Trw Limited

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

William D Bjorndahl

Kenneth C Selk

John Joseph Berenz

Alfred Euinam Lee

Ramon Coronel

Roger A Davidheiser

D Ian Stones

William E McMullen

Rene R Martinez

M David Saferstein

Janice W Espinosa

Cindy S Fietze

Paul T Tsutsumi

Alexander Krayner

A free space optical bus system and method are provided for connecting two units of circuitry across a free space gap. A first unit of circuitry includes a multiplexer that combines a plurality of bus signals to obtain an electronic combined signal and a laser that is driven by the electronic combined signal to transmit an optical signal. A second unit of circuitry is separated from the first unit of circuitry by a free space gap. The second unit of circuitry includes a photodetector that receives the optical signal and transforms it into an electronic composite signal and a demultiplexer that divides the composite signal into a plurality of constituent signals.

Free space optical bus

A multilayer wiring board comprises a substrate having a plurality of layers of reinforced resin material &prime;, a patterned conductive layer &prime; provided on at least one major surface of the substrate, a plurality of via holes provided at least partly through the substrate, and a plurality of signal carrying wires &prime;. The signal carrying wires &prime; are provided between at least two of the layers of reinforced resin material &prime;. The signal carrying wires &prime; can be embedded in a resin layer &prime;, and the resin layer &prime; sandwiched between a pair of the layers of reinforced resin material. The reinforced resin material is preferably a fiber reinforced resin material, such as a glass fiber reinforced epoxy or polyimide material. In some applications, a constrained core &prime;, e.g., a copper/ molybdenum/copper laminate, can be provided between a major surface of the substrate and the pair of reinforced resin layers sandwiching the signal carrying wires &prime;. The board can be used in a multilayer wiring package wherein a plurality of integrated circuit chips are mounted on a major surface of the board . Applications include digital, high-speed digital and RF interconnects.

Multilayer wiring board and multilayer wiring package

A high frequency coaxial interconnection solder ball grid array produces a low loss, reproducible electrical interconnection at the circuit board level for mounting one or more high frequency components, such as high frequency IMA modules. Since the coaxial interconnection ball grid array can be and is generally implemented as part of a larger ball grid array, high frequency signal generation, signal reception and digital processing can be combined in a single electronic component, such as a circuit board. A coaxial-like interconnection is formed from a plurality of solder balls configured in a three-by-three square array. The coaxial interconnection solder ball grid array includes a single centrally disposed solder ball for interconnecting with a centrally disposed conductor of a coaxial line and a plurality of solder balls surrounding the single centrally disposed solder ball, some balls of which interconnect with a coaxial ground shield of the coaxial line. When soldered together, the centrally disposed solder ball and the central conductor of the coaxial line have the appearance of a rod with a diameter having a standard 50 ohm impedance. The outer conductive shield or ground signal path of the coaxial line is connected with multiple solder balls, to achieve a lower inductance ground-to-ground connection.

Solder ball grid array for connecting multiple millimeter wave assemblies

A spacecraft avionics module in which integrated circuit chip packages or chips are mounted in direct contact with the surface of a radiator panel, to enhance dissipation of heat from the integrated circuit and to allow electronics to be packed more densely while still dissipating sufficient heat to allow the electronics to operate at a desirable temperature. Conduction of heat from the electronics to the radiator panel is further enhanced by the use of a thermally conductive adhesive disposed between the integrated circuit chip packages or chips and the radiator panel, which may include heatpipes for more uniform heat distribution across the panel.

Electronics cooling technique for spacecraft modules

Growing community of inventors

Torrance, CA, United States of America

William D Bjorndahl