Abstract: A method and structure of an electrical connector is provided for tuning the impedance of the terminals in the connector. The connector includes a dielectric housing having a plurality of terminal-receiving passages. A plurality of terminals are shaped from sheet metal material, with each terminal having a contact portion at one end and a terminating portion at an opposite end. The contact portion has a contact area which engages a mating terminal of a complementary mating connecting device. The contact portion, except for the contact thereof, or the tail portion, is selectively trimmed to a given size to vary the plate area of the contact portion or the tail portion to adjust the impedance of the terminal. This may be done by removing sections of the contact portion from the contact edges or by forming holes in the contact portions. Alternatively, to adjust impedance, a drive shoulder of the terminal may be located at a position to lengthen or shorten the contact portion or tail portion.

Abstract: An improved electrical connector has a series of terminals arranged in two parallel rows in the connector housing, with the terminals being separated into upper and lower levels. The tail portions of the upper terminals have intermediate portions that are bent down to descend obliquely from the rear side of the connector housing while the tail portions of the lower terminals have corresponding intermediate portions that are bent up to rise obliquely from the rear side of the connector housing. The intermediate portions of the upper and lower rows of terminals meet with the solder tail portions of the tail portions along a common length so that the tail portions of both upper and lower rows have the same electrical length. The intermediate portions of both rows of terminals are also tapered, or flared along their length so that they have a larger surface area where they exit the connector housing than where they join to their associated solder tail portions.

Abstract: A connector system including a circuit card and method of manufacturing same is provided. By way of example, the system includes a connector having an elongated housing with an elongated card-receiving slot. A plurality of signal terminals and ground terminals are mounted on the housing along the slot and have contact sections extending into the slot. A circuit card has an edge insertable into the slot, a ground plane facing a surface of the card at least near the edge and a plurality of signal contact pads and a plurality of ground contact pads along the edge for engaging the contact sections of the signal terminals and the ground terminals, respectively. The size or area of the signal contact pads is varied relative to the ground contact pads to vary the capacitance in the area of the terminal-to-circuit card interface and, thereby, vary the impedance of the system.

Abstract: An improved flexible circuit connector that is particularly useful in connections for circuit boards has a housing and a circuit card engaging assembly mounted therein. The circuit card engaging assembly includes at least two contact spring members having a U-shaped portion adjoining a body portion thereof such that when the two contact spring members are brought together at their body portions, a U-shaped channel is formed that supports two lengths of flexible circuity close to the surface and edge of a circuit board inserted into the connector channel.

Abstract: An edge card connector is provided for use with a circuit card having an edge and a plurality of contact pads near the edge. The connector includes a housing having an elongated slot for receiving the edge of the circuit card therein, along with terminal cavities adjacent to the slot. A plurality of terminals are inserted into the terminal cavities. At least some of the terminals each include a contact section extending into the slot for engaging a contact pad on the circuit card, along with an enlarged body section. A thin flexible contact arm extends between the body section and the contact section. A finger portion extends alongside the thin flexible contact arm to increase the capacitance of the terminal and, thereby, reduce the impedance of the circuit through the terminal.

Abstract: A connector having reduced noise characteristics is provided having an electronic component, such as a capacitor, electrically connecting together the power ground and power voltage terminals of the connector, with the electronic component being located within the connector housing. Such a structure reduces any induced electrical noise from occurring in the signal terminals of the connector due to the power terminals.

Abstract: An anti-overloading device for use in a restraint-camming apparatus in which the apparatus includes a linear guide for guiding an associated operating member in reciprocating movement and a restraint cam for reciprocating the operating member in its movement has a toggle assembly that which is fixed to the operating member. The toggle assembly comprises a “U”-shaped body, two support links that are rotatably connected to the free ends of opposite free ends of the toggle assembly body portion that engages the ends of the links, and a cam follower rotatably supported by the pin. The cam follower is engaged with the restraint cam to thereby put the restraint cam in a controlled restraint position between the cam follower and a counterpart cam follower roll that is fixed to the operating member. The toggle assembly permits the anti-loading structure can be reduced in size, still permitting the setting of an increased permissible load.

Abstract: Blocks of wafer or plug connectors are held together by retainer members and are secured within a backplane connector by a latching assembly. The latching assembly includes a latching lever that has an engagement end extending to the base of the backplane connector. The lever is movably connected to the retainer member so that it may pivot, or rock, about an inflection point. The lever also includes a biasing member that constantly biases the lever into a latching position.

Abstract: A connector that is particularly suitable for use in high speed data transmission is provided in the form of a plug connector that may be terminated to the end of a high speed cable. The connector has a plurality of terminals for terminating to respective signal wires, ground wires and power wires of the cable, and also has an additional terminal that serves to detect and identify status information about the cable to circuits on a circuit board to which the cable is connected thorough the plug connector and a mating receptacle connector. This detection terminal is shorted to another terminal of the connector, preferably a power ground, or return, terminal. The shorting is done with an electronic component that modifies the voltage passing from the shorted terminal through the detection terminal. The modified voltage may be easily read on the circuit board to determine the status of the cable (such as the speed of the cable) or an electronic device attached thereto.

Abstract: A contactless interconnecting system is provided between a computer chip package and a circuit board. The system includes a computer chip package having a silicon wafer mounted on a support structure which includes a wall with a substantially planar upper surface. The wall is fabricated of a dielectric material. A pattern of discrete terminal lands are disposed on the upper surface of the wall and are electrically coupled to the silicon wafer. A circuit board is juxtaposed below the wall of the chip package and includes a substantially planar upper surface having a pattern of discrete circuit pads aligned with the terminal lands.

Abstract: A retainer and connector system serves to reliably hold together and align a series of thin connector modules, such as wafer connectors, into an overall unit formed from the individual connector modules. The side edges of each of the connector modules have a pair of cavities formed therein. A retainer member is provided having a length equal to the thickness of the connector unit. The retainer member has first and second engagement members disposed thereon. Both engagement members may be inserted into the cavities to hold the connectors together as a stack, or one set of engagement members may be inserted into a set of the cavities and the retainer member rotated to align the connector modules together and then the other set of engagement members may be pressed into engagement with another set of cavities.

Abstract: An intermediate connector for engaging a surface mount connector and a cable connector contains conductive terminals in a body portion. The body portion is cooperatively defined by distinct and separate terminal contact support portions that are affixed to opposite ends of the connector terminals. The support portions may be affixed to the connector terminals from different directions and thus eliminates the need for a complex, molded connector housing. The support portions and the terminals are held together and aligned together by a retainer and a spacer is provided to maintain a desired spacing between the terminals of the connector.

Abstract: A connector for high speed applications includes both signal and reference or power terminals arranged on opposite sides of a circuit-card receiving slot of the connector. The reference or power terminals have a pair of spring arms that extend up from a body portion and are spaced apart from each other. Insertion of a circuit card into the card slot deflects one of the two spring arm portions secondary into shorting contact with the other spring arm portion. The circuit paths are thus defined in the terminal, which increases the performance of the connector. The shorting contact is obtained by the two spring arm portions engaging each other along opposing sides to reduce the force needed to effect shorting contact.

Abstract: A shielded connector has an outer metal shield that is formed from a metal shell. One or both free ends of the shell are upturned and abutted together so as to form an inner shielding wall. This inner shielding wall extends into the receptacle portion of the connector between pairs of designated terminals. The connector housing is molded over the free ends in order to hold them together. The inner shield wall increases capacitive coupling with the connector terminals which decreases the impedance of the connector.

Abstract: A connector is formed with a metal shell for use as a shield of the connector. The shell has a pair of tab members formed along its front face that are stamped to provide two metal contact points. These tabs are engaged by metal contact arms formed on a shield of an opposing connector. The metal to metal contact that results from the tab members decreases wear and abrasion and also serves as a conductive connection between the two connector shields.

Abstract: A connector having an improved impedance aspect is provided with a triplet of conductive terminals for mating with opposing ground and signal terminals. Each triplet of the connector includes a pair of signal terminals and an associated ground terminal, with each terminal having a contact portion, a body portion and a mounting portion. The contact portion of the ground terminal overlies the contact portions of the signal terminals to provide an increased ground plane surface area. The body portion of the ground terminal is aligned with and extends between the body portions of the two signal terminals. With this arrangement, the impedance of the connector may be tuned to obtain an impendance with a reduced discontinuity through the connector as compared to similar connectors.

Abstract: A socket for burn-in testing of an integrated circuit package having electrical leads. The socket includes an outer socket housing and an inner socket housing slidably moveable relative to the outer housing between an upper limit position and a lower limit position, the inner housing for supporting the integrated circuit package thereon and having a plurality of terminal-receiving cavities therein. The socket further includes a plurality of terminals disposed in the terminal-receiving cavities of said inner housing for contacting the leads of the integrated circuit package, a cam mechanism for raising and lowering the inner housing between the upper limit position and lower limit position relative to the outer housing, and a latch mechanism for holding and releasing the integrated circuit package relative to the inner housing.