Very high speed, high density electrical interconnection system with edge to broadside transition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9905975-B2
Application number	US-201515113371-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2015
Priority date	Jan 22, 2014
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

A modular electrical connector with broad-side coupled signal conductors in a right angle intermediate portion and edge coupled end portions. Broadside coupling provides balanced pairs for very high frequency operation, while edge coupling provides a high density interconnection system at low cost. Each module has separately shielded signal conductor pairs. The shielding is shaped to avoid or suppress undesirable propagation modes within an enclosure formed by shielding per module. Lossy material is selectively placed within and outside the shielding per module to likewise avoid or suppress unwanted signal propagation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector comprising:
a pair of signal conductors comprising a first signal conductor and a second signal conductor, each of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor comprising:
a plurality of end portions, comprising at least a first end portion and a second end portion;
a contact tail formed at the first end portion;
a mating contact portion formed at the second end portion;
an intermediate portion joining the first end portion and the second end portion; and
a transition region between the intermediate portion and an end portion of the plurality of end portions;
wherein the signal conductors of the pair are configured such that:
the intermediate portion of the first signal conductor is adjacent to and parallel to the intermediate portion of the second signal conductor so as to provide broadside coupling between the intermediate portions of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor; and
an end portion of the plurality of end portions of the first signal conductor is disposed adjacent to an end portion of the plurality of end portions of the second signal conductor so as to provide edge coupling between said end portion of the first signal conductor and said end portion of the second signal conductor, and
wherein the electrical connector further comprises at least one lossy member adjacent to the transition region.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one shield member extending around the pair by more than 270 degrees whereby the pair is substantially enclosed within the at least one shield member.

3. The electrical connector of claim 2 ,
wherein the at least one lossy member is enclosed within the at least one shield member.

4. The electrical connector of claim 3 , wherein:
the at least one lossy member comprises a lossy member positioned between the edge coupled end portions of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor.

5. The electrical connector of claim 3 , wherein:
the at least one lossy member comprises a lossy member positioned adjacent to the broadside coupled intermediate portions of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor.

6. The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein:
the at least one shield member comprises a slot parallel to the intermediate portions of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor.

7. The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein:
the at least one shield member forms an enclosure for the pair; and
the connector further comprises lossy material contacting the at least one shield member external to the enclosure.

8. The electrical connector of claim 7 , wherein:
the at least one shield member and the pair of signal conductors comprise a first module; and
the electrical connector comprises a plurality of additional modules, each of the plurality of additional modules comprising:
a pair of signal conductors comprising a first signal conductor and a second signal conductor, each of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor comprising:
a plurality of end portions, comprising at least a first end portion and a second end portion;
a contact tail formed at the first end portion;
a mating contact portion formed at the second end portion;
an intermediate portion joining the first end portion and the second end portion; and
a transition region between the intermediate portion and an end portion of the plurality of end portions;
wherein the conductors of the pair are configured such that:
the intermediate portion of the first signal conductor is adjacent to and parallel to the intermediate portion of the second signal conductor so as to provide broadside coupling between the intermediate portions of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor; and
an end portion of the plurality of end portions of the first signal conductor is disposed adjacent to an end portion of the plurality of end portions of the second signal conductor so as to provide edge coupling between said end portion of the first signal conductor and said end portion of the second signal conductor, and
wherein each of the plurality module further comprises at least one lossy member adjacent to the transition region;
wherein:
the module and the plurality of additional modules are arranged in a column such that the end portions of the signal conductors in the module and the additional modules are aligned parallel to the column.

9. The electrical connector of claim 8 , wherein:
the edge coupled edge portions comprise press fit complaint members.

10. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein:
the electrical connector further comprises at least one shield member substantially enclosing the pair, the at least one shield member configured to encircle the pair by a first angular extent in the transition region and by a second angular extent adjacent the broadside coupled intermediate portions; and
the first angular extent is greater than the second angular extent.

11. The electrical connector of claim 10 , wherein:
the second angular extent is less than 355 degrees.

12. An electrical connector comprising:
a pair of signal conductors comprising a first signal conductor and a second signal conductor, each of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor comprising:
a plurality of end portions, comprising at least a first end portion and a second end portion,
a contact tail formed at the first end portion,
a mating contact portion formed at the second end portion, and
an intermediate portion joining the first end portion and the second end portion; and
at least one lossy member, the at least one lossy member comprising a lossy member positioned between the end portions of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor,
wherein the signal conductors of the pair are configured such that:
the intermediate portion of the first signal conductor is adjacent to and parallel to the intermediate portion of the second signal conductor so as to provide broadside coupling between the intermediate portions of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor;
an end portion of the plurality of end portions of the first signal conductor is disposed adjacent to an end portion of the plurality of end portions of the second signal conductor so as to provide edge coupling between said end portion of the first signal conductor and said end portion of the second signal conductor, and

wherein:
the lossy member comprises a projection aligned with a centerline between the broadside coupled intermediate portions of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor, the projection projecting toward the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor.

13. An electrical connector comprising:
a pair of signal conductors comprising a first signal conductor and a second signal conductor, each of the first signal conductor and the second signal conductor comprising:
a plurality of end portions, comprising at least a first end portion and a second end portion,
a contact tail formed at the first end portion,
a mating contact portion formed at the second end portion, and
an intermediate portion joining the first end portion and the second end portion; and
at least one shield member extending around the pair by more than 270 degrees whereby the pair of signal conductors is substantially enclosed within the at least one shield member,
wherein the signal conductors of the pair are configured such that:
the intermediate portion of the first signal conductor is adjacent to and parallel to the interme

Assignees

• Amphenol Corp

Inventors

• Cartier Jr Marc B
• Dunham John Robert
• Gailus Mark W
• Girard Jr Donald A
• Kirk Brian
• Levine David
• Sivarajan Vysakh

Classifications

• H01R12/737

  Printed circuits being substantially perpendicular to each other (for printed connections H05K3/366) · CPC title

• H01R13/6585

  Shielding material individually surrounding or interposed between mutually spaced contacts · CPC title

• H01R13/6587 Primary

  for mounting on PCBs · CPC title

• Y10T29/4922

  with molding of insulation · CPC title

• H01R13/6599

  Dielectric material made conductive, e.g. plastic material coated with metal · CPC title