INDUCTIVE AND CAPACITIVE COUPLING BALANCING ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR

• US 20070123112A1
• Filed: 02/02/2007
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panduit Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panduit Corporation
• Inventors: Lesniak, Scott, Caveney, Jack
• Granted Patent: US 7,726,018 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 layout of balanced signal pairs H05K1/0245; superposed layout H05K2201/09672
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09672 Superposed layout, i.e. in different planes parallel traces in one plane H05K2201/09236
• 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 method for reducing crosstalk 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 first, second, third, and fourth electrical traces upon a printed circuit board (PCB) within the jack connector, said first, second, third, and fourth electrical traces passing through a compensation zone and a crosstalk zone;

providing inductive couplings between the second and third electrical traces and between the first and fourth electrical traces in the compensation zone;

providing inductive couplings between the second and fourth electrical traces and between the first and third electrical traces in the crosstalk zone; and

providing between said compensation zone and said crosstalk zone a neutral zone that is substantially void of any intentionally introduced inductive coupling between adjacent traces.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing inductive couplings between traces comprises running said traces closely together so as to induce inductive coupling between said traces.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising separating the network cable conductors within the jack connector with an electrically conductive divider to reduce crosstalk between the electrical conductors.