Mezzanine connector

• US 8,636,543 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2012
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
• Original Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
• Inventors: McNamara, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, PHUONG K
• Application Number:
  US13/365,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20120202387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 439/607.07, 439/607.06, 439/607.11, 439/607.09
• US Class Current: 439/607.07
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/714 with contacts abutting directly the printed circuit; Button contacts therefore provided on the printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/73 connecting to other rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/516 Means for holding or embracing insulating body, e.g. casing , hoods
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6461 Means for preventing cross-talk
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6587 for mounting on PCBs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 by assembling plural parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49218 with deforming

Abstract

A footprint of an electronic assembly formed from conductive pads on a surface of a printed circuit board. One or more vias may connect each pad to a conductive structure within the printed circuit board. The footprint may be such that the vias for the pads are aligned along columns, leaving wide routing channels between the columns. The pads may have different shapes. For example, some of the pads may each have two solder attachment regions that are electrically connected to a ground plane, while other pads may each have one solder attachment region that is electrically connected to a signal trace. The solder attachment regions may be arranged in such a pattern that they align with respective contact tails of a connector assembly. A signal path may be formed between a solder attachment region and a corresponding contact tail through a solder ball attached to the contact tail.

Claims

1. An electronic assembly comprising a component footprint, the footprint comprising:

a plurality of pads disposed in a plurality of columns, each column comprising;

a plurality of pads of a first shape, each pad of the first shape being elongated along a respective axis and comprising a first solder attachment region and a second solder attachment region disposed along the respective axis on opposing ends of the pad, and

a plurality of pads of a second shape, each pad of the second shape being elongated along a respective axis and comprising a solder attachment region and a via region disposed along the respective axis on opposing ends of the pad,

wherein, within each column, the pads are disposed in a repeating pattern comprising, in sequence;

a first pad of the first shape with the respective axis of the first pad tilted at a first angle with respect to the column;

a first pad of the second shape with the solder attachment region on a first side of the column, the respective axis of the first pad of the second shape being tilted at a second angle with respect to the column;

a second pad of the second shape with the solder attachment region on a first side of the column, the respective axis of the second pad of the second shape being tilted at a third angle with respect to the column;

a second pad of the first shape with the respective axis of the second pad tilted at a fourth angle with respect to the column;

a third pad of the second shape with the solder attachment region on a second side of the column, the respective axis of the third pad of the second shape being tilted at a fifth angle with respect to the column; and

a fourth pad of the second shape with the solder attachment region on a second side of the column, the respective axis of the fourth pad of the second shape being tilted at a sixth angle with respect to the column.

2. The electronic assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the first angle and the fourth angle are of the same magnitude and opposite directions.

3. The electronic assembly of claim 2, wherein:

the second angle and the third angle are of the same magnitude and opposite directions.

4. The electronic assembly of claim 3, wherein:

the second angle and the sixth angle are the same.

5. The electronic assembly of claim 4, wherein:

the third angle and the fifth angle are the same.

6. The electronic assembly of claim 1, wherein:

each of the plurality of pads of the first shape comprises at least one via region; and

within each column, the via regions of the pads of the first shape and the via regions of the pads of the second shape are disposed along a center line of the column.

7. The electronic assembly of claim 1, wherein, within each column:

the first solder attachment region of the first pad of the first shape and the second solder attachment region of the second pad of the first shape are aligned with the solder attachment regions of the first and second pads of the second shape along a first line on the first side of the column.

8. The electronic assembly of claim 7, wherein, within each column:

the second solder attachment region of the first pad of the first shape and the first solder attachment region of the second pad of the first shape are aligned with the solder attachment regions of the third and fourth pads of the second shape along a second line on the second side of the column opposite from the first side.

9. An electronic assembly comprising a component footprint, the footprint comprising:

a plurality of pads disposed in a plurality of columns, each column comprising;

a plurality of pads of a first shape, each pad of the first shape being elongated along a respective axis and comprising a first solder attachment region and a second solder attachment region disposed along the respective axis on opposing ends of the pad; and

a plurality of pads of a second shape, each pad of the second shape being elongated along a respective axis and comprising a solder attachment region and a via region disposed along the respective axis on opposing ends of the pad;

wherein, within each column, the pads are disposed in a repeating pattern such that;

adjacent pads of the first shape are aligned at angles relative to the column that alternate in direction such that, on opposing sides of the column, a larger separation and a smaller separation exist between solder attachment regions of the adjacent pads of the first shape; and

between the adjacent pads of the first shape are disposed a pair of pads of the second shape, the pair of pads of the second shape being positioned with the solder attachment regions of the pair of pads of the second shape being position in the larger separation.

10. The electronic assembly of claim 9, wherein:

each of the pads of the first shape comprises at least one via region between the first solder attachment region and the second solder attachment region; and

within each column, the solder attachment regions of the pads of the first shape and the solder attachment regions of the pads of the second shape are aligned along the columns.

11. The electronic assembly of claim 10, wherein:

the footprint comprises routing channels between the aligned vias of the pads of the first shape and the pads of the second shape in adjacent ones of the plurality of columns.

12. The electronic assembly of claim 10, wherein:

the assembly comprises a printed circuit board comprising a surface; and

the pads of the first shape and the pads of the second shape are formed on the surface of the printed circuit board.

13. The electronic assembly of claim 9, wherein:

each column comprises first and second pairs of pads of the second shape, the first pair of pads of the second shape having solder attachment regions disposed on one side of a center line of the column, and the second pair of pads of the second shape having solder attachment regions disposed on the other side of the center line of the column.

14. An electronic assembly comprising a component footprint, the footprint comprising:

a plurality of pads disposed in at least a first column and a second column adjacent to the first column, wherein;

the first column comprises first and second pads of a first shape, each of the first and second pads being elongated along a respective axis that is angled with respect to the first column;

the first column further comprises third and fourth pads of a second shape, each of the third and fourth pads comprising a solder attachment region disposed on a first side of the first column facing the second column;

the second column comprises fifth and sixth pads of the first shape; and

the solder attachment regions of the third and fourth pads are generally surrounded by the first, second, fifth, and sixth pads.

15. The electronic assembly of claim 14, wherein:

the first pad comprises first and second solder attachment regions, the first solder attachment region being disposed on the first side of the first column facing the second column and the second solder attachment region being disposed on a second side of the first column away from the second column;

the second pad comprises third and fourth solder attachment regions, the third solder attachment region being disposed on the second side of the first column away from the second column and the fourth solder attachment region being disposed on the first side of the first column facing the second column;

each of the fifth and sixth pads comprises a solder attachment region disposed on a side of the second column facing the first column; and

the solder attachment regions of the third and fourth pads are generally surrounded by the first, second, third, fourth solder attachment regions and the solder attachment regions of the fifth and sixth pads.

16. The electronic assembly of claim 15, wherein:

a region of the footprint formed by the first, second, third, fourth solder attachment regions and the solder attachment regions of the fifth and sixth pads is free of pads of the second shape other than the third and fourth pads.

17. The electronic assembly of claim 15, wherein:

the first and fourth solder attachment regions are aligned with the solder attachment regions of the third and fourth pads generally along a line on the first side of the first column facing the second column.

18. The electronic assembly of claim 14, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth pads further comprises, respectively, first, second, third, and fourth via regions, the first, second, third, and fourth via regions being aligned generally along a line.

19. The electronic assembly of claim 18, wherein the line is a first line, and wherein:

the fifth and sixth pads further comprises, respectively, fifth and sixth via regions, the fifth and sixth via regions being aligned along a second line generally parallel to the first line.

20. The electronic assembly of claim 19, wherein a channel region of the footprint between the first and second lines is free of vias.

21. The electronic assembly of claim 19, wherein a width of the channel region is at least one half of a distance between the first and second lines.

22. The electronic assembly of claim 21, wherein the width of the channel region is at least two thirds of the distance between the first and second lines.

23. The electronic assembly of claim 15, wherein the second pad has a single via.

24. The electronic assembly of claim 15, wherein the second pad has two vias.