Loop-Shaped IC Card Socket Connector Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed integrated circuit (IC) card sockets experience signal transfer speed decreases and cross-talk due to physical contact between connectors, leading to electrical shorts and noise.
Innovation Solution
The IC card socket design features a connector with a loop or pigtail shape that extends from the fixing portion, allowing it to contact the IC card and motherboard securely while minimizing horizontal length, thus reducing cross-talk and noise, and incorporating an insulating material for the fixing portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If connectors are disposed in plural columns to connect multiple pads, then the IC card can achieve high speed and high performance, but the connectors may physically contact each other to generate electrical short
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is designed with a loop shape that extends in multiple directions rather than straight lines, effectively utilizing three-dimensional space. The loop configuration allows the connector to reach multiple pads while maintaining separation from adjacent connectors, preventing electrical shorts while preserving high-speed signal transfer capability across multiple columns
2Adaptability or versatility
If the connector length is increased to connect more pads, then more pads can be connected, but the signal transfer speed decreases according to the length of each connector
Solution Approach 1:
The loop-shaped connector utilizes vertical and lateral extensions to connect to multiple pads without requiring excessive horizontal length. By configuring the connector to extend upward and then laterally to contact pads, the design reduces the effective signal path length while maintaining the ability to connect to multiple pads, thereby preserving signal transfer speed
3Productivity
If connectors are arranged closely to connect multiple pads, then the socket can handle high-performance IC cards, but cross-talk may be generated between the connectors
Solution Approach 1:
The loop-shaped connector configuration increases the physical separation between adjacent connectors by extending them in vertical and lateral directions rather than arranging them in tight parallel rows. This spatial arrangement reduces electromagnetic interference and cross-talk between connectors while maintaining the socket's capability to handle high-performance IC cards with multiple pads
4Reliability
If the connector is made rigid to ensure stable contact, then the contact reliability improves, but the connector cannot adapt to manufacturing tolerances and assembly variations
Solution Approach 1:
The connector incorporates a flexible loop configuration that allows controlled deformation and movement. This dynamic structure enables the connector to adapt to manufacturing tolerances and assembly variations by flexing and repositioning, while the loop shape itself provides structural stability to maintain reliable electrical contact under varying conditions
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit (IC) card socket includes a frame having a fixing portion and a connector. The connector includes a first portion fixed by the fixing portion, a second portion connected to one end of the first portion to contact a motherboard, and a third portion connected to another end of the first portion. The third portion has a shape of at least a portion of a loop, and a portion of the third portion contacts an IC card moving toward the third portion.