Inductive and capacitive coupling balancing electrical connector

• US 20050136747A1
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panduit Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panduit Corporation
• Inventors: Caveney, Jack E., Lesniak, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,182,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/676
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6466 on substrates, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6469 on substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/665 with built-in electronic circuit H01R13/70, H01R13/719 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/64 for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/2416 the contact members having insulation-cutting edges, e.g. of tuning fork type
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/2433 one part of the base being movable to push the cable into the slot
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0228 Compensation of cross-talk by a mutually correlated lay-out of printed circuit traces, e.g. for compensation of cross-talk in mounted connectors balanced signal pairs H05K1/0245
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/162 incorporating printed capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/165 incorporating printed inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09236 Parallel layout
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09672 Superposed layout, i.e. in different planes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10189 Non-printed connector
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/941 Crosstalk suppression
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/942 Comblike retainer for conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49201 with overlapping orienting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49202 including oppositely facing end orienting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 by assembling plural parts

Abstract

A network cable jack includes a printed circuit board (PCB) for balancing both inductive and capacitive coupling. Using a PCB allows compact trace paths to be formed without significantly increasing manufacturing costs. By including on each trace path two distinct inductance zones separated by a neutral zone, significant gains in degrees of freedom are achieved for designing PCB trace patterns in which a pair of inductive coupling zones jointly offset the inductive coupling caused by a specification plug and the jack contacts, both in magnitude and phase angle. Further, using distinct inductance zones offers more freedom regarding the placement of capacitive plates for use in capacitance balancing as well as the placement of terminals and insulation displacement contacts. Although the magnitude of a capacitive coupling is determined by the length of the capacitor plates parallel to current carrying traces, the approach allows capacitive and inductive coupling to be balanced independently.

Claims

1. A jack connector for terminating a network cable that includes a plurality of conductors, the jack connector comprising:

a printed circuit board (PCB) with a plurality of electrical traces,

wherein an electrical trace is provided for each network cable conductor terminated by the jack connector, and

wherein the plurality of electrical traces are arranged upon the PCB to form a plurality of zones that balance inductive and capacitive coupling and thereby minimize crosstalk on the conductors of the network cable.

2. The jack connector of claim 1, wherein each electrical trace passes through a plurality inductive coupling zones.

3. The jack connector of claim 2, wherein the plurality of inductive coupling zones along each electrical trace jointly offset in magnitude and phase an inductive coupling caused by a plug and a contact between the plug and the jack connector.

4. The jack connector of claim 2, wherein a length of the respective electrical traces within each of the respective inductive coupling zones is chosen so that inductive coupling provided by the inductive coupling zones combines to substantially offset an inductive coupling between the jack connector and a plug.

5. The jack connector of claim 1, wherein each electrical trace passes through two inductive coupling zones separated by a neutral zone.

6. The jack connector of claim 1, wherein an electrical path formed by a conductor within a plug inserted into the jack connector extends from the plug through a portion of a contact between the plug and the jack connector, through a contact through-hole on the PCB, along a precompensation portion of a trace, into a compensation zone of the trace, into a neutral zone of the trace, into a crosstalk zone of the trace and into a corresponding network cable conductor.

7. The jack connector of claim 6, wherein traces are run closely together in the compensation and crosstalk zones so as to introduce inductive coupling between particular trace pairs.

8. The jack connector of claim 6, wherein the precompensation zone and neutral zone are substantially void of any intentionally introduced inductive coupling between trace pairs.

9. The jack connector of claim 1, wherein the PCB further comprises capacitive plates above and below a trace section that includes a plurality of trace leads.

10. The jack connector of claim 9, wherein the magnitude of each capacitive coupling is determined by a length of the capacitive plates parallel to the trace section.

11. The jack connector of claim 1, further comprising:

an electrically conducting pair divider that separates the network cable electrical conductors to reduce crosstalk between the electrical conductors within the jack connector.

12. The jack connector of claim 1, further comprising:

an electrically conducting cable clamp that forms an electrical connection with a shielding layer of the network cable.

13. The jack connector of claim 12, wherein the electrically conducting cable clamp further includes a contact that forms an electrical connection with a grounding plate upon insertion of the jack connector within a grounded patch panel.

14. A method for reducing cross-talk between a plurality of conductors in a network cable, the method comprising:

off-setting in magnitude and phase crosstalk between conductors within a plug and conductors within a jack connector using a plurality of electrical traces upon a printed circuit board (PCB) within the jack connector,

wherein the plurality of electrical traces upon the PCB balance inductive and capacitive coupling.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

forming a plurality of inductive coupling zones on the PCB such that a length of the respective electrical traces within each of the inductive coupling zones results in inductive coupling that combines to substantially offset an inductive coupling in plug and jack connector contacts.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

forming a neutral zone within an electrical trace, whereby the electrical trace passes through two inductive coupling zones separated by a neutral zone, and wherein the neutral zone is substantially void of any intentionally introduced inductive coupling between trace pairs.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

running a plurality of traces closely together in an inductive coupling zone so as to introduce inductive coupling between the plurality of traces.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

forming upon each trace a zone that is substantially void of any intentionally introduced inductive coupling between traces.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

placing capacitive plates above and below a trace section that includes a plurality of trace leads.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

separating the network cable electrical conductors within the jack connector with an electrically conductive divider to reduce crosstalk between the electrical conductors.