# US 2021/0280996 A1 · Connector paddle card with improved wiring connection geometry > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0280996 A1 - Document ID: US20210280996A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/146,350 - Filed: 2021-01-11 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-05 - Assignees: Credo Technology Group Limited - Applicants: Credo Technology Group Limited - Inventors: Xike LIU; Zhining LI; Xiangxiang YE; Gaige MEI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210280996A1 ## CPC - H01R 12/53: connecting to cables except for flat or ribbon cables - H01R 4/02: Soldered or welded connections {(H01R4/625, H01R4/723, H01R12/59 take precedence)} - H01R 13/6473: Impedance matching - H01R 13/6658: {on printed circuit board (H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence)} - H01R 43/02: for soldered or welded connections - H05K 1/025: {Impedance arrangements, e.g. impedance matching, reduction of parasitic impedance (H05K1/024 and H05K1/0243 take precedence; for semiconductor devices H10W44/20)} - H05K 1/117: {Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors} - H05K 2201/09163: Slotted edge - H05K 2201/09409: Multiple rows of pads, lands, terminals or dummy patterns; Multiple rows of mounted components - H05K 2201/09709: Staggered pads, lands or terminals; Parallel conductors in different planes - H05K 2201/10356: Cables - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ## Abstract Connector paddle cards are provided with an improved wiring connection geometry that reduces impedance mismatch. One illustrative embodiment is a printed circuit board having, on at least one surface: edge connector traces arranged along a first edge for contacting electrical conductors in a socket connector; an outer set of electrodes arranged parallel to a second edge for attaching exposed ends of sheathed wires in a cable (“outer wires”); and an inner set of electrodes arranged parallel to the second edge for attaching exposed ends of sheathed wires in a cable (“inner wires”), with the electrodes in the inner set being staggered relative to the electrodes in the outer set. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A printed circuit board that comprises at least one surface having: edge connector traces arranged along a first edge for contacting electrical conductors in a socket connector; an outer set of electrodes arranged parallel to a second edge for attaching exposed ends of sheathed wires in a cable (“outer wires”); and an inner set of electrodes arranged parallel to the second edge for attaching exposed ends of sheathed wires in a cable (“inner wires”), with the electrodes in the inner set being staggered relative to the electrodes in the outer set. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The printed circuit board of claim 1, with the electrodes in each of the inner and outer sets being spaced to enable the inner wires to pass between the outer wires while maintaining contact with the at least one surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The printed circuit board of claim 1, wherein the outer wires each have a sheath with a given thickness adjacent to the exposed end, and wherein the printed circuit board further comprises one or more recesses in the at least one surface along each outer wire sheath's path between the second edge and the outer set of electrodes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The printed circuit board of claim 3, wherein the one or more recesses each accommodates sheathes of multiple outer wires. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The printed circuit board of claim 3, wherein each outer wire has a corresponding one of the one or more recesses. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The printed circuit board of claim 3, wherein each of the one or more recesses is deep enough to accommodate the given thickness of the sheath, enabling each of the exposed ends of the outer wires to contact the electrodes in the outer set while remaining parallel to the at least one surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The printed circuit board of claim 6, further comprising a second surface having: a second outer set of electrodes arranged parallel to the second edge for attaching exposed ends of sheathed outer wires; and one or more recesses in the second surface extending along a path of each sheathed outer wire's sheath between the second edge and the second outer set of electrodes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The printed circuit board of claim 1, further comprising an integrated circuit that recovers and remodulates signals passing between the edge connector traces and the electrodes of the inner and outer sets. ### Claim 9 A cable that comprises: sheathed wires extending between a first connector and a second connector, each of the first and second connectors including a printed circuit board with at least one surface having: edge connector traces arranged along a first edge for contacting electrical conductors when the connector is inserted in a socket; an outer set of electrodes arranged parallel to a second edge for attaching unsheathed ends of some of the sheathed wires; and an inner set of electrodes arranged parallel to the second edge for attaching unsheathed ends of others of the sheathed wires, with the electrodes in the inner set being staggered relative to the electrodes in the outer set. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The cable of claim 9, wherein the electrodes in each of the inner and outer sets are spaced to enable the sheathed wires attached to the inner set to maintain contact with the at least one surface while passing between the sheathed wires attached to the outer set. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The cable of claim 9, wherein each printed circuit board further comprises one or more recesses in the at least one surface between the second edge and the outer set of electrodes to accommodate sheathes of the sheathed wires attached to the outer set of electrodes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The cable of claim 11, wherein the one or more recesses each accommodates sheathes of multiple sheathed wires. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The cable of claim 11, wherein each sheathed wire attached to the outer set of electrodes has a corresponding one of the one or more recesses. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The cable of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more recesses is deep enough to accommodate a full thickness of the sheath near the unsheathed end, enabling each of the unsheathed ends of the wires attached to the outer set of electrodes to contact those electrodes while remaining parallel to the at least one surface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The cable of claim 9, further comprising an integrated circuit that recovers and remodulates signals passing between the edge connector traces and the electrodes of the inner and outer sets. ### Claim 16 A cable manufacturing method that comprises: providing first and second printed circuit boards each having: edge connector traces arranged along a first edge for contacting electrical conductors when the printed circuit board is inserted in a matching socket; an outer set of electrodes arranged parallel to a second edge for attaching unsheathed ends of certain sheathed wires in a cable; and an inner set of electrodes arranged parallel to the second edge for attaching unsheathed ends of other sheathed wires in the cable, with the electrodes in the inner set being staggered relative to the electrodes in the outer set; soldering unsheathed ends of the sheathed wires to the electrodes in the inner and outer set; and packaging the first and second printed circuit boards into connectors adapted to fit into a socket. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising equipping each of the first and second printed circuit boards with an integrated circuit that recovers and remodulates signals passing between the edge connector traces and the electrodes of the inner and outer sets. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the electrodes in each of the inner and outer sets are spaced to enable the sheathed wires attached to the inner set to maintain contact with the at least one surface while passing between the sheathed wires attached to the outer set. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein each printed circuit board further comprises one or more recesses in the at least one surface between the second edge and the outer set of electrodes to accommodate sheathes of the sheathed wires attached to the outer set of electrodes, each of the recesses being deep enough to accommodate a full thickness of the sheath near the unsheathed end. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein each sheathed wire attached to the outer set of electrodes has a corresponding one of the one or more recesses.