Electrical connectors – With circuit conductors and safety grounding provision – Grounding of coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-02
2004-10-26
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With circuit conductors and safety grounding provision
Grounding of coupling part
C439S607560
Reexamination Certificate
active
06808399
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to an electrical wafer or circuit board configured for use within an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical wafer having at least one split ground plane.
In the past, controlled impedance connectors have been proposed that are used as board-to-board connectors. Many connectors house a plurality of circuit boards, or electrical wafers, having edges that mate with edges of corresponding contacts in an adjoining connector. The connectors may electrically connect components, such as motherboards and daughterboards.
FIG. 7
is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a conventional electrical wafer
100
. The electrical wafer
100
includes a main body
112
formed of a dielectric material, such as molded plastic. Signal tracks
114
are positioned on one side
102
of the electrical wafer
114
and may be separated from one another by a gap. The second side of the electrical wafer
104
includes at least one ground plane
116
. As shown in
FIG. 7
, the ground plane
116
is shared by both signal tracks
114
. Thus, electrical energy may travel from a first signal track to the ground plane
116
and into the second signal tracks (as shown by the arrows).
Examples of electrical connectors that utilize wafers are disclosed in United States Patent Application Publication US 2002/0009926 A1, filed Feb. 3, 2000 and published Jan. 24, 2002 (“the '926 application”). The '926 application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The '926 application discloses an electrical connector that includes a housing that carries a plurality of wafers or circuit boards.
FIG. 9
illustrates an electrical connector
1111
according to the '926 application. As shown in
FIG. 9
(FIG. 1 of the '926 application), the electrical connector
1111
includes a housing
1112
having a front housing
1120
and an organizer
1130
. Wafers
1113
having mating edges
1116
are received and retained within the housing
1112
. The wafers
1113
extend parallel to each other in a spaced-apart relationship. The wafers
1113
include signal tracks that provide electrical paths through the connector. Each electrical path extends from a mating interface at one end of the connector to a mounting interface at another end of the connector.
The signal tracks of the wafers are separated by common ground planes. Ground planes may be provided on both sides of the wafer. At least a portion of the ground plane on one side of the wafer is located directly opposite a signal track on the opposite side of the wafer. Therefore, two signal tracks on a first side of the electrical wafer have a common return path to a ground plane, while a signal track on the second side of the wafer is directly across from the same ground plane through the main body of the wafer. The body of the wafer is typically a thin layer of dielectric material. Additionally, the signal track on the second side of the electrical wafer is typically separated from other signal tracks on the second side of the wafer by separate ground planes.
Electrical noise, jitter and the like generated by one signal track, or signal route, may pass into the ground plane. While the ground plane absorbs and alleviates noise and jitter, the ground plane may not entirely remove the noise and jitter. Hence, the ground plane may permit a small portion of the electrical noise, jitter and the like to pass from one signal track to another signal track. That is, the ground plane may couple with one signal track and act as an electrical conduit to another signal track, thereby allowing electrical noise and jitter to pass from one signal track to another signal track. Consequently, the signal tracks that share the same ground planes may still experience noise, jitter and the like thereby degrading performance within the electrical connector.
FIG. 8
is a cross-sectional view of a portion of another conventional electrical wafer
118
. The electrical wafer
118
includes differential signal pairs
120
that each share a common ground plane
122
. Thus, electrical energy may travel from one differential signal pair
120
to another differential signal pair through the common ground plane
122
.
Many connector systems are arranged to convey signals arranged in differential pairs. Each differential pair includes complimentary signals such that if one signal in a differential pair switches from a zero logic state to a one logic state, the other signal in the differential pair switches from a one logic state to a zero logic state. If the differential pair signals are skewed in time with respect to one another, or if the transmission line characteristics of the signal tracks in a differential pair differ, cancellation between signals of the differential pair does not occur and a new current (resulting from the fact that the signals did not cancel) may be generated and passed to the ground plane. This new current is passed from one differential pair to another differential pair through the common ground plane, thereby causing interference and degrading performance within the connector.
Thus, a need exists for an electrical wafer that minimizes the effects of adjacent signal paths communicating with one another. Further, a need exists for an electrical wafer that exhibits less interference, cross-talk, jitter and the like.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide an electrical wafer configured to be housed within an electrical connector, comprising a main body and a plurality of signal routes and ground planes. The main body is formed of a dielectric material having first and second sides. The plurality of signal routes are positioned on a first side of the main body. Each of the signal routes comprises a signal contact pad at a mating edge of the electrical wafer, a signal terminal at a mounting edge of the electrical wafer, and a trace connecting the signal contact pad with the signal terminal. The plurality of ground planes positioned on the second side of the main body are positioned such that each of the ground planes is directly across from one of the plurality of signal routes located on the first side of the main body. Neighboring ground planes on the second side are separated by a ground-to-ground gap.
Certain embodiments of the present invention also provide an electrical wafer configured to be housed within an electrical connector comprising a main body, and a plurality of signal routes, gap routes and ground planes. The plurality of signal routes, gap routes and ground planes are positioned on each of the first and second sides of the main body. Each of the plurality of signal routes on one of the sides is located between two of the plurality of ground planes on the same side of the main body. Each of the ground planes on one side of the main body is positioned between one of the plurality of signal routes and one of the plurality of the gap routes on the same side of the main body.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4157612 (1979-06-01), Rainal
patent: 4571014 (1986-02-01), Robin et al.
patent: 5525067 (1996-06-01), Gatti
patent: 5908333 (1999-06-01), Perino et al.
patent: 6083047 (2000-07-01), Paagman
patent: 6171115 (2001-01-01), Mickievicz et al.
patent: 6220896 (2001-04-01), Bertoncini et al.
patent: 6267604 (2001-07-01), Mickievicz et al.
patent: 6461202 (2002-10-01), Kline
patent: 6471115 (2002-10-01), Ijuin et al.
patent: 6471548 (2002-10-01), Bertoncini et al.
patent: 6506076 (2003-01-01), Cohen et al.
patent: 6517360 (2003-02-01), Cohen
patent: 6537087 (2003-03-01), McNamara et al.
patent: 6540558 (2003-04-01), Paagman
patent: 6544045 (2003-04-01), Paagman
patent: 6544072 (2003-04-01), Olson
patent: 6554647 (2003-04-01), Cohen et al.
patent: 6572410 (2003-06-01), Volstorf et al.
patent: 6652318 (2003-11-01), Winings et al.
patent: 6655966 (2003-12-01), Rothermel et al.
patent: 6672886 (2004-01-01), Billman
patent: 6685488 (2004-02-01), Billman et al.
patent: 6692272 (2004-02-01), Lemke et al.
patent: 2002/0009926 (2002-01-01)
Helster David Wayne
Morgan Chad William
Rothermel Brent Ryan
Sharf Alex Michael
Bradley P. Austin
Nguyen Phuongchi
Tyco Electronics Corporation
LandOfFree
Electrical connector with wafers having split ground planes does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Electrical connector with wafers having split ground planes, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Electrical connector with wafers having split ground planes will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3325568