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US 2014/0154921 A1Published application
Active electrical communication cable assembly
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsQi QI, Jamyuen KO
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An active electric cable assembly suitable for high speed communication (e.g., 10 Gbit/sec) between electronic devices, such as but not limited to a peripheral device (e.g., storage device, docking station, etc.) and a computing platform expansion bus. (e.g., supporting the standards and specifications associated with the trade name Thunderbolt®). In embodiments, through holes, embossments, mechanical stops, micro-coaxial single wires, thermal pads, and dielectric film sheets are utilized in a robust cable assembly.
Claims20
A cable assembly comprising:
- a top metal shield and a bottom metal shield, wherein one of the top and bottom metal shields comprises an embossment and the other of the top and bottom metal shields comprises a recess or through hole to mate with the embossment and form a shield cavity;
- a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), including at least one integrated circuit (IC), disposed within the shield cavity;
- at least one electrically isolative film sheet disposed within the shield cavity and between the PCBA and the top or bottom metal shield;
- a raw cable sub-assembly further comprising:
- a plurality of wires terminated at the PCBA, the plurality including at least a micro-coaxial signal wire, a power wire, and a ground wire;
- and
- an electrically isolative jacket surrounding the plurality of wires;
- and
- a single piece boot surrounding the raw cable sub-assembly, the top shield and the bottom shield.
6 more elements
A method of assembling an cable assembly, the method comprising:
- soldering a plurality of wires extending from a raw cable sub-assembly to metal pads disposed on a first end of a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA);
- inserting a second end of the PCBA, opposite the first, into a plug housing contact sub-assembly to couple pins of the plug housing contact sub-assembly with metal pads disposed on the second end of the PCBA;
- inserting the PCBA into the bottom metal shield to contact stops on the PCBA with sides of the bottom metal shield;
- disposing at least one electrically isolative film sheet between the PCBA and the sides of the bottom metal shield;
- mating an embossment in one of the bottom and top metal shields with a recess or through hole in the other of the bottom and top metal shields to surround the PCBA within a shield cavity;
- and
- inserting the mated top and bottom metal shields into a single-piece boot until a recess in at least one of the boot or shields latches with an embossment in the other of the boot or shields.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.