US 5,509,827 AGranted

High density, high bandwidth, coaxial cable, flexible circuit and circuit board connection assembly

AssigneeCray Computer Corporation

InventorsJon M. Huppenthal, Steven E. Garcia, James A. Harden, Jr., Catherine A. Herzog

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Abstract

A connection assembly includes a coaxial cable to microstrip flexible circuit connector and a mating microstrip flex circuit to electronic circuit connector. The coaxial cable to microstrip flex circuit connector comprises a portion which is mechanically attached to the coaxial cable and a portion which is mechanically attached to the microstrip flex circuit. The coaxial cable attachment portion includes a first electrical connector electrically connected to the center conductor and a second electrical connector electrically connected to the shielding conductor of each coaxial cable. The microstrip flex circuit attachment portion includes a third electrical connector electrically connected to each trace and a fourth connector electrically connected to the ground plane conductor. The flex circuit to electrical circuit connector comprises a plurality of unsupported extensions of a trace or the ground plane conductor. The extensions are electrically connected to connection pads of a printed circuit board of an electronic circuit by a surface connection, and can be bent to opposite sides of the electronic circuit to reach connection pads on a printed circuit board.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A connection assembly including a coaxial cable to microstrip flex circuit connector which interconnects a center conductor and a shielding conductor of a coaxial cable with a trace and a ground plane conductor of a microstrip flex circuit respectively, said coaxial cable to microstrip flex circuit connector comprising:

a coaxial cable attachment portion mechanically attached to a plurality of coaxial cables, the coaxial cable attachment portion including a plurality of first electrical connectors, each of which is separately electrically connected to the center conductor of the coaxial cable and a plurality of second electrical connectors, each of which is electrically connected to at least one shielding conductor of the plurality of coaxial cables;
a microstrip flex circuit attachment portion mechanically attached to a microstrip flex circuit having a plurality of traces, the microstrip flex circuit attachment portion including a plurality of third electrical connectors, each of which is separately electrically connected to a trace, and a plurality of fourth connectors, each of which is commonly connected to the ground plane conductor;
and wherein:
the coaxial cable attachment portion and the microstrip flex circuit attachment portion mate with one another and when mated separately connect the first and third electrical connectors and the second and fourth electrical connectors.

1 more element

A connection assembly including a microstrip flex circuit to electrical circuit connector which interconnects a plurality of traces and a ground plane conductor of the microstrip flex circuit to connection pads formed on the electrical circuit, and a coaxial cable to microstrip flex circuit connector which interconnects a center conductor and a shielding conductor of a coaxial cable with a trace and a ground plane conductor of a microstrip flex circuit respectively, said coaxial cable to microstrip flex circuit connector comprising:

a coaxial cable attachment portion mechanically attached to the coaxial cable, the coaxial cable attachment portion including a first electrical connector electrically connected to the center conductor of the coaxial cable and a second electrical connector electrically connected to the shielding conductor
a microstrip flex circuit attachment portion mechanically attached to the microstrip flex circuit, the microstrip flex circuit attachment portion including a third electrical connector electrically connected to a trace and a fourth connector electrically connected to the ground plane conductor;
wherein:
the coaxial cable attachment portion and the microstrip flex circuit attachment portion mate with one another and when mated separately connect the first and third electrical connectors and the second and fourth electrical connectors;
and said microstrip flex circuit to electrical circuit connector comprising:
a plurality of unsupported extensions of the traces and the ground plane conductor extending from the microstrip flex circuit;
and
an electrical surface to surface connection of the extensions to the connection pads on the electrical circuit.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.