Patent Grant
9543676
The subject matter herein relates generally to electrical connectors that are configured to transmit data signals.
Communication systems, such as routers, servers, uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs), supercomputers, and other computing systems, may be complex systems that have a number of components interconnected to one another. For instance, a conventional backplane or midplane communication system includes several daughter card assemblies that are interconnected to a common backplane or midplane. The daughter card assemblies include a circuit board and a plurality of electrical connectors mounted to the circuit board. At least some of the electrical connectors are receptacle connectors that are positioned along a leading edge of the circuit board. The receptacle connectors are configured to mate with corresponding header connectors coupled to the backplane or midplane. The daughter card assemblies may also include other electrical and/or optical connectors, such as pluggable input/output (I/O) modules, that communicate with remote components.
As signal speeds and performance demands increase, enterprises have modified the conventional backplane and midplane communication systems. For example, modifications to the communication system may require that the receptacle connectors of the daughter card assembly be moved to higher elevations with respect to the circuit board. The receptacle connectors, however, are not adjustable for repositioning at a higher elevation. Instead of replacing the conventional receptacle connectors with different receptacle connectors, it may be more cost-effective to use a device that allows the system to utilize the conventional receptacle connectors.
Accordingly, a need exists for a device that allows an electrical connector to be positioned at a higher elevation relative to a circuit board.
In an embodiment, a connector adapter is provided that includes an adapter body having a mating side and a mounting side. The mounting side is configured to be mounted to a circuit board. The mating side is configured to have an electrical connector stacked thereon. The mating side includes signal cavities that open to the mating side. The connector adapter also includes signal conductors extending through the adapter body. Each of the signal conductors has and extends between a pin socket positioned at the mating side and a signal tail positioned at the mounting side. The pin sockets are positioned within corresponding signal cavities. Each of the pin sockets includes first and second arms that oppose each other and define a thru-hole therebetween. The first and second arms engage a signal tail of the electrical connector when the signal tail of the electrical connector is inserted into the thru-hole.
In an embodiment, an electrical connector assembly is provided that includes an electrical connector having a mounting side and a connector array of signal and ground tails positioned along the mounting side. The electrical connector has a mating side that is configured to mate with an electrical component. The electrical connector assembly also includes a connector adapter having an adapter body with a mating side that is configured to interface with the mounting side of the electrical connector. The mating side of the adapter body includes signal and ground cavities that open to the mating side of the adapter body. The connector adapter includes a conductor assembly having signal and ground conductors that extend through the adapter body. The signal conductors form a plurality of signal pairs. The ground conductors are positioned such that each of the signal pairs is surrounded by at least two of the ground conductors. The signal and ground conductors have signal and ground terminals, respectively, that are positioned within the signal and ground cavities, respectively, proximate to the mating side of the adapter body. The signal and ground terminals engage the signal and ground tails, respectively, of the connector array.
In an embodiment, a connector adapter is provided that includes an adapter body having a mating side and a mounting side. The mounting side is configured to be mounted to a circuit board. The mating side has signal and ground cavities that open to the mating side. The connector adapter also includes a conductor assembly having signal conductors and ground blades that extend from the mating side to the mounting side. The signal conductors form a plurality of signal pairs. The signal conductors and the ground blades have signal and ground terminals, respectively, that are positioned within the signal and ground cavities, respectively, proximate to the mating side. The ground blades are positioned such that each of the signal pairs is surrounded by corresponding ground blades, wherein at least two of the corresponding ground blades are oriented perpendicular to each other. The mating side is configured to interface with an electrical connector having signal and ground tails after a stacking operation in which the signal and ground tails advance into the signal and ground cavities. The signal terminals engage corresponding signal tails within the corresponding signal cavities, and the ground terminals engage corresponding ground tails within the corresponding ground cavities.
In an embodiment, a circuit board assembly is provided that includes an electrical connector having a mounting side and a connector array of signal and ground tails positioned along the mounting side. The electrical connector has a mating side that is configured to mate with an electrical component. The circuit board assembly also includes a circuit board having plated thru-holes (PTHs). The circuit board assembly also includes a connector adapter stacked between and communicatively coupling the electrical connector and the circuit board. The connector adapter includes an adapter body having a mating side that interfaces with the mounting side of the electrical connector. The mating side includes signal and ground cavities that open to the mating side. The connector adapter includes a conductor assembly having signal and ground conductors that extend through the adapter body. The signal conductors form a plurality of signal pairs. The ground conductors are positioned such that each of the signal pairs is surrounded by at least two ground conductors. The signal and ground conductors have signal and ground terminals, respectively, that are positioned within the signal and ground cavities, respectively, proximate to the mating side. The signal and ground terminals engage the signal and ground tails, respectively, of the connector array.
Embodiments set forth herein include connector adapters and circuit board assemblies that include connector adapters. The connector adapter is configured to communicatively couple an electrical connector, such as a receptacle connector, and a circuit board, such as a daughter card. The electrical connector is configured to mate with another electrical connector, such as a header connector of a backplane or midplane communication system. The electrical connector includes signal conductors in which each signal conductor extends between a signal terminal and a signal tail (or pin) that is configured for insertion into a plated thru-hole (PTH) of a circuit board. The signal tails are typically exposed along a mounting side of the electrical connector and extend away from the mounting side. The connector adapter may include similar or identical signal terminals along a mating side of the connector adapter and similar or identical signal tails (or pins) along a mounting side of the connector adapter. The electrical connector and connector adapter may also include elements for shielding the signal conductors from one another.
In order to distinguish similar elements of the connector adapter and/or the electrical connector that are structurally similar but may have different functions, the elements may be assigned different labels in the following description and claims. For example, terminals may be labeled generally as adapter terminals or, more specifically, as signal terminals or ground terminals. More particularly, terminals may be labeled as ground fingers or pin sockets. In order to distinguish different tails, the tails may be labeled generally as connector tails or adapter tails or, more specifically, as signal tails or ground tails. However, it should be understood that elements having different labels do not necessarily have different structures. For example, signal terminals and ground terminals of the connector adapter may have structures that are identical to each other. Likewise, connector tails and adapter tails may have structures that are identical to each other. As used herein, two elements are “identical” if the elements include minor differences, such as differences due to manufacturing tolerances, that cause an undetectable or insubstantial change in function or performance.
As used herein, the phrases “a plurality of [elements],” “an array of [elements],” “an assembly of [elements],” and the like, when used in the detailed description and claims, do not necessarily include each and every element that a component, such as a connector adapter, may have. For example, the phrase “an array of signal terminals having [a recited feature]” does not necessarily mean that each and every signal terminal of the connector adapter has the recited feature. Other signal terminals of the connector adapter may not include the recited feature. Accordingly, unless explicitly stated otherwise (e.g., “each and every signal terminal of the connector adapter”), embodiments may include similar elements that do not have the recited features.
The connector adapter 108 is configured to be mounted onto a board surface 110 of the circuit board 102. The connector adapter 108 includes an adapter body 112 having a mating side 114 and a mounting side 116. In the illustrated embodiment, the mating and mounting sides 114, 116 face in opposite directions along the elevation axis 191. In other embodiments, however, the mating and mounting sides 114, 116 may have different orientations. For example, the mating side 114 may face in a direction along the mating axis 193 or the lateral axis 192. The mounting side 116 is configured to be mounted onto the board surface 110. The connector adapter 108 includes an array of adapter tails 118 that are positioned along the mounting side 116. The adapter tails 118 are configured to be mechanically and electrical coupled to electrical contacts 120 of the circuit board 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the electrical contacts 120 are plated through holes (PTHs). As such, the electrical contacts 120 will be referred to hereinafter as PTHs 120. However, it should be understood that alternative electrical contacts may be used along the circuit board 102. For example, the electrical contacts may be contact pads and the adapter tails 118 may be soldered to the contact pads. Also shown, the mating side 114 includes a cavity array 122 having cavities 124 that open to the mating side 114. Each of the cavities 124 is configured to receive a corresponding connector tail 126 of the electrical connector 106.
The electrical connector 106 includes a connector body 130 having a mounting side 132 and a mating side 134. In the illustrated embodiment, the electrical connector 106 is a right-angle electrical connector such that the mounting side 132 faces in a direction along the elevation axis 191 and the mating side 134 faces in a direction along the mating axis 193. In other embodiments, however, the electrical connector 106 may have a different configuration. For example, the electrical connector 106 may be a vertical electrical connector such that the mating side 134 and the mounting side 132 face in opposite directions along the elevation axis 191.
In some embodiments, the electrical connector 106 includes a series of contact modules 140 that are stacked side-by-side along the lateral axis 192. Each of the contact modules 140 has a module body 142 that may hold a plurality of signal conductors 146 (shown in
The connector adapter 108 is configured to transmit data signals between the circuit board 102 and the electrical connector 106. The connector adapter 108 is also configured to form ground paths between the electrical connector 106 and the circuit board 102 to, for example, maintain signal integrity. The connector adapter 108 is also configured to change a height or elevation of the electrical connector 106. More specifically, the connector adapter 108 has a height 156. The height 156 may be, for example, about one (1) to about five (5) centimeters (cm). In particular embodiments, the height 156 may be about one (1) cm to about three (3) cm. In some embodiments, the electrical connector 106 is a legacy connector and the connector adapter 108 permits the circuit board assembly 100 to be assembled or modified without replacing the electrical connector 106.
The connector tails 126 of the electrical connector 106 form a connector array 158, and the adapter tails 118 form an adapter array 159. In some embodiments, the adapter array 159 has a footprint that is identical to a footprint of the connector array 158. In other embodiments, the connector array 158 and the adapter array 159 do not have identical footprints.
In an exemplary embodiment, the circuit board assembly 100 is part of a communication system, such as a backplane or midplane communication system. The circuit board assembly 100 may be one daughter card assembly of a plurality of daughter card assemblies that are mounted to a backplane or midplane circuit board. The communication systems may be used in various applications. By way of example only, the communication systems may be used in telecom and computer applications, routers, servers, supercomputers, and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems. One or more of the electrical connectors described herein may be similar to electrical connectors of the STRADA Whisper or Z-PACK TinMan product lines developed by TE Connectivity. The electrical connectors and connector adapters may be capable of transmitting data signals at high speeds, such as 10 gigabits per second (Gb/s), 20 Gb/s, 30 Gb/s, or more. In more particular embodiments, the electrical connectors and connector adapters may be capable of transmitting data signals at 40 Gb/s, 50 Gb/s, or more. The electrical connectors and connector adapters may include high-density arrays of conductors. A high-density array may have, for example, at least 12 terminating ends per 100 mm2 along the mating side or the mounting side of the electrical connector or the connector adapter. In more particular embodiments, the high-density array may have at least 20 terminating ends per 100 mm2.
The adapter cover 160, the main housing 162, and the organizer 164 are discrete components in the illustrated embodiment that are stacked together to form the adapter body 112. In other embodiments, however, one or more of the components may be integrated with another component. For example, the adapter cover 160 and the main housing 162 may be formed as a single integrated component. In other embodiments, the adapter body 112 does not include a separate organizer 164.
The connector adapter 108 includes a conductor assembly 165 of electrical conductors 166 that are positioned within the main housing 162. The electrical conductors 166 include signal conductors 167 and ground conductors or shields 168. In the illustrated embodiment, the signal conductors 167 form signal pairs 170. Each signal pair 170 may be held within a dielectric body 169. For illustrative purposes, two of the ground conductors 168 and one of the signal pairs 170 have been removed from the main housing 162. The ground conductors 168 are configured to be positioned around each of the signal pairs 170 within the adapter body 112.
In the illustrated embodiment, the ground conductor 168 includes an elongated body segment 178 having opposite body ends 180, 182. A length of the body segment 178 may be determined by the designated height 156 (
The ground tails 186 are sized and shaped to be inserted into the PTHs 120 (
As shown, the ground conductor 168 includes two ground fingers 184 and two ground tails 186. In other embodiments, however, the ground conductor 168 may include only one ground finger 184 and/or only one ground tail 186 or, alternatively, the ground conductor 168 may include more than two ground fingers 184 and/or more than two ground tails 186. Also shown, the ground conductor 168 may include projections 185, 187 along the body segment 178. The projections 185 may be bulges that are configured to engage an interior surface 248 (shown in
Each of the signal conductors 167 includes a signal terminal 208 and a signal tail (or adapter tail) 210 located at opposite ends of the corresponding signal conductor 167. In the illustrated embodiment, the signal terminals 208 are shaped to receive a compliant pin and, as such, are hereinafter referred to as pin sockets 208. The compliant pins received by the pin sockets 208 may be some of the connector tails 126 (
With respect to
The width 195 of the ground conductors 168 is substantially greater than a width (not shown) of a single signal conductor 167 (
The first and second arms 216, 218 are coupled to each other along a center portion 217 of the socket body 212. The signal conductor 167 includes a bridge or joint 220 that couples the pin socket 208 to a body segment (not shown) of the signal conductor 167 that extends through the dielectric body 169 (
The first and second arms 216, 218 are configured to engage the same connector tail 126 (
The thru-hole 214 is defined by an inner surface 225 and extends along the length 219 of the socket body 212. The thru-hole 214 is dimensioned to receive the corresponding connector tail 126 (
Although the signal terminals are illustrated and described herein as pin sockets, it should be understood that the signal terminals may have other structures or configurations in alternative embodiments. For example, the signal terminal may comprise a contact beam that is deflected by the connector tail 126 and slides along a side of the connector tail 126 during a mounting or stacking operation. In such embodiments, the connector tail 126 may not be compressed by the signal terminal.
The adapter cover 160 is configured to facilitate aligning the connector tails 126 (
The adapter cover 160 includes the mating side 114 of the connector adapter 108 (
The conductor channels 246 are configured to receive the ground blades 168 (
Also shown in
In some embodiments, the main housing 162 may be conductive to facilitate electrically separating the signal pairs 170 (
Each signal pair 170 may be electrically separated from adjacent signal pairs 170 by the ground blades 168. For example, each signal pair 170 may be surrounded by at least two of the ground blades 168. In the illustrated embodiment, the conductor sub-assembly 260 includes ground blades 168A, 168B, 168C, 168D. Each of the ground blades 168A-168D effectively forms a ground shield or wall that electrically separates the signal pair 170 from other signal pairs. More specifically, the ground blades 168A, 168C oppose each other with the signal pair 170 therebetween, and the ground blades 168B, 168D oppose each other with the signal pair 170 therebetween. The ground blades 168A-168D are positioned to surround the corresponding signal pair 170. As shown, the width 195 of the ground blades 168A-168D is greater than the width 197 of the signal pair 170.
In an exemplary embodiment, two or more of the ground blades 168 are shared by other conductor sub-assemblies 260. For example, the ground blade 168A may be positioned between the signal pair 170 and an adjacent signal pair (not shown). In such embodiments, two conductor sub-assemblies 260 may include the same ground blade 168A.
In the illustrated embodiment, each of the ground blades 168 is oriented perpendicular to adjacent ground blades of the same conductor sub-assembly 260. For example, the ground blade 168A is oriented perpendicular to the ground blade 168B and the ground blade 168D. The ground blade 168C is oriented perpendicular to the ground blade 168B and the ground blade 168C. The ground blades 168A, 168C are oriented parallel to each other, and the ground blades 168B, 168D are oriented parallel to each other.
In alternative embodiments, other configurations of ground conductors may be used. For example, a C-shaped ground conductor may replace the ground blades 168D, 168A, 168B in the conductor sub-assembly 260, or an L-shaped ground conductor may replace the ground blades 168A, 168B in the conductor sub-assembly 260. In such embodiments, the C-shaped ground conductor would substitute for three individual ground blades, and the L-shaped ground conductor would substitute for two individual ground blades.
As shown in
The signal conductors 167 may extend along a conductor axis 268 that extends parallel to the elevation axis 191 (
Also shown in
The ground pins 288 are configured to engage the adapter cover 160 prior to the compliant tails 286. As the ground pins 288 engage the adapter cover 160, the electrical connector 106 may become aligned with the connector adapter 108 so that the compliant tails 286 may be inserted into the thru-holes 214 with less stubbing. As the compliant tail 286 advances into the corresponding thru-hole 214, the compliant tail 286 may deflect the first and second arms 216, 218 away from each other. In some embodiments, the first and second arms 216, 218 may be deflected into engagement with the interior surface 264 of the adapter cover 160 such that the first and second arms 216, 218 are prevented from expanding further. In such embodiments, the pin socket 208 may function similarly to a PTH and a tighter fit between the compliant tails 286 and the pin sockets 208 may be achieved.
As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and proceeded with the word “a” or “an” should be understood as not excluding plural of said elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly stated. Furthermore, references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Moreover, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, embodiments “comprising” or “having” an element or a plurality of elements having a particular property may include additional elements not having that property.
It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described embodiments (and/or aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Dimensions, types of materials, orientations of the various components, and the number and positions of the various components described herein are intended to define parameters of certain embodiments, and are by no means limiting and are merely exemplary embodiments. Many other embodiments and modifications within the spirit and scope of the claims will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.” Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects. In addition, in the following claims, the term “plurality” does not include each and every element that an object may have. Further, the limitations of the following claims are not written in means plus-function format and are not intended to be interpreted based on 35 U.S.C. §112 (f) unless and until such claim limitations expressly use the phrase “means for” followed by a statement of function void of further structure.
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| 7381092 | Nakada | Jun 2008 | B2 |
| 7985079 | Wilson et al. | Jul 2011 | B1 |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20160240946 A1 | Aug 2016 | US |
