Pin Grid Array Socket with Stepped Interior Walls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sockets have limited contact density, which restricts the number of signals that can be sent to processors and may result in larger electronic package sizes due to the need for increased space to accommodate more connections.
Innovation Solution
The design of the socket includes a base with interior walls forming openings that secure contacts with projections and indentations, allowing for higher contact density and reduced pitch through the use of stepped and tapered sections, enabling more signals to be delivered to processors while minimizing the socket size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional socket designs are used, then the socket structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the contact density is limited and the socket size is large
Solution Approach 1:
The socket is divided into multiple tiers or levels, with contacts arranged at different heights and positions. This segmentation allows contacts to be packed more densely in three-dimensional space rather than being limited to a single plane, thereby increasing contact density while maintaining a manageable structural organization
Solution Approach 2:
The contact arrangement transitions from a two-dimensional planar layout to a three-dimensional configuration utilizing vertical spacing and multiple tiers. This dimensional change enables significantly higher contact density within the same footprint area, allowing more signals to be transmitted without proportionally increasing the socket's overall size
2Quantity of substance
If contact density is increased to send more signals to processors, then the number of simultaneous signals increases, but the socket size may increase
Solution Approach 1:
By arranging contacts in multiple tiers at different vertical levels, the socket utilizes three-dimensional space to accommodate more contacts within a compact footprint. This allows the number of signals to be increased without a proportional increase in the socket's planar area, as contacts are stacked vertically rather than only expanding horizontally
3Quantity of substance
If contact density is increased through traditional means, then more contacts can be added, but the pitch between contacts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contact array is segmented into multiple tiers or groups at different heights. This segmentation allows the total number of contacts to be distributed across multiple levels, maintaining a small pitch within each tier while achieving high overall contact density through the cumulative effect of multiple segments stacked vertically
Solution Approach 2:
The contact layout transitions from a single-plane arrangement to a multi-level three-dimensional configuration. This dimensional change enables the pitch between contacts to remain small within each tier while increasing contact density by adding more tiers, effectively decoupling contact density from pitch increase
Data Source
AI summary
An example socket includes a plurality of contacts and a base. The base includes exterior walls and interior walls which extend between the exterior walls to form openings within the base such that each opening in the base includes one of the contacts. At least some interior walls include indentations that are adapted to receive projections on the contacts such that when the projections on the contacts are positioned within indentations in the interior walls, the contacts are secured to the base. Another example socket includes a first group of the interior walls that is oriented in a first direction and a second group of the interior walls oriented in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction. The first and second groups of interior walls form openings within the base with the first group of interior walls being higher than the second group of interior walls.