High speed bypass cable assembly

Abstract

A cable bypass assembly is disclosed for use in providing a high speed transmission line for connecting a board mounted connector of an electronic device to a chip on the device board. The bypass cable assembly has a structure that permits it, where it is terminated to the board mounted connector and the chip member, or closely proximate thereto to replicate closely the geometry of the cable. The connector terminals are arranged in alignment with the cable signal conductors and shield extensions are provided so that shielding can be provided up to and over the termination between the cable signal conductors and the board connector terminal tails. Likewise, a similar termination structure is provided at the opposite end of the cable where a pair of terminals are supported by a second connector body and enclosed in a shield collar. The shield collar has an extension that engages the second end of the cable.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A cable bypass assembly, the cable bypass assembly comprising:
 a first connector, the first connector being configured for mounting to a circuit board, the first connector including a connector body, the connector body including a card slot and supporting a plurality of conductive terminals that extend into the card slot, the conductive terminals including contact portions and tail portions, the contact portions being held within the connector body card slot for contacting a mating blade of an opposing, mating connector, the tail portions extending out from the connector body rearward of the card slot; 
 an elongated cable, the elongated cable including:
 a pair of signal conductors, the signal conductors being disposed within an insulative body portion of the elongated cable, the signal conductors extending, in a spaced-apart relationship, lengthwise through a body portion of the elongated cable, 
 a conductive shield, the conductive shield extending over an exterior of the elongated cable body portion, 
 an insulative outer covering, the insulative outer covering extending over the conductive shield, and 
 opposing first and second free ends, the first free end terminating directly to selected terminal tails of the first connector in a manner so that the signal conductors are in electrical communication with a pair of signal terminal tails; 
 
 a shield extension member, the shield extension member being configured to engage a first length of the conductive shield exposed at the first free end and extending therefrom over the signal conductors attached to the pair of signal terminal tails, the shield extension member including at least two spaced apart mounting feet; and 
 a second connector, the second connector including:
 an insulative body, the insulative body supporting at least a pair of conductive signal terminals in a spaced-apart relationship, each conductive signal terminal including contact and tail portions wherein the second free end is connected to the tail portions of the at least a pair of terminals in the insulative body, and 
 a shielding collar, the shielding collar enclosing a body portion of the second connector, the shielding collar includes an extension portion, the extension portion engaging and receiving the conductive shield exposed at the second free end; wherein the cable bypass assembly is configured to support 10 GHz signaling. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The cable bypass assembly of  claim 1 , further including a second cable, the second cable including a pair of signal conductors, the second cable signal conductors disposed lengthwise therethrough in a spaced-apart relationship, the second cable signal conductors being attached to corresponding signal terminal tails of the first connector alongside the elongated cable. 
     
     
       3. The cable bypass assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the shield extension member further includes a cup portion, the cup portion being configured to receive the first free end therein. 
     
     
       4. The cable bypass assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the shield extension member further includes a pair of cup portions, each cup portion receivings receiving ends of the two cables therein. 
     
     
       5. The cable bypass assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the shield extension member includes at least three mounting feet, two of the mounting feet being disposed on opposing side edges of the shield extension member and a third of the three mounting feet being disposed between the cup portions. 
     
     
       6. The cable bypass assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the mounting feet and the two cable signal conductors are aligned with each other. 
     
     
       7. The cable bypass assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the tail and contact portions extend uninterruptedly lengthwise in a general horizontal plane through the first connector body. 
     
     
       8. The cable bypass assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated cable includes a preselected length of flexible circuitry. 
     
     
       9. The cable bypass assembly of  claim 1 , A cable bypass assembly, the cable bypass assembly comprising:
 a first connector, the first connector being configured for mounting to a circuit board, the first connector including a connector body, the connector body including a card slot and supporting a plurality of conductive terminals that extend into the card slot, the conductive terminals including contact portions and tail portions, the contact portions being held within the card slot for contacting a mating blade of an opposing, mating connector, the tail portions extending rearward of the card slot; 
 an elongated cable, the elongated cable including: 
 a pair of signal conductors, the signal conductors being disposed within an insulative body portion of the elongated cable, the signal conductors extending, in a spaced-apart relationship, lengthwise through a body portion of the elongated cable, 
 a conductive shield, the conductive shield extending over an exterior of the elongated cable body portion, 
 an insulative outer covering, the insulative outer covering extending over the conductive shield, and 
 opposing first and second free ends, the first free end terminating directly to selected terminal tails of the first connector in a manner so that the signal conductors are in electrical communication with a pair of signal terminal tails; 
 a shield extension member, the shield extension member being configured to engage a first length of the conductive shield exposed at the first free end and extending therefrom over the signal conductors attached to the pair of signal terminal tails, the shield extension member including at least two spaced apart mounting feet; and 
 a second connector, the second connector including: 
 an insulative body, the insulative body supporting at least a pair of conductive signal terminals in a spaced-apart relationship, each conductive signal terminal including contact and tail portions wherein the second free end is connected to the tail portions of the at least a pair of terminals in the insulative body, and 
 a shielding collar, the shielding collar enclosing a body portion of the second connector, the shielding collar includes an extension portion, the extension portion engaging and receiving the conductive shield exposed at the second free end, wherein the shielding collar further includes at least one through-hole terminal, the through-hole terminal extending from the shielding collar and engaging a through-hole of the circuit board. 
 
     
     
       10. The cable bypass assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the shielding collar further includes a cap portion, the cap portion having a cup portion formed therein, the cup portion being configured to receive an exposed second end of the cable therein and contact a length of exposed cable shielding. 
     
     
       11. The cable bypass assembly of  claim 1 , A cable bypass assembly, the cable bypass assembly comprising:
 a first connector, the first connector being configured for mounting to a circuit board, the first connector including a connector body, the connector body including a card slot and supporting a plurality of conductive terminals that extend into the card slot, the conductive terminals including contact portions and tail portions, the contact portions being held within the card slot for contacting a mating blade of an opposing, mating connector, the tail portions extending rearward of the card slot; 
 an elongated cable, the elongated cable including: 
 a pair of signal conductors, the signal conductors being disposed within an insulative body portion of the elongated cable, the signal conductors extending, in a spaced-apart relationship, lengthwise through a body portion of the elongated cable, 
 a conductive shield, the conductive shield extending over an exterior of the elongated cable body portion, 
 an insulative outer covering, the insulative outer covering extending over the conductive shield, and 
 opposing first and second free ends, the first free end terminating directly to selected terminal tails of the first connector in a manner so that the signal conductors are in electrical communication with a pair of signal terminal tails; 
 a shield extension member, the shield extension member being configured to engage a first length of the conductive shield exposed at the first free end and extending therefrom over the signal conductors attached to the pair of signal terminal tails, the shield extension member including at least two spaced apart mounting feet; and 
 a second connector, the second connector including: 
 an insulative body, the insulative body supporting at least a pair of conductive signal terminals in a spaced-apart relationship, each conductive signal terminal including contact and tail portions wherein the second free end is connected to the tail portions of the at least a pair of terminals in the insulative body, and 
 a shielding collar, the shielding collar enclosing a body portion of the second connector, the shielding collar includes an extension portion, the extension portion engaging and receiving the conductive shield exposed at the second free end, wherein the second connector is configured to connect directly to a chip member. 
 
     
     
       12. A cable bypass assembly with low loss performance at high data frequencies, the cable bypass assembly comprising:
 a first connector, the first connector being configured for mounting to a circuit board, the first connector including a connector body with a card slot, the connector body supporting a plurality of conductive terminals, the conductive terminals including contact portions and tail portions, the contact portions being held within the connector body card slot for contacting a mating blade of an opposing, mating connector, the tail portions extending out from rearward of the connector body card slot; 
 an elongated cable having, the elongated cable including:
 first and second opposing ends, 
 a pair of signal conductors, the signal conductors being disposed within the elongated cable in a spaced-apart relationship and extending lengthwise through the elongated cable, and 
 at least one conductive shield, each conductive shield extending lengthwise through the elongated cable and substantially enclosing the signal conductors, the signal conductors, at the first end, being terminated directly to selected terminal tails of the first connector in a manner so that the signal conductors are in electrical communication with a pair of signal terminal tails along a horizontal extent thereof; 
 
 a shield, the shield extending over the signal conductors attached to the signal terminal tails, the shield including a pair of ground shields; and 
 a second connector, the second connector including an insulative body, the insulative body supporting at least a pair of conductive signal terminals in a spaced-apart relationship, each conductive signal terminal including contact and tail portions, the cable signal conductors at the second end thereof being terminated to the contact portions, and the cable at least one conductive shield being terminated to selected terminals of the second connector designated for ground purposes; wherein the cable bypass assembly is configured to support 10 GHz signaling. 
 
     
     
       13. The cable bypass assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the cable is an extent of flexible circuitry, the signal conductors including two signal conductors. 
     
     
       14. The cable bypass assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the ground shields are disposed on opposite sides of the signal conductors. 
     
     
       15. A cable bypass assembly, the cable bypass assembly comprising:
 a first connector, the first connector being configured for mounting to a circuit board, the first connector including a connector body with a card slot, the connector body supporting a plurality of conductive terminals, the conductive terminals including contact portions and tail portions, the contact portions extending in the card slot for contacting an opposing mating connector;   an elongated cable, the elongated cable including:   a pair of signal conductors, the signal conductors being disposed within an insulative body portion of the elongated cable, the signal conductors extending, in a spaced-apart relationship, lengthwise through a body portion of the elongated cable,   a conductive shield, the conductive shield extending over an exterior of the elongated cable body portion,   an insulative outer covering, the insulative outer covering extending over the conductive shield, and   opposing first and second free ends, the first free end terminating directly to selected terminal tails of the first connector in a manner so that the signal conductors are in electrical communication with a pair of signal terminal tails;   a shield extension member, the shield extension member being configured to engage a first length of the conductive shield exposed at the first free end and extending therefrom over the signal conductors attached to the pair of signal terminal tails, the shield extension member including at least two spaced apart mounting feet; and   a second connector, the second connector including:   an insulative body, the insulative body supporting at least a pair of conductive signal terminals in a spaced-apart relationship, each conductive signal terminal including contact and tail portions, and   a shielding collar, the shielding collar enclosing a body portion of the second connector, the shielding collar includes an extension portion, the extension portion engaging and receiving the conductive shield exposed at the second free end, wherein the cable bypass assembly is configured to support 10 GHz signaling.    
     
     
       16. The cable bypass assembly of claim 15, further including a second cable, the second cable including a pair of signal conductors, the second cable signal conductors disposed lengthwise therethrough in a spaced-apart relationship, the second cable signal conductors being attached to corresponding signal terminal tails of the first connector alongside the elongated cable.