The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 14, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 18, 2000
Donald V. Perino, Los Altos, CA (US);
Nader Gamini, San Jose, CA (US);
Rambus INC, Los Altos, CA (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides an electrical connector having an integrated bus to provide a signal path having a properly matched impedance. The electrical connector includes a housing formed with a number of slots adapted to receive a module. Electrical contacts are placed between adjacent slots in the electrical connector, such that the combination of electrical contacts and inserted modules forms the integrated bus. Since inter-slot connections are not made through the motherboard, the noted impedance discontinuities do not arise. The electrical contacts generally include electrical signal contacts and ground contacts generally formed within the housing of the electrical connector but include metal contacts which extend into adjacent slots to form a portion of the integrated bus. The plurality of modules thus connected may include a termination module, and/or a dummy module. The bus may be terminated in a termination resistor found on the motherboard, the electrical connector, or a termination module inserted into the electrical connector. Alternatively, one or more of the modules may incorporate an integrated circuit having an electronically actuated termination resistor.