Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Optical fiber to a nonfiber optical device connector
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-13
2002-02-26
Healy, Brian (Department: 2874)
Optical waveguides
With disengagable mechanical connector
Optical fiber to a nonfiber optical device connector
C385S046000, C385S089000, C385S092000, C385S139000, C359S199200, C359S199200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06350063
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transceiver module. The transceiver module is configured to convert data signals from a first serial transmission medium to a second serial transmission medium. The invention more particularly concerns an optical transceiver module having a High Speed Serial Data Connector which is pluggable, for instance, into a host device.
2. Discussion of the Background
Computer networks and channels are constantly evolving in an effort to transmit more data faster over longer distances without the data being corrupted. At the same time the structure of the system needs to be simplistic and uniform so as to increase standardization and interchangeability. In an effort to address the problem, a committee for Fibre Channel was formed which published an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard, ANSI X3T11. Development of Fibre Channel standards are continuing. Other sources of Fibre Channel information can be found in “What is Fibre Channel?,” by Jan Dedek and Gary Stephens, Fourth Edition, 1999, ANCOT Corporation, and “Fibre Channel, Volume 1: The Basics,” by Jan Dedek and Gary Stephens, 1995, ANCOT Corporation. Fibre Channel is a melding of traditional network and channel philosophies. Fibre Channel is a standard which has as a goal the high speed transfer of uncorrupted data over long and short distances at a reasonable price. Fibre Channel uses links to connect to ports of a node. Typically, a copper cable or an optical fiber is the link. A node represents a device such as a disk drive, a printer, a work station, a host device, etc. The port of the node is the input/output interface. Fibre Channel requires that each node have at least one port, and that each port have a first fiber for transporting data to the node and a second fiber for transporting data from the node.
High speed transmission of data over a copper cable link or an optical fiber link is suitable over relatively short distances of approximately twenty-five meters. Copper cable links are not suitable for transmitting data past distances of approximately twenty-five meters due to loss of signal power without using a relay to boost power. Contrastingly, optical fiber links transmit data with acceptable power loss up to distances of approximately ten kilometers. However, copper cable links are less expensive than optical fiber links. Conmmonly, copper cable links are terminated with either a DB-9 connector or a High Speed Serial Data Connector (HSSDC); and fiber optic cable links are terminated with a Fibre Channel approved SC connector.
Many of the nodes have ports which accept copper cable links and as such have DB-9 or HSSDC connector receptacles, or the ports accept fiber optic cable connectors and as such have SC connector receptacles. The hardware of the ports are, typically, permanently mounted to the printed circuit board or chassis of the node. Thus, nodes exist having ports which accept either only a copper cable link or an optical fiber link.
Typically, businesses begin small and grow larger. So, it is reasonable that a new businessperson investing in Fibre Channel technology would purchase copper cable link compatible nodes, since the new businessperson does not have large distances over which to transmit data between nodes. Over time, the businessperson's venture grows as does the businessperson's need for transmitting data between nodes which are separated by long distances. Such a situation is distressing to the businessperson who has invested large amounts of resources in a copper cable link based system. The businessperson must now purchase optical fiber link compatible nodes and optic fiber links. Such an outlay of capital is not desired. It is desirous to salvage the copper cable link compatible nodes to be used with the optical fiber links. This may be true for other area networks in addition to Fibre Channel.
As further background, a High Speed Serial Data Connector (HSSDC) is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,027, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. Such a High Speed Serial Data Connector is shown in
FIGS. 4-17
. Industrial technical standard documents ANSI X3TI 1/FC-0, ANSI X3TII, and ANSI X3T10.1 specify requirements of the High Speed Serial Data Connector.
FIG. 4
is a top view of an ANSI approved High Speed Serial Data Connector
200
.
FIG. 5
is a side view of the ANSI approved High Speed Serial Data Connector
200
.
FIGS. 4 and 5
show a housing
201
, an electrical cable
202
, a conductive shield
203
, a bending strain relief
204
, and an insulating overmold
205
.
FIG. 5
further shows contacts
206
, a circuit board
207
, a holder
208
, conductors
209
, and a strain relief
210
.
FIG. 6
is a top view of the housing
201
. The housing
201
includes a latch arm
211
, a front end
212
, a top side
213
, a rear
214
, and a front mating end
215
.
FIG. 7
is a side view of the housing
201
.
FIG. 7
further shows a latch finger
216
, and a slit
217
.
FIG. 8
is a side view, partially in section, of the housing
201
.
FIG. 8
further shows a bottom side
218
, a second window
220
, a first window
221
, channels
223
, a tongue
224
, an opening
225
, a front wall
226
, a cavity
228
, grooves
229
, an open top side
230
, air gaps
231
, a ramped projection
232
, a bottom side
233
.
FIG. 9
further shows sides
219
, a front portion
222
, and an end wall
227
.
FIG. 10
is an end view of the housing
201
.
FIG. 11
is a front view of the holder
208
. The holder
208
includes exterior ends
234
, projecting tapered latch fingers
235
, passages
236
, and a front end
237
.
FIG. 12
is a top view of the holder
208
.
FIG. 13
is a section view of the holder
208
further showing a rear end
238
, and a recess
239
.
FIG. 14
is an end view of the holder
208
.
FIG. 15
is a top view of the electrical contacts
206
further showing a carrier strip
240
, and narrow tips
241
.
FIG. 16
is an edgewise view of one of the contacts
206
further showing various bends
242
.
FIG. 17
is an edgewise view of the combination of the contacts
206
and the holder
208
and further showing a front edge
243
of the circuit board
207
.
Additionally, a High Speed Serial Data Connector receptacle is disclosed in U. S. Pat. No. 5,865,646, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. Such a High Speed Serial Data Connector receptacle is shown in
FIGS. 18-20
.
FIG. 18
is a perspective view of a High Speed Serial Data Connector receptacle
244
.
FIG. 19
is a front view of the High Speed Serial Data Connector receptacle
244
.
FIG. 20
is a side view of the High Speed Serial Data Connector receptacle
244
. The receptacle
244
includes a insulator
245
, a rear wall
246
, a plurality of conductive contact terminals
247
, a pair of upper guide members
248
, a peg
249
, a shield
250
, a top wall
251
, side wall
252
, through hole tails
253
, side wall
254
, a rear wall
255
, tabs
256
, a latch
257
, a chamber
258
, a bottom wall
259
, another bottom wall
260
, a top flange
261
, a latch receiving slot
262
, a latching shoulder
263
, another latching shoulder
264
, a top contact member
265
, a compliant contact member
266
, another compliant contact member
267
, another contact
268
, a side flange
269
, another side flange
270
, fingers
271
, fingers
272
, side contact fingers
273
, another flange portion
274
, another flange portion
275
, contact fingers
276
, a bottom contact member
277
, through hole tails
278
, tails
279
, more side contact fingers
280
, an insertion axis A
1
, a front zone B
1
, and a rear zone C
1
.
Furthermore, the Small Form Factor Committee has published the “SFF-8420 Specification for HSSDC-1 Shielded Connections, Rev 7.1, non-final draft, Nov. 10, 1998,” which sets forth certain requirements of a High Speed Serial Data Connector and a High Speed Serial Data Connector receptacle. Drawings of both the HSSDC connector and the receptacle are shown in
FIGS. 21-36
.
FIGS. 21-24
corre
Gilliland Patrick B.
Jines Carlos
Kovach Karl D.
Stratos Lightwave, Inc.
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