IP Library Granted Patent US 11,223,173
Granted Patent B2
US 11,223,173 · App. 16/565,957 · Granted Jan 11, 2022

Pluggable module with coaxial connector interface

Inventors: Luis Torres (Palatine, IL); Joseph Llorens (Winfield, IL); Alexandros Pirillis (Skokie, IL); Robert Skepnek (Norridge, IL)
Assignee: Methode Electronics Inc.
H01R31/065H01R12/7076H01R13/46H01R24/542H01R2101/00H01R2201/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,223,173
App. No.
16/565,957
Granted
Jan 11, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A pluggable module comprising a housing having a first end and second end, an edge connector disposed at the first end, an F-type coaxial connector at the second end and a release lever including a stamped body that is symmetrical about a centerline bisecting the length of the body.

Claims (32)

1. A pluggable module comprising:

a housing having a first end and an opposite second end;

an edge connector disposed at the first end;

an threaded F-type coaxial connector at the second end, the threaded F-type coaxial connector electrically connected to the edge connector, the edge connector for pluggably mating the first end of the housing within a host receptacle; and

the pluggable module including a G.hn wireline physical layer for improving broadband performance bridging to an Ethernet interface to the first end having the edge connector compliant with Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP) specifications.

2. The pluggable module of claim 1 comprising a miniature balun disposed within the module and electrically connected between the threaded F-type coaxial connector and the edge connector, the miniature balun for converting between a single-ended input to a differential signal processing circuit.

3. The pluggable module of claim 2 wherein the miniature balun performs a 75 Ohm single ended to 100 Ohm differential conversion.

4. The pluggable module of claim 2 wherein the miniature balun provides at least one of the following elements: a) surface mount leads; b) ferrite core of high magnetic permeability; c) an overall height of the miniature balun package being restricted for use within the envelope dimensions provided by SFP specification.

5. The pluggable module of claim 2 wherein the module is miniaturized by providing a printed circuit board (PCB) having components on both sides of the PCB and the miniature balun having surface mount leads for mounting to pads on a first side of the PCB and facilitating mounting of other components on a second side of the PCB.

6. The pluggable module of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a release lever having a body that is at least in part metallic.

7. The pluggable module of claim 6 comprising a release mechanism having a stamped body disposed on the module.

8. The pluggable module of claim 7 wherein the release mechanism type is one of a) a release lever; b) a push button; and c) a pull tab.

9. The pluggable module of claim 1 wherein the housing is cast from one of aluminum, aluminum alloy, zinc and zinc alloy.

10. The pluggable module of claim 1 further comprising a Gfast wireline physical layer in electrical connection to the edge connector for improving broadband performance.

11. The pluggable module of claim 1 further comprising a VDSL/VDSL2 wireline physical layer in electrical connection to the edge connector for improving broadband performance.

12. A pluggable module comprising:

a housing having a first end and an opposite second end;

an edge connector disposed at the first end of the housing, the edge connector compliant with a Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP) specification;

a threaded F-type coaxial connector at the second end, the threaded F-type coaxial connector electrically connected to the edge connector; and

a release mechanism for releasing the module including the first end and the edge connector from a host receptacle, the pluggable module having a G.hn wireline physical layer.

13. The pluggable module of claim 12 wherein the module includes a release mechanism having a body that is at least in part metallic.

14. The pluggable module of claim 13 wherein the release mechanism type is one of a) a release lever; b) a push button; and c) a pull tab.

15. The pluggable module of claim 12 further comprising a miniature balun disposed within the module and electrically connected between the F-type coaxial connector and the edge connector for converting between a single-ended input to a differential load.

16. A method of assembling a pluggable module comprising the steps of:

obtaining a miniature balun having a ferrite core having high magnetic permeability;

mounting the miniature balun to a first side of a printed circuit board (PCB) via a surface mount process;

mounting other components to a second side of the PCB, the PCB electrically connecting components mounted thereon;

casting a housing from an alloy, the housing having a threaded F-type connector and a release mechanism attached to the housing

providing an edge connector that is compliant with a Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP) specification and the edge connector electrically linked to the PCB and the miniature balun, the edge connector mounted within the housing.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the housing is compliant with the current SFP specification.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of providing the PCB within the housing and having an edge of the PCB protruding from the housing to form a portion of the edge connector.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the F-type threaded connector is attached to the housing at a second end, opposite the first end having the edge connector.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2026
From: METHODE ELECTRONICS, INC.
To: BEL POWER SOLUTIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 073987/0734 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2024
From: TORRES, LUIS; LLORENS, JOSEPH; PIRILLIS, ALEXANDROS; SKEPNEK, ROBERT
To: METHODE ELECTRONICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 069575/0345 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 11, 2024
From: METHODE ELECTRONICS, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 068275/0875 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15701310 · Sep 11, 2017
Related Publication 20200006905A1 · Jan 2, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,468,100