Partially depopulated interconnection arrays for packaged semiconductor devices and printed circuit boards

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a first interconnection array configured to mate with a corresponding second interconnection array, the first interconnection array comprising:
• an inner sub-array of locations having connectors separated by a specified pitch, wherein each connector of the inner sub-array is configured as a power connector;
• an outer rectangular ring of locations encircling the inner sub-array of locations and having connectors separated by the specified pitch, wherein:
• the outer rectangular ring is separated from the inner sub-array by a depopulated rectangular ring encircling the inner sub-array and having a width of at least the specified pitch, wherein the depopulated rectangular ring has no connectors;
• the outer rectangular ring has a plurality of areas devoid of connectors, extending from the depopulated rectangular ring to an outer edge of interconnection array, each area having a width of at least the specified pitch, and disposed relative to the connectors in the outer ring to sub-divide the connectors of the outer ring, in conjunction with the depopulated rectangular range, into a plurality of distinct contiguous sets of connectors.

A method of assigning connectors in a semiconductor package to specified usages, comprising:

• allocating an inner sub-array of connector locations in a first interconnection array, which are separated by a specified pitch, to be a power connector, the inner sub-array of connector locations being at a center of a plane in which the connectors are disposed;
• allocating an outer rectangular ring of locations to encircle the inner sub-array of locations, and to have connectors separated by the specified pitch, the outer rectangular ring separated from the inner sub-array by an depopulated rectangular area within the plane that encircles the inner-sub array and is at least as wide as the specified pitch;
• maintaining the depopulated rectangular ring to be devoid of connectors;
• and
• separating the outer rectangular ring of locations into a plurality of distinct contiguous sets of connectors, each being separated from all of the other distinct sets of connectors and from the inner sub-array by a space devoid of connectors, and being at least as wide as the specified pitch.