Capacitive blind-mate module interconnection
A blind-mate capacitive coupling interconnection between a main module enclosure one or more sub-module enclosures has coupling surfaces each with a ground portion and an aperture, an inner element provided in the aperture, spaced away from the ground portion. The coupling surfaces may be provided, for example, as traces on a printed circuit board. To accommodate a degree of mis-alignment, one of the inner elements may be provided larger than the other. Capacitive coupling between the coupling surfaces occurs when the coupling surfaces are mated together, retained in position, for example, by a mechanical fixture.
1. A blind-mate capacitive coupling interconnection between a main module enclosure and a sub-module enclosure, comprising:
a first main module capacitive coupling surface provided on a main module outer surface of the main module enclosure;
a first sub-module capacitive coupling surface provided on a sub-module outer surface of the sub-module enclosure; the main module capacitive coupling surface and the sub-module capacitive coupling surface each provided with a ground portion with an aperture;
a main module inner element provided within the aperture of the main module capacitive coupling surface, electrically isolated from the ground portion of the main module capacitive coupling surface;
a sub-module inner element provided within the aperture of the sub-module capacitive coupling surface, electrically isolated from the ground portion of the sub-module capacitive coupling surface; and
a mechanical fixture dimensioned to retain the sub-module capacitive coupling surface against the main module capacitive coupling surface.
2. The interconnection of claim 1 , wherein the main module capacitive coupling surface and the sub-module capacitive coupling surface are generally planar.
3. The interconnection of claim 1 , wherein one of the main module inner element and the sub-module inner element is larger than the other.
4. The interconnection of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the main module capacitive coupling surface and the sub-module capacitive coupling surface is a printed circuit board.
5. The interconnection of claim 4 , wherein a bottom layer of the printed circuit board has a non-conductive conformal coating.
6. The interconnection of claim 4 , wherein the ground portion and the inner element are provided on a bottom layer of the printed circuit board; the ground portion and the inner element electrically coupled to a top layer ground trace and a top layer inner element trace of a top layer of the printed circuit board by at least one ground via and at least one inner element via.
7. The interconnection of claim 6 , wherein an outer conductor of a coaxial cable is coupled to the top layer ground trace and an inner conductor of the coaxial cable is coupled to the top layer inner element trace.
8. The interconnection of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical fixture is at least one stud projecting from the main module enclosure, the stud dimensioned to engage a slot of the sub-module outer surface.
9. The interconnection of claim 8 , wherein the at least one slot is provided with a locking mechanism rotatable to secure the stud within the slot.
10. The interconnection of claim 1 , further including a second main module capacitive coupling surface provided on the main module outer surface; and
a second sub-module capacitive coupling surface provided on the sub-module outer surface.
11. The interconnection of claim 10 , wherein the first and the second main module capacitive coupling surfaces are co-planar.
12. The interconnection of claim 10 , wherein the first and the second main module capacitive coupling surfaces are provided normal to one another.
13. The interconnection of claim 1 , wherein the sub-module mates with the main module in a direction one of parallel and orthogonal to the main module capacitive coupling surface.
14. The interconnection of claim 1 , wherein the main module capacitive coupling surface is provided on a sidewall of a channel projecting from the main module outer surface.
15. The interconnection of claim 1 , wherein the ground portion of the main module capacitive coupling surface is electrically coupled to the main module outer surface.
16. The interconnection of claim 1 , wherein the ground portion of the sub-module capacitive coupling surface is electrically coupled to the sub-module outer surface.
17. The interconnection of claim 1 , wherein the main module enclosure is an active antenna and the sub-module is a transceiver module.
18. A method for forming a blind-mate capacitive coupling interconnection between a main module enclosure and a sub-module enclosure, comprising the steps of:
providing a first main module capacitive coupling surface provided on a main module outer surface of the main module enclosure;
providing a first sub-module capacitive coupling surface provided on a sub-module outer surface of the sub-module enclosure; the main module capacitive coupling surface and the sub-module capacitive coupling surface each provided with a ground portion with an aperture;
providing a main module inner element within the aperture of the main module capacitive coupling surface, electrically isolated from the ground portion of the main module capacitive coupling surface;
providing a sub-module inner element provided within the aperture of the sub-module capacitive coupling surface, electrically isolated from the ground portion of the sub-module capacitive coupling surface;
providing a mechanical fixture dimensioned to retain the sub-module capacitive coupling surface against the main module capacitive coupling surface; and
mating the sub-module capacitive coupling surface against the main module capacitive coupling surface.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the mating with the main module is along a direction one of parallel and orthogonal to the main module capacitive coupling surface.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the mating positions the sub-module capacitive coupling surface parallel to the main module capacitive coupling surface.