EP-4736276-A2 - CONNECTOR DEVICE CONFIGURED TO MITIGATE CROSSTALK

Abstract

A connector device includes a plurality of connectors each configured to connect a conductor of a first cable to a conductor of a second cable. The connectors each include a body portion having conductor receiving portions each structurally configured to receive a conductor of one of the cables, a crosstalk mitigation portion configured to mitigate crosstalk, the crosstalk mitigation portion including a connection portion structurally configured to connect a first one of the conductors to a second one of the conductors, and the crosstalk mitigation portion is configured with a crosstalk mitigating shape configured to reduce a level of crosstalk to the cables.

Inventors

• SIEV, VIRAK
• BODZAY, MICHAEL

Assignees

• Belden Canada ULC

Dates

Publication Date

20260506

Application Date

20240701

Claims (1)

1. 0404.0012 What is claimed is: 1. A connector device configured to connect cables so at to mitigate crosstalk, comprising: a plurality of connectors each configured to connect a conductor of a first cable to a conductor of a second cable; each of the connectors comprising: a body portion having conductor receiving portions each structurally configured to receive a conductor of one of the cables; and a crosstalk mitigation portion configured to mitigate crosstalk; wherein the crosstalk mitigation portion comprises a connection portion structurally configured to connect a first one of the conductors to a second one of the conductors; and wherein the crosstalk mitigation portion of a first one of the connectors connecting a first one of the cables is configured with a first crosstalk mitigating shape; wherein the crosstalk mitigation portion of a second one of the connectors connecting a second one of the cables is configured with a second crosstalk reducing shape; wherein the first crosstalk mitigating shape includes a first angled portion and the second crosstalk mitigating shape includes a second angled portion; and wherein the first angled portion is angled at least 60 degrees different than the second angled portion to reduce a level of crosstalk of 3 dB or more. 2. The connector device of claim 1, wherein the first crosstalk mitigation portion of the first one of the connectors includes a first flat portion and the second crosstalk mitigation portion of the second one of the connectors includes a second flat portion and the first flat portion is vertically offset from the second flat portion. 3. The connector device of claim 1, wherein the first connector includes a first conductor receiving portion and the second connector includes a second 0404.0012 conductor receiving portion, and the first conductor receiving portion is vertically offset from the second conductor receiving portion. 4. The connector device of claim 1, wherein the crosstalk mitigation portion of a first one of the connectors connecting a first one of the cables includes a first angled portion and a third angled portion and the crosstalk mitigation portion of a second one of the connectors connecting a second one of the cables includes a second angled portion and a fourth angled portion, the first angled portion is angled at least 60 degrees different than the second angled portion, and the third angled portion is angled at least 60 degrees different than the fourth angled portion to mitigate the crosstalk. 5. The connector device of claim 1, wherein the crosstalk mitigation portion comprises a conductive material. 6. The connector device of claim 1, wherein the cables are single pair ethernet cables. 7. A connector device configured to connect cables so at to mitigate crosstalk, comprising: a plurality of connectors each configured to connect a conductor of a first cable to a conductor of a second cable; each of the connectors comprising: a body portion having conductor receiving portions each structurally configured to receive a conductor of one of the cables; and a crosstalk mitigation portion configured to mitigate crosstalk; wherein the crosstalk mitigation portion comprises a connection portion portion structurally configured to connect a first one of the conductors to a second one of the conductors; 0404.0012 wherein the crosstalk mitigation portion of a first one of the connectors connecting a first one of the cables is configured with a first crosstalk mitigating shape; wherein the crosstalk mitigation portion of a second one of the connectors connecting a second one of the cables is configured with a second crosstalk mitigating shape; and wherein the first crosstalk mitigating shape and the second crosstalk mitigating shape are configured to reduce a level of crosstalk of 3 dB or more. 8. The connector device according to claim 7, wherein the first crosstalk mitigating portion has a first crosstalk mitigating shape that includes a first angled portion and the second crosstalk mitigating portion includes second crosstalk mitigating shape includes a second angled portion; and wherein the first angled portion is angled at least 60 degrees different than the second angled portion to reduce a level of crosstalk of 3 dB or more. 9. The connector device according to claim 7, wherein first crosstalk mitigation portion of the first one of the connectors includes a first flat portion and the second crosstalk mitigation portion of the second one of the connectors includes a second flat portion and the first flat portion is vertically offset from the second flat portion. 10. The connector device according to claim 7, wherein the first connector includes a first conductor receiving portion and the second connector includes a second conductor receiving portion, and the first conductor receiving portion is vertically offset from the second conductor receiving portion. 11. The connector device according to claim 7, wherein the crosstalk mitigation portion of a first one of the connectors connecting a first one of the cables includes a first angled portion and a third angled portion and the crosstalk mitigation portion of a second one of the connectors connecting a second one of the cables includes a second angled portion and a fourth angled portion, the first angled portion is 0404.0012 angled at least 60 degrees different than the second angled portion, and the third angled portion is angled at least 60 degrees different than the fourth angled portion to mitigate the crosstalk. 12. The connector device according to claim 7, wherein the cables are single pair ethernet cables. 13. A connector device configured to connect cables so at to mitigate crosstalk, comprising: a plurality of connectors each configured to connect a conductor of a first cable to a conductor of a second cable; each of the connectors comprising: a body portion having conductor receiving portions each structurally configured to receive a conductor of one of the cables; and a crosstalk mitigation portion configured to mitigate crosstalk; wherein the crosstalk mitigation portion comprises a connection portion structurally configured to connect a first one of the conductors to a second one of the conductors; and wherein the crosstalk mitigation portion is configured with a crosstalk mitigating shape configured to reduce a level of crosstalk to the cables. 14. The connector device according to claim 13, wherein the crosstalk mitigation portion of a first one of the connectors connecting a first one of the cables is configured with a first crosstalk mitigating shape; and wherein the crosstalk mitigation portion of a second one of the connectors connecting a second one of the cables is configured with a second crosstalk mitigating shape. 0404.0012 15. The connector device according to claim 14, wherein the first crosstalk mitigating shape and the second crosstalk mitigating shape are configured to reduce a level of crosstalk of 3 dB or more. 16. The connector device according to claim 13, wherein a first one of the connectors includes a first conductor receiving portion and a second one of the connectors includes a second conductor receiving portion, and the first conductor receiving portion is vertically offset from the second conductor receiving portion. 17. The connector device according to claim 13, the first crosstalk mitigation portion of the first one of the connectors includes a first flat portion and the second crosstalk mitigation portion of the second one of the connectors includes a second flat portion and the first flat portion is vertically offset from the second flat portion. 18. The connector device according to claim 16, wherein the first connector includes a first conductor receiving portion and the second connector includes a second conductor receiving portion, and the first conductor receiving portion is vertically offset from the second conductor receiving portion. 19. The connector device according to claim 16, the crosstalk mitigation portion of a first one of the connectors connecting a first one of the cables includes a first angled portion and a third angled portion and the crosstalk mitigation portion of a second one of the connectors connecting a second one of the cables includes a second angled portion and a fourth angled portion, the first angled portion is angled at least 60 degrees different than the second angled portion, and the third angled portion is angled at least 60 degrees different than the fourth angled portion to mitigate the crosstalk. 20. The connector device according to claim 13, wherein the cables are single pair ethernet cables.

Description

0404.0012 CONNECTOR DEVICE CONFIGURED TO MITIGATE CROSSTALK CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.63/524,128, filed June 29, 2023, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] The present disclosure generally relates to a connector for connecting cables. More specifically, the disclosure relates to such a connector for connecting single pair ethernet cables that provides reduced crosstalk. BACKGROUND [0003] Traditionally, terminal block connectors were designed to connect cables carrying power or control signals, but not data signals. Therefore, transmission parameters like crosstalk and balance that may occur with cables carrying data signals weren’t considered during the design. In recent development, these connectors could also be used to connect cables carrying data signals (like with Single Pair Ethernet (SPE)) which may result in improper balance and excessive crosstalk. [0004] Figure 1 illustrates a typical terminal block connector 100. The terminal block connector 100 may be used to make an electrical connection between individual conductors. The terminal block connector 100 typically has a plastic body 102, receiving portions 104 for receiving the conductors to be connected, metallic plates 106, a bar 108 and screws 110. After inserting conductors to be connected in the receiving portions 104, the conductors may be in contact with the plates 106 and/or the bar 108 and the screws may be adjusted such that the conductors are pressed against the bar 110 to make an 0404.0012 electrical connection between the conductors and the bar. The terminal block connectors 100 may be colored corresponding to the conductors to be connected. [0005] In a typical SPE terminal block deployment, each corresponding conductor of an SPE cable is connected to its own terminal block 100. For example, as shown in Figure 2, a first data conductor 210 may be connected to a red terminal block connector 204, a second data conductor 208 may be connected to a black terminal block connector 202, and a ground conductor 212 (if present) may be connected to a gray terminal block connector 206. In a typical deployment, the terminal block connectors may be placed or mounted directly adjacent to one another in a row as illustrated. As such, the gray terminal block (if present) would be placed either to the left or right of the two data terminal blocks. [0006] The disposition of the conductors and the terminal block connectors next to each other may cause an imbalanced coupling within a pair of the SPE conductors, and between adjacent pairs of the SPE conductors, as shown in Figure 3. Within a pair of the SPE conductors, the coupling is shown as the C1 and C2 capacitances, between the black conductor 302 and the shield conductor 306, and between the red conductor 304 and the shield conductor 306, respectively. Because the red terminal block connector is adjacent to the gray terminal block connector, the C2 capacitance is greater than the C1 capacitance by 3dB or more (i.e., C2 is dominant). This inequivalence between C1 and C2 is the imbalanced coupling (or imbalanced noise) within a conductor pair. [0007] Between adjacent pairs, coupling passes via the gray terminal block. The black terminal block of pair 2 is closer to the gray terminal block of pair 1, therefore the C3 capacitance is greater (i.e., dominant) than C4. The two dominant capacitances (C2 and C3) create an imbalanced coupling between adjacent pairs (i.e., Alien Crosstalk). [0008] As illustrated in Fig. 4, between two pairs of the SPE conductors 402, 404 where each pair is without a ground conductor, the coupling is shown as the C1, C2, C3 and C4 capacitances. A similar imbalanced coupling exists between the adjacent pairs because C1≠C2 , C2≠C3, C3≠C4, and C1≠C4. The imbalances described above will deteriorate the cabling system’s ability to transmit data signals. 0404.0012 [0009] It may therefore be desirable to provide a terminal block connector that deduces a level of crosstalk. SUMMARY [0010] According to embodiments of the disclosure, a connector device is configured to connect cables so at to mitigate crosstalk. The connector device includes a plurality of connectors each configured to connect a conductor of a first cable to a conductor of a second cable. Each of the connectors includes a body portion having conductor receiving portions each structurally configured to receive a conductor of one of the cables, and a crosstalk mitigation portion configured to mitigate crosstalk. The crosstalk mitigation portion includes a connection portion structurally configured to connect a first one of the conductors to a second one of the conductors. The crosstalk mitigation portion of a first one of the connectors connecting a first one of the cables is configured with a first crosstalk mitigating shape, the crosstalk mitigation portion o