Connector with integral transmission line bus
First Claim
1. An electrical connector comprising a plurality of bus conductors each running through the length of the connector yet being electrically isolated from one another and each having a number of compliant contact regions disposed at various positions along their respective lengths so as to provide electrical coupling points for like contact regions of electrical devices to be received within the connector, the bus conductors being divided into first and second groups such that across the width of the connector a bus conductor of the first group is positioned adjacent to a bus conductor of the second group that is positioned adjacent to yet another bus conductor of the first group, and so on for each of the plurality of bus conductors, the transmission line impedance of any pair of adjacent bus conductors, one being chosen from the first group and the other being chosen from the second group, being determinable, wherein each of the bus conductors of the first group are adapted to be electrically coupled to respective signal paths associated with a circuit board on which the connector is to be mounted through only two electrical contact elements regardless of the number of compliant contact regions, the two electrical contact elements of each bus conductor of the first group being arranged so that each is disposed substantially near an end of its respective bus conductor, and the bus conductors of the second group each being adapted to be electrically coupled to an electrical ground plane associated with the circuit board through a number of electrical contact elements disposed along their respective lengths, the number of electrical contact elements being irrespective of the number of compliant contact regions.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A socket (14) includes a first bus conductor (22a) having two or more contact regions (24) and a second bus conductor (22b) arranged substantially parallel to the first bus conductor and having two or more contact regions (24). The first and second bus conductors are spaced relative to one another so as to provide a predetermined electrical impedance and may be arranged to carry electrical signals as transmission lines. A dielectric spacer (36) may be disposed between the first and second bus conductors to provide the spacing. Contact regions (24) of the first and second conductors (22a, 22b) may provide compliant coupling regions for the socket (14). The contact regions (24) of the first bus conductor (22a) may be positioned within the socket (14) so as to contact a lead disposed on a first side of a circuit element (16) and the contact regions (24) of the second bus conductor (22b) may be positioned within the socket (14) so as to contact the lead disposed on the second side of the circuit element (16).
226 Citations
17 Claims
- 1. An electrical connector comprising a plurality of bus conductors each running through the length of the connector yet being electrically isolated from one another and each having a number of compliant contact regions disposed at various positions along their respective lengths so as to provide electrical coupling points for like contact regions of electrical devices to be received within the connector, the bus conductors being divided into first and second groups such that across the width of the connector a bus conductor of the first group is positioned adjacent to a bus conductor of the second group that is positioned adjacent to yet another bus conductor of the first group, and so on for each of the plurality of bus conductors, the transmission line impedance of any pair of adjacent bus conductors, one being chosen from the first group and the other being chosen from the second group, being determinable, wherein each of the bus conductors of the first group are adapted to be electrically coupled to respective signal paths associated with a circuit board on which the connector is to be mounted through only two electrical contact elements regardless of the number of compliant contact regions, the two electrical contact elements of each bus conductor of the first group being arranged so that each is disposed substantially near an end of its respective bus conductor, and the bus conductors of the second group each being adapted to be electrically coupled to an electrical ground plane associated with the circuit board through a number of electrical contact elements disposed along their respective lengths, the number of electrical contact elements being irrespective of the number of compliant contact regions.
Specification