Insertable stubless interconnect
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsMatteo Cocchini, Michael Cracraft, Zachary Thomas Dreiss
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-layer circuit board includes a first layer including a first trace, a second layer connected to the first layer and including a second trace, and a stubless interconnect positioned through the first layer and the second layer. The stubless interconnect includes a body that is electrically insulative, and a bridge trace that is electrically conductive and connected to the body, the bridge trace extending from the first trace to the second trace to electrically connect the first trace and the second trace.
Claims15
A multi-layer circuit board comprising:
- a first layer including a first trace;
- a second layer connected to the first layer and including a second trace;
- a stubless interconnect positioned through the first layer and the second layer, the stubless interconnect comprising:
- a body that is electrically insulative and includes an interstice;
- and
- a bridge trace that is electrically conductive and connected to the body, the bridge trace extending from the first trace to the second trace to electrically connect the first trace and the second trace;
- and
- a spreader configured to widen the interstice to press the bridge trace against the first trace and the second trace.
A method comprising:
- providing a multi-layer circuit board comprising a first layer including a first trace and a second layer connected to the first layer and including a second trace;
- cutting an aperture through the first layer and the second layer;
- inserting a stubless interconnect into the aperture, the stubless interconnect comprising:
- a body that is electrically insulative;
- and
- a bridge trace that is electrically conductive and connected to the body, the bridge trace extending from the first trace to the second trace to electrically connect the first trace and the second trace;
- connecting an electrical testing device to the first trace and to the second trace;
- and
- testing an electrical connection of the first trace and the second trace via the bridge trace after inserting the stubless interconnect into the aperture, wherein the testing including measuring an impedance value between the first trace and the second trace during the insertion of the stubless interconnect, and the insertion of the stubless interconnect is halted after the impedance value has gone from a high value to a low value, representing that the electrical connection between the first trace and the second trace via the bridge trace is sufficient.
A stubless interconnect for a multi-layer circuit board comprising:
- a body that is electrically insulative and is configured to pass through a first layer and a second layer of the multi-layer circuit board;
- a bridge trace that is electrically conductive and connected to the body, wherein when the stubless interconnect is installed in the multi-layer circuit board, the bridge trace extends from the first layer to the second layer to electrically connect to a first trace in the first layer and a second trace in the second layer;
- a bridge indicator on an end of the body that visually indicates a rotational orientation of the stubless interconnect;
- and
- a trace indicator on an exterior side of the multi-layer circuit board that visually indicates lateral orientations of traces that are to be connected by the bridge trace;
- wherein a cross-sectional area of the bridge trace is no more than thrice a cross-sectional area of the first trace and/or a cross-sectional area of the second trace.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.