TW201517397A - Connector inserts and receptacle tongues formed using printed circuit board - Google Patents

Abstract

Connector inserts and other structures that have a high signal integrity and low insertion loss, are reliable, and are readily manufactured. One example may provide a connector insert formed primarily using a printed circuit board. Contacts on the connector insert may be akin to contacts on a printed circuit board and they may connect to traces having matched impedances on the printed circuit board in order to improve signal integrity and reduce insertion loss. The printed circuit board may be manufactured in a manner for increased reliability. Plating, solder block, and other manufacturing steps that are native to printed circuit board manufacturing may be employed to improve manufacturability. Specialized tools that may provide a chamfered edge on the connector inserts may be employed.

Description

Connector inserts and socket tabs formed using printed circuit boards Cross-reference to related applications

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/869,585, filed on Aug. 23, 2013, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61/905,275, filed on It is incorporated by reference.

The amount of data transmitted between electronic devices has grown dramatically in recent years. Today, a large amount of audio, streaming video, text, and other types of data content are periodically transmitted between desktop and portable computers, media devices, handheld media devices, displays, storage devices, and other types of electronic devices.

Such data transfer can occur via various media. For example, data transfer can be done wirelessly, via wire conductors, via fiber optic cable, or by data transfer in other ways. The power can be transmitted with the data or can be transmitted separately. For example, power and data may be transferred from one electronic device to another electronic device, or power may be separately transmitted from the battery, charging circuit, or power converter to the electronic device.

Power and data may be delivered via a cable, which may include wire conductors, fiber optic cables, or some combination of these or other conductors. The cable assembly can include a connector insert at each end of a cable, but other cable assemblies can be attached or bolted to the electronic device in a dedicated manner. The connector inserts can be inserted into a socket in the communication electronics.

In addition, the data rate through these connector plug-ins and sockets can be quite high. In order to provide such high data rates, such connector plug-ins and sockets may be required to have high signal integrity and low insertion loss.

Also, these connector inserts can be inserted into the device outlet once or more for many years. It may be desirable for such connector inserts and sockets to be reliable and not to break or wear prematurely. Such failures may result in the user being dissatisfied with both the cable assembly and the electronic device to which the cable assembly is connected.

Electronic devices can be sold in millions, with several accessory cable assemblies and their connector inserts sold with such electronic devices. In this regard, any reduction or simplification of manufacturing can become significant. For these reasons, it may be desirable for such connector inserts and sockets to be easy to manufacture.

What is needed, therefore, are connector inserts and sockets that have high signal integrity and low insertion loss, are reliable and easy to manufacture.

Thus, embodiments of the present invention can provide connector inserts and sockets and other structures that have high signal integrity and low insertion loss, are reliable and easy to manufacture.

An illustrative embodiment of the present invention can provide connector inserts and sockets that have high signal quality by simplifying their physical signal paths. In one embodiment, a connector insert or tab of a connector receptacle can be formed primarily from a printed circuit board. The contacts on the connector inserts or socket tabs can be similar to conventional contacts on a printed circuit board. These contacts can be reduced in size to reduce junction-to-contact and other stray capacitance. This reduction in size can also help limit reflections that would otherwise occur due to the stub-effect within the joint. It can also reduce the resistance. These capacitors, short-line effects, and resistance reductions can help improve signal quality, reduce insertion loss, and help improve impedance matching.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, one of the contacts can be widthed by an alignment It is judged by tolerance and may not be easily reduced. Similarly, one of the lengths of the joint can provide the necessary amount of wiping and can be less easily reduced. Thus, in this particular embodiment of the invention, one of the heights or profiles of each joint can be reduced. This reduction in height reduces a capacitance from one side of a contact to an adjacent contact or adjacent side of one of the other nearby structures. This reduction in height can help reduce the length of the extraneous path in the joint, thereby reducing the short-term effect. This height reduction can also help reduce contact resistance. In addition, these improved cumulative effects can help improve signal quality, reduce insertion loss, and help improve impedance matching.

Embodiments of the present invention can route traces to the contacts via the printed circuit board. These traces can be matched impedance lines. For example, a strip line impedance technique can be used to route signals away from the contacts via the printed circuit board.

Embodiments of the invention may include one or more electronic circuits, devices, components, or combinations thereof on the printed circuit board. Such circuits, devices and components can include light emitting diodes, power converters, clock and data recovery circuits, and other electronic circuits, devices or components. A cable assembly can be formed by attaching a cable to the connector insert (typically attached to a portion of the connector insert that is remote from one of the contacts). Printed circuit board traces from the contacts can be connected to one or more of the electronic circuits, devices or components, to one or more conductors in the cable, or to other structures. A housing can be provided over or around such electronic circuits, devices or components to increase connector insert usability.

An illustrative embodiment of the present invention can provide a connector insert or socket tab that is reliable by using a printed circuit board that is constructed to have a reduced likelihood of breakage. For example, the fibers in one or more layers of the printed circuit board can be oriented to improve the reliability of the connector insert. In these and other embodiments, fiber content, fiber type or other parameters can be adjusted to improve the reliability of the connector inserts.

An illustrative embodiment of the present invention can provide a connector insert or socket tab that is easy to manufacture. A particular embodiment can provide a form primarily formed by a printed circuit board and Connector inserts or socket tabs made using conventional printed circuit board manufacturing techniques. In this particular embodiment, one or more electronic devices can be placed on a printed circuit board. The steps, limited to or including conventional printed circuit board metallization techniques, can be used to metallize the grounding rings, contacts, and traces or connections on the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board can be shaped to fit into a corresponding connector receptacle, and the contacts can be configured to mate with contacts in the connector receptacle. In various embodiments of the invention, a solder mask can be placed over the printed circuit board and etched to cover one or more non-metallized regions. In still other embodiments, a label or coverlay can be placed in one or more non-metallized regions. For example, a cover layer can be heat pressed onto a connector insert to cover an area between the contacts and between the contacts and a ground ring. In still other embodiments, the plastic can be placed in such areas. In such embodiments, the solder mask, label, plastic or cover layer can have a variety of colors and textures such that the solder mask, label, plastic or cover layer provides an acceptable appearance when exposed to a user.

Another illustrative embodiment of the present invention can provide a method of making a connector insert or socket tab. The method can include placing one or more electronic devices on a printed circuit board. Copper or other electroplated material can be placed on the printed circuit board and etched to form ground rings, contacts, traces, and connections to the one or more electronic devices. Nickel or other electroplated materials may be etched to cover the copper. The contacts can be plated with gold or other materials to reduce oxidation and improve electrical contact. Chromium, palladium-nickel (PdNi) or other electroplated materials may be etched to cover the non-contact metallized regions. The metallized regions reduce wear caused by contact with retention features, spring contacts or other features in a corresponding connector. A solder mask can be placed over the printed circuit board and etched to cover the non-metallized regions, or a label or cover layer can be placed over such regions.

Embodiments of the present invention enable a printed circuit board to be used and disposed of directly by a user. Typically, this situation can be attributed to the rough unpolished nature of at least some portions of the printed circuit board with little appeal. Therefore, another illustrative embodiment of the present invention may provide a A connector insert that is both viewable and touchable, regardless of whether the connector insert is at least primarily made using a printed circuit board. The feel of the connector insert can be improved by providing a chamfered edge between one or both of the top and bottom of one of the connector inserts or the socket tabs. The chamfered edge can be cut using a router having a longitudinal axis and being cylindrical on the longitudinal axis and further having one or more raised portions orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. The one or more raised portions may have an upper angular portion and a lower angular portion. The angled portion can be used to cut the edge portion along the top and bottom of the connector insert, thereby leaving a chamfered edge. The upper angular portion and the lower angular portion are bendable to impart a curve to the resulting chamfered edge. For example, the upper angular portion and the lower angular portion can be recessed to impart a convex curved edge to the chamfered edges, but any combination of concave, straight and raised edges can be used. The grooving machine can have a plurality of raised portions and can simultaneously form a chamfered edge on a printed circuit board stack. The raised portions may further have a flat portion between each of the upper angular portion and the lower angular portion. A spacer or insert having a height substantially equal to one of the heights of one of the flat portions can be inserted between each of the printed circuit boards in the stack during cutting.

Moreover, embodiments of the present invention can provide a connector insert or socket tab having an improved appearance. Typically, a printed circuit board provides a rough side edge. A connector insert or socket tab made from a printed circuit board can suffer from the same drawbacks. Thus, embodiments of the present invention can reduce or compensate for this roughness. In a particular embodiment of the invention, a fine grooving machine (such as the grooving machine described above) can be used to provide a smoother or polished side. In another particular embodiment of the invention, the metallization of at least one or more sides of a connector insert has an increased thickness. This increased thickness can help mask any stray fibers or inhomogeneities along the sides of the connector insert. In another particular embodiment of the invention, one or more sides of the connector insert can be metallized. The metallization can then be thinned to help mask any non-uniformities along the side of the connector insert.

Embodiments of the present invention may utilize this capability to enable printed circuit boards to be used by users and Dispose of to provide additional structure and connector plug-ins. For example, one embodiment of the present invention can provide a connector receptacle having a tab, wherein the tab is fabricated using one or more of the embodiments of the present invention or features described herein. Another particular embodiment of the present invention can provide a printed circuit board for an electronic device wherein a portion of the printed circuit board is formed to provide a tab. The tab can be used as a tab for a socket on the electronic device.

The shielding can be improved in such inserts and tabs by placing a ground or other plane on one of the central layers of the printed circuit board. This ground plane isolates the signal on the top of one of the inserts or tabs from the signal on the bottom of one of the inserts or tabs.

Embodiments of the present invention can provide connector inserts for cables that can be connected to various types of devices, such as portable computing devices, tablets, desktops, laptops, integrated Computers, cellular phones, smart phones, media phones, storage devices, portable media players, navigation systems, monitors, power supplies, adapters, and chargers, among other devices. These connector plug-ins provide paths for signals and power that meet various standards such as: Universal Serial Bus (USB), High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), Digital Visual Interface (DVI), Power , Ethernet, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, Lightning, and other types of standard and non-standard interfaces.

Various embodiments of the invention may be incorporated into one or more of these and other features described herein. A better understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention can be obtained by

100‧‧‧Electronic system

110‧‧‧ Cable

120‧‧‧Electronic devices

122‧‧‧ screen

130‧‧‧Electronic devices

132‧‧‧ screen

134‧‧‧ keyboard

136‧‧‧ Mouse

200‧‧‧Connector plugin

210‧‧‧Printed circuit board

220‧‧‧Contacts

230‧‧‧Isolation or solder mask area

232‧‧‧Isolation or solder mask area

234‧‧‧Isolation or solder mask area

240‧‧‧ Grounding ring

242‧‧‧ former part

244‧‧‧ side part

250‧‧‧Electronic devices, circuits or components

1110‧‧‧ Action

1120‧‧‧ action

1130‧‧‧ Action

1140‧‧‧ action

1150‧‧‧ action

1160‧‧‧ action

1170‧‧‧ action

1180‧‧‧ action

1190‧‧‧ action

1210‧‧‧Going edge

1220‧‧‧Corner edge

1410‧‧‧Starting machine

1420‧‧‧ flat surface

1430‧‧‧ upper angular edge

1440‧‧‧Uplifted part

1450‧‧‧lower angular edge

1480‧‧‧ spacer

1510‧‧‧Electronic devices

1520‧‧‧ tongue

1530‧‧‧Contacts

1610‧‧‧Printed circuit board

1620‧‧‧ tongue part

1630‧‧‧Contacts

1640‧‧‧Electronic devices, circuits or components

1650‧‧‧ Traces

1710‧‧‧Electronic devices

1720‧‧‧Back side / printed circuit board

1810‧‧‧Metal grounding strap

1820‧‧‧Contacts

1830‧‧‧Isolated area

1840‧‧‧ Grounding pad or ring

1860‧‧‧ boards

1870‧‧‧Conductor

1880‧‧‧ bracket

1910‧‧‧Center ground plane

1 illustrates an electronic system that can be modified by incorporating an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 illustrates a connector insert in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of a connector insert in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. , side view and front view; 4 through 10 illustrate a method of fabricating a connector insert in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and FIGS. 11A and 11B are flow diagrams of a method of fabricating a connector insert or other structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; One portion of a connector insert having a chamfered edge in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 13 illustrates a portion of a connector insert having a chamfered edge in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 14 illustrates one of the present invention A slotting machine of an embodiment that can be used to form a chamfered edge on a connector insert or other structure; Figure 15 illustrates an electronic device modified by incorporating an embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 16 illustrates an implementation in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention Example of a printed circuit board; Figure 17 illustrates an electronic device 1710 having a back side 1720 that may be formed from a printed circuit board; Figure 18 illustrates a portion of a connector receptacle in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 19 illustrates an implementation in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention 1 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a connector receptacle; and FIG. 20 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of a connector receptacle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1 illustrates an electronic system that can be modified by incorporating embodiments of the present invention. The drawings are presented for illustrative purposes, and do not limit the possible embodiments or the scope of the claims.

Electronic system 100 can include a cable 110 that engages electronic devices 120 and 130. The electronic device 120 can be a laptop or portable computer having a screen 122. The electronic device 130 can be a computer including a screen 132, a keyboard 134, and a mouse 136. Other embodiments of the invention The cable 110 can be coupled to various types of devices, such as portable computing devices, tablet computers, desktop computers, cellular phones, smart phones, media phones, storage devices, portable media players, navigation systems. , monitors, power supplies, adapters, and chargers, among other devices. Such cables, such as cable 110, can provide paths for signals and power that conform to various standards such as: Universal Serial Bus (USB), High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), Digital Vision Interface (DVI), Power, Ethernet, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, Lightning, and other types of standard and non-standard interfaces. Cable 110 can be attached to electronic devices 110 and 130 using connector inserts provided by embodiments of the present invention. Other cables (not shown) may be coupled to the connector inserts provided by embodiments of the present invention and may be used to provide charging power to devices such as keyboard 134 and mouse 136, as well as remote controls and other electronic devices.

Moreover, embodiments of the present invention can provide a connector insert that is at least primarily formed from a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board can be directly used and disposed of by the user in this manner by using various techniques provided by embodiments of the present invention. One of the connector plugins is shown in the figure below.

2 illustrates a connector insert in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The connector insert 200 can include a printed circuit board 200 that can support a number of electronic devices, circuits, or components 250. The connector insert 200 can further include a joint 220 that is surrounded by a ground ring 240. The isolation or solder mask region 230 isolates the contacts 220 from the ground ring 240. The ground ring 240 can include a side portion 244 and a front portion 242. The front portion 242 of the ground ring 240 may be surrounded by isolation or solder mask regions 232 and 234. Other contacts configured similar to contacts 220 may be included on the bottom surface of connector insert 200, and the other contacts may be surrounded by corresponding solder mask regions and a bottom portion of ground ring 240. Although solder mask region 230 is shown in this example, in still other embodiments of the invention, the label or cover layer can be placed in one or more non-metallized regions. Additionally, the cover layer can be heat pressed onto the connector insert to cover the area between the contacts and between the contacts and the ground ring. In these embodiments, the solder mask, label or The cover layer can have a variety of colors and textures such that the solder mask, label or cover layer provides an acceptable appearance when exposed to the user.

Moreover, embodiments of the present invention can provide connector inserts with high signal integrity and reduced insertion loss. This situation can be achieved in part by reducing the size of the contacts 220. Contact 220 can have a width that is not easily reduced, as this width becomes necessary due to alignment tolerances. Contact 220 can also have a length that is necessary due to the desire to have a certain wiping length. Thus, embodiments of the present invention can reduce the height or profile of the contacts 220. This height reduction can reduce junction-to-contact capacitance through the sidewalls of contact 220, as well as stray capacitance to other structures such as ground ring 240. This profile reduction further reduces the length of stray metallization that is not directly in the signal path in order to reduce short-term effects. This height reduction also reduces contact resistance. The cumulative effect of these improvements can be to improve signal integrity and reduce insertion loss.

The cable assembly can be formed by attaching a cable to the connector insert 200 (typically attached to a portion of the connector insert 200 that is remote from the joint 220). The contacts 220 and corresponding contacts on the bottom surface of the connector insert 200 can be connected to one or more electronic devices, circuits or components 250, or to one or more conductors in the cable. These connections may pass through matching impedance lines formed by traces on one or more layers in printed circuit board 210.

3 illustrates a top, side, and front view of a connector insert in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Moreover, connector insert 200 can be formed primarily from printed circuit board 210 and can support one or more electronic devices, circuits, or components 250. The ground ring 240 can surround the joint 220. The isolation or solder mask 230 can isolate the contacts 220 from each other and from the ground ring 240. The ground ring 240 can include a side portion 244 and a front portion 242. Additionally, instead of the isolation mask 230, a label or cover layer can be used to isolate the contacts 220 from each other and from the ground ring 240.

Embodiments of the present invention may provide a connector insert that is easy to manufacture by utilizing one or more conventional printed circuit board manufacturing steps when constructed. In this method, the electronic device can be placed on a printed circuit board, and the grounding ring, contact can be metallized on the printed circuit board. And the structure of the traces. A solder mask region can then be formed for isolation and trace protection. One such method is shown in the following figures.

4 through 10 illustrate a method of making a connector insert in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 illustrates a portion of a connector insert during manufacture of the connector insert. In Figure 4, the printed circuit board portion 210 has been shaped to fit into the corresponding connector receptacle. One or more electronic devices, circuits or components 250 have been placed on the printed circuit board 210. Such electronic devices, circuits or components can be surface mount or via devices, circuits or components.

Moreover, embodiments of the present invention can provide a reliable connector insert. In various embodiments of the invention, reliability can be improved by using a particular type of printed circuit board, such as FR4, as the printed circuit board 210. Moreover, embodiments of the present invention can vary fiber content, fiber orientation, and other parameters to improve the reliability of the resulting connector insert.

Figure 5 illustrates a portion of the connector insert after the copper electroplated layer has been applied. In particular, the ground ring 240 (including the side portions 244 and the front portion 242) and the contacts 220 may have been metallized on the printed circuit board 210. Again, traces and contacts to the electronics, circuitry, and components 250 may have been metallized.

In this step and in the following metallization steps, metal may have been deposited on the printed circuit board 210 via sputtering or vaporization, in this case copper or other material. A resist coating can then be applied. This resist can be masked and exposed to light. Etching may be used to remove the resist and metal from regions such as open regions 230, 232, and 234.

In FIG. 6, a layer of nickel or other material may be applied to the ground ring 240 including the side portions 244 and the front portion 242, and to the contacts 220.

In FIG. 7, the contacts 220 may be plated with gold or the contacts 220 may be plated with another material.

In FIG. 8, a chrome plating can be applied to the ground ring 240 including the side portion 244 and the front portion 242. In other embodiments, the electroplating can be palladium-nickel, or other materials.

In Figure 9, a solder mask or isolation layer can be applied to the printed circuit board. This situation can be It is carried out using an E-spray process or by other conventional techniques. In still other embodiments, a cover layer or label can be applied, for example, the cover layer can be heat pressed to the connector insert.

In FIG. 10, the solder resist has been etched back to cover regions 230, 232, and 234. The solder mask can also be used to protect other portions of the printed circuit board 210.

Moreover, one or more of such metallization and other steps can be a conventional printed circuit board fabrication step. A flow chart illustrating a method of making a connector insert in other configurations in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown in the following figures.

11A is a flow diagram of a method of making a connector insert or other structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In act 1110, an electronic device, circuit, or component can be placed on a printed circuit board. In act 1120, structures such as ground loops, contacts, and traces can be metallized on the printed circuit board. In act 1130, a solder mask can be placed on the printed circuit board and the solder mask can be etched, or a label or cover layer can be applied.

11B is another flow diagram of a method of fabricating a printed circuit board in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As previously mentioned, in act 1140, an electronic device, circuit, or component can be placed on a printed circuit board. In act 1150, copper or other electroplating for grounding rings, contacts, and traces of the electronic device can be metallized on the printed circuit board. In act 1160, nickel or other type of electroplated material can be placed over the copper electroplating. In act 70, the contacts may be plated with gold or the contacts may be plated with another material. In act 1180, chromium, palladium-nickel, or other electroplated material can be placed over the non-contact metallized regions. In act 1190, a solder mask can be placed on the printed circuit board and the solder mask can be etched, or a label or cover layer can be applied. The cable can be attached to the connector insert and the outer casing can be used to cover at least the electronic device, circuitry and assembly 250, and surrounding non-metallized areas.

Moreover, embodiments of the present invention enable printed circuit boards to be used and disposed of by a user. Often, this may not be desirable because of the rough feel and appearance of portions of the printed circuit board, particularly the edges and corners. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention provide a master Connector inserts and other structures to be formed from printed circuit boards, wherein the connector inserts and other structures have a desirable appearance and feel.

Embodiments of the present invention can reduce the roughness of printed circuit boards, particularly along the edges. In one embodiment of the invention, the connector insert or other structure can be shaped by a grooving machine having a very fine blade. Use a fine blade to provide a smooth or polished edge to the printed circuit board. In other embodiments, the metallization along the side of the printed circuit board can be relatively thick to cover any stray fibers or non-uniformities. In still other embodiments of the invention, the metallization on the printed circuit board can be thinned to remove or reduce uneven surface features. In still other embodiments of the invention, the edges of the connector insert can be smoothed or chamfered to provide a more desirable feel to the user. An example is shown in the figure below.

Figure 12 illustrates a portion of a connector insert having a chamfered edge in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the edge between the top and side of the connector insert has a chamfered edge 1210. A similar chamfered edge can be formed between the bottom and the side of the connector insert.

Figure 13 illustrates a portion of a connector insert having a chamfered edge in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Additionally, the connector insert can include chamfered edges 1210 and 1220.

It is often desirable to simultaneously shape several printed circuit boards during manufacturing. These printed circuit boards can often be stacked one after another such that their edges are cut by the grooving machine. Thus, embodiments of the present invention can provide a method of forming a chamfered edge on a connector insert or other structure for each printed circuit board in the stack. An example is shown in the figure below.

Figure 14 illustrates a grooving machine that can be used to form a chamfered edge on a connector insert or other structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The grooving machine 1410 can be cylindrical in the longitudinal direction and have one or more raised portions 1440 that are substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. The one or more raised portions can include an upper angular edge 1430 and a lower angular edge 1450. A flat surface 1420 can be provided and used to shape the printed circuit board 210. Upper angular edge 1430 and lower angular edge 1450 can be used to create chamfered edges 1210 and 1220 adjacent printed circuit board 210 in the stack. The raised portion 1420 can be included in the upper angular portion 1430 and the lower angular shape A flat surface between portions 1450. This flat surface may have a height corresponding to the height or thickness of the spacer 1480, which may be located between the printed circuit boards 210 in the stack.

In various embodiments of the invention, the chamfered edges 1210 and 1220 can have concave, convex or flat surfaces. These surfaces may be formed by corresponding raised, concave or flat surfaces on the upper angular portion 1430 and the lower angular portion 1450.

Moreover, embodiments of the invention may provide other configurations as well as connector inserts. Examples are shown in the following figures.

Figure 15 illustrates an electronic device modified by incorporating an embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an electronic device 1510 having a socket that includes a tab 1520 on which the contacts 1530 are located. As with the other tabs and contacts shown herein, the tabs 1520 and contacts 1530 can be made by embodiments of the invention, such as embodiments including the techniques described herein. The tab 1520 can be shaped to fit into the connector insert, and the contacts 1530 can be configured to mate with the contacts in the connector insert.

In this example, the tab 1520 can be only a tab or the tab can be attached to a printed circuit board. For example, the tab can be attached to a relatively small circuit board that can further include one or more electronic devices, circuits, or components. In other embodiments of the invention, the main printed circuit board for electronic device 1520 can include a tab such as tab 1520. An example is shown in the figure below.

Figure 16 illustrates a printed circuit board in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Additionally, printed circuit board 1610 can be the main logic or printed circuit board in device 1510. Print panel 1610 can include one or more electronic devices, circuits or components 1640 that can be connected by traces 1650. Printed circuit board 1610 can have a tab portion 1620 that can include contacts 1630. The tab portion 1620 can be configured to fit into a connector insert, edge connector, or other socket. Contact 1630 can be configured to mate with a contact in the connector insert. The edges of the printed circuit board 1610 can be chamfered around the tabs or around the tabs and the entire printed circuit board. The tab portion 1620 can be relatively short compared to the side of the printed circuit board 1610 as shown, or the tab portion 1620 can be reprinted The entire side of the printed circuit board 1610 or a substantial portion of the side of the printed circuit board 1610 continues. In addition, this and other tabs and features, as well as printed circuit board portions and other structures, can be fabricated using the various techniques provided herein.

The ability to use and handle the printed circuit board by the user may also mean that one or more sides of the electronic device may be formed using printed circuitry. An example is shown in the figure below.

Figure 17 illustrates an electronic device 1710 having a back side 1720 that can be formed from a printed circuit board. Printed circuit board 1720 can support one or more electronic devices, circuits, or components that can be internal to electronic device 1710. As with other structures such as tab 1520, tab portion 1620, and tabs shown below, printed circuit board 1720 can be fabricated using the methods presented herein and by using other embodiments of the present invention.

Moreover, embodiments of the present invention can provide connector inserts and tabs for connector receptacles. The inserts and tabs may include ground or other isolation planes located in the middle or center layer of the printed circuit board. This ground plane can help isolate the signal from the pad attached to the top surface of the insert or tab from the signal attached to the pad on the bottom surface of the insert or tab. An example is shown in the following figures.

Figure 18 illustrates a portion of a connector receptacle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The connector receptacle can be configured to fit into an opening in the device enclosure and can include a tab having a ground strap 1810, a contact 1820 surrounded by the isolation region 1830, and a ground pad 1840. The tongue portion can be mechanically supported by the bracket 1880. Plate 1860 can be formed with or separately from the tab. Conductor 1870 can be used to electrically connect the socket portion to the main logic, motherboard or other printed circuit board. The tongue can have a central ground plane. This central ground plane can be connected to either or both of the metal ground strap 1810 and the ground pad or ring 1840.

Figure 19 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of a connector receptacle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The center ground plane 1910 can be electrically connected to the ground strap 1810. The center ground plane 1910 can extend the edge of the printed circuit board, and the center ground plane directly contacts the printed circuit board and has The plating on the edge of the metal ground strap 1810 is attached, or the central ground plane can be connected to the top and bottom ground pads or rings via vias, such as a ground pad or ring 1840 on the tab.

Figure 20 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of a connector receptacle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The ground plane 1910 isolates high speed signals on the top and bottom of the tab to prevent crosstalk. A ground plane, such as ground plane 1910, may also be located in other tabs and inserts provided by such embodiments of the present invention.

The above description of the embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the embodiments of the invention The invention is best utilized together. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents

200‧‧‧Connector plugin

210‧‧‧Printed circuit board

220‧‧‧Contacts

230‧‧‧Isolation or solder mask area

232‧‧‧Isolation or solder mask area

234‧‧‧Isolation or solder mask area

240‧‧‧ Grounding ring

242‧‧‧ former part

244‧‧‧ side part

250‧‧‧Electronic devices, circuits or components

Claims (22)

A connector insert comprising: a printed circuit board having a top, a bottom and a side; one or more electronic devices, the one or more electronic devices being placed on the printed circuit board; a plurality of first connections a plurality of first contacts formed on the top side of the printed circuit board; and a plurality of traces, the plurality of traces being routed in the printed circuit board to couple the plurality of first contacts To the one or more electronic devices, wherein the connector insert is shaped to fit into a corresponding connector socket, and the plurality of first contacts are configured to correspond to a plurality of connectors in the connector socket Point cooperation. The connector insert of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of second contacts formed on the bottom side of the printed circuit board. The connector insert of claim 1, wherein the plurality of traces are routed to one or more of the layers of the printed circuit board. The connector insert of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of traces have a matching impedance. The connector insert of claim 1, further comprising a ground ring around the plurality of first contacts. The connector insert of claim 5, further comprising a solder mask region between the plurality of first contacts and the ground ring. The connector insert of claim 5, further comprising a cover layer between the plurality of first contacts and the ground ring. The connector insert of claim 6, wherein the top of the connector insert and the edge between the side and the bottom and the side are chamfered. A method of making a connector insert, the method comprising: placing one or more electronic devices on a printed circuit board; metallizing regions on the printed circuit board, the regions including onto the printed circuit board a plurality of contacts and a plurality of connections of the one or more electronic devices, wherein the printed circuit board is shaped to fit into a corresponding connector socket, and the plurality of contacts are configured to form the connector An electrical connection corresponding to a plurality of contacts in the socket. The method of claim 9, further comprising: placing a solder mask layer over the printed circuit board; and etching the solder mask layer such that the solder mask primarily covers the non-metallized region of the printed circuit board . The method of claim 10, wherein the metallizing the region on the printed circuit board comprises: forming a copper layer over the printed circuit board; and etching the copper layer to form the one or more electrons onto the printed circuit board The plurality of contacts of the device and the plurality of connections. The method of claim 11, wherein the metallizing the region on the printed circuit board further comprises: forming a nickel layer over the printed circuit board; and etching the nickel layer to cover the copper layer. The method of claim 12, wherein the metallizing the region on the printed circuit board further comprises: plating the plurality of contacts. The method of claim 12, wherein the metallizing the area on the printed circuit board further comprises: Forming a gold layer over the printed circuit board; and etching the gold layer to cover the plurality of contacts. The method of claim 14, wherein the metallizing the region on the printed circuit board further comprises: forming a metal layer over the printed circuit board; and etching the metal layer to cover the non-contact metallization regions. The method of claim 15, wherein the metal layer is formed of chromium or palladium-nickel. A method of making a connector insert, the method comprising: providing a printed circuit board; and cutting a chamfer along a corner edge between a top surface and a side surface of the printed circuit board, wherein the use has a longitudinal Forming the chamfer with a slot machine, wherein the grooving machine is cylindrical on the longitudinal axis and has one or more raised portions orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, wherein the one or more raised portions have a Upper angular portion and lower angular portion. The method of claim 17, wherein the grooving machine has a plurality of raised portions for providing a chamfer on the plurality of printed circuit boards. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the raised portions further comprises an intermediate portion between the upper angular portion and the lower angular portion. The method of claim 19, wherein one of the plurality of spacers is interposed between adjacent printed circuit boards, wherein the intermediate portion of the raised portions has at least substantially equal to each of the plurality of spacers a height of a thickness. A printed circuit board comprising: a top, a bottom and a side; one or more electronic devices, the one or more electronic devices being placed on the printed circuit a tab portion extending from a main portion of the printed circuit board; a plurality of first contacts, the plurality of first contacts being formed on the tab portion of the printed circuit board; and a plurality of A plurality of traces are routed in the printed circuit board to couple the plurality of first contacts to the one or more electronic devices. The printed circuit board of claim 21, wherein the tab portion of the printed circuit board has a chamfered edge between the top and the side and the bottom and the side.