Hybrid Cable Assembly Merging Optical and Electrical Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable assemblies face limitations in signal transmission distance and data transfer rate with copper wires, and lack power supply functionality with optical fiber cables, making them unsuitable for high-speed and long-distance applications.
Innovation Solution
A cable assembly incorporating an electrical-optical hybrid cable with a printed circuit board connected to both optical fibers and copper wires, along with optoelectronic components for signal conversion and a metallic shell for enclosure, enabling simultaneous high-speed optical and electrical signal transmission and power supply.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If copper wires are used for signal transmission, then lower cost and stable signal transmission are achieved, but transmission distance is limited and data transfer rate cannot meet high-speed requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines copper wires and optical fibers into a single cable assembly, allowing copper wires to handle short-distance stable electrical signals while optical fibers handle long-distance high-speed optical signals, thus resolving the contradiction between transmission stability and distance
2Reliability
If copper wires are used for signal transmission, then lower cost and stable signal transmission are achieved, but data transfer rate cannot meet higher requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The cable assembly merges copper wires for stable electrical signal transmission with optical fibers for high-speed data transfer, allowing the system to simultaneously achieve signal stability and high data transfer rates by using the appropriate medium for each signal type
3Length of moving object
If optical fiber is used as transmission medium, then long transmission distance and very high data transmission rate are achieved, but power supply function cannot be provided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines optical fibers for long-distance high-speed data transmission with copper wires for power supply and electrical signals, making the cable assembly versatile by providing data transmission, power supply, and electrical signal functions simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The cable assembly is designed to perform multiple functions: optical fibers handle data transmission, copper wires provide power supply and electrical signals, making the single cable assembly universal and adaptable to various application requirements
Data Source
AI summary
A cable assembly comprises: an insulative housing; a plurality of contacts received into the insulative housing; a printed circuit board located behind the insulative housing and electrically connected with the plurality of contacts; a metallic shell enclosing the insulative housing and the printed circuit board; an insulative shell enclosing a rear portion of the metallic shell; and a cable having a plurality of optical fibers coupled to a top surface of the printed circuit board and a plurality of copper wires electrically connected to a bottom surface of the printed circuit board.