Multi-level connector and use thereof that mitigates data signaling reflections
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising a multi-level connector configured to receive a board having one or more electrical components attached thereto, wherein the multi-level connector comprises a latching device having a plurality of board-insertable latch positions at different physical levels within the multi-level connector, wherein each of the latch positions are configured to selectively provide an electrical connection between an electrical contact portion of the multi-level connector and a pin portion of the multi-level connector based on how deep the board is plugged into the multi-level connector.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved electrical connector for connecting bus lines to a card such as a memory card or media card, including a multi-level connector comprising a latching device having a plurality of insertable latch positions that advantageously allows for selectively connecting or isolating an electrical path to an adjoining connector. The connectors of unpopulated DIMM slots are disconnected from the network along with the traces that would normally form a stub with associated undesirable signal reflections that would otherwise disturb the signal transmitted to the receiving end if not properly terminated. The contacts of the edge connector itself are used as a means to selectively connect or disconnect adjacent/downstream cards in a serially cascaded architecture. The burden of the stubs due to unpopulated card slots and the need to place one card at the far end of the network are thus eliminated.
44 Citations
19 Claims
- 1. An apparatus comprising a multi-level connector configured to receive a board having one or more electrical components attached thereto, wherein the multi-level connector comprises a latching device having a plurality of board-insertable latch positions at different physical levels within the multi-level connector, wherein each of the latch positions are configured to selectively provide an electrical connection between an electrical contact portion of the multi-level connector and a pin portion of the multi-level connector based on how deep the board is plugged into the multi-level connector.
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3. An electronic package, comprising:
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a printed circuit board; a plurality of board connectors attached to the printed circuit board, with at least one board connector of the plurality of board connectors having at least two different board-mount levels that a board can be positioned within the at least one board connector; and a daughter board plugged into the at least one board connector, wherein the daughter board is a first daughter board and the at least one board connector is a first board connector of the plurality of board connectors, and the first daughter board is plugged into the first board connector at a first level of the at least two different board-mount levels of the first board connector, and further comprising; a second daughter board plugged into a second board connector of the plurality of board connectors at a second level of the at least two different board-mount levels of the second board connector, and wherein the first level and the second level are at a same physical level, and further comprising; a third daughter board plugged into a third board connector of the plurality of board connectors at a third level of the at least two different board-mount levels of the third board connector, wherein the second level is a different physical level than the third level. - View Dependent Claims (4, 18, 19)
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- 5. An apparatus comprising a multi-level connector comprising a latching device having a plurality of board-insertable latch positions at different physical levels within the multi-level connector, wherein the multi-level connector is a multi-level board connector that has a board inserted therein, and wherein the board provides an electrical path between each pair of a plurality of pairs of contact pins of the multi-level connector when the board is inserted at a first latch level of the multi-level connector, and the board provides electrical isolation between the each pair of the plurality of pairs of contact pins of the multi-level connector when the board is inserted at a second latch level of the multi-level connector that is different than the first latch level.
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11. An electronic package, comprising:
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a printed circuit board; a plurality of board connectors attached to the printed circuit board, with at least one board connector of the plurality of board connectors having at least two different board-mount depth levels that a board can be positioned within a given slot of the at least one board connector; and a daughter board plugged into the at least one board connector, wherein the at least one board connector is configured to selectively provide an electrical connection between an electrical contact portion of the at least one board connector and the printed circuit board based on how deep the daughter board is plugged into the at least one board connector. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. An electronic package, comprising:
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a printed circuit board; a plurality of board connectors attached to the printed circuit board, with at least one board connector of the plurality of board connectors having at least two different board-mount levels that a board can be positioned within the at least one board connector; and a daughter board plugged into the at least one board connector, wherein the daughter board is a first daughter board and the at least one board connector is a first board connector of the plurality of board connectors, and the first daughter board is plugged into the first board connector at a first level of the at least two different board-mount levels of the first board connector, and further comprising; a second daughter board plugged into a second board connector of the plurality of board connectors at a second level of the at least two different board-mount levels of the second board connector, and wherein the first level and the second level are different physical levels, and wherein the first board connector includes a pair of contact pins each positioned at a different height within a board-receiving cavity of the first board connector, and wherein the first daughter board provides an electrical conductive path between the pair of conductive strips when plugged into the first board connector at the first level. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification