High performance stacked connector
AssigneeAmphenol Corporation
InventorXingye Chen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cage for a stacked I/O connector that provides heat dissipation sufficient to support operation of QSFP-DD transceivers with a conventionally-sized cooling fan. The cage includes a second channel, between a first and a third channel that are sized and positioned adjacent ports of a connector so as to receive two transceivers. A face of the second channel may have a pattern of openings that enables a high airflow yet blocks electromagnetic radiation that would otherwise contribute to EMI. An element, adjacent the channel that similarly has a pattern of holes enabling high airflow, may further block EMI.
Claims18
A cage assembly for an electrical connector comprising:
- a first channel defined by conductive walls and configured to receive a transceiver;
- a second channel defined by conductive walls and adjacent the first channel, the second channel comprising a face comprising a perimeter that bounds an area of the face, the face comprising a plurality of holes therethrough collectively occupying at least 40% of the area of the face;
- a heat sink disposed in the second channel;
- and
- a thermally conductive element extending within the second channel between the face of the second channel and the heat sink, the thermally conductive element comprising a plurality of holes passing therethrough aligned with the plurality of holes of the face of the second channel, wherein:
- the plurality of holes are arranged in a plurality of lines extending in a first direction;
- and
- each of the plurality of lines is offset, in the first direction, from an adjacent line such that holes in the line are disposed between holes of the adjacent line.
An electronic system comprising:
- an enclosure having a panel with at least one opening therethrough;
- a printed circuit board within the enclosure;
- a cage mounted to the printed circuit board with the connector enclosed by the cage, the cage comprising a first channel, a second channel, and a third channel having ends exposed in the opening, the second channel being disposed between the first channel and the third channel, the end of the second channel comprising a surface comprising a plurality of holes therethrough collectively occupying more than 40% of a surface area of the surface;
- an electrical connector comprising a first electrical connector port disposed in the first channel and a second electrical connector port disposed in the third channel, the electrical connector being mounted to the printed circuit board;
- a thermally conductive element disposed within the second channel, the thermally conductive element comprising a plurality of holes passing therethrough aligned with the plurality of holes of the surface of the second;
- and
- at least one fan positioned to cause air to flow over the cage,
- wherein the plurality of holes are disposed in a plurality of rows with the holes in each of the plurality of rows being staggered with respect to holes in an adjacent row such that holes in the row are between holes in the adjacent row in a first direction parallel to the plurality of rows.
A method of operating an electronic system in an ambient environment comprising, within an enclosure, a stacked cage mounted to a printed circuit board comprising stacked first, second and third channels, wherein the second channel has a face at a first end, the method comprising:
- transmitting or receiving optical signals with a first transceiver consuming between 1 and 15 W, the first transceiver being disposed within the first channel and coupled to a first port of an electrical connector that is mounted to the printed circuit board;
- transmitting or receiving optical signals with a second transceiver consuming between 1 and 15 W, the second transceiver being disposed within the second channel and coupled to a second port of the electrical connector;
- flowing air through openings in the face of the second channel that collectively occupy at least 40% of an area of the face and flowing air towards the electrical connector with a fan within the enclosure, thereby dissipating heat from the first transceivers in the first channel and the second transceiver in the third channel at a rate such that a temperature rise of the first and second transceivers relative to an off state of the transceivers is less than 25 degrees C. in an ambient environment of 25 degrees C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.