High speed electrical connector

• US 6,692,272 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2001
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FCI Americas Technology Incorporated (FCI)
• Original Assignee: FCI Americas Technology Incorporated (FCI)
• Inventors: Houtz, Timothy W., Lemke, Timothy A., Smith, Stephen B., Hull, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Application Number:
  US09/990,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20030092291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 439/101, 439/108, 439/939, 439/608
• US Class Current: 439/108
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6471 by special arrangement of ground and signal conductors, e.g. GSGS [Ground-Signal-Ground-Signal]
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6474 by variation of conductive properties, e.g. by dimension variations
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6587 for mounting on PCBs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/941 Crosstalk suppression

Abstract

An electrical connector is provided that includes a first conductor and a second conductor. A respective first portion of each conductor is disposed in a first material and a respective second portion of each conductor is disposed in a second material that is different from the first material. The respective first portions axe disposed a first distance apart and the respective second portions jog relative to each other such that an impedance between the first portions is substantially die same as an impedance between the second portions. For example, the conductor pairs may be at one spacing (d1) at portions in air (160) and at a second spacing (d2) at portions that pass through a different dielectric material, such as polymer (150).

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising:

a first conductor and a second conductor,

wherein a respective first portion of each said conductor is disposed in a first material and a respective second portion of each said conductor is disposed in a second material that is different from the first material, and

wherein the respective first portions are disposed a first distance apart and the respective second portions jog relative to each other such that an impedance between the first portions is substantially the same as an impedance between the second portions.

2. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second conductors form a differential signal pair and the impedances are differential impedances.

3. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the first conductor is a signal conductor, the second conductor is a ground conductor, and the impedances are single ended impedances.

4. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the first conductor comprises a first edge along the first portion thereof, the second conductor comprises a second edge along the first portion thereof, and a gap between the first edge and the second edge has a substantially constant gap width along the respective first portions.

5. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the conductors are edge-coupled.

6. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the conductors are broadside-coupled.

7. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second conductors are conductors of a differential signal pair, the electrical connector further comprising:

a plurality of differential signal pairs of conductors, each differential signal pair having a substantially constant impedance between the pair of conductors; and

a plurality of ground conductors, each ground conductor disposed adjacent to one of the plurality of differential signal pairs.

8. The electrical connector as recited in claim 7, wherein the plurality of ground conductors and the plurality of differential signal pairs are arranged in rows.

9. The electrical connector as recited in claim 7, wherein the plurality of ground conductors and the plurality of differential signal pairs are arranged in columns.

10. The electrical connector as recited in claim 7, wherein a gap between conductors of a differential signal pair adjacent to only one ground is smaller than a gap between conductors of a differential signal pair adjacent to two grounds.

11. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein a first gap between the respective portions of the conductors in the first material is a first distance and a second gap between the respective portions of the conductors in the second material is a second distance.

12. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the first material comprises air and the second material comprises a polymer.

13. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second conductors culminates in a respective blade.

14. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second conductors culminates in two respective single beam contacts.

15. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second conductors enters the connector at a respective first plane and exits the connector at a respective second plane that is substantially orthogonal to the respective second plane.

16. The connector as recited in claim 1, further comprising an insulator encapsulating a respective portion of each of the first and second conductors.

17. The connector as recited in claim 1, further comprising an injection molded insulating portion securing the first and second conductors.

18. The connector as recited in claim 1, wherein a respective third portion of each said conductor is disposed in a third material, and

wherein the respective third portions are disposed a third distance apart such that an impedance between the third portions is substantially the same as the impedance between the first and second portions.

19. An electrical connector comprising:

a first differential signal pair of electrical contacts disposed in a first linear contact array and adjacent to only one ground contact disposed in the first linear contact array; and

a second differential signal pair of electrical contacts disposed in the first linear contact array and adjacent to each of a plurality of ground contacts disposed in the first linear contact array;

wherein a gap between the contacts of the first differential signal pair is smaller than a gap between the contacts of the second differential signal pair.

20. The electrical connector of claim 19, wherein a differential impedance between the contacts of the first differential signal pair is about the same as the differential impedance between the contacts of the second differential signal pair.

21. The electrical connector of claim 19, wherein the electrical contacts of the first differential signal pair are edge-coupled.

22. The electrical connector of claim 21, wherein at least one of the electrical contacts of the first differential signal pair is edge-coupled with the only one ground contact.

23. The electrical connector of claim 19, wherein the electrical contacts of the second differential signal pair are edge-coupled.

24. The electrical connector of claim 23, wherein at least one of the electrical contacts of the first differential signal pair is edge-coupled with a respective one of the plurality of ground contacts.

25. The electrical connector of claim 19, wherein the second differential signal pair is disposed adjacent to the only one ground contact.

26. The electrical connector of claim 19, further comprising a second linear contact array adjacent to the first linear contact array.

27. The electrical connector of claim 26, wherein the first linear contact array is staggered relative to the second linear contact array.

28. An electrical connector comprising:

a first electrical contact disposed in a first linear contact array and adjacent to only one ground contact disposed in the linear contact array; and

a second electrical contact disposed in the first linear contact array and adjacent to each of a plurality of ground contacts disposed in the first linear contact array;

wherein a gap between the first electrical contact and the only one ground contact is smaller than a gap between the second electrical contact and any of the plurality of ground contacts.

29. The electrical connector of claim 28, wherein the first electrical contact is a one of a first differential signal pair of electrical contacts and the second electrical contact is a one of a second differential signal pair of electrical contacts.

30. The electrical connector of claim 29, wherein a differential impedance between the contacts of the first differential signal pair is about the same as the differential impedance between the contacts of the second differential signal pair.

31. The electrical connector of claim 29, wherein the electrical contacts of the first differential signal pair are broadside-coupled.

32. The electrical connector of claim 28, wherein the first electrical contact is edge-coupled with the only one ground contact.

33. The electrical connector of claim 28, wherein the electrical contacts of the second differential signal pair are edge-coupled.

34. The electrical connector of claim 28, wherein the second electrical contact is edge-coupled with at least one of the plurality of ground contacts.

35. The electrical connector of claim 28, wherein the second electrical contact is disposed adjacent to the only one ground contact.

36. The electrical connector of claim 28, further comprising a second linear contact array adjacent to the first linear contact array.

37. The electrical connector of claim 36, wherein the first linear contact array is staggered relative to the second linear contact array.