By Bob Hult, Bishop & Associates
New product development is the lifeblood of the electronics industry in general and specifically within the connector manufacturing community. Consumer demands for faster, better, and cheaper electronic devices are the incentives for all component suppliers to be constantly upgrading their offerings in order to stay competitive in this fast moving market. This is especially true in high-tech areas where specific future needs may not be clear, but competitive pressures mandate that suppliers anticipate what will be required and develop products that will perform.
System designers are painfully aware of final system cost constraints and are looking for interconnect systems that satisfy their performance needs at the absolute lowest cost. Ideally they would like interconnect systems that are custom fitted to the unique requirements of their specific application, but pay commodity connector prices. Years ago, custom molded one-piece connectors that were designed for specific customer applications, filled this bill. These single customer hybrid parts resulted in disadvantages that included: longer design and production lead times; potential delivery problems; a proliferation of part numbers; increased inventory; and unacceptable cost.
The connector industry has responded by developing connector systems that are based on a modular approach that permits a high degree of customization while utilizing standardized building blocks. Users may mix-and-match connector modules that are optimized for low-speed, high-speed, and power circuits within one assembly. Further attempts to fine tune interface performance and cost to the specific needs of individual applications is resulting in the effort to fill-in the performance/cost gaps between existing product lines. The VHDM® L-Series and H- Series, as well as the GbX® L-Series, from Teradyne are examples of how this process permits greater design flexibility while utilizing familiar design and manufacturing experience. Staying within the user’s comfort zone is a major incentive for them to remain loyal connector customers, while providing a performance migration path that can reduce the cost and time to market for electronic system upgrades.
A broader range of interface options are created to satisfy the unique needs of specific markets or applications. Storage and disk arrays have become hot markets where high-speed performance, signal density, and long-term reliability are key attributes of every component in the system. Along with cramming more functions in smaller spaces comes the challenge of getting increasing levels of heat out of the box. The recently announced Aptera™ connector system from Teradyne addresses these issues with a unique two-piece edge connector design.
This modular connector offers up to 46 signals per board inch while maintaining a very low-profile that minimizes obstruction to essential cooling airflows. The slot pitch between daughtercards can be as close as 10mm (.39”).
Replacing the traditional pin and socket interface with an edge type contact insures a separable connection that is intrinsically resistant to damage. The daughtercard connector utilizes a straddle mount configuration that can be adjusted for variations in PCB thickness, while essentially eliminating signal skew.
The vertical backplane header is terminated to the board using the same eye-of-the-needle press-fit technology as the GbX connector, already familiar to many PCB assembly shops.
A compatible power module is rated to 3 amps per contact and provides two levels of sequenced mating. Detailed reflow process procedures have been developed to permit one, two, or three pass assembly options.
This 100 ohm controlled impedance connector can perform at 6 Gb/s differentially in a ground/signal/signal/ground configuration. Keying and guidance options permit blind mating.
Testable samples are available now, with volume RoHS compatible production quantities beginning in Q1, 2006.
Taking another direction, Teradyne has developed a new interface that focuses on high-speed single-ended designs. Serial differential signaling has taken the lion’s share of new high-speed applications over the past few years, and the majority of new backplane connectors have been optimized to address this market. Serial differential signaling offers greater resistance to noise, as well as a reduction of signal line count, but selected applications still take advantage of single-ended architecture. The new Ventura™ platform is a unique interface that incorporates a number of innovations that will allow its use in both 6.25 Gb/s single-ended and 12 Gb/s differential applications.
This connector is a departure from prior Teradyne interfaces in several ways. The Ventura will be the first connector from Teradyne that utilizes paste-on-pad surface mount technology. The replacement of the standard compliant pin plated through-hole with a 10 or 12 mil via will enable higher speed performance without the need to backdrill the stub. The reduced via diameters will also simplify routing of the board and can potentially cut down the number of PCB layers, as well as cost.
In an effort to insure a mechanically robust interface contact structure, the traditional pin and socket will be replaced by a unique matrix of plastic posts with contact beams located on the sides of the posts. Both the backplane and daughtercard connectors will be provided as insert-molded wafer assemblies to allow user customization. A combination of better true position control and pre-guidance provided by the plastic posts will result in stub-proof mating and greater resistance to handling damage.
The 14-row configuration is expected to offer the highest circuit density available in the market today, with 178 circuits per inch. Six, eight and 14 row versions are currently available. Integrated power and guide modules will permit extensive design flexibility using standard components. Assembly and rework procedures are in the process of being developed along with detailed performance data and simulation models.
Teradyne formally announced and demonstrated the Ventura connector at the DesignCon 2005 East trade show in September.
CS.com comments
The market for high-performance connectors is becoming quite full, but the specific needs of selected markets continue to drive innovation in new interconnects.
Market segments such as disk arrays and large servers have created opportunities for new backplane connectors that can satisfy these requirements as well as potentially find additional applications in broader markets.
Teradyne is highly focused on the high-performance backplane connector market and is aggressively broadening their product offerings to address the entire range of applications. Additional product developments are in the works and will address an even greater scope of the backplane landscape.
Together with their backplane fabrication and assembly capabilities, Teradyne can offer a one-stop capability for the full range of product and support services. The recent acquisition of their connector and backplane operations by Amphenol is a perfect product fit for both companies and will enable Amphenol to have access to world class high-speed interconnect technology while providing greater manufacturing and sales resources to the Teradyne TCS operation.