Patent Grant
10044155
This disclosure relates generally to connectors, and more specifically, but not exclusively, to connector for differential routing.
Differential signaling is a method for electrically transmitting information using two complementary signals. The technique sends the same electrical signal as a differential pair of signals, each in its own conductor. The pair of conductors can be wires (typically twisted together) or traces on a circuit board. The receiving circuit responds to the electrical difference between the two signals, rather than the difference between a single wire and ground. The opposite technique is called single-ended signaling. Differential pairs are usually found on printed circuit boards, in twisted-pair and ribbon cables, and in connectors. The electronics industry, particularly in portable and mobile devices, continually strives to lower supply voltage to save power and reduce emitted electromagnetic radiation. A low supply voltage, however, reduces noise immunity. Differential signaling helps to reduce these problems because, for a given supply voltage, it provides twice the noise immunity of a single-ended system.
Routing high-speed (>1.0 Gbps), high density differential signals out of small pitch (distance from pin to pin), BGA (Ball Grid Array) from an SoC (System On a Chip) to a traditional linear single or multi-row connector is extremely difficult to achieve while maintaining positive transmission line effects. Some of the things that help maintain positive transmission line effects are short trace lengths that must be distance and phase matched, to achieve signal symmetry. Differential routing for multi-lane interfaces dictates that all trace lengths must match the longest signal trace. Not only does a differential pair match, but all lane pairs that are part of the defined interface. Reach is the maximum distance that a signal can safely travel through a particular medium without degradation. Due to challenging layout trade-offs, this may force a conflict with a design specification's reach requirements. Traditional rectangular multi-signal linear connectors take so much space that they block other routing that needs to be routed out of the SoC's BGA field. Traditional linear connectors tend to create longer trace lengths, or push-out from the BGA field due to right angle triangle hypotenuse to base length differences. Consider right triangle geometry: The base of the right triangle is the shortest distance from pin (or ball from a BGA) to the traditional linear connector—distance “b” in
A new connector type needs to be implemented to overcome the significant challenges of routing many high channel count HSIO's (High-Speed Input/Output) out of a SoC's package. These could also be used in small geometric areas without degrading the HSIO signals, while allowing other signals to be safely routed out. Accordingly, there is a need for systems, apparatus, and methods that overcome the deficiencies of conventional approaches including the methods, system and apparatus provided hereby.
The following presents a simplified summary relating to one or more aspects and/or examples associated with the apparatus and methods disclosed herein. As such, the following summary should not be considered an extensive overview relating to all contemplated aspects and/or examples, nor should the following summary be regarded to identify key or critical elements relating to all contemplated aspects and/or examples or to delineate the scope associated with any particular aspect and/or example. Accordingly, the following summary has the sole purpose to present certain concepts relating to one or more aspects and/or examples relating to the apparatus and methods disclosed herein in a simplified form to precede the detailed description presented below.
In one aspect, a cable connector comprise: a connector body with an inner radius and an outer radius longer than the inner radius; a first plurality of connector pads disposed at a first radius on the connector body, each of the first plurality of connector pads disposed along a radial axis different from each other; a first plurality of conductive traces configured to connect the first plurality of connector pads to a device, wherein each of the first plurality of conductive traces has substantially a first length; a second plurality of connector pads disposed at a second radius greater than the first radius on the connector body, each of the second plurality of connector pads disposed along a radial axis different from each other and each of the radial axis of the first plurality of connector pads; and a second plurality of conductive traces different from the first plurality of conductive traces and configured to connect the second plurality of connector pads to the device, wherein each of the second plurality of conductive traces has a second length equal to the first length.
In another aspect, a cable connector comprises: a connector body with an inner radius and an outer radius longer than the inner radius; a plurality of connector pads disposed at a first radius, each of the plurality of connector pads disposed along a radial axis different from each other; a plurality of conductive traces configured to connect the first plurality of connector pads to a device, wherein each of the first plurality of conductive traces has substantially a first length; and wherein a first signal on one of the plurality of conductive traces has a signal symmetry with a second signal on a different one of the plurality of conductive traces.
In still another aspect, a cable connector comprises: a connector body with an inner radius, an outer radius longer than the inner radius, a first surface, and a second surface opposite the first surface; a first plurality of connector pads disposed at a first radius on the first surface of the connector body, each of the first plurality of connector pads disposed along a radial axis different from each other; a first plurality of conductive traces configured to connect the first plurality of connector pads to a device, wherein each of the first plurality of conductive traces has substantially a first length; a second plurality of connector pads disposed at a second radius greater than the first radius on the first surface of the connector body, each of the second plurality of connector pads disposed along a radial axis different from each other and each of the radial axis of the first plurality of connector pads; a second plurality of conductive traces different from the first plurality of conductive traces and configured to connect the second plurality of connector pads to the device, wherein each of the second plurality of conductive traces has a second length equal to the first length; a third plurality of connector pads disposed at the first radius on the second surface of the connector body, each of the third plurality of connector pads disposed along a radial axis different from each other; a third plurality of conductive traces configured to connect the third plurality of connector pads to the device, wherein each of the third plurality of conductive traces has substantially a third length; a fourth plurality of connector pads disposed at the second radius greater than the first radius on the second surface of the connector body, each of the fourth plurality of connector pads disposed along a radial axis different from each other and each of the radial axis of the third plurality of connector pads; and a fourth plurality of conductive traces different from the third plurality of conductive traces and configured to connect the fourth plurality of connector pads to the device, wherein each of the fourth plurality of conductive traces has a fourth length equal to the third length.
Other features and advantages associated with the apparatus and methods disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the accompanying drawings and detailed description.
A more complete appreciation of aspects of the disclosure and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings which are presented solely for illustration and not limitation of the disclosure, and in which:
In accordance with common practice, the features depicted by the drawings may not be drawn to scale. Accordingly, the dimensions of the depicted features may be arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. In accordance with common practice, some of the drawings are simplified for clarity. Thus, the drawings may not depict all components of a particular apparatus or method. Further, like reference numerals denote like features throughout the specification and figures.
The exemplary methods, apparatus, and systems disclosed herein mitigate shortcomings of the conventional methods, apparatus, and systems, as well as other previously unidentified needs. In one example, In contrast to the traditional rectangular multi-signal linear connector (See
Each of the first plurality of conductive traces 114 has a first length and each of the second plurality of conductive traces 124 has a second length that must be equal to the first length. This allows a differential signal pair with signal symmetry between the pair of signal traces to be configured between a conductive trace 114 and a conductive trace 124 with each trace of the differential signal pair having the same length. Since the first radius 112 is shorter than the second radius 122, the conductive traces 114 may be laid out in a slightly meandering line between the connector pad 110 it is connected to and the device 108 while the conductive traces 124 may be laid out in a straight line between the connector pad 120 it is connected to and the device 108. One benefit of the radial shaped connector body 102 is that any one connector pad 110 and any one connector pad 120 may be used to configure a differential signal pair unlike a conventional straight linear connector that requires adjacent connector pads to be used for the differential pairs otherwise the difference in length of the traces would require a large amount of tromboning and/or serpentining.
Several applications for the exemplary radial quarter-round shaped connectors exist. For instance, any high-speed communications interface/link from a tight pitch SoC can be applied to an industrial, aeronautical, automotive and/or military application for superior routing and cabling to redirect the signal. These may include such applications as opto-electrical, distributed high-speed processing, electrical test, evaluation boards, IOT (Internet of Things), robotics, and drones. For opto-electrical: as opposed with a straight electrical contact, the holes in the quarter-round shaped connector can support opto-electrical couplers. For electrical test: electrical cables have better signal integrity than signals routed the same distance on the PCB. PCBs have much higher losses. For evaluation boards: evaluation boards are sent to customers to “play” with the evaluation hardware/software platform. By placing a quarter-round shaped connector on these boards, it may ensure that the customer would have good signal integrity to tap into these high-speed signals or to cable them to a board that they own. For distributed high-speed processing: routing high-speed signals from one board to others via cables. For IOT: PCB space is tight on IoT devices due to their small size. They usually have a mobile processor with low pitch geometries. Here it is critical to provide routing room while maintaining signal symmetries. For robotics: robots tend to be made of several PCBs that need to communicate with one another. This is a great solution for the high-speed communications path. For drones: drones are flying robots that also require distributed high-speed communications paths such as control and camera.
In this description, certain terminology is used to describe certain features. The term “mobile device” can describe, and is not limited to, a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a mobile device, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a fixed location terminal, a tablet computer, a computer, a wearable device, a laptop computer, a server, an automotive device in an automotive vehicle, and/or other types of portable electronic devices typically carried by a person and/or having communication capabilities (e.g., wireless, cellular, infrared, short-range radio, etc.). Further, the terms “user equipment” (UE), “mobile terminal,” “mobile device,” and “wireless device,” can be interchangeable.
One or more of the components, processes, features, and/or functions illustrated in
The wireless communication between electronic devices can be based on different technologies, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), W-CDMA, time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) or other protocols that may be used in a wireless communications network or a data communications network.
The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any details described herein as “exemplary” is not to be construed as advantageous over other examples. Likewise, the term “examples” does not mean that all examples include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation. Furthermore, a particular feature and/or structure can be combined with one or more other features and/or structures. Moreover, at least a portion of the apparatus described hereby can be configured to perform at least a portion of a method described hereby.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular examples and is not intended to be limiting of examples of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”, “comprising,” “includes,” and/or “including,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, actions, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, actions, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
It should be noted that the terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variant thereof, mean any connection or coupling, either direct or indirect, between elements, and can encompass a presence of an intermediate element between two elements that are “connected” or “coupled” together via the intermediate element.
Any reference herein to an element using a designation such as “first,” “second,” and so forth does not limit the quantity and/or order of those elements. Rather, these designations are used as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements and/or instances of an element. Also, unless stated otherwise, a set of elements can comprise one or more elements.
Nothing stated or illustrated depicted in this application is intended to dedicate any component, action, feature, benefit, advantage, or equivalent to the public, regardless of whether the component, action, feature, benefit, advantage, or the equivalent is recited in the claims.
In the detailed description above it can be seen that different features are grouped together in examples. This manner of disclosure should not be understood as an intention that the claimed examples have more features than are explicitly mentioned in the respective claim. Rather, the situation is such that inventive content may reside in fewer than all features of an individual example disclosed. Therefore, the following claims should hereby be deemed to be incorporated in the description, wherein each claim by itself can stand as a separate example. Although each claim by itself can stand as a separate example, it should be noted that-although a dependent claim can refer in the claims to a specific combination with one or a plurality of claims-other examples can also encompass or include a combination of said dependent claim with the subject matter of any other dependent claim or a combination of any feature with other dependent and independent claims. Such combinations are proposed herein, unless it is explicitly expressed that a specific combination is not intended. Furthermore, it is also intended that features of a claim can be included in any other independent claim, even if said claim is not directly dependent on the independent claim.
It should furthermore be noted that methods, systems, and apparatus disclosed in the description or in the claims can be implemented by a device comprising means for performing the respective actions of this method.
Furthermore, in some examples, an individual action can be subdivided into a plurality of sub-actions or contain a plurality of sub-actions. Such sub-actions can be contained in the disclosure of the individual action and be part of the disclosure of the individual action.
While the foregoing disclosure shows illustrative examples of the disclosure, it should be noted that various changes and modifications could be made herein without departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. The functions and/or actions of the method claims in accordance with the examples of the disclosure described herein need not be performed in any particular order. Additionally, well-known elements will not be described in detail or may be omitted so as to not obscure the relevant details of the aspects and examples disclosed herein. Furthermore, although elements of the disclosure may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated.
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