts, thereby reducing cross-talk while allowing signal contacts to remain closely spaced for miniaturization
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical characteristics of the connector are modified by changing the impedance matching and resonance frequency parameters. By adjusting these electrical parameters, the connector can operate at higher frequencies with reduced cross-talk, enabling high-speed data transmission in a compact form factor
2Reliability
If ground contacts are added to reduce cross-talk, then signal integrity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple ground contacts are electrically connected together through a ground coupling assembly, merging them into a single functional unit. This reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall connector structure while maintaining the cross-talk reduction benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The ground contacts serve multiple functions: they act as shields between signal contacts to reduce cross-talk, provide reference potential for signal transmission, and when coupled together, form a unified grounding system that simplifies the connector design
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
The solution effectively increases the usable bandwidth of electrical connectors by shifting resonance frequencies, allowing them to operate at higher data transmission rates while maintaining acceptable insertion loss and crosstalk levels, thus improving signal integrity and compatibility with new standards.
Implementation Method 1
shifting unwanted spikes in insertion loss resonance frequencies to higher frequencies
Data Source
AI summary
Example electrical connectors are provided including a plurality of electrical contacts configured to communicate between electrical devices. The plurality of electrical contacts includes a plurality of ground contacts. A ground coupling assembly is configured to electrically connect ground contacts of an electrical connector to adjust a performance characteristic of the electrical connector as desired.