Skew Controlled Leadframe for Contact Module Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional right angle connectors face challenges in reducing signal skew due to varying terminal lengths, which increases manufacturing complexity and cost, and existing solutions struggle to exactly match terminal lengths, leading to persistent skew issues.
Innovation Solution
A leadframe design with terminals configured in specific patterns, where the difference in lengths between terminals is consistent across different patterns, ensuring equal skew between signal contacts, thereby reducing signal degradation without increasing manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If different leadframes are designed and manufactured for each contact module having different terminal and/or contact patterns, then the electrical performance of the connector is enhanced by reducing crosstalk, but the difficulty and/or cost of manufacturing the connector increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a single leadframe structure that can serve multiple contact modules with different terminal and contact patterns. The leadframe is configured with terminals that can be arranged in various patterns (e.g., signal-signal-ground or ground-signal-signal) to reduce crosstalk between adjacent contact modules, while maintaining a统一的 manufacturing process. This allows one leadframe design to fulfill multiple functions across different contact module configurations, thereby enhancing electrical performance without increasing manufacturing complexity or cost.
2Reliability
If the lengths of terminals are physically lengthened to address skew, then signal degradation is reduced, but the complexity and cost of exactly matching terminal lengths increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making selective modifications to specific terminals rather than uniformly adjusting all terminals. The leadframe is designed with specific terminals having adjusted lengths or configurations to compensate for skew in differential signal pairs. This localized adjustment approach allows signal quality to be improved by addressing skew only where necessary, without requiring complex matching of all terminal lengths, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining reliable signal transmission.
Data Source
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AI summary
A leadframe for a contact module assembly comprises a terminal set (TS1, TS2, TS3, TS4, TS5) having first, second and third terminals (T1, T2, T3) configured to operate in one of a signal-signal-ground pattern and a ground-signal-signal pattern. Each of the terminals has a length that extends between a mating end (20) and a mounting end (56). A difference in the lengths between the first terminal (T1) and the second terminal (T2) is the same as a difference in the lengths between the second terminal (T2) and the third terminal (T3) such that the terminal set has the same amount of skew between the terminals defining signal contacts in both the signal-signal-ground pattern and the ground-signal-signal pattern.