Single elastomeric connector system to support rf, digital, audio and dc signals

Abstract

A connector system employs a first connector moiety on an insertable miniaturized form factor card. A mobile information device (MID) has a printed circuit board having a second connector moiety with a frame mounted on the MID PCB for receiving the card and having a slot for engagement of an elastomeric connector element in alignment with the second connector moiety. The card is positioned by the frame for alignment of the first connector moiety with the elastomeric connector element. The elastomeric connector element is a single integrated element. The first connector moiety incorporates a plurality of contact pads on the card and the second connector moiety incorporates a like plurality of contact pads on the MID PCB. The contact pads include at least a first set of RF pads and the signals on the first and second connector moieties are arranged for cross talk shielding in the elastomeric connector.

1 . A connector system comprising: 
 a first connector moiety on an insertable miniaturized form factor card;    a mobile information device (MID) printed circuit board having a second connector moiety;    a frame mounted on the MID PCB for receiving the card and having a slot for engagement of an elastomeric connector element in alignment with the second connector moiety, the card positioned by the frame for alignment of the first connector moiety with the elastomeric connector element;    the first and second connector moieties having signal arrangement for cross talk shielding in the Elastomeric connector.    
   
   
       2 . The connector system defined in  claim 1  wherein the first connector moiety comprises a plurality of contact pads on the card and the second connector moiety comprises a like plurality of contact pads on the MID PCB.  
   
   
       3 . The connector system defined in  claim 2  wherein the contact pads incorporate a first set of RF pads.  
   
   
       4 . The connector system defined in  claim 3  wherein the contact pads incorporate a second set of RF pads.  
   
   
       5 . The connector system defined in  claim 4  wherein the first set of RF pads is located at a first end of the connector moiety and the second set of RF pads is located at a second end of the connector moiety.  
   
   
       6 . The connector system defined in  claim 3  wherein the first set of RF pads incorporates a first RF ground pad, a second RF ground pad and an RF signal pad intermediate the first and second ground pads.  
   
   
       7 . The connector system defined in  claim 6  wherein the first and second RF ground pads have a larger footprint than adjacent pads.  
   
   
       8 . The connector system defined in  claim 2  wherein noisy digital pads are shielded using adjacent ground pads.  
   
   
       9 . The connector system defined in  claim 8  wherein noisy digital pads are further shielded using low speed digital pads.  
   
   
       10 . The connector system defined in  claim 9  wherein the ordering of signal pads comprises RF pin|RF and Digital Ground|DC Power|Audio Pins (Speaker&Mic)|Digital Ground|SIM Pin|UART|Digital Ground|USB|Keypad pins|Digital Ground|LCD/Camera Bus.  
   
   
       11 . A method for connection of a miniaturized form factor card on a mobile information device printed circuit board comprising the steps of: 
 providing a frame on the MID PCB to receive the card;    providing a first connector moiety on the card;    providing an elastomeric connector constrained by the frame and contacting a second connector moiety on the MID PCB;    arranging signals on the first and second connector moieties for cross talk shielding in the elastomeric connector    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  in which providing the first connector moiety comprises the step of forming a plurality of contact pads on a PCB in the card and a like plurality of pads on the MID PCB.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  in which the step of arranging signals includes the step of providing first set of RF pads.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the step of providing a first set of RF pads includes providing a first RF ground pad, a second RF ground pad and an RF signal pad intermediate the first and second ground pads.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13  in which the step of arranging signals further includes the step of providing a second set of RF pads.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the second set of RF pads is located on an opposite end of the connector moiety from the first set of RF pads.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 12  in which the step of arranging the signals includes the steps of shielding noisy digital pads using adjacent ground pads.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the step of arranging the signals further includes shielding using low speed digital pads.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the step of arranging the signals includes arranging the pads in the order of RF pin, RF and Digital Ground, DC Power, Audio Pins (Speaker&Mic), Digital Ground, SIM Pin, UART, Digital Ground, USB, Keypad pins, Digital Ground, LCD/Camera Bus.