Molex Corporation

Other

Littelfuse, Inc.

Maxwill P Bassler

David L Brunker

John E Lopata

Daniel L Dawiedczyk

Patrick R Casher

Richard A Nelson

Stephen J Whitney

Michael J Gardner

Russell J Leonard

Timothy E Pachla

Shigeru Ando

Jeffery A Whalin

Ramon Leon

Electrostatic discharge protection, also known as ESD protection, is provided in the form of a discrete array with a voltage variable material (VVM) or a VVM device. The array is fabricated with a common electrode for connection to ground, and one or more electrodes configured for connection to an electrical component. The electrical component is a connector attached to an electrical circuit containing devices subject to damage by ESD events. The array is placed into a pocket or space on the connector and is held in place mechanically by spring force or by soldering to leads or electrodes of the connector. The array may be soldered to a ground connection or held in place by pressure, such as from a spring or from an outer housing or shell. In some embodiments, the array is removable from the component without affecting component circuits other than removal of ESD protection.

Incorporating electrostatic protection into miniature connectors

A termination structure for mating a cable connector to a circuit board has a ground terminal and two signal terminals arranged in triangular pattern through the connector in order to reduce the impedance through the connector. The width of the ground terminal increases along its extent with respect to the signal terminals. This increase occurs along either a transition or contact portion of the ground terminal.

Impedance-tuned connector

A terminal contact arrangement for a connector promotes reduction in deviation of the impedance of the connector when mated to an opposing connector and energized. The connector has an insulative housing with a plurality of terminal-receiving passages disposed in it. Conductive terminals are supported in some, but not all of the passages. The terminal contain distinct terminal sets that include a pair of differential signal terminals and at least two associated ground reference terminals. The two associated ground reference terminals are interconnected together so that electrically, they act as a single ground terminal having a width equal to the sum of the widths of the two connected ground reference terminals. The ground reference terminals of the sets are disposed in a single row of terminals, while the differential signal terminals of the same terminal set are disposed in another row of terminals spaced apart from the row of ground reference terminals. The differential signal terminals are separated from each other within their terminal row by an empty passage so that the two differential signal terminals of each terminal set are spaced farther apart from each other than they are spaced apart from their associated ground reference terminals.

Impedance-tuned terminal contact arrangement and connectors incorporating same

A termination structure for a cable connector having a pair of differential wire pairs and an associated ground wire utilizes a series of nests, or solder cups, that have their dimensions tailored to maintain a desired level of electrical performance. These nests are also arranged in a configuration to maintain the aforementioned electrical performance, and also position the ground and signal conductors of the cable in the termination area in the same position and orientation as they take in the cable.

Impedance-tuned termination assembly and connectors incorporating same

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.

Connectors with reduced noise characteristics

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.

Intelligent sensing connectors

Disclosed is an improved board connector having an insulating housing with terminals mounted therein and an exterior shell fitting on the insulating housing. The exterior shell has long and short legs that fix the connector to a printed circuit board at a predetermined oblique angle to permit the oblique insertion of an opposing connector into the board connector without fear of interference with surrounding components. Thus, there is no need to leave extra space ahead of the connector to permit the opposing connector to lay flat ahead of the board connector on the circuit board when mating the two connectors together.

Angled circuit board connector

An electrical connector assembly includes an electrical connector mounting a plurality of terminals and including an outer conductive shell. A dielectric insert defines a receptacle for the electrical connector. An outer shielding shell surrounds a substantial portion of the dielectric insert. A electrical element is captured by the dielectric insert and is held in contact between the outer conductive shell of the connector and the outer shielding shell to establish an electrical coupling therebetween.

Coupled electrical connector assembly

An electrical connector is provided for mating with a complementary connector. The electrical connector includes a dielectric housing having a mating portion. A cross-shaped ground plate structure is disposed in the mating portion of the housing when the electrical connector is mated with the complementary connector. The cross-shaped ground plate structure defines four plate edges and four quadrants. At least one terminal is mounted in the mating portion of the housing in at least some of the quadrants defined by the cross-shaped ground plate structure. A pair of outboard terminals are mounted in the mating portion of the housing outside a pair of the plate edges of the cross-shaped ground plate structure.

Matable electrical connectors having signal and power terminals

A pc card includes a generally rectangular frame and a circuit board assembly mounted on the frame. An unshielded connector is mounted on the frame at one end thereof. A pair of cover panels sandwich the circuit board assembly therebetween, leaving at least a mating face of the connector exposed exteriorly of the frame for interfacing with a complementary mating connector. At least one of the cover panels is conductive. A shield is coupled to the conductive cover panel, independent of the connector, for shielding the interface of the connector and the complementary mating connector.

Shielding system for PC cards

An electrical connector assembly disclosed which includes a shield and frame member wherein at least a portion thereof is conductive, a plurality of modular sub-assemblies with each module having a dielectric housing in which a plurality of terminals are mounted, and a conductive shield member is secured to conductive shielding of at least one shielded cable. Each terminal is electrically connected to a conductor contained within one of the at least one shielded cable. A latch mechanism is provided for removably securing each modular sub-assembly to the shield and frame member. An interconnection mechanism is also provided for electrically connecting the electrically conductive portion of the shield and frame member to the conductive shield member to complete the ground circuit between the conductive shielding of the shielded cable and the conductive portion of the shield and frame member.

Growing community of inventors

Hampshire, IL, United States of America

Maxwill P Bassler