High speed, high density interconnection device

An intercoupling component for receiving an array of contacts within a digital or analog transmission system having an electrical ground circuit and a chassis ground circuit, the intercoupling component comprising:

• a plurality of segments formed of electrically insulative material, spaces between adjacent segments defining at least one gap, each segment having an upper and lower surface and including a plurality of holes disposed on its upper surface and arranged in a predetermined footprint corresponding to the array of a contacts;
• a shield member formed of electrically conductive material disposed within at least one gap between adjacent segments and configured to electrically connect with the chassis ground circuit of the system;
• a plurality of shield members formed of electrically conductive material disposed within a plurality of gaps between adjacent segments configured to electrically connect with the chassis ground circuit of the system;
• and
• a frame formed of electrically conductive material surrounding the plurality of segments and in electrical contact with the plurality of shield members.

An intercoupling component for receiving an array of contacts within a digital or analog transmission system having an electrical ground circuit and a chassis ground circuit, the intercoupling component comprising:

• a segment formed of electrically insulative material and having an upper and lower surface, the segment including a plurality of holes disposed on its upper surface and arranged in a predetermined footprint corresponding to the array of a contacts;
• a plurality of electrically conductive contacts each disposed within each hole on the upper surface of the segment, wherein the plurality of contacts are arranged in a plurality of multi-contact groupings, at least one multi-contact grouping comprising:
• a first electrically conductive contact;
• and
• a reference contact located at a distance D from the first electrically conductive contact and configured to electrically connect to the electrical ground circuit of the system, and wherein the first electrically conductive contact and the reference contact form a transmission line electrically equivalent to a co-axial transmission line.

An intercoupling component for receiving an array of contacts within a digital or analog transmission system having an electrical ground circuit and a chassis ground circuit, the intercoupling component comprising:

• a segment formed of electrically insulative material and having an upper and lower surface, the segment including a plurality of holes disposed on its upper surface and arranged in a predetermined footprint corresponding to the array of a contacts;
• a plurality of electrically conductive contacts each disposed within each hole on the upper surface of the segment, wherein the plurality of contacts are arranged in a plurality of multi-contact groupings, at least one multi-contact grouping comprising:
• a first electrically conductive contact;
• and
• a reference contact located at a distance D from the first electrically conductive contact and configured to electrically connect to the electrical ground circuit of the system, and wherein the first electrically conductive contact is configured to transmit single-ended signals.

An intercoupling component for receiving an array of contacts within a digital or analog transmission system having an electrical ground circuit and a chassis ground circuit, the intercoupling component comprising:

• a segment formed of electrically insulative material and having an upper and lower surface, the segment including a plurality of holes disposed on its upper surface and arranged in a predetermined footprint corresponding to the array of a contacts;
• a plurality of electrically conductive contacts each disposed within each hole on the upper surface of the segment, wherein the plurality of contacts are arranged in a plurality of multi-contact groupings, at least one multi-contact grouping comprising:
• a first electrically conductive contact;
• a second electrically conductive contact member located at a distance from the first electrically conductive contact;
• and
• a reference contact located at a distance D2 from the first electrically conductive contact and configured to electrically connect to the electrical ground circuit of the system.

A circuit card for use in a digital or analog transmission system having an electrical ground circuit and a chassis ground circuit, the circuit card comprising:

• a printed circuit board having a plurality of contact pads arranged in a predetermined footprint;
• and
• an interconnection device comprising:
• a segment having an upper and lower surface, the segment having a plurality of holes extending through the upper and lower surfaces and arranged in a predetermined footprint to match the predetermined footprint of the plurality of surface mount pads;
• a plurality of electrically conductive contact member disposed within each of the holes and electrically connected to their respective surface mount pad;
• a shield member formed of electrically conductive material disposed within the segment;
• and
• a frame formed of electrically conductive material surrounding the segment, the frame electrically connected to the shield member and to the chassis ground circuit of the system.

An intercoupling component for receiving an array of contacts within a digital or analog transmission system having an electrical ground circuit, the intercoupling component comprising:

• a segment formed of a material having a dielectric constant Er1, and having an upper and lower surface, the segment including a plurality of holes disposed on its upper surface and arranged in a predetermined footprint corresponding to the array of a contacts;
• a first signal contact disposed within a first hole on the segment;
• a second signal contact disposed within a second hole on the segment adjacent to the first hole in which the first signal contact is disposed, and wherein a cavity is formed in the segment between the first and second hole;
• and an insert formed of a material having a dielectric constant of Er2, the insert disposed within the cavity.

A method for adjusting the differential impedance of a pair of differential transmission lines in a interconnection device for receiving an array of contacts within a digital or analog transmission system having an electrical ground circuit, the intercoupling component comprising, the method comprising:

• providing a segment formed of a material having a dielectric constant Er1 and having an upper and lower surface, the segment including a plurality of holes disposed on its upper surface;
• providing a plurality of pairs of signal contacts, each pair disposed with two adjacent holes on the segment and configured to transmit differential signals the plurality of pairs of signal contacts forming an array of pairs of signal contacts disposed in the segment,
• spacing the pairs of signal contacts such that they create a certain differential impedance between the two contacts in each pair of signal contacts;
• and
• providing a plurality of cavities disposed in the segment between the two signal contacts in each pair of signal contacts to adjust the differential impedance of the two signal contacts in each pair of signal contacts.