Shieldless, high-speed electrical connectors
View Patent ↗An electrical connector that includes first and second linear arrays of electrical contacts is disclosed. The first linear array is arranged in a first pattern of signal contacts and ground contacts. The second linear array is arranged in a second pattern of signal contacts and ground contacts that is different from the first pattern. The signal contacts define differential signal pairs. The signal contacts in the first linear array are elongated along a direction along which the first linear array extends.
1. An electrical connector, comprising:
a first column of electrical contacts arranged in a first pattern of signal contacts and ground contacts; and
a second column of electrical contacts arranged in a second pattern of signal contacts and ground contacts,
wherein (i) the first pattern is different from the second pattern, (ii) each of the signal contacts is one of a respective broadside-coupled differential signal pair, (iii) the first column extends along a first direction, (iv) the signal contacts in the first column are elongated along the first direction, (v) the ground contacts in the first column are elongated along the first direction, thereby defining a respective broadside for each said ground contact, and (vi) each of the ground contacts is positioned broadside-to-broadside with another ground contact that is elongated along the first direction.
2. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein a first of the differential signal pairs comprises first and second signal contacts, each of said first and second signal contacts has a cross-section defining a respective edge and a respective broadside, and the first and second signal contacts are positioned broadside-to-broadside.
3. The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein the connector is devoid of shields between the first and second columns.
4. The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein the edge of the first signal contact defines a length, and the broadside of the first signal contact defines a second length that is at least twice the length defined by the edge thereof.
5. The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second signal contacts terminates with a respective fusible mounting element.
6. The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second signal contacts is a blade contact.
7. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the second column of electrical contacts is staggered relative to the first column of electrical contacts.
8. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the second column of electrical contacts is staggered by a row pitch or less relative to the first column of electrical contacts.
9. The electrical connector of claim 1 , comprising a first leadframe assembly and second leadframe assembly adjacent to the first leadframe assembly, wherein the first column is positioned along the first leadframe assembly and the second column is positioned along the second leadframe assembly.
10. The electrical connector of claim 1 , having a row pitch of about 1.4 mm.
11. The electrical connector of claim 1 , having a column pitch of about 2.0 mm or less.
12. The electrical connector of claim 1 , having a card pitch of about 25 mm.
13. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the connector is a right-angle connector.
14. The electrical connector of claim 1 , having a contact density of about 63 . 5 mated signal pairs per linear inch.
15. The electrical connector of claim 1 , having a contact density of more than about 63.5 mated signal pairs per linear inch.
16. The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein a second of the differential signal pairs comprises third and fourth signal contacts, and wherein the first signal contact is more tightly electrically coupled to the second signal contact than it is to either of the third or fourth signal contacts.
17. The electrical connector of claim 16 , wherein the second differential signal pair is offset with respect to the first differential signal pair in a direction along which the second column of electrical contacts extends.
18. The electrical connector of claim 16 , wherein the second differential signal pair is offset by a row pitch or less, with respect to the first differential signal pair, in a direction along which the second column of electrical contacts extends.
19. The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein the first and second signal contacts define a gap between the broadsides thereof.
20. The electrical connector of claim 16 , wherein a differential signal in the first differential signal pair produces an electric field having a first electric field strength in the gap and a second electric field strength near the second differential signal pair, wherein the second electric field strength is lower than the first electric field strength.
21. The electrical connector of claim 19 , further comprising a dielectric material disposed between the broadsides of the first and second signal contacts.
22. The electrical connector of claim 21 , wherein the dielectric material is air.
23. The electrical connector of claim 2 , further comprising a dielectric base having a mate surface and a mount surface, wherein at least one of the ground contacts extends farther from the mate surface of the dielectric base than does either of the first or second signal contacts.
24. The electrical connector of claim 23 , wherein the dielectric base defines a hole transverse to the first direction at a center portion of the dielectric base and intermediate portions of each of the first and second signal contacts are exposed to air.
25. The electrical connector of claim 23 , wherein the dielectric base defines respective contact through-holes for each of the first and second signal contacts.
26. The electrical connector of claim 1 , further comprising a housing though which the contacts extend.
27. The electrical connector of claim 26 , wherein the housing is filled at least in part with a dielectric material that electrically insulates the contacts.
28. The electrical connector of claim 24 , wherein the dielectric material is air.
29. An electrical connector, comprising:
a first row of electrical contacts arranged in a first pattern of signal contacts; and
a second row of electrical contacts arranged in a second pattern of signal contacts and ground contacts,
wherein (i) the first pattern is different from the second pattern, (ii) the signal contacts define broadside-coupled differential signal pairs, (iii) the first row extends along a first direction, and (iv) the contacts are elongated along a direction that is perpendicular to the first direction.
30. The electrical connector of claim 29 , wherein the connector is devoid of shields between the first and second rows.
31. The electrical connector of claim 29 , wherein the connector is a right-angle connector.
32. The electrical connector of claim 29 , wherein a first of the differential signal pairs comprises first and second signal contacts, each of said first and second signal contacts has a cross-section defining a respective edge and a respective broadside, and the first and second signal contacts are positioned broadside-to-broadside.
33. The electrical connector of claim 32 , wherein each of the first and second signal contacts terminates with a respective fusible mounting element.
34. The electrical connector of claim 32 , wherein each of the first and second signal contacts is a blade contact.
35. The electrical connector of claim 32 , wherein a second of the differential signal pairs comprises third and fourth signal contacts, and wherein the first signal contact is more tightly electrically coupled to the second signal contact than it is to either of the third or fourth signal contacts.
36. The electrical connector of claim 35 , wherein the first and second signal contacts define a gap between the broadsides thereof.
37. The electrical connector of claim 36 , wherein a differential signal in the first differential signal pair produces an electric field having a first electric field strength in the gap and a second electric field strength near the second differential signal pair, wherein the second electric field strength is lower than the first electric field strength.
38. The electrical connector of claim 36 , further comprising a dielectric material disposed between the broadsides of the first and second signal contacts.
39. The electrical connector of claim 38 , wherein the dielectric material is air.
40. An electrical connector, comprising:
a first array of electrical contacts arranged in a first pattern of broadside-coupled differential signal pairs and ground contacts; and
a second array of electrical contacts arranged in a second pattern of broadside-coupled differential signal pairs and ground contacts,
wherein (i) the first pattern is different from the second pattern, (ii) the first array extends along a first direction, (iii) the connector is devoid of shields between the first array and the second array, and (iv) the signal contacts in the first array are elongated along the first direction.
41. The electrical connector of claim 40 , wherein the connector is devoid of shields between the first and second arrays.
42. The electrical connector of claim 40 , comprising a first leadframe assembly and second leadframe assembly adjacent to the first leadframe assembly, wherein the first array is positioned along the leadframe assemblies.
43. The electrical connector of claim 40 , wherein the connector is a right-angle connector.
44. The electrical connector of claim 40 , wherein a first of the differential signal pairs comprises first and second signal contacts, each of said first and second signal contacts has a cross-section defining a respective edge and a respective broadside, and the first and second signal contacts are positioned broadside-to-broadside.
45. The electrical connector of claim 44 , wherein the edge of the first signal contact defines a length, and the broadside of the first signal contact defines a second length that is at least twice the length defined by the edge thereof.
46. The electrical connector of claim 44 , wherein each of the first and second signal contacts terminates with a respective fusible mounting element.
47. The electrical connector of claim 44 , wherein each of the first and second signal contacts is a blade contact.
48. The electrical connector of claim 44 , wherein a second of the differential signal pairs comprises third and fourth signal contacts, and wherein the first signal contact is more tightly electrically coupled to the second signal contact than it is to either of the third or fourth signal contacts.
49. The electrical connector of claim 48 , wherein the first and second signal contacts define a gap between the broadsides thereof.
50. The electrical connector of claim 49 , wherein a differential signal in the first differential signal pair produces an electric field having a first electric field strength in the gap and a second electric field strength near the second differential signal pair, wherein the second electric field strength is lower than the first electric field strength.
51. The electrical connector of claim 49 , further comprising a dielectric material disposed between the broadsides of the first and second signal contacts.
52. The electrical connector of claim 51 , wherein the dielectric material is air.