Cable For High Speed Data Communications

• US 20110127062A1
• Filed: 12/01/2009
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Global Technologies International Ltd. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lu, Vinh B., Mutnury, Bhyrav M., Cases, Moises
• Granted Patent: US 10,141,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/103
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 11/1016 composed of a longitudinal lapped tape-conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 11/1091 with screen grounding means, e.g. drain wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 11/20 Cables having a multiplicity of coaxial lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/06 Coaxial lines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A cables for high speed data communications, the cable including a first inner conductor enclosed by a first dielectric layer and a second inner conductor enclosed by a second dielectric layer. The first inner conductor is substantially parallel to the second inner conductor and to a longitudinal axis. The cable includes a conductive shield wrapped around the first and second inner conductors, with an overlap of the conductive shield along and about the longitudinal axis. The overlap is aligned with a low current plane. The low current plane substantially parallel to the first and second inner conductors, substantially equidistant from the first and second inner conductors, and substantially orthogonal to a plane including the first and second inner conductors.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a cable for high speed data communications, the method comprising:

providing a first inner conductor enclosed by a first dielectric layer and a second inner conductor enclosed by a second dielectric layer, the first inner conductor substantially parallel to the second inner conductor and to a longitudinal axis; and

wrapping a conductive shield around the first and second inner conductors, including overlapping the conductive shield along and about the longitudinal axis, wherein the overlap is aligned with a low current plane, the low current plane substantially parallel to the first and second inner conductors, substantially equidistant from the first and second inner conductors, and substantially orthogonal to a plane including the first and second inner conductors.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the overlap produces a stopband filter that filters frequencies in a stopband, the stopband including frequencies greater than frequencies of signals to be transmitted along the first and second inner conductors.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the stopband includes frequencies greater than frequencies in the range of 5-10 gigahertz.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first and second inner conductors are substantially the same length;

providing the first and second inner conductors further comprises aligning corresponding ends of the first and second inner conductors; and

wrapping a conductive shield further comprises wrapping a plurality of conductive shields around the first and second inner conductors, including overlapping each of the conductive shields along and about the longitudinal axis, wherein the overlap of the conductive shields is aligned with the low current plane and wherein the conductive shields are wrapped along the first and second inner conductors iteratively beginning at one end of the first and second inner conductors and ending at the other end of the first and second inner conductors.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

providing a first a second inner conductor further comprises providing a drain conductor substantially parallel to the first and second inner conductors; and

wrapping the conductive shield around the first and second inner conductors further comprises wrapping the conductive shield around the first and second inner conductors and the drain conductor.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the conductive shield comprises aluminum foil.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

enclosing the conductive shield and the first and second inner conductors with a non-conductive layer.

8. A cable for high speed data communications, the cable comprising:

a first inner conductor enclosed by a first dielectric layer and a second inner conductor enclosed by a second dielectric layer, the first inner conductor substantially parallel to the second inner conductor and to a longitudinal axis; and

a conductive shield wrapped around the first and second inner conductors, including an overlap of the conductive shield along and about the longitudinal axis, wherein the overlap is aligned with a low current plane, the low current plane substantially parallel to the first and second inner conductors, substantially equidistant from the first and second inner conductors, and substantially orthogonal to a plane including the first and second inner conductors.

9. The cable of claim 8, wherein the overlap produces a stopband filter that filters frequencies in a stopband, the stopband including frequencies greater than frequencies of signals to be transmitted along the first and second inner conductors.

10. The cable of claim 9, wherein the stopband is includes frequencies greater than frequencies in the range of 5-10 gigahertz.

11. The cable of claim 8 wherein:

the first and second inner conductors are substantially the same length;

corresponding ends of the first and second inner conductors are aligned; and

the cable further comprises a plurality of conductive shields wrapped around the first and second inner conductors, including each of the conductive shields overlapped along and about the longitudinal axis, wherein the overlap of the conductive shields is aligned with the low current plane and wherein the conductive shields are wrapped along the first and second inner conductors iteratively beginning at one end of the first and second inner conductors and ending at the other end of the first and second inner conductors.

12. The cable of claim 8 further comprising a drain conductor substantially parallel to the first and second inner conductors, wherein the conductive shield is wrapped around the first and second inner conductors and the drain conductor.

13. The cable of claim 8 wherein the conductive shield comprises aluminum foil.

14. The cable of claim 8 further comprising a non-conductive layer enclosing the conductive shield and the first and second inner conductors.

15. A method of transmitting a signal on a cable for high speed data communications, the method comprising:

transmitting a balanced signal characterized by a frequency in the range of 5-10 gigahertz on a cable, the cable comprising;

a first inner conductor enclosed by a first dielectric layer and a second inner conductor enclosed by a second dielectric layer, the first inner conductor substantially parallel to the second inner conductor and to a longitudinal axis; and

a conductive shield wrapped around the first and second inner conductors, including an overlap of the conductive shield along and about the longitudinal axis, wherein the overlap is aligned with a low current plane, the low current plane substantially parallel to the first and second inner conductors, substantially equidistant from the first and second inner conductors, and substantially orthogonal to a plane including the first and second inner conductors.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the overlap produces a stopband filter that filters frequencies in a stopband, the stopband including frequencies greater than frequencies in the range of 5-10 gigahertz.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the first and second inner conductors are substantially the same length;

corresponding ends of the first and second inner conductors are aligned; and

the cable further comprises a plurality of conductive shields wrapped around the first and second inner conductors, including each of the conductive shields overlapped along and about the longitudinal axis, wherein the overlap of the conductive shields is aligned with the low current plane and wherein the conductive shields are wrapped along the first and second inner conductors iteratively beginning at one end of the first and second inner conductors and ending at the other end of the first and second inner conductors.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the cable further comprises a drain conductor substantially parallel to the first and second inner conductors, wherein the conductive shield is wrapped around the first and second inner conductors and the drain conductor.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the conductive shield comprises aluminum foil.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the cable further comprises a non-conductive layer enclosing the conductive shield and the first and second inner conductors.