Z-plane, Inc.

Charles C Byer

Timothy A Lemke

An apparatus includes a backplane having a ground plane. Conductor through holes extend through the backplane in rows and columns for conductors to project through the backplane in orthogonal arrays. Each row and column of the conductor through holes includes ground holes, each of which is sized to receive only a single ground conductor, with the single ground conductor in connection with the ground plane. Each row and column of the conductor through holes also includes signal holes, each of which is sized to receive only a single signal conductor, with the single signal conductor free of a connection with the ground plane. The backplane further has a plurality of nonconductor through holes at locations between and offset from the rows and columns of conductor through holes, with each of the plurality of nonconductor through holes having plating electrically connected to the ground plane.

Crosstalk reduction

A backplane has through holes for conductors to project through the backplane in arrays corresponding to respective circuit boards arranged along the front side of the backplane. The through holes include ground holes for receiving ground conductors in connection with a ground plane, and signal holes for receiving signal conductors free of connections with the ground plane. In accordance with a principal feature, the backplane is free of circuitry configured to interconnect signal conductors in the signal holes. This avoids problems associated with circuit density within the structure of a backplane. In accordance with another principal feature, each signal hole is wide enough to provide clearance for a respective signal conductor to extend fully through the signal hole free of contact with the backplane. The clearance contains air that serves as a dielectric to increase the impedance between adjacent signal holes, and thereby to reduce crosstalk and other problems associated with close proximity between signal holes. Additional through holes provide additional impedance at locations between adjacent conductor through holes. Such additional through holes for impedance control can be included in the circuit boards as well as the backplane.

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Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Charles C Byer