SUB-MODULAR CONFIGURABLE AVIONICS

• US 20010015888A1
• Filed: 11/24/1998
• Published: 08/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: SHALER, BARTON G., DAMEROW, MILTON F., PORTER, DONALD A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,320,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/736
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/721 cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/658 High frequency shielding arrangements, e.g. against EMI [Electro-Magnetic Interference] or EMP [Electro-Magnetic Pulse] coaxial coupling devices specially adapted for high frequency H01R24/40; for flat or ribbon cable connectors H01R12/774; for coaxial cable H01R9/05
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/117 Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/144 Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/2009 Reinforced areas, e.g. for a specific part of a flexible printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0058 Laminating printed circuit boards onto other substrates, e.g. metallic substrates H05K1/0281 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4691 Rigid-flexible multilayer circuits comprising rigid and flexible layers, e.g. having in the bending regions only flexible layers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1409 by lever-type mechanisms

Abstract

A line replaceable module (LRM) configured with a plurality of mini-modules, each of which have relatively higher contact densities than currently available LRMs with the same form factor, for example, a Standard Electrical Module-Size E (SEM-E) form factor. The mini-modules are significantly less expensive than an entire module allowing such mini-modules to be disposable, eliminating relatively costly fault diagnostics and repair. Each mini-module includes a printed circuit board which includes a rigid primary portion, a rigid secondary portion and flexible portion interconnecting the primary and secondary portions. The rigid secondary portion may be configured to provide dual-sided interconnection to a backplane data bus. Use of the dual-sided rigid secondary portion provides for generous spacing for contact densities much higher than known contact densities for LRMs with the same form factor. The rigid primary portion carries the components forming the LRM. The use of the flexible portion provides compensation for tolerance variations as well as vibrational and thermal stress relative to connector systems used on known SEM-E LRMs.

Claims

1. A line replacement module (LRM) used for carrying a plurality of electronic components aboard an aircraft, the LRM adapted to be interconnected to a plurality of backplane contacts forming a serial data bus, the LRM comprising:

a plurality of mini-modules, each mini-module including a primary portion, a secondary portion and one or more flexible interconnecting portions electrically connected between said primary portion and said secondary portion, said primary portion adapted to carry said plurality of electronic components, said secondary portions configured for dual side electrical interconnectivity with said backplane contacts and adapted to be interconnected with a predetermined number of backplane contacts.

2. The connector system as recited in

claim 1

, wherein said LRM is formed to have a predetermined form factor.

3. The connector system as recited in

claim 1

, wherein said form factor is a Standard Electronic Module-Size E (SEM-E) connector system.

4. The connector system as recited in

claim 1

, wherein each of said secondary portions is provided with a plurality of contact pads for enabling said backplane contacts to be soldered thereto.

5. The connector system as recited in

claim 1

, wherein said secondary portions are disposed adjacent one end of said primary portions and generally parallel thereto.

6. The connector system as recited in

claim 5

, wherein said secondary portions are offset from said primary portions.

7. The connector system as recited in

claim 6

, wherein said flexible interconnecting portions are flexible and formed with an offset to enable interconnection between said rigid primary portions and said rigid secondary portions.

13. The LRM as recited in

claim 1

, wherein said plurality is two.

14. The LRM as recited in

claim 1

, wherein said plurality is four.

8. A mini-module for a line replacement module (LRM) for use on an aircraft, the LRM comprising:

a primary printed circuit board (PCB) portion for carrying predetermined circuitry adapted to be connected to a predetermined data bus;

a secondary PCB portion configured for dual-sided connection to a plurality of contacts forming a data bus; and

an interconnecting portion, interconnected between said secondary PCB portion and said primary PCB portion.

9. The LRM as recited in

claim 8

, wherein said primary PCB portion is rigid.

10. The LRM as recited in

claim 9

, wherein said secondary PCB portion is formed to be generally parallel to said primary PCB portion but offset therefrom.

11. The LRM as recited in

claim 10

, wherein said secondary PCB portion is rigid.

12. The LRM as recited in

claim 11

, wherein said interconnecting portion is flexible.