Cable implementing active connector for modulating differential signals by PAM configuration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9966705-B2
Application number	US-201514864553-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2015
Priority date	Sep 25, 2014
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

An intelligent cable is disclosed. The cable provides a connector and a metal core. The connector is pluggably coupled with an external apparatus and enclosing a circuit unit electrically connected to an external apparatus. The metal core is electrically connected to the circuit unit in the connector. The circuit unit includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter receives input signals from the external apparatus and outputs a transmitted signal to the metal core. The receiver receives the transmitted signal from the metal core and provides output signals to the external apparatus. A feature of the cable is that the transmitter modulates the input signals and the receiver de-modulates the transmitted signal both by the PAM configuration.

First claim

I claim:

1. A cable for transmitting a transmitted signal, comprising:
a connector that is pluggably coupled with an external apparatus, the connector providing a circuit unit electrically connected to a circuit in the external apparatus, the circuit unit including at least one of a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter receiving input signals from the external apparatus and outputting the transmitted signal, the receiver receiving another transmitted signal and outputting output signals to the external apparatus; and
a metal core connected to the at least one of the transmitter and the receiver in the circuit unit, the metal core being disposed within the cable,
wherein the transmitter in the circuit unit modulates the input signals; outputs the modulated signal with a pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) configuration to the metal core as the transmitted signal; provides a pair of output terminals for outputting the transmitted signal as a differential arrangement terminates one of the output terminals; and transmits the transmitted signal from another of the output terminals to the metal core in an alternating current (AC) mode,
wherein the receiver in the circuit unit de-modulates the another transmitted signal with the PAM configuration provided from the metal core to generate de-modulated signals; outputs the de-modulated signals to the external apparatus as the output signals; provides a pair of input terminals for receiving the another transmitted signal as the differential arrangement terminates one of the input terminals; and receives the another transmitted signal from the metal core through another of the input terminals in the AC mode, and
wherein the transmitted signal and the another transmitted signal are a single-ended arrangement.

2. A cable for transmitting a transmitted signal, comprising:
a metal core involved within the cable; and
a connector that is pluggably coupled with an external apparatus, the connector providing a circuit unit; a circuit board that includes an area for mounting the circuit unit; an interface electrically coupled with the external apparatus and the circuit unit; another interface that includes a pad electrically connected to the circuit unit and attaching the metal core thereto; and a housing that encloses the circuit unit and the circuit board therein, the circuit unit including at least one of a transmitter and a receiver connected to the metal core,
wherein the transmitter in the circuit unit receives input signals, modulates the input signals to generate a modulated signal with a pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) configuration; and outputs the modulated signal to the metal core as the transmitted signal,
wherein the receiver in the circuit unit receives another transmitted signal provided from the metal core, de-modulates the another transmitted signal with the PAM configuration to generate de-modulated signals; and outputs the de-modulated signals to the external apparatus as the output signals, and
wherein the circuit board has a top surface and a back surface, the top surface forming a distance against an inner surface of the housing facing thereto that is greater than a distance of the back surface against another inner surface of the housing facing the back surface.

3. The cable of claim 2 ,
wherein the circuit unit is mounted on only one of the top surface and the back surface of the circuit board.

4. The cable of claim 3 ,
wherein the interface includes a portion of terminals mounted on the top surface of the circuit board and a rest portion of terminals mounted on the back surface of the circuit board, and
wherein the portion of the terminals and the rest portion of the terminals are electrically coupled with the circuit unit mounted on one of the top surface and the back surface of the circuit board.

5. The cable of claim 2 ,
wherein the another interface includes a plurality of pads mounted on only one of a top surface and a back surface of the circuit board.

6. The cable of claim 2 ,
wherein the another interface includes a plurality of pads, a portion of the pads being provided on a top surface of the circuit board, and a rest portion of the pads being provided on a back surface of the circuit board.

7. The cable of claim 6 ,
wherein the top surface of the circuit board arranges the portion of the pads in respective sides leaving a space in a center of the top surface, and the back surface of the circuit board arranges the rest portion of the pads in respective sides leaving another space in a center of the back surface.

8. A cable for transmitting a transmitted signal, comprising:
metal cores each connected disposed within the cable; and
a connector that is pluggably coupled with an external apparatus, the connector providing a circuit unit, a circuit board, an interface, and another interface; the circuit board including an area for mounting the circuit unit, the interface being electrically coupled with the external apparatus, and the another interface including pads that are electrically connected with the circuit unit and attach the metal cores thereto; the circuit unit being electrically connected with a circuit in the external apparatus and providing a plurality of transmitters and a plurality of receivers,
wherein the transmitters each receive input signals from the external apparatus; modulate the input signals to generate modulated signals with a pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) configuration; and output the modulated signals to the metal cores as transmitted signals, and
wherein the receivers each receive another transmitted signals with the PAM configuration from the metal cores; de-modulate the another transmitted signals to generate output signals; and output the output signals to the external apparatus,
wherein a top surface of the circuit board mounts the transmitters and a back surface of the circuit board mounts the receivers.

9. A cable for transmitting a transmitted signal, comprising:
metal cores each connected disposed within the cable; and
a connector that is pluggably coupled with an external apparatus, the connector providing a circuit unit, a circuit board, an interface, and another interface; the circuit board including an area for mounting the circuit unit, the interface being electrically coupled with the external apparatus, and the another interface including pads that are electrically connected with the circuit unit and attach the metal cores thereto; the circuit unit being electrically connected with a circuit in the external apparatus and providing a plurality of transmitters and a plurality of receivers,
wherein the transmitters each receive input signals from the external apparatus; modulate the input signals to generate modulated signals with a pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) configuration; and output the modulated signals to the metal cores as transmitted signals, and
wherein the receivers each receive another transmitted signals with the PAM configuration from the metal cores; de-modulate the another transmitted signals to generate output signals; and output the output signals to the external apparatus,
wherein a top surface of the circuit board mounts a portion of the transmitters and a portion of the receivers, and a back surface of the circuit board mounts a rest portion of the transmitters and a rest portion of the receivers.

10. The cable of claim 9 ,
wherein the interface includes terminals and other terminals, the terminals being mounted on the top surface of the circuit board and electrically coupled with the portion of the transmitters and the portion of the receivers that are mounted on the top surface of the circuit board, and the other terminals being mounted on the back surface o

Assignees

• Sumitomo Electric Industries

Inventors

• Maeda Yasuhiro

Classifications

• H01R13/665 Primary

  with built-in electronic circuit (H01R13/70, H01R13/719 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/6461

  Means for preventing cross-talk · CPC title