High speed differential signal edge card connector and circuit board layouts therefor

The present invention generally relates to high speed connectors, and more particularly to a high speed edge card connector incorporating differential signal pair. A differential signal connector that is used for edge card application has a plurality of differential signal terminals and associated g...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors McGrath, James L, Capadona, James P, McGowan, Daniel B, Panella, Augusto P
Format Patent
LanguageEnglish
Published 27.07.2004
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Summary:The present invention generally relates to high speed connectors, and more particularly to a high speed edge card connector incorporating differential signal pair. A differential signal connector that is used for edge card application has a plurality of differential signal terminals and associated ground terminals arranged in "triplets", i.e., distinct sets of three conductive terminals, each such triplet including a pair of differential signal terminals and one associated ground terminal. The ground terminal is flanked by the two differential signal terminals and each triplet is spaced apart from an adjacent triplet by a spacing which is greater than any single spacing between adjacent terminals within a triplet. Circuit boards to which such a connector is mounted are also disclosed and they have a particular pattern of termination traces, commonly taking the form of plated vias extending through the circuit board. These vias are arranged in a triangular pattern and the ground reference plane of the circuit board is provided with voids, one void being associated and encompassing a pair of the differential signal vias of a single terminal triplet. This reduces the capacitance of the signal vias and thereby increases the impedance of the circuit board within the launch area to lessen impedance discontinuities in the connector-circuit board interface.