Thermal management structures for optoelectronic systems

1. A thermal management system for an active cable connector, the system comprising:

a first printed circuit board (PCB) including a first mounting surface and an opposing surface opposite the first mounting surface;

a first heat-generating component that is mounted on the first mounting surface;

a second PCB including a second mounting surface, wherein the first PCB and the second PCB are oriented such that the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface are facing in a common direction;

a second heat-generating component that is mounted to the second mounting surface;

a shell defining a cavity in which the first PCB and the second PCB are positioned, the shell including a plurality of heat-transfer areas on an internal shell surface, a first heat-transfer area of the plurality of heat transfer areas being positioned with respect to the first heat-generating component to absorb a first portion of thermal energy generated by the first heat-generating component; and

a back plate positioned with respect to the first heat-generating component to absorb a second portion of the thermal energy generated by the first heat-generating component, positioned proximate to a second heat-transfer area of the plurality of heat-transfer areas to transfer the second portion of the thermal energy to the shell, and positioned between the second mounting surface of the second PCB and the opposing surface of the first PCB.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the back plate is further positioned with respect to the second heat-generating component to absorb a portion of the thermal energy generated by the second heat-generating component and to transfer the portion of the thermal energy generated by the second heat-generating component to the shell.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the first PCB is sized to contact a first PCB heat-transfer area of the plurality of heat-transfer areas; and

the second PCB is sized to contact a second PCB heat-transfer area of the plurality of heat-transfer areas.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein:

the first PCB heat-transfer area provides a first continuous thermal path from the first PCB to the shell; and

the second PCB heat-transfer area provides a second continuous thermal path from the second PCB to the shell.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a first thermal pad positioned between the first heat-generating component and the first heat-transfer area to facilitate transfer of thermal energy generated by the first heat-generating component to the shell.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising a second thermal pad positioned between the second heat-generating component and a bottom surface of the back plate, wherein the second thermal pad is configured to facilitate transfer of thermal energy generated by the second heat-generating component to the back plate.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first heat-generating component and/or the second heat-generating component include a clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the shell includes a top shell and a bottom shell,

the cavity is defined when the bottom shell is joined with the top shell,

the top shell includes a top heat-transfer area that is configured to absorb thermal energy generated by the first heat-generating component and two side heat-transfer areas positioned proximate to side surfaces of the back plate.

9. A thermal management system comprising:

a top shell that includes a top heat-transfer area, side heat-transfer areas, a first printed circuit board (PCB) heat-transfer area, and a top shell second PCB heat-transfer area;

a bottom shell that includes a bottom heat-transfer area and a bottom shell second PCB heat-transfer area;

a first thermal pad that is positioned to contact the top heat-transfer area, the first thermal pad being configured to transfer thermal energy from a first subset of heat-generating components, which are mounted to a first PCB, to the top heat-transfer area;

a back plate including a top surface, two side surfaces, and a bottom surface, the back plate being positioned such that the top surface absorbs thermal energy generated by the first subset of heat-generating components, and two side surfaces positioned proximate to the side heat-transfer areas; and

a second thermal pad positioned to contact the bottom surface of the back plate and configured to transfer thermal energy from a second subset of heat-generating components, which are mounted to a second PCB, to the back plate, the top shell second PCB heat-transfer area and the bottom shell second PCB heat-transfer area being configured to contact the second PCB.

10. The thermal management system of claim 9 , wherein

the first PCB is configured to contact the first PCB heat-transfer area.

11. The thermal management system of claim 10 , wherein the back plate includes a back plate height sized according to a distance between the first PCB and the second PCB.

12. The thermal management system of claim 9 , wherein:

the back plate includes a component support that extends from a back plate body, and

the component support is configured to support an optical component and to absorb thermal energy generated during operation of the optical component.

13. The thermal management system of claim 9 , wherein the back plate defines a back plate recess that is configured to receive the second thermal pad.

14. The thermal management system of claim 9 , wherein:

the top shell is configured to dissipate about 8 watts (W) of thermal energy generated by the first subset of heat-generating components and/or the second subset of heat-generating components; and

the bottom shell is configured to dissipate about 8 W of thermal energy generated by the first subset of heat-generating components and/or the second subset of heat-generating components.

15. An active cable connector comprising:

a shell defining a cavity, the shell including a plurality of heat-transfer areas arranged on an internal shell surface and a heat-dissipation area on an external shell surface;

a first subset of heat-generating components mounted to a first printed circuit board (PCB);

a second subset of heat-generating components mounted to a second PCB, a first mounting surface of the first PCB and a second mounting surface of the second PCB being oriented in a common direction; and

a back plate positioned between the first PCB and the second PCB, the back plate being further positioned to absorb at least a portion of thermal energy generated by the first subset of heat-generating components and the second subset of heat-generating components and to dissipate the portion of the thermal energy to one or more of the heat-transfer areas.

16. The active cable connector of claim 15 , wherein:

the first PCB has a first PCB width, the second PCB has a second PCB width that is greater than the first PCB width, and

the shell includes:

a first PCB heat-transfer area that is configured to contact a portion of a perimeter of the first PCB; and

a second PCB heat-transfer area that is configured to contact a portion of a perimeter of the second PCB.

17. The active cable connector of claim 16 , further comprising an optical component, wherein a portion of thermal energy generated during operation of the optical component is transferred to the first PCB heat-transfer area or the second PCB heat-transfer area.

18. The active cable connector of claim 15 , further comprising:

a first thermal pad that contacts a top heat-transfer area of the plurality of heat-transfer areas and the first subset of heat-generating components; and

a second thermal pad that contacts a bottom surface of the back plate and the second subset of heat-generating components.

19. The active cable connector of claim 18 , wherein the back plate includes:

a top surface that is in contact with a lower surface of the first PCB;

a back plate recess that is defined in a back plate body and configured to receive the second thermal pad; and

a recess perimeter that contacts the mounting surface of the second PCB.