High throughput interconnection system using orthogonal connectors

• US 6,422,876 B1
• Filed: 12/08/1999
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spherix Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Fitzgerald, John J., Ladwig, Geoffrey B., Angle, Richard L., Bean, Jeffrey V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ta, Tho D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Truc
• Application Number:
  US09/457,508
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 439/60, 439/61, 439/62, 439/631, 439/74, 361/784, 361/785
• US Class Current: 439/61
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/716 Coupling device provided on the PCB

Abstract

The present invention is a method and apparatus for interconnection system. A first front connector is located at a side of a first front card to provide first contacts for first signal traces on the first front card. A second front connector located at a side of a second front card to provide second contacts for second signal traces on the second front card. A mating connector has first and second receptacles and is located alongside of a rear card. The mating connector electrically connects the first contacts of the first signal traces to the second contacts of the second signal traces via contacts in the first and second receptacles. The first and second receptacles couple to the first and second front connectors, respectively. The rear card is positioned in a substantially orthogonal direction to the first and second front cards.

Claims

1. An interconnection system comprising:

a first front connector located at a side of a first front card to provide first contacts for first signal traces on the first front card;

a second front connector located at a side of a second front card to provide second contacts for second signal traces on the second front card;

a mating connector having first and second receptacles and located along a side of a rear card to electrically connect the first contacts of the first signal traces to the second contacts of the second signal traces via contacts in the first and second receptacles, the first and second receptacles coupling to the first and second front connectors, respectively, the rear card being positioned in a substantially orthogonal direction to the first and second front cards, the first and second receptacles having contacts to electrically connect the first contacts to the second contacts via rear signal traces on the rear card; and

a midplane coupled to the mating connector and positioned in a substantially orthogonal direction to the first, second, and rear cards, the midplane being positioned such that the mating connector is vertically shifted with respect to the first and second front connectors, the midplane having signal traces connecting the contacts in the first and second connectors to the contacts in first and second receptacles, respectively.

2. A method for interconnecting first and second front cards, the method comprising:

providing first contacts for first signal traces on the first front card by a first front connector located at a side of the first front card;

providing second contacts for second signal traces on the second front card by a second front connector located at a side of the second front card;

electrically connecting the first contacts of the first signal traces to the second contacts of the second signal traces via contacts in first and second receptacles of a mating connector, the mating connector being located alongside of a rear card, the first and second receptacles coupling to the first and second front connectors, respectively, the rear card being positioned in a substantially orthogonal direction to the first and second front cards, the first and second receptacles having contacts to electrically connect the first contacts to the second contacts via rear signal traces on the rear card; and

providing a midplane coupled to the mating connector and positioned in a substantially orthogonal direction to the first, second, and rear cards, the midplane being positioned such that the mating connector is vertically shifted with respect to the first and second front connectors, the midplane having signal traces connecting the contacts in the first and second connectors to the contacts in first and second receptacles, respectively.

3. A system comprising:

a plurality of front cards each having a plurality of front connectors to provide contacts for signal traces on each front card; and

a plurality of rear cards coupled to the plurality of front cards via a plurality of mating connectors to electrically connect the corresponding contacts of the signal traces among the plurality of front cards, each of the plurality of mating connectors having a plurality of receptacles and located alongside of each rear card, the plurality of receptacles on each mating connector coupling to the corresponding plurality of front connectors one from each of the plurality of front cards, the rear card being positioned in a substantially orthogonal direction to the plurality of font cards.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein each of the plurality of receptacles on each of the plurality of mating connectors has contacts to electrically connect the corresponding contacts of the plurality of front connectors via rear signal traces on the corresponding rear card.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprises:

a midplane coupled to the plurality of mating connectors and positioned in a substantially orthogonal direction to the plurality of front cards and the plurality of rear cards.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the midplane is positioned such that the plurality of mating connectors are vertically shifted with respect to the plurality of front connectors on each of the plurality of front cards, the midplane having signal traces connecting the contacts in the plurality of front connectors to the contacts in the plurality of receptacles, respectively.