Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-10
2001-04-24
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
C439S924100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220873
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a substrate of a transceiver module such as, but not limited, to a Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC), and pluggability of that connector.
BACKGROUND
Optoelectronic transceiver modules provide for the bidirectional transmission of data between an electrical interface and an optical data link. The module receives electrically encoded data signals which are converted into optical signals and transmitted over the optical data link. Likewise, the module receives optically encoded data signals which are converted into electrical signals and transmitted onto the electrical interface. Copper transceiver modules provide bidirectional transmission of data between two electrical devices.
Normally, the transceiver is mounted onto one of the circuit card assemblies of a host computer, input/output system, peripheral device, or switch. Therefore, as with all electronic equipment, there is a need for a transceiver having an outer package design which occupies as little circuit card surface area as possible.
The gigabit interface converter (GBIC) specification was developed by a group of electronics manufacturers to arrive at a standard small form factor transceiver module for use with a wide variety of serial transmission media and connectors. The specification defines the electronic, electrical, and physical interface of removable serial transceiver module designed to operate at a giga-bit speed. A GBIC provides a pluggable module which may be inserted and removed from a host or switch chassis without powering off the receiving socket. The GBIC specification allows a single standard interface to be changed from a first serial medium to an alternate serial medium by removing a first GBIC module and plugging in a second GBIC having the desired alternate media interface.
According to the GBIC specification, the connection of the GBIC to the circuit board in the host enclosure (the host board) is identical for all implementations, regardless of external media type. For example, a GBIC with a DB9 connector can be replaced with a GBIC with an Single Connector (SC) duplex media connector. The mechanical form factor of the GBIC with reference to the host board is always the same. While not requiring a fixed form factor guide-rail or slot, common components are available that will suffice for most applications. Special socketing components can be built as required. Every GBIC will fit into a socket designed for any other GBIC. Further, the power interface includes two guide tabs integrated into the connector structure. The guide tabs shall be connected to circuit ground on both the host and GBIC. If the Transmitting Ground (TGND) and Receiving Ground (RGND) pins are separated on the GBIC, one guide tab shall be connected to TGND and the other to RGND. The guide tabs shall engage before any of the connector pins. This harmlessly discharges any stray static. The connector itself has two stages of contact sequencing, sequence stage
1
making contact before sequence
2
during insertion. Grounds and certain signals make contact in sequence stage
1
. Power makes contact in stage
2
.
FIG. 1
shows the sequence of connections including the pin name, pin number, and the sequence of connection. When the GBIC is plugged in to a host circuit board, the numeral ‘1’ denotes pins which make contact before pins denoted by numeral ‘2.’ It may be noted that a preliminary step before stage
1
occurs when the GBIC external surface contacts the face plate opening or ground tabs of the receptacle of the host device in order to discharge static to chassis ground.
When a GBIC is hot plugged, several of the signal lines are connected at the same time as the power Vdd. This can cause a dangerous situation, especially with a GBIC having a module definition “4” which uses a Complementary Metal Oxide-Silicon (CMOS) serial EEPROM. The data and clock lines of the (Version 2) (SCA2) Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) Single Connector Attachment are connected through an connector. Connecting these signal lines to the EEPROM at the same time as Vdd can cause this EEPROM to malfunction or even be destroyed, and with it the GBIC.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Objects of the invention include safe hot plugging of a gigabit interface connector for exchanging data signals between two transmission media.
The present invention relates to an externally accessible, hot-pluggable communications circuit module and universal module guide system, and more particularly to interchangeable serial communications transceivers, employing transmission media such as fiber optics and copper wire at a wide range of frequencies and wavelengths. The transceiver circuits are housed in a standardized module housing and interfacing with a host system through a universal module guide. The module and module guide system meet standard EMI specifications and provide discharge paths for ESD build-up during handling, and pin sequencing to prevent power surges during hot plugging.
The present invention relates to a high speed serial interface module, such as a gigabit interface converter (GBIC) module, configured to slide into a slot within a host device chassis where, at the rear of the mounting slot, a first connector of the GBIC engages a host socket of the host device. According to the present invention, the first connector includes sequential mating contacts on a contact beam of a substrate such that when the module is inserted into the corresponding host socket, certain contacts are connected in a predefined sequence such that a first set of contacts engages the host socket prior to a second set of contact traces which, in turn, engage the host socket prior to a third set of contact traces. In further accord with the present invention, the first set includes grounding contacts, the second set includes contacts for powering the substrate and the third set includes signal contacts. In one embodiment, the gigabit interface converter has contacts in a predefined sequence, instead of contact traces on a substrate which are in a predefined sequence. An advantage of this invention is that the GBIC, and its EEPROM, is grounded before it is powered and powered before it begins passing signals. This eliminates the risk of damage to the GBIC EEPROM under the GBIC-to-host contact sequence which is dictated by the GBIC specification.
By properly sequencing the power and grounding connections the module may be “hot pluggable,” in that the module may be inserted into and removed from a host socket without removing power to the host device. The various contact elements of the first electrical connector are connected to conductive traces on the printed circuit board, and thus serial data signals may be transferred from the host device to the interface module.
The substrate includes electronic components necessary to transfer data signals between the copper transmission medium of the host device to the transmission medium connected to the output side of the module. These electronic components may include passive components such as capacitors and resistors for those situations when the module is merely passing the signals from the host device to the output medium without materially changing the signals, or they may include active components for those cases where the data signals must be altered before being transferred to the output medium.
These and other objects, features and advantages will become more apparent in light of the drawings and accompanying text.
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Llorens Joseph R.
Medina Raul
Samela Francis M.
Evans Steven M.
Hyeon Hae Moon
Newman David L.
Sircus Brian
Stratos Lightwave, Inc.
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