Array connector for optical transceiver module
View Patent ↗A connector having a Ball-Grid Array on one side of a connector circuit board and a socket recess on the other side of the connector circuit board can be used to mate an opto-electronic transceiver module to a system circuit board. A base portion of the transceiver module can be received in the socket recess. Within the socket recess, an exposed portion of the connector circuit board has an array of resilient conductive contacts corresponding to an array of conductive pads on the lower surface of the base portion of the transceiver module.
1. A connector mateable with a plurality of modules, comprising:
a housing having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a substantially planar shape, the housing having a first socket recess for receiving a base portion of a first module and having a second socket recess for receiving a base portion of a second module, the first socket recess having a shape substantially corresponding to a shape of the base portion of the first module, the second socket recess having a shape substantially corresponding to a shape of the base portion of the second module, each of the first and second modules comprising at least one of a transmitter and a receiver; and
a connector circuit board having a first surface and a second surface, a first portion of the housing mounted on a portion of the first surface of the connector circuit board with the lower surface of the housing in contact with the first surface of the connector circuit board, a second portion of the housing enclosed by the first portion of the housing exposing a first portion of the first surface of the connector circuit board through the socket recess of the housing, a third portion of the housing enclosed by the first portion of the housing exposing a second portion of the first surface of the connector circuit board through the second socket recess of the housing, the exposed first portion of the connector circuit board having a first array of resilient conductive contacts corresponding to an array of conductive pads of the first module, the second surface of the connector circuit board having a first Ball Grid Array (BGA), the exposed second portion of the connector circuit board having a second array of resilient conductive contacts corresponding to an array of conductive pads of the second module, the second surface of the connector circuit board further having a second BGA.
2. The connector claimed in claim 1 , wherein the connector circuit board includes circuitry coupled to the array of conductive pads and the BGA.
3. The connector claimed in claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a locking engagement mateable with a corresponding portion of the transceiver module.
4. The connector claimed in claim 3 , wherein the locking engagement comprises a latch.
5. The connector claimed in claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a plurality of fastener connections.
6. The connector claimed in claim 5 , wherein the fastener connections are threaded.
7. A method for using a connector to connect a transceiver module to a surface of a system circuit board, the connector comprising a housing mounted on a connector circuit board, the housing having a first socket recess with a shape corresponding to a shape of a base portion of a first module and a second socket recess with a shape corresponding to a shape of a base portion of a second module, the connector circuit board having a first surface and a second surface, a first portion of the housing covering a portion of the first surface of the connector circuit board, a second portion of the housing enclosed by the first portion of the housing exposing a first portion of the first surface of the connector circuit board through the first socket recess of the housing, a third portion of the housing enclosed by the first portion of the housing exposing a second portion of the first surface of the connector circuit board through the second socket recess of the housing, the exposed first portion of the connector circuit board having a first array of resilient conductive contacts corresponding to an array of conductive pads on the base portion of the first transceiver module, the second surface of the connector circuit board having a first Ball Grid Array (BGA), the exposed second portion of the connector circuit board having a second array of resilient conductive contacts corresponding to an array of conductive pads on the base portion of the second transceiver module, the second surface of the connector circuit board further having a second BGA, the method comprising:
soldering the first BGA and the second BGA to the surface of the system circuit board;
receiving the base portion of the first module in the first socket recess of the housing, the first module comprising at least one of a transmitter and a receiver;
applying a force to the first module with respect to the system circuit board to resiliently engage the first array of resilient conductive contacts of the connector circuit board with the conductive pads of the base portion of the first transceiver module;
retaining the first transceiver module in a state wherein the base portion is retained in the first socket recess of the housing and the first array of resilient conductive contacts of the connector circuit board are resiliently engaged with the conductive pads of the first module;
receiving the base portion of the second module in the second socket recess of the housing, the second module comprising at least one of a transmitter and a receiver;
applying a force to the second module with respect to the system circuit board to resiliently engage the second array of resilient conductive contacts of the connector circuit board with the conductive pads of the base portion of the second transceiver module; and
retaining the second transceiver module in a state wherein the base portion is retained in the second socket recess of the housing and the second array of resilient conductive contacts of the connector circuit board are resiliently engaged with the conductive pads of the second module.
8. The method claimed in claim 7 , wherein retaining the transceiver module comprises fastening the transceiver module to the connector using a plurality of fasteners.
9. The method claimed in claim 8 , wherein fastening the transceiver module to the connector comprises using screws.
10. The method claimed in claim 7 , wherein retaining the transceiver module comprises latching the transceiver module to the connector.
11. The method claimed in claim 10 , wherein latching the transceiver module to the connector comprises actuating a lever latch.