Helically insulated twinax cable systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9922751-B2
Application number	US-201615088924-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2016
Priority date	Apr 1, 2016
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

A helically wound insulated twinax cable reduces cable dielectric loss by increasing the percentage of air in the dielectric filler surrounding the signal conductors. The helical insulator wire winding further provides mechanical support and reduces the risk of creating an electrical short-circuit. This will improve differential signaling capability of the two-conductor cable and enable longer cable range.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first conductor and a second conductor, the second conductor substantially parallel to the first conductor;
an insulator wire wound in a figure eight pattern around the first conductor and second conductor, the figure eight pattern including the insulator wire in a first helical winding around the first conductor, between the first conductor and the second conductor, and in a second helical winding around the second conductor; and
a shield wrapping disposed around the insulator wire to form air pockets between insulator wire windings.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a helical winding pitch is varied between successive helical windings.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the helical winding pitch is varied between a minimum pitch and a maximum pitch.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the helical winding pitch increases monotonically to the maximum pitch and subsequently decreases monotonically to the minimum pitch.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the minimum pitch is selected based on a desired air percentage value.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the maximum pitch is selected based on a desired conductor isolation to provide differential signaling.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the helical winding pitch is varied randomly between successive helical windings.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the insulator wire includes an insulating material with an associated low dielectric constant.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the insulator wire includes polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shield wrapping includes a composite of copper and polyethylene terephthalate.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Zhang Zhichao
• Ouyang Gong
• Xiao Kai
• Li Eric J
• Aygun Kemal

Classifications

• H01B11/1856 Primary

  Discontinuous insulation · CPC title

• H01B13/08

  by winding · CPC title

• H01B13/22

  Sheathing; Armouring; Screening; Applying other protective layers (H01B13/32 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K9/0098

  for shielding electrical cables · CPC title

• H01B7/0241 Primary

  comprising one or more helical wrapped layers of insulation · CPC title