High speed interface converter module

• US 6,203,333 B1
• Filed: 04/22/1998
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stratos International Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Stratos Lightwave LLC
• Inventors: Daly, John J., Medina, Raul
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Application Number:
  US09/064,208
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 439/610, 439/607, 439/76.1, 439/608, 439/465, 385/88, 385/92
• US Class Current: 439/76.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6592 the conductive member being a shielded cable
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus

Abstract

An interface converter module is provided for converting data signals from a first transmission medium to a second transmission medium. The module includes a metallized housing having a first end and a second end. A shielded electrical connector is mounted at the first end of the housing and configured to mate to a corresponding host connector associated with a first transmission medium. The housing includes a flexible metallic shielded cable extending from the second end. The remote end of the shielded cable comprises the media interface which includes an interface connector configured to the connect flexible shielded cable to the second transmission medium. A printed circuit board is mounted within the housing and has mounted thereon electronic circuitry configured to convert data signals from a host device transmission medium to the second transmission medium.

Claims

1. An interface converter module for interconnecting data signals between a first transmission medium and a second transmission medium, the interface converter module comprising:

a conductive housing having a first end and a second end;

a first electrical connector at the first end of the conductive housing configured to mate to a corresponding host connector associated with said first transmission medium;

a flexible cable having a metallic shield, the flexible cable extending from the second end of the conductive housing, the flexible cable having a module end and a media end, the metallic shield being electrically connected to the conductive housing at the module end;

a media connector attached to the media end of the flexible cable so as to allow the flexible cable to be connected to the second transmission medium, and wherein the media connector has a physical shape which is different than a physical shape of the first electrical connector;

a printed circuit board mounted within said conductive housing and having mounted thereon electronic circuitry, the electronic circuitry includes means for converting data signals from said first transmission medium to said second transmission medium and from said second transmission medium to said first transmission medium;

first and second apertures formed in the first end of the conductive housing located on each side of the first electrical connector; and

first and second guide tabs integrally formed with and extending from a first end of the printed circuit board, the first guide tab being arranged to protrude through the first aperture, the second guide tab being arranged to protrude through the second aperture, each of the first and second guide tabs having a conductive material adhered to at least one side thereof and electrically connected to a circuit ground plane formed on the printed circuit board, and wherein

the electronic circuitry includes a transmit portion and a receive portion, and wherein the metallic shield of the flexible cable is attached to the conductive housing so as to electromagnetically seal the second end of the conductive housing.

2. The interface converter module of claim 1 wherein the flexible cable comprises a four conductor shielded copper cable.

3. The interface converter module of claim 1 wherein the flexible cable comprises an eight conductor shielded copper cable.

4. The interface converter module of claim 1 wherein the media connector comprises a DB-9 connector.

5. The interface converter module of claim 1 wherein the media connector comprises an HSSDC connector.

6. The interface converter module of claim 1 wherein the media connector comprises an optoelectronic transceiver module.

7. The interface converter module of claim 1 wherein the first electrical connector comprises a ribbon style connector.

8. The interface converter module of claim 1, further comprising a layer of copper tape applied to the metallic shield of the flexible cable.

9. The interface converter module of claim 8 wherein the electronic circuitry operates at speeds above one gigabit per second.

10. A Giga-Bit Interface Converter for interconnecting data signals between a first transmission medium and a second transmission medium, the Giga-Bit Interface Converter comprising:

a conductive housing at least a portion of which includes an electrically conductive surface, and having a first end and a second end;

a ribbon style connector at the first end of the conductive housing;

a flexible shielded cable extending from the second end of the conductive housing, the flexible shielded cable including a metal shield electrically connected to the conductive housing;

a transceiver connector attached at a remote end of the flexible shielded cable, and wherein the transceiver connector has a physical shape which is different than a physical shape of the ribbon style connector;

a printed circuit board mounted within the conductive housing and having mounted thereon electronic circuitry, the electronic circuitry includes means for converting data signals from said first transmission medium to said second transmission medium and from said second transmission medium to said first transmission medium;

first and second apertures formed in the first end of the conductive housing located on each side of the ribbon style connector; and

first and second guide tabs integrally formed with and extending from a first end of the printed circuit board, the first guide tab being arranged to protrude through the first aperture, the second guide tab being arranged to protrude through the second aperture, each of the first and second guide tabs having a conductive material adhered to at least one side thereof and electrically connected to a circuit ground plane formed on the printed circuit board, and wherein

the electronic circuitry includes a transmit portion and a receive portion.

11. The Giga-Bit Interface Converter of claim 10 further comprising a receptacle module for connecting to the first transmission medium of the host device, the receptacle module being configured to receive at least partially the conductive housing, and including a host connector for mating with the ribbon style connector mounted at the first end of the conductive housing.

12. The Giga-Bit Interface Converter of claim 11 wherein the transceiver connector comprises a shielded DB-9 connector.

13. The Giga-Bit Interface Converter of claim 11 wherein the transceiver connector comprises an optical transceiver.

14. The Giga-Bit Interface Converter of claim 13 wherein the flexible shielded cable comprises an eight conductor shielded copper cable.

15. The Giga-Bit Interface Converter of claim 14 wherein the transceiver connector further comprises an SC-Duplex fiber optic connector.

16. The Giga-Bit Interface Converter of claim 11 wherein the flexible shielded cable comprises a four conductor shielded copper cable.

17. The Giga-Bit Interface Converter of claim 11 wherein the conductive housing includes the electrically conductive surface longitudinally extending between the first and second ends of the conductive housing, and further comprising flexible latching members protruding from the conductive housing, the flexible latching members being configured so as to engage cooperating locking structures formed on the receptacle module to releasably secure the conductive housing within the receptacle module.

18. The Giga-Bit Interface Converter of claim 10, further comprising a layer of copper tape applied to the metal shield of the flexible shielded cable.

19. The Giga-Bit Interface Converter of claim 18 wherein the electronic circuitry operates at speeds above one gigabit per second.

20. An adapter module for converting data signals between a first transmission medium and a second medium, the adapter module comprising:

a metallic housing having a first end and a second end;

a first connector at the first end of the metallic housing;

a flexible cable extending from the second end of the metallic housing;

a metallic shield surrounding the flexible cable and electrically connected to the metallic housing;

a media connector attached to a remote end of the flexible cable, and wherein the media connector has a physical shape which is different than a physical shape of the first connector;

a printed circuit board mounted within the metallic housing and having mounted thereon electronic circuitry, the electronic circuitry includes means for converting data signals from said first transmission medium to said second transmission medium and from said second transmission medium to said first transmission medium;

first and second apertures formed in the first end of the metallic housing located on each side of the first electrical connector; and

first and second guide tabs integrally formed with and extending from a first end of the printed circuit board, the first guide tab being arranged to protrude through the first aperture, the second guide tab being arranged to protrude through the second aperture, each of the first and second guide tabs having a conductive material adhered to at least one side thereof and electrically connected to a circuit ground plane formed on the printed circuit board, and wherein

the electronic circuitry includes a transmit portion and a receive portion, and

whereby the metallic shield acts to electromagnetically seal the second end of the metallic housing, thereby preventing high frequency electro-magnetic emissions from escaping from the second end of the metallic housing.

21. The adapter module of claim 20 further comprising:

the second end of the metallic housing defining a circular aperture having a diameter slightly less than a corresponding diameter of the flexible cable;

the flexible cable including a stripped segment, the stripped segment exposing the metallic shield; and

the flexible cable being positioned such that the flexible cable extends through the circular aperture formed in the second end of the metallic housing, and the stripped segment of the flexible cable is adjacent the second end of the metallic housing such that the exposed metallic shield is compressed by the diameter of the circular aperture, thereby forming an electrical seal between the metallic housing and the metallic shield.

22. The adapter module of claim 21 wherein the flexible cable comprises a four conductor shielded copper cable.

23. The adapter module of claim 21 wherein the flexible cable comprises an eight conductor shielded copper cable.

24. The adapter module of claim 21 wherein the media connector comprises a DB-9 connector.

25. The adapter module of claim 21 wherein the media connector comprises an HSSDC connector.

26. The adapter module of claim 20, further comprising a layer of copper tape applied to the metallic shield.

27. The adapter module of claim 26 wherein the electronic circuitry operates at speeds above one gigabit per second.

28. A Giga-Bit Interface Converter module for interconnecting data signals between a first transmission medium and a second transmission medium, the Giga-Bit Interface Converter module comprising:

a die cast metal housing including a base member and a cover, the die cast metal housing having a first end and a second end;

a metal D-shell connector shroud integrally cast with the base member;

a printed circuit board having a first end and a second end corresponding the first and second ends of the die cast metal housing, mounted within the base member, a portion of the first end of the printed circuit board extending into the metal D-shell connector shroud and having a plurality of contact fingers adhered thereto, thereby forming a contact support member within the metal D-shell connector shroud, the printed circuit board having mounted thereon electronic circuitry, the electronic circuitry including means for converting data signals from said first transmission medium to said second transmission medium and from said second transmission medium to said first transmission medium;

first and second apertures formed in the first end of the base member located on each side of the metal D-shell connector shroud;

first and second guide tabs integrally formed with and extending from the first end of the printed circuit board, the first guide tab being arranged to protrude through the first aperture, the second guide tab being arranged to protrude through the second aperture, the first guide tab arranged on one side of the contact support member and the second guide tab arranged on another side of the contact support member, each of the first and second glide tabs having a conductive material adhered to at least one side thereof and electrically connected to a circuit ground plane formed on the printed circuit board;

a flexible cable having a metallic shield electrically connected to the die cast metal housing, the flexible cable including a plurality of individual conductors electrically connected to the printed circuit board, the flexible cable extending from the second end of the die cast metal housing, the flexible cable having another end remote from the die cast metal housing; and

a second connector attached to the remote end of the flexible cable, the second connector having a physical shape that is different than a physical shape of the metal D-shell connector shroud, and wherein

the cover being secured to the base member to enclose and electromagnetically seal the die cast metal housing, and wherein

the electronic circuitry includes a transmit portion and a receive portion.

29. The Giga-Bit Interface Converter module of claim 28 wherein the module is configured to be insertably connected to a host device receiving socket, the module further comprising:

first and second longitudinal sides extending between the first end and the second end of the die cast metal housing; and

flexible latching members associated with the longitudinal sides, the flexible latching members configured to engage cooperating locking structures formed on the host device receiving socket to releasably secure the module within the host device receiving socket.

30. The Giga-Bit Interface Converter module of claim 29 further comprising a third aperture formed in the first longitudinal side and a fourth aperture formed in the second longitudinal side, a first flexible latching member of the flexible latching members in the form of a plastic beam anchored to the base member within the third aperture, a second flexible latching member of the flexible latching members in the form of a plastic beam anchored to the base member within the fourth aperture, and the cover securing the first and second flexible latching members within the die cast metal housing.

31. The Giga-Bit Interface Converter module of claim 28 wherein the guide tabs include outer longitudinal sides, and the conductive material is adhered to the outer longitudinal side of each guide tab.

32. The Giga-Bit Interface Converter module of claim 28 further comprising a plurality of opposing cable supports formed on the base member and the cover, each of the cable supports includes a semicircular groove formed therein such that the cover being attached to the base the grooves formed in the opposing cable supports form axially aligned circular openings through each pair of opposing cable supports.

33. The Giga-Bit Interface Converter module of claim 32 wherein the semicircular grooves formed in the cable supports further comprise a plurality of radially inward directed teeth for engaging the flexible cable.

34. The Giga-Bit Interface Converter of claim 33 comprising four said mutually opposing cable supports formed on the cover and base member.

35. The Giga-Bit Interface Converter module of claim 34 wherien the circular openings formed by a first pair of four said mutually opposing cable supports formed at the second end of the module housing and a second pair of four said mutually opposing cable supports located within the die cast metal housing immediately adjacent the first pair of mutually opposing cable supports form a first diameter, and the circular openings formed by a third and fourth pair of four said mutually opposing cable supports linearly displaced from the second pair of mutually opposing cable supports form a second diameter, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter.

36. The Giga-Bit Interface Converter module of claim 35 wherein the flexible cable includes an outer layer of insulation, a portion of the outer layer of insulation being stripped from the flexible cable to expose a portion of the metallic shield, the exposed portion of the metallic shield being compressed between radial teeth of the third and fourth cable supports, forming a secure electrical connection therebetween.

37. The Giga-Bit Interface Converter module of claim 28, further comprising a layer of copper tape applied to the metallic shield of the flexible cable.

38. The Giga-Bit Interface Converter module of claim 37 wherein the electronic circuitry operates at speeds above one gigabit per second.