Optical-electronic interface module
AssigneePCO, Inc.
InventorPhilip L. Lichtenberger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plastic multipin connector that provides an optical-electronic interface between the end of a fiberoptic cable and an electronic circuit utilizes a flexible multilayer printed circuit with a ground plane layer on the outside of the folded circuit within a plastic housing and an upright tab intact with the ground plane layer on the outside of the tab and at least one patterned conductor layer. The upright tab is used to make connections of the optoelectronic device with the printed circuit at the base of the device leads to virtually eliminate any lead length from the device to the printed circuit that is not shielded from external noise.
Claims13
A module for providing an interface between an optoelectronic device and an electronic system, said device having leads extending therefrom comprising
- a flexible printed circuit having at least one layer of patterned conductors on a substrate layer of flexible nonconductive material, and electronic devices connected to said pattern of conductors,
- a housing made of nonconductive material for enclosing said flexible printed circuit while folded along at least one line to fit within said housing, said housing having
- said optoelectronic device being optically accessible through a wall thereof, and said leads extending into said housing,
- pins protruding both into and out of said housing, and at least some of said pins protruding into said housing passing through holes in said flexible printed circuit, and
- means for making electrical connections to said flexible printed circuit through said pins at points where pins protrude through said holes in said flexible printed circuit,
- said flexible printed circuit having an area for making connections of said leads to conductors in said flexible printed circuit.
A module for providing an optical-electronic interface between the end of a fiberoptic cable and an electronic circuit comprised of a folded flexible printed circuit within a nonconductive housing having connector pins passing through the base thereof, said pins being connected to points in said printed circuit, said flexible printed circuit having an upright tab and comprising at least one patterned conductor layer with patterned conductors extending onto said upright tab, and an optoelectronic device protruding through a wall of said nonconductive housing, said optoelectronic device having leads extending from a base thereof into the interior of said housing, said device base being in juxtaposition with said tab, and said leads being connected to said patterned conductors extending into said tab from said folded flexible printed circuit, thereby minimizing the length of leads from said optoelectronic device to said folded flexible printed circuit.
An optical-electronic module for interfacing the end of a fiberoptic cable and an electronic circuit of a receiver or transmitter, said module having a nonconductive multipin housing comprising a frame, a base with connector pins extending away from the space within said frame and protruding upwardly into said space, a hole in a wall at one end of said frame securing a receptacle for holding an optoelectronic device and receiving a ferrule at the end of a fiberoptic cable, said optoelectronic device having leads protruding into said space within said frame, a flexible multilayer printed circuit having a ground plane layer of metal and at least one patterned conductor plane layer of metal with holes through both layers to receive said upwardly protruding pins when said flexible printed circuit is placed over said upwardly protruding pins with said ground plane layer of said flexible printed circuit facing said base, said pins being electrically connected to selected points in said patterned conductor layer, said flexible printed circuit having a tab intact with said ground plane layer and said patterned conductor layer, and having holes receiving said leads of said optoelectronic device, said tab being folded to an upright position with respect to said base of said housing and placed with its holes over said leads in juxtaposition with said optoelectronic device, said leads being electrically connected to patterned conductors extending onto said tab from said flexible multilayer printed circuit, at least one of which is a circuit ground conductor electrically connected to said ground plane layer, portions of said flexible printed circuit extending beyond opposite sides of said base being folded upwardly into space within said frame over said base with one end folded over the other, thus shielding the optoelectronic lead connections with a ground plane that extends from said optoelectronic device leads over said folded flexible multilayer printed circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.