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, to allow signals to be transmitted at greater than 10 GHz with substantially lower loss than a traditional FR4 circuit board.

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 supporting a plurality of conductive terminals, the conductive terminals including contact portions and tail portions, the contact portions being held within the connector body for contacting a mating blade of an opposing, mating connector, the tail portions extending out from the connector body;   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. 
   
     
     
       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 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 , 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 , 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, 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 for contacting a mating blade of an opposing, mating connector, the tail portions extending out from the connector body;   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 conductive shield being terminated to selected terminals of the second connector designated for ground purposes.   
     
     
       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, comprising:
 a cage that defines a port;   a first connector positioned in the cage, the first connector including a first body with a card-slot, the first body supporting a plurality of terminals, each terminal of the plurality of terminals including a contact portion positioned in the card slot and a tail, wherein two terminals of the plurality of terminals are adjacent each other and form a first terminal pair and another terminal of the plurality of terminals is a first ground terminal, the first ground terminal positioned adjacent the first terminal pair;   a cable with a first end and a second end that defines a length, the cable including a pair of signal conductors disposed within an insulative body portion of the cable, the signal conductors extending in a spaced-apart relationship through the insulative body portion along the length, the cable further including a conductive shield extending over an exterior of the insulative body portion and an insulative outer covering extending over the conductive shield, the first end being terminated directly to the tails of the first terminal pair so that the pair of signal conductors are in electrical communication with the first terminal pair, and wherein the conductive shield is connected to the first ground terminal; and   a second connector connected to the second end, the second connector including a second body that supports a second pair of terminals, each terminal of the second pair of terminals including a contact portion and a tail portion, the tail portion of each terminal of the second pair of terminals connected to one of the signal conductors of the pair of signal conductors and the second connector further including a ground terminal connected to the ground shield, wherein the cable bypass assembly is configured to support a signaling frequency of 10 GHz.    
     
     
       16. The cable bypass assembly of claim 15, wherein the plurality of terminals in the first connector are supported by two terminal assembly supports that align a portion of the terminals on both sides of the card slot so that in operation, during mating with an opposing mating connector the contacts portions on both sides of the card slot are deflected in opposing directions.  
     
     
       17. The cable bypass assembly of claim 15, wherein the second connector is configured to be press-fit into a circuit board adjacent a chip member.  
     
     
       18. A cable bypass assembly, comprising:
 a cage that defines a port with a front opening;   a first connector positioned in the cage and including a first body with a card-slot, the first body supporting a plurality of terminals, each terminal of the plurality of terminals including a contact portion positioned in the card slot and a tail, wherein two terminals of the plurality of terminals are adjacent each other and form a first terminal pair;   a cable with a first end and a second end that defines a length, the cable including a pair of signal conductors disposed within an insulative body portion of the cable, the signal conductors extending in a spaced-apart relationship through the insulative body portion along the length, the first end being terminated directly to the tails of the first terminal pair so that the pair of signal conductors are in electrical communication with the tails of the first terminal pair; and   a second connector connected to the second end, the second connector including a second body that supports a second plurality of terminals that form a second terminal pair, each terminal of the second terminals pair including a contact portion and a tail portion, the tail portion of each terminal of the second terminal pair connected to one of the signal conductors, wherein the cable bypass assembly is configured to support a signaling frequency of 10 GHz.    
     
     
       19. The cable bypass assembly of claim 18, wherein the plurality of terminals in the first connector are supported by two terminal assembly supports that align a portion of the terminals on both sides of the card slot so that in operation, during mating with an opposing mating connector the contacts portions on both sides of the card slot are deflected in opposing directions.  
     
     
       20. The cable bypass assembly of claim 18, wherein the card slot is recessed a substantial distance from the front opening.  
     
     
       21. The cable bypass assembly of claim 18, wherein the second connector is configured to be press-fit into a circuit board adjacent a chip member.  
     
     
       22. The cable bypass assembly of claim 18, wherein the second connector is configured to be connected directly to a chip member.  
     
     
       23. The cable bypass assembly of claim 18, wherein the cable includes a drain wire and the first and second connectors each include a ground terminal, the ground terminals electrically connected together by the drain wire.  
     
     
       24. A cable bypass assembly, comprising:
 a cage that defines a port with a front opening and a rear side;   a first connector positioned in the cage, the first connector defining a card-slot, the first connector supporting a first plurality of terminals, each terminal of the first plurality of terminals including a contact portion positioned in the card slot and a tail, the first plurality of terminals including terminals arranged on two opposing sides of the card slot so that, in operation, insertion of a mating blade causes the terminals on two opposing sides to deflect in opposite directions, wherein two terminals of the first plurality of terminals are adjacent each other and form a first terminal pair;   a cable with a first end and a second end that defines a length, the cable extending from the rear side and including a pair of signal conductors disposed within an insulative body portion of the cable, the pair of signal conductors surrounded by a conductive shield, the signal conductors extending in a spaced-apart relationship through the insulative body portion along the length, the first end being terminated directly to the tails of the first terminal pair so that the pair of signal conductors are in electrical communication with the tails of the first terminal pair; and   a second connector connected to the second end, the second connector including a second body that supports a second plurality of terminals, the second plurality of terminals including a second terminal pair, each terminal of the second terminal pair including a tail portion, the tail portion of each terminal of the second terminal pair connected to one of the signal conductors of the pair of signal conductors, wherein the cable bypass assembly is configured to support a signaling frequency of 10 GHz.    
     
     
       25. The cable bypass assembly of claim 24, wherein the plurality of terminals includes a set of terminals that are configured to be directly connected to a supporting circuit board.  
     
     
       26. The cable bypass assembly of claim 25, wherein the set of terminals are configured to be surface mount attached to the supporting circuit board.  
     
     
       27. The cable bypass assembly of claim 26, wherein the set of terminals are arranged between separate high speed pairs of terminals.  
     
     
       28. A cable bypass assembly, comprising:
 a cage with a front opening, the cage defining a port;   a first connector assembly positioned in the cage and configured to engage a module that is releasably inserted into the port, the first connector assembly including a receptacle connector with a card-slot, the receptacle connector supporting a first and second terminal assembly support, each of the first and second terminal assembly supports supporting a plurality of terminals in a row, the terminals in each row having a contact and a tail that are supported in a cantilever fashion by the terminal assembly supports, wherein the contacts of the plurality of terminals supported by the first and second terminal assembly supports are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the card-slot, wherein two terminals of the plurality of terminals are positioned in of the rows adjacent each other and form a first terminal pair;   a cable with a first end and a second end that defines a length, the cable including a pair of signal conductors disposed within an insulative body portion of the cable, the pair of signal conductors surrounded by a conductive shield, the signal conductors extending in a spaced-apart relationship through the insulative body portion along the length, the first end being terminated directly to the tails of the first terminal pair so that the pair of signal conductors are in electrical communication with the tails of the first terminal pair; and   a second connector connected to the second end, the second connector including a second body that supports a second plurality of terminals that include a second terminal pair, each terminal of the second terminals pair including a tail portion, the tail portion of each terminal of the second terminal pair connected to one of the signal conductors of the pair of signal conductors, wherein the cable bypass assembly is configured to support a signaling frequency of 10 GHz.    
     
     
       29. The cable bypass assembly of claim 28, wherein the terminals positioned on opposite sides of the card-slot are configured to deflect in opposite directions in response to insertion of a mating connector.  
     
     
       30. The cable bypass assembly of claim 28, wherein the cage is positioned in an enclosure and a portion of the cage extends out of the enclosure.  
     
     
       31. A cable bypass assembly, comprising:
 a cage with a front opening, the cage defining a port;   a first connector assembly positioned in the cage and configured to engage a module that is releasably inserted into the port, the first connector assembly including a receptacle connector with a card-slot, the receptacle connector supporting a first and second terminal assembly support, each of the first and second terminal assembly supports supporting a plurality of terminals in a row, the terminals in each row having a contact and a tail that are supported in a cantilever fashion by the terminal assembly supports, wherein the contacts of the plurality of terminals supported by the first and second terminal assembly supports are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the card-slot, wherein two terminals of the plurality of terminals are positioned in of the rows adjacent each other and form a first terminal pair;   a cable with a first end and a second end that defines a length, the cable including a pair of signal conductors disposed within an insulative body portion of the cable, the pair of signal conductors surrounded by a conductive shield, the signal conductors extending in a spaced-apart relationship through the insulative body portion along the length, the first end being terminated directly to the tails of the first terminal pair so that the pair of signal conductors are in electrical communication with the tails of the first terminal pair; and   a second connector connected to the second end, the second connector including a second body that supports a second plurality of terminals that include a second terminal pair, each terminal of the second terminals pair including a tail portion, the tail portion of each terminal of the second terminal pair connected to one of the signal conductors of the pair of signal conductors, wherein the terminals positioned on opposite sides of the card-slot are configured to deflect in opposite directions in response to insertion of a mating connector and wherein the cable bypass assembly is configured to support 19 GHz signaling frequency with not more than 8 dB of insertion loss.