Modular Connector Assembly for Variable Terminal Pair Requirements
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Solution Overview
Problem
In frame devices, connectors of the same specification are often used for line card boards and switch fabric units, leading to idle terminal pairs and increased costs due to mismatched specifications, resulting in waste and inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
The development of N/M serial and Y/X serial connectors, which adjust the number of terminal pairs based on actual requirements, allowing for customizable specifications while maintaining docking capability, using placeholder modules to ensure structural stability and reduced production costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If connectors of the same specification are used for all line card boards, then docking capability is ensured, but terminal pairs are wasted and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is segmented into multiple terminal modules, where each terminal module contains a set of terminal pairs. By selectively removing certain terminal modules, the connector can be customized to match the specific requirements of different line card boards, ensuring that only the necessary terminal pairs are present while maintaining docking capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Certain terminal modules are extracted (removed) from the connector based on the specific specification requirements of the line card board. This extraction eliminates unnecessary terminal pairs that would otherwise remain idle, reducing material waste and costs while preserving the essential docking functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If connectors with more terminal pairs are used, then adaptability to different line card specifications is improved, but costs and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connector design enables dynamic adaptation to different line card specifications by selectively removing terminal modules. Instead of manufacturing multiple fixed-specification connectors, a single base connector design can be dynamically customized to match various line card requirements, reducing the variety of connector specifications needed.
Solution Approach 2:
A universal base connector design is created that can accommodate different line card specifications through the selective removal of terminal modules. This multi-functional approach allows a single connector type to serve multiple purposes across different line card configurations, reducing the need for multiple specialized connector designs.
3Productivity
If all terminal pairs in a connector are used, then resource utilization is optimized, but line card boards with lower specifications cannot be properly supported
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly using all terminal pairs in a connector, the design applies local quality by selectively activating only the terminal pairs needed for specific line card specifications. Different regions of the connector (terminal modules) have different states (present or removed) based on the local requirements of the connected line card board.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector, a frame device, and a connector assembly method. Some terminal modules in the connector provided in the present disclosure are removed, or some terminal pairs in the terminal module are removed, so that a quantity of terminal pairs included in the connector is reduced without changing an outline dimension of the connector, thereby ensuring an original docking capability of the connector. In addition, a serial connector may be formed based on different quantities of removed terminal modules or removed terminal pairs. In this way, in the frame device, a user may select a connector of a corresponding specification based on an actual specification of a board, instead of selecting connectors of a high specification uniformly.