Wafer Shielding for High-Density Electrical Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing backplane connectors face challenges in supporting high data rates and require further performance improvements, particularly in density and efficiency as processing power and information transfer rates increase.
Innovation Solution
A connector system featuring a housing with signal and ground terminals arranged in an array, with wafers supporting edge-coupled signal terminals and a shield electrically connected to ground terminals through projections, enhancing signal integrity and density.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of pins per area is increased to achieve higher density, then the data transfer rate and processing capability are improved, but the signal integrity and resistance to spurious signals deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested shield structure where an inner shield is positioned within an outer shield, creating multiple layers of electromagnetic protection. The inner shield is associated with the signal terminal pair, while the outer shield encompasses multiple signal pairs, forming a nested configuration that protects high-density signal transmissions from interference
Solution Approach 2:
Ground terminals are positioned between signal terminal pairs and electrically connected to both the inner and outer shields, serving as intermediary elements that provide reference potential and shield the signal paths from electromagnetic interference in high-density configurations
2Productivity
If the connector is designed to support high data rates with multiple differential signal pairs, then the performance capability is improved, but the device complexity and housing size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into modular components including a header with housing, multiple wafers with signal and ground terminals, and nested shield structures. Each wafer can be independently configured with specific numbers of signal pairs, allowing the system to be segmented into functional units that can be assembled in different configurations
Solution Approach 2:
The connector design uses universal terminal structures and standardized wafer configurations that can support different numbers of signal pairs (e.g., 10, 20, or more pairs) within the same basic architecture, allowing a single design to serve multiple performance levels and application requirements
3Reliability
If ground terminals are positioned between signal terminal pairs to provide shielding, then the resistance to spurious signals is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ground terminals are merged with the wafer structure itself rather than being separate components. The ground terminals are formed as integral parts of the wafer, with conductive traces that are simultaneously created during the wafer manufacturing process, eliminating the need for separate assembly steps to attach ground terminals
Data Source
AI summary
A daughter card is constructed with a housing and a plurality of wafers retained in the housing. Each wafer includes a lead frame having a plurality of signal and ground terminals where the signal terminals are a differential pair. The lead frame includes an insulative frame portion with a conductive shield positioned on a side of the lead frame. The shield is secured to the lead frame by a projection extending from the shield to the ground terminals.