MIXED-SIGNAL CONNECTOR AND HIGH-SPEED INTERNAL CABLE ASSEMBLY

• US 20180287314A1
• Filed: 03/31/2017
• Published: 10/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2017
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Rothermel, Brent R.
• Application Number:
  US15/475,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20180287314A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/60 Contacts spaced along planar side wall transverse to longitudinal axis of engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/11 Printed elements for providing electric connections to or between printed circuits

Abstract

One embodiment provides a mixed signal connector. The mixed signal connector includes a housing, a plurality of housing low-speed electrical contacts and a plurality of mixed-signal connector electrical contacts. The plurality of housing low-speed electrical contacts are to removably couple to a number of substrate electrical contacts. The plurality of mixed-signal connector electrical contacts are to removably couple to an external cable assembly. The plurality of mixed-signal connector electrical contacts includes a first subset to fixedly couple to a high-speed internal cable, and a second subset coupled to the plurality of housing low-speed electrical contacts.

Claims

1. A mixed signal connector comprising:

a housing that includes a plurality of housing low-speed electrical contacts to removably couple to multiple substrate electrical contacts via a receptacle interposed between the housing and the multiple substrate electrical contacts; and

a plurality of mixed-signal connector electrical contacts to removably couple to an external cable assembly, the plurality of mixed-signal connector electrical contacts comprising;

a first subset to fixedly couple to a high-speed internal cable, and

a second subset to couple to the plurality of housing low-speed electrical contacts.

2. The mixed signal connector of claim 1, wherein the housing is to removably couple to a substrate via said receptacle.

6. The mixed signal connector of claim 1, wherein the first subset is to carry at least one high-speed signal with a data rate of greater than or equal to 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps) and the second subset is to carry at least one low-speed signal with a data rate of less than or equal to 1 Gbps and power.

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

7. A high-speed internal cable assembly comprising:

a high-speed internal cable having a first end and a second end;

a device connector coupled to the high-speed internal cable at the first end; and

a mixed-signal connector fixedly coupled to the high-speed internal cable at the second end, the mixed-signal connector comprising;

a housing having a plurality of housing low-speed electrical contacts to removably couple to multiple substrate electrical contacts via a receptacle interposed between the housing and the multiple substrate electrical contacts; and

a plurality of mixed-signal connector electrical contacts to removably couple to an external cable assembly, the plurality of mixed-signal connector electrical contacts comprising a first subset fixedly coupled to the high-speed internal cable, and a second subset coupled to the plurality of housing low-speed electrical contacts.

8. The high-speed internal cable assembly of claim 7, wherein the housing is to removably couple to a substrate via said receptacle.

11. The high-speed internal cable assembly of claim 7, wherein the high-speed internal cable and the first subset are to carry at least one high-speed signal with a data rate of greater than or equal to 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps) and the second subset is to carry at least one low-speed signal with a data rate of less than or equal to 1 Gbps and power.

12. The high-speed internal cable assembly of claim 7, wherein the high-speed internal cable is selected from the group comprising a twinaxial cable, a flexible printed circuit board and a flexible flat cable, the high-speed internal cable comprising at least one conductor pair.

13. The high-speed internal cable assembly of claim 7, wherein the device connector is to couple to a processor connector or to a switch connector.

14. The high-speed internal cable assembly of claim 7, wherein the mixed-signal connector complies and/or is compatible with at least one of a Small Form Factor (SFF) specification SFF-8665, titled Specification for QSFP+ 28 Gb/s 4×

Pluggable Transceiver Solution (QSFP28), revision 1.9, released June 2015, by SFF TA (Technology Affiliate) TWG (Technical Working Group) of SNIA (Storage Networking Industry Association) and/or SFF-8672, titled Specification for QSFP+ 4×

28 Gb/s Connector (Style B), Rev 1.0, released January 2013, and/or SFF-8661, titled Specification for QSFP+ 4×

Pluggable Module, Rev 2.3, released September 2014;

OR at least one of CFP MSA (100G (100=C in Roman numerals) Form factor Pluggable Multi-Source Agreement) Hardware Specification, Rev. 1.4, released June 2010, by the CFP MSA organization, and/or CFP MSA CFP2 Hardware Specification, Rev. 1.0, released July 2013, and/or CFP MSA CFP4 Hardware Specification, Rev. 1.1, released March 2015.

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

15. A mixed-signal system comprising:

a substrate;

a receptacle fixedly coupled to the substrate;

a source device; and

a high-speed internal cable assembly comprising

a high-speed internal cable having a first end and a second end,

a device connector coupled to the high-speed internal cable at the first end, and

a mixed-signal connector fixedly coupled to the high-speed internal cable at the second end, the mixed-signal connector comprising a housing that includes a plurality of housing low-speed electrical contacts to removably couple to multiple substrate electrical contacts via the receptacle, and a plurality of mixed-signal connector electrical contacts to removably couple to the external cable assembly, the plurality of mixed-signal connector electrical contacts comprising a first subset fixedly coupled to the high-speed internal cable, and a second subset coupled to the plurality of housing low-speed electrical contacts;

wherein the receptacle is interposed between the housing and the multiple substrate electrical contacts.

19. The mixed signal system of claim 15, wherein the high-speed internal cable and the first subset are to carry at least one high-speed signal with a data rate of greater than or equal to 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps) and the second subset is to carry at least one low-speed signal with a data rate of less than or equal to 1 Gbps and power.

20. The mixed signal system of claim 15, wherein the high-speed internal cable is selected from the group comprising a twinaxial cable, a flexible printed circuit board and a flexible flat cable, the high-speed internal cable comprising at least one conductor pair.

21. The mixed signal system of claim 15, wherein the source device is a processor and the device connector is coupled to a processor connector, or the source device is switch circuitry and the device connector is coupled to a switch connector.

22. The mixed signal system of claim 15, wherein the mixed-signal connector complies and/or is compatible with at least one of a Small Form Factor (SFF) specification SFF-8665, titled Specification for QSFP+ 28 Gb/s 4×

Pluggable Transceiver Solution (QSFP28), revision 1.9, released June 2015, by SFF TA (Technology Affiliate) TWG (Technical Working Group) of SNIA (Storage Networking Industry Association) and/or SFF-8672, titled Specification for QSFP+ 4×

28 Gb/s Connector (Style B), Rev 1.0, released January 2013, and/or SFF-8661, titled Specification for QSFP+4×

Pluggable Module, Rev 2.3, released September 2014;

OR at least one of CFP MSA (100G (100=C in Roman numerals) Form factor Pluggable Multi-Source Agreement) Hardware Specification, Rev. 1.4, released June 2010, by the CFP MSA organization, and/or CFP MSA CFP2 Hardware Specification, Rev. 1.0, released July 2013, and/or CFP MSA CFP4 Hardware Specification, Rev. 1.1, released March 2015.

23. The mixed signal system of claim 15, further comprising a mechanical feature to removably mechanically couple the mixed-signal connector to the substrate.

24. The mixed signal system of claim 23, wherein the mechanical feature comprises a removable holddown mechanism and a removable fastener, the removable holddown mechanism selected from the group comprising a latch, a clip, a clamp, a strap and a bracket and the fastener is selected from the group comprising a screw, a clip, a tab.

25. The mixed signal system of claim 15, wherein the substrate is a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a plurality of conductive traces, each substrate electrical contact electrically coupled to a respective conductive trace.

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)