Abstract: A printed circuit board includes a plurality of layers including attachment layers and routing layers; and columns of via patterns formed in the plurality of layers, wherein via patterns in adjacent columns are offset in a direction of the columns, each of the via patterns comprising: first and second signal vias forming a differential signal pair, the first and second signal vias extending through at least the attachment layers; and at least one conductive shadow via located between the first and second signal vias of the differential pair. In some embodiments, at least one conductive shadow via is electrically connected to a conductive surface film.

Abstract: A connector for use with high speed signals. The connector may include lead frame assemblies in a connector housing. A lead frame assembly may include signal conductive elements and ground conductive elements disposed in a repeating pattern, and one or more corrugated sheets attached to the ground conductive elements. The corrugated sheets may extend more than half of the length of the signal conductive elements. Valleys of the corrugated sheets may be welded to the ground conductive elements with line welds. The line welds may extend over a large percentage of the length of the conductive elements. Such a configuration enables accurately and repeatedly establishing signal to ground spacing and therefore promotes high signal integrity, even for miniaturized connectors. Such a connector may be used to meet signal integrity requirements in connectors designed for 112 GBps and beyond.

Abstract: A connector that has a conductive shell that supports at least one signal contact therein. The shell comprises a front end for mating with a mating connector and a back end opposite the front end for connecting to a power or data transmission cable. A coupling member is configured to engage the conductive shell and engage a corresponding component associated with the mating connector to mechanically couple the connector and the mating connector together. A plurality of ground connections are provided at the front end of the conductive shell and the front section of the coupling member for grounding.

Abstract: An interconnection system with a compliant shield between a connector and a substrate such as a PCB. The compliant shield may provide current flow paths between shields internal to the connector and ground structures of the PCB. The connector, compliant shield and PCB may be configured to provide current flow in locations relative to signal conductors that provide desirable signal integrity for signals carried by the signal conductors. In some embodiments, the current flow paths may be adjacent the signal conductors, offset in a transverse direction from an axis of a pair of conductors. Such paths may be created by tabs extending from connector shields. A compliant conductive member of the compliant shield may contact the tabs and a conductive pad on a surface of the PCB. Shadow vias, running from the surface pad to internal ground structures may be positioned adjacent the tip of the tabs.

Abstract: A connector module for an electrical connector that has at least one wafer assembly with at least one conductive member and at least one contact wafer. The contact wafer includes a plurality of contacts including at least one signal contact and at least one ground contact. Each of the contacts has a board engagement end configured to engage a printed circuit board and a mating interface end opposite thereof and configured to connect with a contact of a mating connector module. A grounding gasket receives the board engagement ends of the contacts of the wafer assembly. The grounding gasket has at least one portion in electrical contact with the ground contact of the plurality of contacts. The ground contact of the contact wafer is in electrical contact with both the conductive member and the grounding gasket, thereby defining a grounding path through the connector module to the board.

Abstract: An electrical socket and method of making an electrical socket. The socket includes a body that has spaced contact beams extending between the first and second ends and an inner receiving area for accepting a mating pin. The contact beams are configured for aligning into a hyperbolic geometry. Each of the contact beams has a middle section between first and second end sections. Each middle section has a pre-formed contour that defines a cross-section of each contact beam that defines a fully radiused, inner contact area without sharp edges such that each middle section extends further into the inner receiving area than the first and second end sections when the contact beams are aligned into the hyperbolic geometry and such that the fully radiused, inner contact areas of the contact beams are positioned for contact with the mating pin when inserted into the inner receiving area of the socket body.

Abstract: Connector assemblies that may be used to connect a cable to one or more contact tails of an electrical connector are disclosed. Some connector assemblies may include a wire extending from a cable and attached to an edge of a contact tail of a signal conductor. At least a portion of the wire may be flattened to form a planar surface that is attached to a corresponding planar surface of the edge of the contact tail. Moreover, some connector assemblies may include a wire extending from a cable that is attached to an edge of a contact tail via a metallurgical bond extending along at least a portion of an attachment interface between the wire and the contact tail.

Abstract: A short, high density interposer. The interposer has multiple contacts, with upwards and downwards-facing contact surfaces. Each of the contacts may be formed as a beam stamped from a sheet of metal. Two sheets of metal may be used in forming the interposer. A first sheet may be stamped with upwards facing contacts. A second sheet may be stamped with downwards facing contacts. Bases of the beams on the first sheet may be fused with bases of the beams on the second sheet, creating a conducting path through the interposer, with compliant contacts at each end. The joined contacts may be separated from the sheets from which they are stamped and held together with an insulative base of the interposer. Beams shaped to form contacts in the interposer may be closely spaced when stamped in a sheet of metal and may have a low height.

Abstract: A cable termination assembly configured for mounting to an interior portion of a printed circuit board. The cable termination assembly has a frame shaped to receive a paddle card to which a plurality of cables are terminated. A lid, when closed, may force the paddle card into contact with an interposer, which in turn may be pressed into a printed circuit board on which the cable termination assembly is mounted. Electrical signals may pass between the cables and traces in the printed circuit board via the paddle card and interposer. The termination assembly may be mounted near a processor or other high speed component on the printed circuit board, enabling high speed signals to be coupled with low loss between a periphery of the printed circuit board, or even a location off the printed circuit board, and the high speed component.

Abstract: An interconnection system with a compliant shield between a connector and a substrate such as a PCB. The compliant shield may provide current flow paths between shields internal to the connector and ground structures of the PCB. The connector, compliant shield and PCB may be configured to provide current flow in locations relative to signal conductors that provide desirable signal integrity for signals carried by the signal conductors. In some embodiments, the current flow paths may be adjacent the signal conductors, offset in a transverse direction from an axis of a pair of conductors. Such paths may be created by tabs extending from connector shields. A compliant conductive member of the compliant shield may contact the tabs and a conductive pad on a surface of the PCB. Shadow vias, running from the surface pad to internal ground structures may be positioned adjacent the tip of the tabs.

Abstract: A modular high speed, high density electrical connector configurable for use in multiple configurations, including a direct attach orthogonal configuration. The connector is assembled with modules that include shielded pairs of signal conductors with mating ends that are rotated approximately 45 degrees with respect to intermediate portions of the signal conductors. The connector may have a mating interface with receptacles in one connector and pins in the mating connector. The pins may be small diameter and may be implemented with superelastic wires so as to resist damage despite having very small effective diameter. A compact mating interface resulting from small diameter mating contact portions may enable other portions of the connector, including the shielding surrounding the signal conductors to be smaller, which may raise the resonant frequency of the connector and extend its bandwidth.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a coupling nut configured to at least partially surround a connector body. The coupling nut includes a first end and a second opposing end. The first end is configured to interface with a mating connector. The coupling nut further includes an inner thread portion located between the first and second ends; and a sealing member located at the first end. The sealing member has a base and a deformable wiper portion. The sealing member is configured to flex between deformed and non-deformed states when coupling the coupling nut to the mating connector. The base of the sealing member is in contact with an inner surface of the first end and the deformable wiper portion extends radially inwardly from the base.

Abstract: An electrical connector electrically connects a first printed circuit board and a second printed circuit board, where the electrical connector includes: (a) an insulative housing; (b) a plurality of signal conductors, with at least a portion of each of the plurality of signal conductors disposed within the insulative housing; (c) each of the plurality of signal conductors having a first contact end, a second contact end and an intermediate portion therebetween; and (d) a passive circuit element electrically connected to the intermediate portion of each of the plurality of signal conductors, where the passive circuit element is housed in an insulative package and includes at least a capacitor or an inductor.

Abstract: A cable assembly comprising a connector with a termination that enables high density and high signal integrity. Shields of cables are terminated to a paddle card via a conductive structure attached to a surface of the paddle card. The signal conductors of the cables are terminated to pads on the paddle card that are exposed within openings of the conductive structure. Such a structure creates a ground structure per cable that provides low insertion loss and low crosstalk, even when multiple cables are aligned side by side and terminated in one or more rows. The cables may be drainless, enabling a large number of cables, such as eight cables, to be packed within the width of a paddle card specified in high density standards such as QSFP-DD or OSFP. The cables may nonetheless have large diameter signal conductors, enabling 2.5 or 3 meter assemblies with less than 17 dB insertion loss.

Abstract: A modular high speed, high density electrical connector configurable for use in multiple configurations, including a direct attach orthogonal configuration. The connector is assembled with modules that include shielded pairs of signal conductors with mating ends that are rotated approximately 45 degrees with respect to intermediate portions of the signal conductors. The connector may have a mating interface with receptacles in one connector and pins in the mating connector. The pins may be small diameter and may be implemented with superelastic wires so as to resist damage despite having very small effective diameter. A compact mating interface resulting from small diameter mating contact portions may enable other portions of the connector, including the shielding surrounding the signal conductors to be smaller, which may raise the resonant frequency of the connector and extend its bandwidth.

Abstract: A high performance connector that provides heat dissipation sufficient to support operation of high power consuming QSFP-DD transceivers. The connector may be housed in a cage with a first channel to receive a transceiver. A connector port may be aligned with the first channel, and a heat transfer element comprising a compressible portion may make mechanical and thermal contact with a transceiver inside the first channel. The compressible portion may be urged to contact a transceiver by a biasing element. The heat transfer element may be thermally coupled to a heat dissipating element outside the cage. The cage may have multiple channels, and the heat transfer element may be installed in a channel between other channels, each receiving transceivers such that the heat transfer element may receive heat from multiple transceivers.

Abstract: A connector that has a conductive shell that supports at least one signal contact therein. The shell comprises a front end for mating with a mating connector and a back end opposite the front end for connecting to a power or data transmission cable. A coupling member is configured to engage the conductive shell and engage a corresponding component associated with the mating connector to mechanically couple the connector and the mating connector together. A plurality of ground connections are provided at the front end of the conductive shell and the front section of the coupling member for grounding.

Abstract: Embodiments herein include a connector coupling arranged to mate and/or unmate first and second connectors. The connector coupling includes a first collar having one or more locking members, a second collar arranged to receive the first collar, the second collar being rotatable relative to the first collar, and a locking mechanism. The connector coupling is moveable in a mating direction to mate the first and second connectors and an unmating direction to unmate the connectors. The locking mechanism is disengaged when the connector coupling is moved in a mating direction. For example, the locking mechanism may be moveable from a first engaged position to a first disengaged position when the connector coupling is moved in the mating direction. As another example, the locking mechanism may remain disengaged until the connectors are fully mated.