Advanced backward compatible connector assembly for electrically connecting computer subsystems

• US 6,942,511 B1
• Filed: 06/07/2002
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maxtor Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Maxtor Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Orsley, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Ta, Tho D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Figueroa, Felix O.
• Application Number:
  US10/165,536
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 439/60, 439/924.1, 439/217, 439/218, 439/948, 439/222, 439/680, 439/108, 439/608, 439/660, 439/65
• US Class Current: 439/218
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/79 connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/948 Contact or connector with insertion depth limiter

Abstract

A backward compatible connector assembly that facilitates electrical communication between computer subsystems includes a receptacle, a receiver assembly and a conductor array. The receptacle includes a plurality of first connectors having a first connector length, and a plurality of interspersed second connectors having a second connector length that differs from the first connector length. The first connectors include data pins and the second connectors can include ground pins for single-ended signaling. Alternatively, the second connectors can include a plurality of data pins to form differential pairs of connectors for low voltage differential signaling. The receiver assembly includes first connector receivers that receive the first connectors, and second connector receivers that receive the second connectors. The conductor array can include approximately 40 signal-bearing conductors that have interspersed ground lines or signal-bearing lines. The first connector receivers have a first receiver depth that is different than a second receiver depth of the second connector receivers. The connector assembly can include 40 first connectors and first connector receivers, and 38 second connectors and second connector receivers.

Claims

1. A connector assembly that facilitates electrical communication between a first computer subsystem and a second computer subsystem, the connector assembly comprising:

a receptacle that is electrically connected to the first computer subsystem, the receptacle including (i) a plurality of spaced-apart first connectors having a first connector length, the first connectors having first connector ends that lie in a first end plane, (ii) a plurality of spaced-apart second connectors having a second connector length that differs from the first connector length, the second connectors having second connector ends that lie in a second end plane, and (iii) a cable header stop that includes a stop surface positioned substantially between the first end plane and the second end plane.

2. The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the second connectors are positioned in two rows, each row having approximately 19 substantially collinear second connectors.

3. The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the first connectors are positioned in two rows each having approximately 20 substantially collinear first connectors, and wherein each row of first connectors is substantially collinear with a corresponding row of second connectors.

4. The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the second connectors are interspersed between the first connectors so that each of the second connectors is positioned substantially directly between a corresponding pair of the first connectors.

5. The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the first connectors include a plurality of data pins and each of the second connectors is a ground pin.

6. The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the first connectors include a plurality of data pins and the second connectors include a plurality of data pins.

7. The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the first connector length is greater than the second connector length.

8. The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein the first connector length is approximately equal to the sum of a standard ATA connector length and the second connector length.

9. A computer subsystem array including a disk drive and the connector assembly of claim 1.

10. A computer subsystem array including the first computer subsystem, the second computer subsystem and the connector assembly of claim 1.

11. A connector assembly that facilitates electrical communication between a first computer subsystem and a second computer subsystem, the connector assembly comprising:

a receptacle that is electrically connected to the first computer subsystem, the receptacle including (i) a plurality of spaced-apart first connectors having a first connector length, (ii) a plurality of spaced-apart second connectors having a second connector length that differs from the first connector length, and (iii) a cable header stop; and

a receiver assembly that includes (i) at least approximately 40 first connector receivers, and (ii) a receiver base that secures the first connector receivers, the first connector receivers receiving at least a portion of each of the first connectors;

wherein the cable header stop is sized and positioned to inhibit contact between the second connectors and the receiver base.

12. The connector assembly of claim 11 wherein the receptacle includes approximately 40 first connectors and 38 second connectors.

13. The connector assembly of claim 11 wherein the receiver assembly includes a plurality of second connector receivers, the first connector receivers having a first receiver depth that is different than a second receiver depth of the second connector receivers.

14. The connector assembly of claim 13 wherein the first connectors include a plurality of data pins and each of the second connectors is a ground pin.

15. The connector assembly of claim 13 wherein the first connectors include a plurality of data pins and the second connectors include a plurality of data pins to form a plurality of low voltage differential pairs.

16. A computer subsystem array including the first computer subsystem, the second computer subsystem and the connector assembly of claim 11.

17. A connector assembly that facilitates electrical communication between a first computer subsystem and a second computer subsystem, the connector assembly comprising:

a receiver assembly adapted to be coupled to the second computer subsystem, the receiver assembly including a plurality of spaced-apart first connector receivers each having a first receiver depth, and a plurality of spaced-apart second connector receivers each having a second receiver depth, the first receiver depth differing from the second receiver depth; and

a receptacle that is electrically connected to the first computer subsystem, the receptacle including (i) a plurality of spaced-apart first connectors that engage the first connector receivers, the first connectors having first connector ends that lie in a first end plane, (ii) a plurality of second connectors that engage the second connector receivers, the second connectors have second connector ends that lie in a second end plane, the first connectors having a different length than a length of the second connectors, (iii) a receptacle base that secures the first connectors and the second connectors, and (iv) a cable header stop secured to the receptacle base, the cable header stop including a stop surface that is positioned substantially between the first end plane and the second end plane.

18. A connector assembly of a first computer subsystem, the connector assembly facilitating electrical communication between the first computer subsystem and a second computer subsystem, the connector assembly comprising:

a receptacle that is electrically connected to the first computer subsystem, the receptacle including (i) approximately 40 spaced-apart first connectors having a first connector length, and (ii) approximately 38 spaced apart second connectors having a second connector length that differs from the first connector length, the second connectors being interspersed between the first connectors so that each of the second connectors is positioned substantially directly between a corresponding pair of the first connectors, each of the second connectors being positioned approximately equidistant from each first connector in each of the corresponding pairs of first connectors, (iii) a receptacle base that secures the connector pins, and (iv) a cable header stop secured to the receptacle base, wherein the first connectors have first connector ends that lie in a first end plane, the second connectors have second connector ends that lie in a second end plane, and the cable header stop includes a stop surface that is positioned substantially between the first end plane and the second end plane; and

a receiver assembly including (i) approximately 40 spaced apart first connector receivers each having a first receiver depth that is approximately equal to the first connector length, (ii) approximately 38 spaced apart second connector receivers each having a second receiver depth that is approximately equal to the second connector length, and (iii) a conductor array that electrically couples the connector receivers to the second computer subsystem.

19. A connector assembly that facilitates electrical communication between a first computer subsystem and a second computer subsystem, the connector assembly comprising:

a receptacle that is electrically connected to the first computer subsystem, the receptacle including (i) a plurality of first connectors that each includes one of a data pin and a ground pin, the first connectors having first connector ends that lie in a first end plane, (ii) a plurality of second connectors that each includes one of a data pin and a ground pin, the second connectors having second connector ends that lie in a second end plane, the second connectors having a different length than a length of the first connectors, (iii) a receptacle base that secures the first connectors and the second connectors, and (iv) a cable header stop secured to the receptacle base, the cable header stop including a stop surface that is positioned substantially between the first end plane and the second end plane; and

a receiver assembly that is coupled to the second computer subsystem, the receiver assembly including (i) a plurality of spaced apart first connector receivers that are each adapted to receive one of the first connectors, each first connector receiver having a first receiver depth, and (ii) a plurality of spaced apart second connector receivers that are each adapted to receive one of the second connectors, each second connector receiver having a second receiver depth, the first receiver depth differing from the second receiver depth.

20. A connector assembly that facilitates electrical communication between a first computer subsystem and a second computer subsystem that is connected to a receiver assembly, the receiver assembly including a plurality of connector receivers, the connector assembly comprising:

a receptacle that is electrically connected to the first computer subsystem, the receptacle including (i) a plurality of spaced-apart first connectors having a first connector length, the first connectors having first connector ends that lie in a first end plane, (ii) a plurality of spaced-apart second connectors having a second connector length that is shorter than the first connector length, the second connectors having second connector ends that lie in a second end plane, and (iii) a cable header stop that inhibits contact between the second connectors and the receiver assembly, the cable header stop including a stop surface positioned substantially between the first end plane and the second end plane;

wherein when the combined quantity of first and second connectors is greater than the quantity of connector receivers, each of the first connectors fully engages a corresponding connector receiver without the second connectors engaging any of the connector receivers.

21. A connector assembly that facilitates electrical communication between a first computer subsystem and a second computer subsystem that is connected to a receiver assembly, the receiver assembly including a plurality of connector receivers, the connector assembly comprising:

a receptacle that is electrically connected to the first computer subsystem, the receptacle including (i) a first row of substantially collinear, spaced-apart first connectors and a second row of substantially collinear, spaced-apart first connectors, each first connector having a first connector length, the first connectors having first connector ends that lie in a first end plane, (ii) a plurality of spaced-apart second connectors having a second connector length that is different than the first connector length, the second connectors being substantially collinearly interspersed between the first connectors along at least a portion of one of the rows of first connectors so that each of the second connectors is positioned substantially between a corresponding pair of the first connectors, the second connectors having second connector ends that lie in a second end plane, and (iii) a cable header stop that inhibits contact between the second connectors and the receiver assembly during engagement between the first connectors and the receiver assembly, the cable header stop including a stop surface positioned substantially between the first end plane and the second end plane.

22. A connector assembly that facilitates electrical communication between a first computer subsystem and a second computer subsystem that is connected to a receiver assembly, the receiver assembly including n connector receivers, the connector assembly comprising:

a receptacle that is electrically connected to the first computer subsystem, the receptacle including (i) a plurality of spaced-apart first connectors having a first connector length, the first connectors having first connector ends that lie in a first end plane, (ii) a plurality of spaced-apart second connectors having a second connector length that is different than the first connector length, the second connectors having second connector ends that lie in a second end plane, and (iii) a cable header stop that inhibits contact between the second connectors and the receiver assembly during engagement between the first connectors and the receiver assembly, the cable header stop including a stop surface positioned substantially between the first end plane and the second end plane;

wherein when the combined quantity of first and second connectors is greater than n, the second connectors are disengaged from any of the connector receivers simultaneously with each of the first connectors being engaged with a corresponding connector receiver so that the first connectors are substantially movable in only one direction relative to the connector receivers.