Modified contact traces for interface converter

• US 6,220,873 B1
• Filed: 08/10/1999
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stratos International Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Stratos Lightwave LLC
• Inventors: Llorens, Joseph R., Samela, Francis M., Medina, Raul
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): HYEON, HAE M
• Application Number:
  US09/371,483
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 439/76.1, 439/924.1
• US Class Current: 439/76.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/721 cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/117 Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors

Abstract

The invention relates to an interface module, such as a Giga-Bit Interface Converter module, provided to mate within a host device chassis where, at the rear of the mounting slot, a first connector engages a host socket of the host device. According to the invention, the first connector include sequential mating contact traces on a contact beam of a substrate such that when the module is inserted into the corresponding host socket, certain contacts are connected in a pre-defined sequence such that a first set of contacts electrically engages prior to a second set of contacts which electrically engages prior to a third set of contacts. In further accord with the present invention, the first set of contacts includes grounding contacts, the second set includes contacts for powering the substrate and the third set includes signal contacts. An advantage of this sequence is that the GBIC is grounded before it is powered and powered before it begins passing signals thus eliminating the damage to the GBIC encountered under the GBIC-to-host contact sequence given in the prior art GBIC specification.

Claims

1. A Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC) comprising:

a GBIC housing having a first end, said first end facing a host device when said GBIC is engaged in a host socket of said host device;

a substrate having a first end mounted within the GBIC housing for plugging into the host socket of the host device;

guide tabs on a first and second side of the first end of the substrate for plugging into the host socket, at least one of said first and second said guide tabs including a contact electrically connected to Receiving Ground (RGND) and Transmitting (TGND) of the GBIC;

a first set of contacts, distributed on a surface of the substrate adjacent said first end for engaging contact elements in said host socket, said first set of contacts beginning a first distance from the edge of the first end of the substrate and being electrically connected to a power line of the GBIC;

a second set of contacts, distributed on the surface of the first end of the substrate adjacent to the first end for engaging contact elements in the host socket, the second set of contacts beginning a second distance from the edge of the first end of the substrate and being electrically connected to a signal line of the GBIC; and

during insertion of the GBIC into the host socket, the guide tabs electrically engage the host socket first, the first set of contacts electrically engages the host socket second, and the second set of contacts electrically engages the host socket third.

2. The Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC) of claim 1 wherein the first and second set of contacts on said substrate are provided on a top surface of said substrate and a bottom surface of said substrate.

3. The Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC) of claim 1 wherein the first set of contacts includes a male ribbon style connector, and the second set of contacts include a cooperating female ribbon style connector.

4. A Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC), comprising:

a housing;

a substrate mounted within the housing having a first end for plugging into a host socket of a host device;

guide tabs on a first and second side of the first end of the substrate for guiding the substrate into the host socket, the first and second guide tabs including a contact electrically connected to Transmitting Ground (TGND) of the GBIC;

a first set of contacts on the surface of the substrate beginning a first distance from the edge of the first end of the substrate and being electrically connected to a power line of the GBIC;

a second set of contacts on the surface of the substrate beginning a second distance from the edge of the first end of the substrate and being electrically connected to a signal line of the GBIC; and

during insertion of the GBIC in the host socket, the guide tabs electrically connect to the host socket first, the first set of contacts electrically connect with the host socket second, and the second set of contacts electrically connect with the host socket third.

5. The GBIC of claim 4, wherein the first and second set of contacts include ribbon style connectors.

6. The GBIC of claim 4, wherein the first set of contacts is on an a top surface of the substrate, and the second set of contacts is on a bottom surface of the substrate.

7. The GBIC of claim 4, wherein the guide tabs and the first and second set of contacts electrically connect in sequence the following pin designations of the GBIC with the host socket:

8. The GBIC of claim 4, wherein the guide tabs are electrically connected to TGND.

9. The GBIC of claim 4, further comprising:

a optoelectronic transceiver enabling the GBIC to interface with an optical data link.

10. The GBIC of claim 4, further comprising:

a copper transceiver enabling the GBIC to interface with a copper wire data link.

11. A method of hot-plugging a Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC) into a host socket, comprising the sequential steps of:

a) connecting guide tabs of the GBIC to contact elements of the host socket in order to establish an electrical connection between a ground contact of the GBIC with that of the host socket;

b) connecting a first set of contacts of the GBIC to contact elements of the host socket in order to establish an electrical connection between the power lines of the GBIC with those of the host socket; and

c) connecting a second set of contacts of the GBIC to contact elements of the host socket in order to establish an electrical connection between the signal lines of the GBIC with those of the host socket.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the first step of:

engaging a housing of the GBIC with an outer surface of the host socket in order to establish an electrical connection between chassis ground of the GBIC with that of the host socket.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the first step of:

engaging a housing of the GBIC with an outer door of the host socket in order to establish an electrical connection between chassis ground of the GBIC with that of the host socket.

14. A transceiver module, comprising:

a housing having a first end, said first end facing a host device when the transceiver module is engaged in a host socket of the host device;

a substrate, mounted within the housing, having a first end for plugging into the host socket of the host device;

guide tabs on a first and second side of the first end of the substrate for plugging into the host socket, at least one of said first and second said guide tabs including a contact electrically connected to a signal ground;

a first set of contacts, distributed on a surface of the substrate adjacent said first end for engaging contact elements in said host socket, said first set of contacts beginning a first distance from the edge of the first end of the substrate and being electrically connected to a power line of the transceiver module;

a second set of contacts, distributed on the surface of the first end of the substrate adjacent to the first end for engaging contact elements in the host socket, the second set of contacts beginning a second distance from the edge of the first end of the substrate and being electrically connected to a signal line of the transceiver module, and

during insertion of the transceiver module into the host socket, the guide tabs electrically engage the host socket first, the first set of contacts electrically engages the host socket second, and the second set of contacts electrically engages the host socket third.