BMA interconnect adapter

Details BMA interconnect adapter BMA interconnect adapter

2001-05-24

2002-10-22

Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...

Coupling part with relatively pivotable concentric...

C439S312000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06468100

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to interconnect adapters and more specifically to a BMA interconnect adapter using a bulkhead mountable BMA connector.
Electronic measurement equipment, such as oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers and the like, and signal sources, such as arbitrary waveform generators, microwave generators and the like, use a variety of signal connectors for coupling signals into and out of the measurement equipment and signal sources. BNC connectors have a bayonet type connecting mechanism for securing the male side of the BNC connector to the female side of the connector. SMA, APC-7 and N-type connectors have threaded connecting mechanisms for securing the male side of the connectors to the female side. The female sides of the connectors have a threaded outer surfaces for receiving a threaded cowling on the male side of the connectors. The ends of the respective cowlings are equal with or extends past the end of the male connector. The threads on the inner surface of the cowling mate with the threads on the outer surface of the female side of the connector to secure the male side to the female side. The above described signal connectors are designed for hand attachment and detachment of the connectors. BNC type connectors are generally used to couple signals up to 4 Ghz. N-type connector and APC-7 connectors couple signals up to 18 Ghz. SMA connectors couple signals up to 26 Ghz.
BMA or blind mate connectors are another type of high frequency connector designed for coupling high frequency signals between bulkheads of modules without the use of threaded coupling or bayonet type connections. Referring to
FIG. 1
, there is shown a cross-section view of male
10
and female
12
sides of a BMA connector
14
mounted on respective bulkheads or panels
16
,
18
. The male side
10
of the BMA connector, such as manufactured and sold by M/A-Com Division of Amp, Inc., Lowell, Mass., includes a shield sleeve portion
20
having a tapered exterior portion
22
at the free end. The shield sleeve portion
20
has a threaded portion
24
disposed away from the free end that receives a retaining nut
26
. A radially extending hexagonal flange
28
is formed on the shield sleeve portion
20
that abuts against the bulkhead or panel
16
. Extending away from the flange
28
in an opposite direction from the free end is a second mating portion
30
. The second mating portion
30
may be configured to receive a coaxial cable, formed as a SMA connector, or the like. The free end includes a central signal conductor
32
extends into the shield sleeve portion
20
and has a base portion
34
, and an extending free end portion
36
coaxial with the shield sleeve portion
20
. The free end portion
36
has a narrower diameter than the base portion, providing a shoulder
38
facing the leading direction. The free end of the conductor
36
is recessed below the shield portion
20
to prevent damage and to ensure that the shield
20
is connected when the signal conductor
32
makes and breaks contact.
A female side
12
of the BMA connector
14
has a cylindrical sleeve
40
defining a cylindrical chamber
42
. The outer surface
44
of the cylindrical sleeve
42
is threaded to receive a retaining nut
46
. A radially extending hexagonal flange
48
is formed on the cylindrical sleeve
40
that abuts against the bulkhead or panel
18
. The sidewalls
50
and floor
52
of the chamber
40
are lined with a leaf spring sleeve having side springs
54
bowing slightly into the chamber
40
, and end spring portions
56
bowing into the chamber
40
from the floor. The side springs
54
compliantly grip the male shield portion
20
, even if it were somewhat angularly displaced. For the BMA standard, displacements of up to 5 degrees are tolerated without degradation of the connection. The end spring portions
56
provide compliant contact with the end surface
22
of the male shield
10
, tolerating a small range of insertion depths, so that the signal connection may establish the precise insertion depth. A central signal conductor
58
is a rigid sleeve having a bore
60
sized to closely receive the free end portion
36
of the male side conductor
32
. The conductor
58
has a free end surface
62
that is recessed at adequate depth below the free end face of the shield sleeve
40
to protect against damage. In addition, the sleeve
40
extends to an adequate distance relative to the signal conductor
58
to ensure that the shield contact is already made when the signal contact connects and is still made when the signal contact disconnects.
The male
10
and female
12
sides of the BMA connector
14
are inserted through holes
70
,
72
in the respective bulkheads
16
,
18
with the respective hexagonal flanges
28
,
48
abutting against the bulkheads. Respective retaining nuts
26
,
46
are threaded onto the male and female sides and tightened against the bulkheads to secure the male and female sides to the bulkheads. The bulkheads are brought together such that the shield sleeve portion
20
of the male side
10
is inserted into the chamber
40
of the female side
12
with the compliant springs
54
of the female side gripping the male shield sleeve portion
20
to align the free end portion
36
of the male signal conductor
32
to the bore
60
of the female central signal conductor
58
. The bulkheads
16
,
18
are secured together with screws, nuts and bolts and the like (not shown) to provide the axial thrust recommended by the manufacture for optimum signal integrity.
BMA connectors are used in applications where traditional threaded type connectors cannot be used, such as coupling high speed signals from a VXI module to a system backplane. However, they have not been used as part of a measurement instrument or signal source front panel until recently. Tektronix, Inc, Beaverton, Oreg., the assignee of the instant invention, introduced the TDS7104 Oscilloscope with a TEKCONNECT™ signal interconnect system using BMA connectors. The front panel of the oscilloscope has rectangular pockets with each pocket having one side of the BMA connector mounted therein. The other side of the BMA connector is mounted in the end of a rectangular body portion that contains circuitry associated with of a measurement probe, adapter connectors and the like. The body portion is inserted into the pocket portion with the two sides of the BMA connectors making contact. Mechanical latching elements in the pocket and body provide the axial thrust for securing the two sides together for optimum performance. The above described signal interconnect system is described in co-pending patent application titled “Electronic Interconnect Device for High Speed Siganl and Data Transmission”, Ser. No. 09/716,080, filed Nov. 17, 2000.
What is needed is an adapter for a BMA connector that would allow the BMA connector to be used as a front panel connector. Such an adapter should be able to use existing BNA components. Further, the adapter should provide the axial thrust for a good connection without having to mount both sides of the BMA connector on bulkheads or panels. The adapter should also be easily attached and detached from the BMA front panel connector. The adapter should be of a small size so as not to require significant front panel space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is to an electronic interconnect adapter for a bulkhead mounted high speed coaxial interconnect having a female side mounted on the bulkhead. The female side of the adapter has a central signal conductor and a coaxial shield sleeve defining a chamber having a compliant contact facility portion with the sleeve having a threaded exterior surface. The interconnect adapter has a male side of the high speed coaxial interconnect having a central signal conductor and a coaxial shield contact The shield contact is divided into first and second mating members by a radially extending flange disposed part way along the shield contact The male portion of the first mat

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