Electrical connector configured for connecting a plurality of waveguides between a printed circuit board and an electronic component
High speed waveguide-based data communication systems are disclosed. Such systems may include separable electrical connectors, forming signal propagation paths between electronic assemblies with one or more waveguides.
1. An electrical connector, comprising:
a first interface configured for electrical communication with a first printed circuit board (PCB);
a second interface configured for electrical communication with an electronic component; and
a plurality of waveguides configured to propagate non-transverse-electromagnetic (non-TEM) signals between the first interface and the second interface.
2. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the second interface is configured to align the plurality of waveguides with a respective plurality of signal channels of the electronic component to transmit and/or receive the non-TEM signals to and/or from a demodulator and/or a modulator of the electronic component.
3. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the first interface comprises a mounting interface configured for mounting to the first PCB.
4. The electrical connector of claim 3 , wherein the second interface comprises a mounting interface configured for mounting to a second PCB.
5. The electrical connector of claim 4 , wherein the mounting interface of the first interface comprises a first surface configured to be parallel to the first PCB when mounted to the first PCB and the mounting interface of the second interface comprises a second surface configured to be parallel to the second PCB when mounted to the second PCB, the first and second surfaces being parallel to one another.
6. The electrical connector of claim 4 , wherein the mounting interface of the first interface comprises a first surface configured to be parallel to the first PCB when mounted to the first PCB and the mounting interface of the second interface comprises a second surface configured to be parallel to the second PCB when mounted to the second PCB, the first and second surfaces being perpendicular to one another.
7. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the second interface comprises a mating interface configured for separably mating with the electronic component.
8. The electrical connector of claim 7 , wherein the mating interface of the second interface is configured to align ones of the plurality of waveguides with respective waveguides of the electronic component.
9. The electrical connector of claim 7 , wherein the mating interface of the second interface is configured for separably mating with a cable.
10. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the non-TEM signals comprise transverse-electric (TE) or transverse-magnetic (TM) signals.
11. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connector comprises a monolithic body having the plurality of waveguides extending therethrough.
12. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the first interface is configured to receive and/or provide the non-TEM signals from and/or to a modulator and/or demodulator of the first PCB.
13. A data communication system, comprising:
an electrical connector comprising a plurality of waveguides, each waveguide configured to propagate non-transverse-electromagnetic (non-TEM) signals; and
a modulator and/or demodulator in electrical communication with the electrical connector and configured to convert the non-TEM signals propagating in the plurality of waveguides of the electrical connector to and/or from transverse-electromagnetic (TEM) signals.
14. The data communication system of claim 13 , wherein the modulator and/or demodulator comprises an antenna configured to excite and/or be excited by at least one of the non-TEM signals propagating in the plurality of waveguides.
15. The data communication system of claim 14 , wherein the modulator and/or demodulator further comprises an amplifier and/or a filter, with the antenna coupled between the amplifier and/or filter and the electrical connector.
16. The data communication system of claim 13 , wherein the non-TEM signals comprise transverse-electric (TE) or transverse-magnetic (TM) signals.
17. The data communication system of claim 13 , wherein the TEM signals comprise differential signal pairs.
18. The data communication system of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of waveguides comprise dual waveguides configured to propagate differential non-TEM signals.
19. The data communication system of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of waveguides comprise:
a plurality of pairs of first waveguides, each pair configured to propagate respective differential signal components of a differential non-TEM signal; and
a plurality of second waveguides coupled to respective pairs of the plurality of pairs of first waveguides, each of the plurality of second waveguides configured to propagate a common-mode sum of the differential signal components of the differential non-TEM signal propagating in the respective pair of first waveguides.
20. The data communication system of claim 19 , wherein each pair of the plurality of pairs of first waveguides comprise different waveguide lengths configured to shift the differential signal components of the differential non-TEM signal out of phase with one another by a half-wavelength.