BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1A and 1B depict a portion of a prior-art connector system, in isometric and side views, respectively.
FIG. 1C depicts a contact arrangement of the prior-art connector system shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.
FIGS. 2A and 2B depict a portion of a connector system, in isometric and side views, respectively, according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2C depicts an example dielectric material that may be disposed between leadframe assemblies of a plug connector shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B.
FIG. 2D depicts an example contact arrangement of the plug connector shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B.
FIGS. 3A and 3B depict a portion of a connector system, in isometric and side views, respectively, according to another embodiment.
FIG. 3C depicts an example contact arrangement of a plug connector shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B.
FIGS. 4A and 4B depict a portion of a connector system, in isometric and side views, respectively, according to yet another embodiment.
FIG. 4C depict an example contact arrangement of a plug connector shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIGS. 1A and 1B depict isometric and side views, respectively, of a prior art connector system 100. The connector system 100 includes a plug connector 102 mated to a receptacle connector 104. The plug connector 102 may be mounted to a first substrate, such as a printed circuit board 106. The receptacle connector 104 may be mounted to a second substrate, such as a printed circuit board 108. The plug connector 102 and the receptacle connector 104 are shown as vertical connectors. That is, the plug connector 102 and the receptacle connector 104 each define mating planes that are generally parallel to their respective mounting planes.
The plug connector 102 may include a connector housing, a base 110, leadframe assemblies 126, and electrical contacts 114. The connector housing of the plug connector 102 may include an interface portion 105 that defines one or more grooves 107. As will be further discussed below, the grooves 107 may receive a portion of the receptacle connector 104 and, therefore, may help provide mechanical rigidity and support to the connector system 100.
Each of the leadframe assemblies 126 of the plug connector 102 may include a first leadframe housing 128 and a second leadframe housing 130. The first leadframe housing 128 and the second leadframe housing 130 may be made of a dielectric material, such as plastic, for example. The leadframe assemblies 126 may be insert molded leadframe assemblies (IMLAs) and may house a linear array of electrical contacts 114. For example, as will be further discussed below, the array of electrical contacts 114 may be arranged edge-to-edge in each lead frame assembly 126, i.e., the edges of adjacent electrical contacts 114 may face one another.
The electrical contacts 114 of the plug connector 102 may each have a cross-section that defines two opposing edges and two opposing broadsides. Each electrical contact 114 may also define at least three portions along its length. For example, as shown in FIG. 1B, each electrical contact 114 may define a mating end 116, a lead portion 118, and a terminal end 121. The mating end 116 may be blade-shaped, and may be received by a respective electrical contact 136 of the receptacle connector 104. The terminal end 121 may be “compliant” and, therefore, may be press-fit into an aperture 124 of the base 110. The terminal end 121 may electrically connect with a ball grid array (BGA) 125 on a substrate face 122 of the base 110. The lead portion 118 of the electrical contact 114 may extend from the terminal end 121 to the mating end 116.
The base 110 of the plug connector 102 may be made of a dielectric material, such as plastic, for example. The base 110 may define a plane having a connector face 120 and the substrate face 122. The plane defined by the base 110 may be generally parallel to a plane defined by the printed circuit board 106. As shown in FIG. 1A, the connector face 120 of the base 110 may define the apertures 124 that receive the terminal ends 121 of the electrical contacts 114. The substrate face 122 of the base 110 may include the BGA 125, which may electrically connect the electrical contacts 114 to the printed circuit board 106.
The receptacle connector 104 may include a connector housing, a base 112, leadframe assemblies 132, and electrical contacts 136. The connector housing of the receptacle connector 104 may include an interface portion 109 that defines one or more ridges 111. Upon mating the plug connector 102 and the receptacle connector 104, the ridges 111 on the connector housing of the receptacle connector 104 may engage with the grooves 107 on the connector housing of the plug connector 102. Thus, as noted above, the grooves 107 and the ridges 111 may provide mechanical rigidity and support to the connector system 100.
Each of the leadframe assemblies 132 of the receptacle connector 104 may include a leadframe housing 133. The leadframe housing 133 may be made of a dielectric material, such as plastic, for example. Each of the leadframe assemblies 132 may be an insert molded leadframe assembly (IMLAs) and may house a linear array of electrical contacts 136. For example, the array of electrical contacts 136 may be arranged edge-to-edge in the leadframe assembly 132, i.e., the edges of adjacent electrical contacts 136 may face one another.
Like the electrical contacts 114, the electrical contacts 136 of the receptacle connector 104 may have a cross-section that defines two opposing edges and two opposing broadsides. Each electrical contact 136 may define at least three portions along its length. For example, as shown in FIG. 1B, each electrical contact 136 may define a mating end 141, a lead portion 144, and a terminal end 146. The mating end 141 of the electrical contact 136 may be any receptacle for receiving a male contact, such as the blade-shaped mating end 116 of the electrical contact 114. For example, the mating end 141 may include at least two-opposing tines 148 that define a slot therebetween. The slot of the mating end 141 may receive the blade-shaped mating end 116 of the electrical contacts 114. The width of the slot (i.e., the distance between the opposing tines 148) may be smaller than the thickness of the blade-shaped mating end 116. Thus, the opposing tines 148 may exert a force on each side of the blade-shaped mating end 116, thereby retaining the mating end 116 of the of the electrical contact 114 in the mating end 142 of the electrical contact 136. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 1A, the mating end 141 may include a single tine 148 that is configured to make contact with one side of the blade-shaped mating end 116.
The terminal end 146 of the electrical contact 136 may be “compliant” and, therefore, may be press-fit into an aperture (not shown) of the base 112. The terminal end 146 may electrically connect with a ball grid array (BGA) 142 on a substrate face 140 of the base 112. The lead portion 144 of each electrical contact 136 may extend from the terminal end 146 to the mating end 141.
The base 112 of the receptacle connector 104 may be made of a dielectric material, such as plastic, for example. The base 112 may define a plane having a connector face 138 and the substrate face 140. The plane defined by the base 112 may be generally parallel to a plane defined by the printed circuit board 108. The connector face 138 may define apertures (not shown) for receiving the terminal ends 146 of electrical contacts 136. Although the apertures of the base 112 are not shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the apertures in the connector face 138 of the base 112 may be the same or similar to the apertures 124 in the connector face 120 of the base 110. The substrate face 140 may include the BGA 142, which may electrically connect the electrical contacts 136 to the printed circuit board 108.
FIG. 1C depicts a contact arrangement 190, viewed from the face of the plug connector 102, in which the electrical contacts 114 are arranged in linear arrays. As shown in FIG. 1C, the electrical contacts 114 may be arranged in a 5×4 array, though it will be appreciated that the plug connector 102 may include any number of the electrical contacts 114 arranged in various configurations. As shown, the plug connector 102 may include contact rows 150, 152, 154, 156, 158 and contact columns 160, 162, 164, 166.
As noted above, each of the electrical contacts 114 may have a cross-section that defines two opposing edges and two opposing broadsides. The electrical contacts 114 may be arranged edge-to-edge along each of the columns 160, 162, 164, 166. In addition, the electrical contacts 114 maybe arranged broadside-to-broadside along each of the rows 150, 152, 154, 156, 158. As shown in FIG. 1C, the broadsides of the electrical contacts 114 in the rows 150, 154, 158 may be smaller than the broadsides of the electrical contacts 114 in the rows 152, 156. Each of the electrical contacts 114 may be surrounded on all sides by a dielectric 176, which may be air.
The electrical contacts 114 in the plug connector 102 may include ground contacts G and signal contacts S. As shown in FIG. 1C, the rows 150, 154, 158 of the plug connector 102 may include all ground contacts G. The rows 152, 156 of the plug connector 102 may include both ground contacts G and signal contacts S. For example, the electrical contacts 114 in the rows 152, 156 may be arranged in a G-S-S-G pattern. As noted above, the electrical contacts 114 may be arranged broadside-to-broadside along each of the rows 150, 152, 154, 156, 158. Accordingly, adjacent signal contacts S in rows 152, 156 may form broadside coupled differential signal pairs, such as the differential signal pairs 174 shown in FIG. 1C.
FIGS. 2A and 2B depict isometric and side views, respectively, of a connector system 200 according to an embodiment. The connector system 200 may include a plug connector 202 mated to the receptacle connector 104. The plug connector 202 may be mounted to the printed circuit board 106. The receptacle connector 104 may be mounted to the printed circuit board 108. The plug connector 202 and the receptacle connector 104 are shown as vertical connectors. However, it will be appreciated that either or both of the plug connector 202 and the receptacle connector 104 may be right-angle connectors in alternative embodiments.
The plug connector 202 may include the base 110, leadframe assemblies 126, and electrical contacts 114. As shown in FIG. 2B, the plug connector 202 may further include a non-air dielectric, such as a dielectric material 204, positioned between adjacent leadframe assemblies 126. In particular, the dielectric material 204 may be positioned between the adjacent leadframe assemblies that house one or more signal contacts S. The dielectric material 204 may be made from any suitable material, such as plastic, for example. The dielectric material 204 may be molded as part of the leadframe assemblies 126. Alternatively, the dielectric material 204 may be molded independent of the leadframe assemblies 126 and subsequently inserted therebetween.
FIG. 2C depicts a side view of the dielectric material 204. As shown in FIG. 2C, the dielectric material 204 may include header portions 205a, 205b, that extend substantially parallel to one another. The dielectric material may further include interconnecting portions 206a, 206b that extend substantially parallel to one another and substantially perpendicular to the header portions 205a, 205b. The interconnecting portions 206a, 206b may connect the header portion 205a to the header portion 205b.
As noted above with respect to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the dielectric material 204 may be disposed between adjacent leadframe assemblies 126 having signal contacts S (i.e., the inner leadframe assemblies 126 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B). More specifically, the header portion 205a of the dielectric material 204 may be adjacent to the first leadframe housing 128 and may extend along a length thereof. The header portion 205b of the dielectric material 204 may be adjacent to the second leadframe housing 130 and may extend along a length thereof. Thus, the header portions 205a, 205b may be disposed adjacent to at least a portion of each electrical contact 114 in the inner leadframe assemblies 126. The interconnecting portions 206a, 206b of the dielectric material 204 may extend substantially parallel to the electrical contacts 114 in the inner leadframe assemblies 126. In particular, as will be further discussed below, the interconnecting portions 206a, 206b may extend along the lengths of each signal contact housed in the inner leadframe assemblies 126.
FIG. 2D depicts a contact arrangement 290, viewed from the face of the plug connector 202, that includes the linear arrays of electrical contacts 114 and a portion of the dielectric material 204. Like the contact arrangement depicted in FIG. 1C, the electrical contacts 114 may be arranged in a 5×4 array and may define contact rows 150, 152, 154, 156, 158 and contact columns 160, 162, 164, 166. The electrical contacts 114 in the plug connector 202 may have a cross-section that defines two opposing edges and two opposing broadsides. The electrical contacts 114 may be arranged edge-to-edge along each of the columns 160, 162, 164, 166. In addition, the electrical contacts 114 may be arranged broadside-to-broadside along each of the rows 150, 152, 154, 156, 158. The broadsides of the electrical contacts 114 in the rows 150, 154, 158 may be smaller than the broadsides of the electrical contacts 114 in the rows 152, 156.
The electrical contacts 114 in the plug connector 202 may also include ground contacts G and signal contacts S. The rows 150, 154, 158 of the plug connector 202 may include all ground contacts G, and the rows 152, 156 may include both ground contacts G and signal contacts S. For example, the electrical contacts 114 in the rows 152, 156 may be arranged in a G-S-S-G pattern. The electrical contacts 114 may be arranged broadside-to-broadside along each of the rows 150, 152, 154, 156, 158. Accordingly, adjacent signal contacts S in rows 152, 156 may form broadside coupled differential signal pairs 174.
As shown in FIG. 2D, the interconnecting portions 206a, 206b of the dielectric material 204 may define a generally rectangular cross-section and may be positioned between adjacent signal contacts S in the columns 162, 164. That is, the interconnecting portions 206a, 206b may be positioned between the signal contacts S of each broadside-coupled differential signal pair 174 in the plug connector 202. In addition, each of the electrical contacts 114 may be surrounded on all sides by the dielectric 176, which may be different than the dielectric material 204 disposed between the broadside-coupled differential signal pairs 174.
As further shown in FIG. 2D, the interconnecting portions 206a, 206b may extend a greater distance than each of the electrical contacts 114 in the direction of the rows 150, 152, 154, 156, 158 (i.e., the interconnecting portions 206a, 206b may be wider than the electrical contacts 114), though it will be appreciated that the widths of the interconnecting portions 206a, 206b may be equal to or less than the widths of the electrical contacts 114 in other embodiments. In addition, the interconnecting portions 206a, 206b may extend substantially the same distance as each of the electrical contacts 114 in the direction of the contact columns 160, 162, 164, 166 (i.e., the height of each of the interconnecting portions 206a, 206b may be substantially the same as the heights of the electrical contacts 114 in the contact rows 152, 156), though it will be appreciated that the heights of the interconnecting portions 206a, 206b may be greater than or less than the heights of the electrical contacts 114 in other embodiments.
FIGS. 3A and 3B depict isometric and side views, respectively, of a connector system 300 according to another embodiment. The connector system 300 includes a plug connector 302 mated to the receptacle connector 104. The plug connector 302 may be mounted to the printed circuit board 106. The receptacle connector 104 may be mounted to the printed circuit board 108. The plug connector 302 and the receptacle connector 104 are shown as vertical connectors. However, it will be appreciated that either or both of the plug connector 302 and the receptacle connector 104 may be right-angle connectors in alternative embodiments.
The plug connector 302 may include the base 110, leadframe assemblies 126, and electrical contacts 114. As shown in FIG. 3A, the plug connector 302 may further include a commoned ground plate 178 housed in at least one of the leadframe assemblies 126. The commoned ground plate 178 may be a continuous, electrically conductive sheet that extends along an entire contact column and that is brought to ground, thereby shielding all electrical contacts 114 adjacent to the commoned ground plate 178. The commoned ground plate 178 may include a plate portion 180, terminal ends 182, and mating interfaces 184.
More specifically, the plate portion 180 of the commoned ground plate 178 may be housed within the leadframe assembly 126, and may extend from the terminal ends 182 to the mating interfaces 184. As shown in FIG. 3A, the commoned ground plate 178 may include terminal ends 182 extending from the plate portion 180, and extending from the second leadframe housing 130 of the leadframe assembly 126. The terminal ends 182 may be compliant and may, therefore, be press-fit into the apertures 124 of the base 110. The terminal ends 182 of the commoned ground plate 178 may electrically connect with the BGA 125 on the bottom side 122 of the base 110.
The commoned ground plate 178 may also include mating interfaces 184 extending from the plate portion 180, and extending above the first leadframe housing 128 of the lead frame assembly 126. The mating interfaces 184 may be blade-shaped, and may be received by the respective mating ends 141 of the electrical contacts 136.
FIG. 3C depicts a contact arrangement 390, viewed from the face of the plug connector 302, that includes linear arrays of electrical contacts 114 and commoned ground plates 178a, 178b. The electrical contacts 114 and the commoned ground plates 178a, 178b may be arranged in a 5×4 array and may define contact rows 150, 152, 154, 156, 158 and contact columns 160, 162, 164, 166. Like the contact arrangement depicted in FIG. 1C, the electrical contacts 114 in the plug connector 302 may have a cross-section that defines two opposing edges and two opposing broadsides. The electrical contacts 114 may be arranged edge-to-edge along each of the columns 162, 164. In addition, the electrical contacts 114 may be arranged broadside-to-broadside along each of the rows 150, 152, 154, 156, 158. The broadsides of the electrical contacts 114 in the rows 150, 154, 158 may be smaller than the broadsides of the electrical contacts 114 in the rows 152, 156.
The commoned ground plates 178a, 178b may be positioned adjacent to the contact columns 162, 164, respectively. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3C, the commoned ground plates 178a, 178c may replace the ground contacts G in the contact columns 160, 166 shown in FIG. 1C.
The electrical contacts 114 in the plug connector 302 may include ground contacts G and signal contacts S. The rows 150, 154, 158 of the plug connector 302 may include all ground contacts G, and the rows 152, 156 may include both ground contacts G and signal contacts S. For example, the commoned ground plates 178a, 178b and the electrical contacts 114 in the rows 152, 156 may be arranged in a G-S-S-G pattern. The electrical contacts 114 may be arranged broadside-to-broadside along each of the rows 150, 152, 154, 156, 158. Accordingly, adjacent signal contacts S in rows 152, 156 may form broadside coupled differential signal pairs 174.
The commoned ground plates 178a, 178b may each have a cross-section that is generally rectangular in shape. As shown in FIG. 3C, the commoned ground plates 178a, 178b may each extend substantially the entire length of the contact columns 160, 162, 164, 166. The commoned ground plates 178a, 178b may also extend substantially the same distance as each of the electrical contacts 114 in the direction of the contact rows (i.e., each of the commoned ground plates 178a, 178b may have substantially the same width as the electrical contacts 114), though it will be appreciated that the widths of the commoned ground plates 178a, 178b may be less than or greater than the widths of the electrical contacts 114 in other embodiments. The electrical contacts 114 and the commoned ground plates 178a, 178b may be surrounded on all sides by the dielectric 176.
FIGS. 4A and 4B depict isometric and side views, respectively, of a connector system 400 according to yet another embodiment. The connector system 400 may include a plug connector 402 mated to the receptacle connector 104. The plug connector 402 may be mounted to the printed circuit board 106. The receptacle connector 104 may be mounted to the printed circuit board 108. The plug connector 402 and the receptacle connector 104 are shown as vertical connectors. However, either or both of the plug connector 402 and the receptacle connector 104 may be right-angle connectors in alternative embodiments. The plug connector 402 may include the base 110, the leadframe assemblies 126, the electrical contacts 114, the commoned ground plates 178a, 178b, and the dielectric material 204.
FIG. 4C depicts a contact arrangement 490, viewed from the face of the plug connector 402, that includes linear arrays of electrical contacts 114, the commoned ground plates 178a, 178b and the dielectric material 204. As shown in FIG. 4C, the interconnecting portions 206a, 206b of the dielectric material 204 may define a generally rectangular cross-section and may be positioned between the signal contacts S in the contact columns 162, 164. That is, the interconnecting portions 206a, 206b may be positioned between the broadside-coupled differential signal pairs 174 in the contact columns 162, 164. In addition, each of the electrical contacts 114 and the commoned ground plates 178a, 178b may be surrounded on all sides by the dielectric 176, which may be different than the dielectric material 204 disposed between the broadside-coupled differential signal pairs 174.
As further shown in FIG. 4C, the commoned ground plates 178a, 178b may be positioned adjacent to the contact columns 162, 164, respectively. Thus, the commoned ground plates 178a, 178b may replace the ground contacts G in the contact columns 160, 166 shown in FIG. 1C. The commoned ground plates 178a, 178b may each have a cross-section that is generally rectangular in shape. As shown in FIG. 4C, the commoned ground plates 178a, 178b may each extend substantially the entire length of the contact columns 160, 162, 164, 166. The commoned ground plates 178a, 178b may also extend substantially the same distance as each of the electrical contacts 114 in the direction of the contact rows (i.e., each of the commoned ground plates 178a, 178b may have the same width as the electrical contacts 114), though it will be appreciated that the widths of the of the commoned ground plates 178a, 178b may be less than or greater than the widths of the electrical contacts 114 in other embodiments.
It has also been found that embodiments as described herein break up the coupling wave that moves up the connector causing an insertion loss “suck out” about the 4 GHz region. An object of the dielectric material 204 is to change the impedance slightly between signal and ground to minimize the coupling wave and the insertion loss suck out associated therewith. The ground plane is to minimize the signal pair coupling to the ground individual pin edge and to provide a continuous ground plane.
Patent Application
20080085618
