Right-Angle High-Speed Connector Shielding for Crosstalk Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors face challenges in supporting high-speed data transmission and meeting industry standards for high-frequency operations, such as PCIe/SAS, due to issues like crosstalk, impedance variation, and mechanical strength, particularly in connectors with right-angle configurations.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a connector subassembly with conductive elements aligned in a row, featuring insulative and shielding members, and a lossy member to reduce crosstalk and impedance variation, while maintaining mechanical strength. This includes ground conductors with slots for wider displacement and signal conductors with exposed intermediate portions, along with a shielding member projecting from the insulative member to provide enhanced shielding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a right angle connector configuration is used to connect daughterboards to the backplane, then the connector can be easily assembled and meet standard interface requirements, but the mechanical strength and signal integrity deteriorate due to increased crosstalk and impedance variation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the structure of signal conductors versus ground conductors. Signal conductors have exposed intermediate portions to minimize crosstalk, while ground conductors have slots to provide wider displacement and maintain mechanical strength. This localized structural differentiation resolves the contradiction by optimizing each conductor type for its specific function while maintaining overall connector reliability and ease of assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a shielding member that projects from the insulative member in the right angle connector configuration. This adds a new dimensional element (the projecting shielding portion) that provides enhanced shielding for high-speed signals without altering the fundamental right angle assembly geometry, thereby maintaining ease of operation while improving signal integrity.
2Reliability
If the intermediate portion of ground conductors is made wider to reduce crosstalk, then signal integrity improves, but the mechanical strength and displacement capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by making the intermediate portion of ground conductors narrower (with slots) rather than wider. This counterintuitive design allows the ground conductors to have greater displacement capability and maintain mechanical strength, while the slots themselves provide the crosstalk reduction benefit through improved signal confinement and reduced electromagnetic coupling between adjacent signal conductors.
3Strength
If signal conductors are fully enclosed by insulative material for mechanical protection, then mechanical strength improves, but impedance control and crosstalk reduction deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selectively exposing only the intermediate portions of signal conductors while keeping the mating ends and mounting ends enclosed by insulative material. This localized exposure provides impedance control and crosstalk reduction where needed (in the intermediate portion) while maintaining mechanical protection at the connection points, thereby resolving the contradiction between mechanical strength and impedance control.
4Reliability
If a shielding member is added to provide enhanced shielding for high-speed signals, then signal integrity improves, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the shielding function with the existing insulative member by integrating a shielding member that projects from it. This combination approach provides enhanced shielding for high-speed signals while utilizing the existing insulative structure, thereby reducing overall device complexity compared to adding a completely separate shielding system. The merged design maintains signal integrity without proportionally increasing manufacturing difficulty.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector for use with high-speed signals. The connector includes conductive elements held in a row by an insulative member, a shielding member stacked on the insulative member, and a lossy member stacked on the shielding member and electrically connecting the shielding member to selected ones of the conductive elements. Each conductive element includes a mating end and a mounting end opposite the mating end. The insulative member includes first and second edges extending parallel to the row. The first edge and second edge are closer to the mating ends and mounting ends of the conductive elements, respectively. The shielding member includes a portion projecting from the first edge to provide shielding to the conductive elements beyond the first edge of the insulative member. Such a configuration meets signal integrity requirements in connectors designed for 64 Gbps and beyond, while conforming to a standard that constrains mating and mounting interfaces.