The field of the invention is that of electronic computers and in particular computers of aircraft systems embedded onboard.
In modern aircrafts, it is known how to connect between them the modules for piloting and/or controlling functional members of the aircraft through one or several main buses of the aircraft. These buses are currently buses specific to the field of aviation, and notably buses using distributed serial bus protocols of the ARINC 429 types or other ones. Thus, as an example, for handling mobile elements of the landing gear of an aircraft, several piloting and/or control modules are applied, the latter being each connected to the main buses of the aircraft.
Each piloting module includes a computer 1 applying a program adapted to ensure the piloting function to which it is dedicated, as well as a communication interface adapted to the main bus protocol allowing exchange of data between the computer and the main buses of the aircraft.
Each electronic board 12 is mechanically maintained in the frame 11 with rails and connected to the ‘backplane’ board 20. The ‘backplane’ board 20 includes board connectors 13 adapted so as to be connected to an additional connector 74 borne by the electronic board 12.
The backplane board 20 includes, for each piloting module, an external connector 15 adapted for cooperating with an additional connector borne by the associated module.
As illustrated in
The wrapping technique has many drawbacks and notably an excessive price cost, the obsolescence of the components and of the skills and poor performances of electromagnetic compatibility.
Another drawback of wrapping is the absence of impedance matching and the noise may generate reflection phenomena at high frequencies and electronic failures on the critical signals.
Another drawback of wrapping is that it requires a cabling area with a consequent width which is a penalty to the compactness of the computer 1.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
All these solutions are complex, expensive and cumbersome.
Moreover electronic boards, such as the one described in document US 2005/109532 (D1) are also known, including two printed circuits adhesively bonded to each other through a resin layer and having a series of first blind holes opening onto the first face of the electronic board and a series of second blind holes opening onto the second face of the electronic board allowing direct reception of connectors using a technology of force-fitted pins in metallized holes and being directly mounted on either side of each face of the printed circuit board (PCB).
Now, in such electronic boards, the resin risks moving upwards in the blind holes during the assembly of the printed circuits, which has the consequence that the connection elements in the form of pins can no longer be inserted into the blind holes.
The invention gives the possibility of overcoming at least one of the aforementioned drawbacks by proposing a backplane electronic board having an internal face adapted for being connected to connectors of electronic boards and an external face adapted for being connected to an external connector, the backplane board being characterized in that it has a first leak-proof membrane, a series of first blind holes opening on the one hand on the internal face of the backplane electronic board and on the other hand on the first leak-proof membrane, and a second leak-proof membrane, a series of second blind holes opening on the one hand on the external face of the backplane electronic board and on the other hand on the leak-proof second membrane, the first and the second blind holes being adapted for receiving force-insertion connection elements and forming with them an electric connection point.
The first and second leak-proof membranes prevent the moving up of the resin in the blind holes during the manufacturing of the backplane board.
The invention gives the possibility of suppressing the entirety of the wire cablings and ribbon cables in the rear block.
The invention further gives the possibility of suppressing all the components directly mounted on the mechanical frame as well as all the additional boards (other than the electronic boards).
The invention gives the possibility of reducing the connection space between the external connector and the electronic boards. The depth of the computers being set in the avionics, this also practically gives the possibility of increasing the length of the electronic boards.
The invention also gives the possibility of allocating filtering functions on the main printed circuit of the bottom block notably which allows the suppression of the additional boards and filters.
The invention is advantageously completed with the following features, taken individually or in any of their technically possible combinations.
The blind holes are made in the backplane electronic board so as to make between them a shielding area.
The backplane board further has through-holes which cross the backplane board right through.
The backplane board includes a main printed circuit including two multilayer printed circuits, two insulating layers, and a double face printed circuit positioned in the middle of the two insulating layers, themselves positioned in the middle of the two multilayer printed circuits, the double face printed circuit forming the shielding area.
The backplane board includes a layer of insulating polymer between the multilayer printed circuit and the insulating layer.
The backplane board includes a main printed circuit and an interface platelet attached on the main printed circuit, the interface platelet having holes adapted for receiving force-insertion connection elements and forming with them an electric connection point.
The interface platelet includes a matrix of beads adapted for being welded on the main printed circuit.
The first blind holes are advantageously covered with an external layer of insulating polymer intended to be pierced with force-insertion connection elements.
The invention also proposes an electronic computer including a mechanical frame, a backplane board having an internal face and an external face, one or several electronic board connectors connected to the backplane board on its internal face, and at least one external connector connected to the backplane board on its external face, the electronic computer being characterized in that the connectors of electronic boards and the external connector have force-insertion connection elements, and in that the backplane electronic board has a series of first blind holes opening onto its internal face adapted for receiving the force-insertion connection elements of the connectors of electronic boards so as to form with them an electric junction; and a series of second holes opening onto its external face adapted for receiving the force-insertion connection elements of the external connector so as to form between them an electric junction.
Other objects, features and advantages will emerge from the detailed description which follows with reference to the drawings given as an illustration and not as a limitation among which:
With reference to
Mechanical Frame 11
With reference to
With reference to
Backplane Board 20
The backplane board 20 is adapted so as to be attached on the mechanical frame 11 so as to close the second open face of the frame.
With reference to
With reference to
The backplane board 20 includes:
The first face of the first printed circuit 222 is attached onto one of the faces of the third printed circuit 224, and the first face of the second printed circuit 223 is attached onto the other face of the third printed circuit 224, with a resin, typically an epoxy resin.
Electronic Board 12
Each electronic board 12 comprises a printed circuit and electronic components.
Each electronic board 12 is connected by means of one or several board connectors 13 onto the internal face 142 of the electronic backplane board 20.
The board connectors 13 have force-insertion connection elements 131 which are typically connection elements in the form of pins. These connection elements in the form of pins have typically a length I2 comprised between 1 and 2.5 mm.
External Connector of the ARINC 600 15 Type
One or several piloting modules are connected to the backplane board 20 so as to communicate with the bus of the latter according to a serial bus protocol for example distributed of the ARINC 429 types.
Each piloting module is formed with one or several boards adapted so as to be connected on the external face 143 of the backplane board 20 through an external connector 15 for example a connector of the ARINC 600 type.
The external connector 15 includes a mating space 152 (
Blind Holes
With reference to
The second holes 148 are initially through-holes, but after assembly, they are blind.
The holes 146 and 148 do not cross right through the backplane board.
The holes 146 and 148 are coaxial and perpendicular to the plane of the backplane board 20.
The holes 146 and 148 are metallized and give the possibility of establishing an electric connection between the different conductive layers of a same multilayer printed circuit 22. The metallization of the holes consists, once the hole is pierced, of depositing a thin copper layer inside the hole, by a method for depositing copper by electrolysis. Once it is metallized, the hole ensures the electric connection between the layers which it crosses.
The first blind holes 146 are advantageously covered with an external layer 9 of insulating polymer such as the polyimide of the Kapton® type (a polyimide from Dupont de Nemours). This layer is intended to be pierced by pin-shaped connectors 131 during the assembling of the board connectors 13 (
Metallized Through-Holes
The backplane board 20 has through-holes 147 which cross right through the backplane board 20. The through-holes 147 are metallized and give the possibility of establishing an electric connection between all the conductive layers.
The through-holes 147 are coaxial and perpendicular to the plane of the backplane board 20.
Both conductive layers 211 are connected together with a cylindrical metal layer 129.
With reference to
Force-Insertion Connection Elements 131 and 151
The force-insertion connection elements 131 borne by the board connectors 13 and the force-insertion connection elements 151 borne by the external connector 15 are adapted so as to be inserted by force into one of the blind holes 146 of the backplane board 20 so as to form an electric force-insertion junction a so called ‘press-fit’ junction with the blind hole, ensuring mechanical and electrical interconnection.
Once the force insertion connection element 131 or 151 is inserted into a hole 146 or 148, they form together a connection point.
When a pin-shaped contact element 131 and 151 is driven into a hole 146 or 148, the pin-shaped contact element 131 and 151 and/or the holes 146 and 148 deform elastically during the insertion, so as to cause a friction force between both of them.
For this purpose, the pin-shaped contact elements 131 and 151 have elastic properties in compression. The pins 131 and 151 comprise a pressure-fit portion adapted so as to be put into contact with an internal surface of the holes 146 and 148 of the printed circuit. The pressure fit portion comprises a mechanism with tightened adjustment adapted so as to be elastically deformed during the insertion into the holes 146 and 148. This mechanism with tightened adjustment typically comprises a protrusion and a complementary recess such as for example a boss or a slot with the shape of a ‘needle hole’ at the center of the longitudinal axis of the pin.
Alternatively or additionally, the holes 146 and 148 have elasticity properties.
The diameter of the holes 146 and 148 is slightly smaller than the width of the pin, so that the insertion generates a friction force.
The holes 146 and 148 typically have a cylindrical shape.
In order to improve the insertion and the maintaining of the pins in the holes 146 and 148, the holes 146 and 148 advantageously have a diameter which decreases in the direction oriented towards the inside of the electronic board at the surface of the electronic board. The holes 146 and 148 for example have a frustoconical shape.
A first leak-proof membrane 102 is positioned between the first printed circuit 222 and the third printed circuit 224.
A second leak-proof membrane 103 is positioned between the second printed circuit 223 and the third printed circuit 224.
By leak-proof, is meant that it does not let through the resin.
The first blind holes 146 open on the one hand on the internal face 142 of the backplane electronic board 20 and on the other hand on the first leak-proof membrane 102.
The second blind holes 148 open on the one hand on the external face 143 of the backplane electronic board 20 and on the other hand on the second leak-proof membrane 103,
The leak-proof membranes 102 and 103 give the possibility of suppressing the risk of pollution of the blind holes during the manufacturing by preventing the upward movement of the resin during the assembly of the printed circuits 22, 223 and 224.
The leak-proof membranes 102 and 103 are in a material which is typically in an insulating polymer such as the polyimide of the Kapton® type (a polyimide from Dupont de Nemours).
The leak-proof membranes 102 and 103 are in a material having a hardness greater than or equal to that of Kapton® i.e. a Rockwell hardness greater than or equal to E52-99, the Rockwell hardness being defined as the resistance opposed by a surface of the sample to the penetration of a steel ball with a diameter of 1.588 mm, one Rockwell hardness unit corresponds to a sinking-in of 0.001 mm.
The main printed circuit 28 includes a double face printed circuit 21 positioned in the middle of two insulating layers 23 themselves positioned in the middle of the two multilayer printed circuits 22. The multilayer printed circuits 22 include tracks for routing of signals between the different connection points and define a routing area for the routing of the signals.
Conventionally, the internal area of the computer is called the clean area and the area external to the computer the dirty area since the latter is polluted by any type of external electromagnetic emissions. The presence of a double face printed circuit 21 and of the two insulating layers 23 gives the possibility of improving the isolation between the dirty area and the clean area.
The double face printed circuit 21 includes two conductive layers 211 connected to two equipotentials positioned on either side of a central insulating layer 212 in pre-preg. Both conductive layers 211 connected to two equipotentials positioned on either side of a central insulating layer 212, typically in a pre-preg form for example with a fabric pre-impregnated with resin, form a shielding area 121 efficient for segregating the clean area from the dirty area.
When the backplane board 20 includes a main printed circuit 28 including two multilayer printed circuits 22, two insulating layers 23, and a double face printed circuit 21 positioned in the middle of the two insulating layers 23, themselves positioned in the middle of the two multilayer printed circuits 22, the double face printed circuit 21 forming the shielding area 121, the first membrane 102 is positioned between the multilayer printed circuit 22, and one of the insulating layers 23, and the second membrane 103 is positioned between the multilayer printed circuit 22 and the other insulating layer 23.
The multilayer printed circuits 22 including several conductive layers 221, each separated with insulating layers 222 typically in epoxy resin.
The metallized blind holes 146 cross one of the multilayer printed circuits 22 but not the double face printed circuit 21. The metallized blind holes 146 give the possibility of establishing an electric connection between the different conductive layers of a same multilayer printed circuit 22.
The metallized through-holes 147 cross both multilayer printed circuits 22 and the double face printed circuit 21. The metallized through-holes give the possibility of establishing an electric connection between all the conductive layers.
Interface Platelets 30
In a particular embodiment, for solving the problem of its insufficient thickness for simultaneously receiving in the same printed circuit pins 131 and 135 on either side, the backplane board 20 is thickened artificially by setting interface platelets 30 on the main printed circuit 28 under the connectors to be raised.
An interface platelet 30 may be attached on the external face 143 of the backplane board under an external connector 15, as illustrated in
With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
The thickness of the backplane board 20 is determined by four major constraints:
The thickness of the backplane board 20 should be sufficient for allowing the reception of the connector pins 131 and 135 on either side of the backplane board.
Further, the shielding area 121 should be positioned in the middle of the backplane board 20 for ensuring its function of electromagnetic shielding. Thus, the contact pins 131 of the boards should have the same length as those of the external connector 135.
The thickness of the main printed circuit 28 is typically selected so that the space between the connector pins 131 and 135 have a thickness e4 of at least 1 mm.
In the cases where the backplane board 20 includes a single main printed circuit 28, the latter having a thickness e1 of at least 5 mm for allowing the reception in opposition of the board connectors 13 and of the external connector 15.
The main printed circuit 28 may further include functions for filtering the electromagnetic noise.
Electronic components 50 contributing to the maintaining in an electromagnetic environment of the complete computer may also be placed in spaces left free between the external connectors and the mechanical frame 10.
Manufacturing Process
With reference to
The through-holes 147 are formed in the following way, with reference to
The electronic computer 1 may notably be manufactured by the following manufacturing method.
In a first step, the interface platelets 30 are welded to the backplane board 20. The interface platelets 30 have through-holes 148. After attachment of the interface platelets 30 on the backplane board 20, the holes 148 are blind.
In a second step, the insulating adhesive layer 34 is added under the interface boards of the external connector 15.
In a third step, the board connectors 13 are mounted by force insertion on the internal face of the backplane board 20.
In a fourth step, the external connector 15 is mounted by force insertion on the external face of the backplane board 20.
In a fifth step, the backplane board 20 is mechanically attached on the mechanical frame 11 of the bottom block.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
15 52398 | Mar 2015 | FR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP2016/056462 | 3/23/2016 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2016/151053 | 9/29/2016 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
5397861 | Urquhart, II | Mar 1995 | A |
8841560 | Roberts | Sep 2014 | B1 |
20030179532 | Goergen | Sep 2003 | A1 |
20050109532 | Hermkens et al. | May 2005 | A1 |
20060232949 | Osaka | Oct 2006 | A1 |
20080025007 | Ao | Jan 2008 | A1 |
20080257594 | Engblom et al. | Oct 2008 | A1 |
20140353018 | Soeda et al. | Dec 2014 | A1 |
Entry |
---|
French Search Report, dated Feb. 12, 2016, French Application No. 1552398. |
International Search Report and Written Opinion with English Language Translation, dated Jun. 23, 2016, Application No. PCT/EP2016/056462. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20180110149 A1 | Apr 2018 | US |