VME P2 five row interface adapter assembly, system, and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9595798-B2
Application number	US-201514741549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2015
Priority date	Jun 17, 2015
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

A Versa Module Europa (VME) adapter assembly is configured to operatively couple a subsystem to a five row VME64x chassis. The VME adapter assembly includes an adapter circuit board having a mating contact area proximate to a chassis-mating edge, and at least one area proximate to a system-connecting edge that is configured to couple to the subsystem. A mating plug housing is coupled to the mating contact area and may include a chassis interface insert defining a mating interface area having five aligned rows of contact apertures. The five aligned rows of contact apertures are configured to mate with a same number of aligned rows of contact pins within a backplane connector of the five row VME64x chassis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A Versa Module Europa (VME) adapter assembly configured to operatively couple a subsystem to a five row VME chassis, the VME adapter assembly comprising:
an adapter circuit board having a mating contact area proximate to a chassis-mating edge, and at least one area that is configured to couple to the subsystem, wherein the at least one area of the adapter circuit board comprises a power contact area; and
a mating plug housing that overlies at least a portion of the mating contact area of the adapter circuit board, wherein the mating plug housing comprises a chassis interface insert defining a mating interface area having five aligned rows of contact apertures, wherein the five aligned rows of contact apertures are configured to mate with a same number of aligned rows of contact pins within a backplane connector of the five row VME chassis.

2. The VME adapter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the adapter circuit board is a discrete input adapter circuit board.

3. The VME adapter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the adapter circuit board is a discrete output adapter circuit board.

4. The VME adapter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one area of the adapter circuit board comprises:
an input contact area configured to couple to a first cable that connects to the subsystem; and
an output contact area configured to couple to a second cable that couples to a different input contact area of a different VME adapter assembly.

5. The VME adapter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one area of the adapter circuit board comprises a plurality of configuration selection areas, wherein each of the plurality of configuration selection areas is configured to allow for a desired selection of power and ground formation.

6. The VME adapter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mating contact area includes five rows of contacts connected to the five aligned rows of contact apertures.

7. The VME adapter assembly of claim 6 , wherein less than all of the contacts within the mating contact area are active.

8. The VME adapter assembly of claim 6 , wherein each of the contacts within at least one of the five rows of the mating contact area are deactivated.

9. The VME adapter assembly of claim 6 , wherein only two of the five rows within the mating contact area are active, wherein one of the two of the five rows within the mating contact area includes alternating signal and ground contacts, and wherein the other of the two of the five rows within the mating contact area includes only ground contacts.

10. The VME adapter assembly of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the contacts within the mating contact area comprises a keying shape configured to ensure proper orientation of the adapter circuit board with respect to the mating plug housing.

11. The VME adapter assembly of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the five rows within the mating contact area includes different shaped contacts to facilitate routing of traces therebetween.

12. A system comprising:
a subsystem configured to be tested;
a five row VME chassis comprising a plurality of backplane connectors; and
a plurality of Versa Module Europa (VME) adapter assemblies operatively coupling the subsystem to the five row VME chassis, wherein each of the VME adapter assemblies comprises:
an adapter circuit board comprising a power contact area, a mating contact area proximate to a chassis-mating edge, and at least one area proximate to a system-connecting edge that is configured to couple to the subsystem, wherein the mating contact area includes five rows of contacts; and
a mating plug housing that overlies at least a portion of the mating contact area of the adapter circuit board, wherein the mating plug housing comprises a chassis interface insert defining a mating interface area having five aligned rows of contact apertures connected to the five rows of contacts of the mating contact area at a right angle, wherein the five aligned rows of contact apertures mate with a same number of aligned rows of contact pins within the backplane connector of the five row VME chassis, and wherein each of the adapter circuit board is one of a discrete input adapter circuit board or a discrete output adapter circuit board.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one area of the adapter circuit board of at least one of the VME adapter assemblies further comprises:
an input contact area configured to couple to a first cable that connects to the system;
an output contact area configured to couple to a second cable that couples to a different input contact area of a different VME adapter assembly; and
a plurality of configuration selection areas, wherein each of the plurality of configuration selection areas is configured to allow for a desired selection of power and ground formation.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein less than all of the contacts within the mating contact area are active.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein only two of the five rows within the mating contact area are active, wherein one of the two of the five rows within the mating contact area includes alternating signal and ground contacts, and wherein the other of the two of the five rows within the mating contact area includes only ground contacts.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the contacts within the mating contact area comprises a keying shape configured to ensure proper orientation of the adapter circuit board with respect to the mating plug housing.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the five rows includes different shaped contacts to facilitate routing of traces therebetween.

18. A Versa Module Europa (VME) adapter assembly configured to operatively couple a subsystem to a five row VME chassis, the VME adapter assembly comprising:
an adapter circuit board having a mating contact area proximate to a chassis-mating edge, and at least one area that is configured to couple to the subsystem, wherein the at least one area of the adapter circuit board comprises: (a) an input contact area configured to couple to a first cable that connects to the subsystem; and (b) an output contact area configured to couple to a second cable that couples to a different input contact area of a different VME adapter assembly; and
a mating plug housing that overlies at least a portion of the mating contact area of the adapter circuit board, wherein the mating plug housing comprises a chassis interface insert defining a mating interface area having five aligned rows of contact apertures, wherein the five aligned rows of contact apertures are configured to mate with a same number of aligned rows of contact pins within a backplane connector of the five row VME chassis.

19. The VME adapter assembly of claim 18 , wherein the at least one area of the adapter circuit board comprises a plurality of configuration selection areas, wherein each of the plurality of configuration selection areas is configured to allow for a desired selection of power and ground formation.

20. The VME adapter assembly of claim 18 , wherein the mating contact area includes five rows of contacts connected to the five aligned rows of contact apertures, wherein only two of the five rows within the mating contact area are active, wherein one of the two of the five rows within the mating contact area includes alternating signal and ground contacts, and wherein the other of the two of the five rows within the mating contact area includes only ground contacts.

21. A Versa Module Europa (VME) a

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Safarli Artoush
• Mccuen Patrick Jay

Classifications

• H01R24/68 Primary

  mounted on directly pluggable apparatus · CPC title

• H01R13/514

  composed as a modular blocks or assembly, i.e. composed of co-operating parts provided with contact members or holding contact members between them · CPC title

• H01R12/71 Primary

  for rigid printing circuits or like structures · CPC title

• H01R13/46

  Bases; Cases · CPC title

• G06F13/409 Primary

  Mechanical coupling (back panels H05K7/1438) · CPC title