Routing Assembly Bypassing Motherboard Traces for High-Speed Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional circuit boards using FR4 material suffer from significant signal loss at high speeds above 6 Gbps, requiring additional components like amplifiers and equalizers, which increase costs and complexity, while custom materials reduce losses but are costly and difficult to route effectively for high-speed applications.
Innovation Solution
An integrated routing assembly with an L-shaped configuration using cables to directly connect chip packages to external connectors, eliminating the need for high-speed traces on the motherboard, featuring twin-ax cables and flexible connectors to minimize signal loss and space requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If FR4 material is used for circuit boards, then cost is reduced, but signal loss increases significantly at high speeds above 6 Gbps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the high-speed signal transmission function from the FR4 circuit board material and relocates it to specialized cable assemblies (twin-ax cables) that are integrated into a routing assembly. This separates the low-speed control signals (which remain on the FR4 board) from the high-speed data signals (which use dedicated cables), thereby eliminating signal loss issues while maintaining cost effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cable assemblies as intermediary components between the chip package and external connectors. These cables serve as mediators that specialize in high-speed signal transmission, bridging the gap between the FR4 circuit board and external interfaces without requiring the entire board to use expensive alternative materials.
2Loss of energy
If custom materials like MEGATRON are used to reduce signal loss, then material performance improves, but cost increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using specialized cable materials only where high-speed signal transmission is required (in the cable assemblies), rather than upgrading the entire circuit board material. This localized approach achieves the necessary signal integrity for high-speed applications while keeping the overall system cost manageable by using standard FR4 for the rest of the board.
3Ease of operation
If transmission line traces are routed on the motherboard, then connectivity is achieved, but trace length exceeds threshold causing reflection and noise problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the high-speed signal paths from the motherboard trace routing and consolidates them into dedicated cable assemblies. This extraction reduces the effective transmission path length and eliminates the reflection and noise problems associated with long, bent traces on the motherboard, while maintaining full connectivity between the chip package and external connectors.
4Reliability
If amplifiers and equalizers are added to correct signal losses, then signal quality improves, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potential harm of signal loss into a benefit by using cable assemblies with controlled impedance and optimized routing that prevent signal degradation in the first place. This proactive approach eliminates the need for corrective components like amplifiers and equalizers, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining signal quality.
Data Source
AI summary
A routing assembly for an electronic device has a front face with an array of connectors ports and each of the connector ports contain a first connector mounted therein. A first end of a cable can be directly terminated to the first connectors and the cables can be embedded in a tray that is configured to extend toward a chip package. The cables extend from the tray and terminates to a second connector that can be electrically connected to the chip package so as to provide a communication path between the first connector and the second connector that substantially bypasses a supporting circuit board.