EP-4736277-A1 - CABLE CONNECTOR DEVICE THAT IS CONFIGURED TO MITIGATE ALIEN CROSSTALK

Abstract

A connector is configured to connect cables so as to mitigate alien crosstalk. The connector includes a body portion and an alien crosstalk mitigation portion. The alien crosstalk mitigation portion has a first shield portion and a second shield portion. The second shield portion is structurally configured to be electrically connected to the first shield portion. The second shield portion comprises a first shield connection portion structurally configured to electrically connect to a first cable shield portion of the first cable and a second shield connection portion structurally configured to electrically connect to a second cable shield portion of the second cable. The first shield portion is structurally configured to electrically connect with the first and second cable shield portions. The alien crosstalk mitigation portion is structurally configured to electrically connect with the first and second cable shield portions to mitigate alien crosstalk by 3dB or more to the conductors of the cables from a cabling system.

Inventors

• SIEV, VIRAK
• BODZAY, MICHAEL
• DESROCHERS, ALAIN

Assignees

• Belden Canada ULC

Dates

Publication Date

20260506

Application Date

20240701

Claims (1)

1. What is claimed is: 1. A connector configured to connect cables so as to mitigate alien crosstalk, comprising: a body portion; an alien crosstalk mitigation portion configured to shield cables from alien crosstalk; wherein the body portion comprises a first body portion and a second body portion; wherein the first body portion comprises a cover portion that is structurally configured to be selectively removed from the second body portion to expose the second body portion for connection of the cables to the second body portion; wherein the second body portion comprises a receiving portion configured to receive conductors of a first cable and conductors of a second cable; wherein the alien crosstalk mitigation portion comprises a first shield portion and a second shield portion; wherein the first shield portion is structurally configured to fit within an opening portion in the first body portion and to be attached to the first body portion; wherein the second shield portion is structurally configured to be attached to the first shield portion; wherein the first shield portion is structurally configured to be removed from the second shield portion with the first body portion when the first body portion is removed from the second body portion; wherein the second shield portion comprises a first shield connection portion structurally configured to electrically connect to a first cable shield portion of the first cable and a second shield connection portion structurally configured to electrically connect to a second cable shield portion of the second cable; wherein the first shield portion is structurally configured to electrically connect with the first and second cable shield portions when the first body portion and the first shield portion are connected to the second body portion; and wherein the alien crosstalk mitigation portion is structurally configured to electrically connect with the first and second cable shield portions so as to mitigate alien crosstalk by 3 dB or more to the conductors of the cables from a cabling system. 2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the body portion comprises a plastic material configured to reduce a weight of the connector. 3. The connector of claim 1, wherein the body portion further comprises a first connection portion structurally configured to electrically connect a first conductor of the first cable to a first conductor of the second cable and a second connection portion structurally configured to connect a second conductor of the first cable to a second conductor of the second cable. 4. The connector of claim 3, wherein the body portion further comprises an urging portion structurally configured to urge the first and second conductors of the respective first and second cables into electrical contact with the first and second connection portions. 5. The connector of claim 1, wherein the alien crosstalk mitigation portion comprises a conductive material configured to provide the mitigated level of alien crosstalk. 6. The connector of claim 1, wherein the body portion comprises a non-conductive material configured to protect the alien crosstalk mitigation portion from electrical contact. 7. The connector of claim 1, further comprising a first retaining portion and a second retaining portion structurally configured to retain the first and second cables within the connector. . A connector configured to connect cables so as to mitigate alien crosstalk, comprising: a body portion comprising a first body portion and a second body portion; an alien crosstalk mitigation portion configured to provide a shield to the cables from alien crosstalk; wherein the first body portion comprises a cover portion that is configured to be selectively removed from the second body portion to expose the second body portion for connection of the cables to the second body portion; wherein the second body portion comprises receiving portions configured to receive conductors of a first cable and conductors of a second cable; wherein the alien crosstalk mitigation portion comprises a first shield portion and a second shield portion; wherein the second shield portion is structurally configured to be attached to the first shield portion; wherein the second shield portion comprises a first shield connection portion structurally configured to electrically connect to a first cable shield portion of the first cable and a second shield connection portion structurally configured to electrically connect to a second cable shield portion of the second cable; wherein the first shield portion is structurally configured to electrically connect with the first and second cable shield portions when the first body portion and the first shield portion are connected to the second body portion; and wherein the alien crosstalk mitigation portion is structurally configured to electrically connect with the first and second cable shield portions so as to mitigate alien crosstalk by 3 dB or more to the conductors of the cables from a cabling system. 9. The connector of claim 8, wherein the first shield portion is structurally configured to fit within an opening portion in the first body portion and to be attached to the first body portion. 10. The connector of claim 8, wherein the first shield portion is structurally configured to be removed from the second shield portion with the first body portion when the first body portion is removed from the second body portion. 11. The connector of claim 8, wherein the body portion comprises a plastic material configured to reduce a weight of the connector. 12. The connector of claim 8, wherein the body portion further comprises a first connection portion structurally configured to electrically connect a first conductor of the first cable to a first conductor of the second cable and a second connection portion structurally configured to connect a second conductor of the first cable to a second conductor of the second cable. 13. The connector of claim 12, wherein the body portion further comprises an urging portion structurally configured to urge the first and second conductors of the respective first and second cables into electrical contact with the first and second connection portions. 14. The connector of claim 8, wherein the alien crosstalk mitigation portion comprises a conductive material configured to provide the enhanced level of alien crosstalk. 15. The connector of claim 8, wherein the body portion comprises a non-conductive material configured to protect the alien crosstalk mitigation portion from electrical contact. 16. The connector of claim 8, further comprising a first retaining portion and a second retaining portion structurally configured to retain the first and second cables within the connector. 17. A connector configured to connect cables so as to mitigate alien crosstalk, comprising: a body portion; an alien crosstalk mitigation portion configured to provide a shield to the cables from alien crosstalk; wherein the alien crosstalk mitigation portion comprises a first shield connection portion structurally configured to electrically connect to a first cable shield portion of the first cable and a second shield connection portion structurally configured to electrically connect to a second cable shield portion of the second cable; wherein the alien crosstalk mitigation portion is structurally configured to electrically connect with the first and second cable shield portions; and wherein the alien crosstalk mitigation portion is structurally configured to electrically connect with the first and second cable shield portions so as to mitigate alien crosstalk by 3 dB or more to the conductors of the cables from a cabling system. 18. The connector of claim 17, wherein the alien crosstalk mitigation portion is structurally configured to fit within an opening portion in the body portion and to be attached to the body portion. 19. The connector of claim 17, wherein the body portion comprises a plastic material configured to reduce a weight of the connector. 20. The connector of claim 19, wherein the body portion further comprises a first connection portion structurally configured to electrically connect a first conductor of the first cable to a first conductor of the second cable and a second connection portion structurally configured to connect a second conductor of the first cable to a second conductor of the second cable. 21. The connector of claim 19, wherein the body portion further comprises an urging portion structurally configured to urge the first and second conductors of the respective first and second cables into electrical contact with the first and second connection portions. 22. The connector of claim 17, wherein the alien crosstalk mitigation portion comprises a conductive material configured to provide the mitigation in alien crosstalk. 23. The connector of claim 17, wherein the body portion comprises a non-conductive material configured to protect the alien crosstalk mitigation portion from electrical contact.

Description

CABLE CONNECTOR DEVICE THAT IS CONFIGURED TO MITIGATE ALIEN 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 cables that provides enhanced alien cross talk performance. BACKGROUND [0003] Traditionally, connectors such as 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, such as via Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) which may result in improper balance and excessive alien 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 of the cables being connected. The terminal block connector 100 typically has a plastic body 102, receiving portions 104 for receiving the conductors of the cables to be connected, metallic plates 106, a bar 108 and screws 110. After inserting conductors of the cables 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 electrical connection between the conductors of the cables and the bar. In some embodiments, 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 may be connected to its own terminal block connector 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 (although non-colored or otherwise colored terminal block connectors could be used). In a typical deployment, the terminal block connectors may be placed or mounted directly adjacent to one another in a row as illustrated in Fig. 2. As such, the gray terminal block connector (if present) would typically be placed either to the left or right of the two data terminal block connectors 204, 208. [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). The conductors may also receive alien crosstalk from other components in a cabling system of which the cables are a part. [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 and alien crosstalk will deteriorate the cabling system’s ability to transmit data signals. [0009] It may therefore be desirable to provide a terminal block connector that provides a balanced level of crosstalk. For example, it may be desirable to provide a connector having an alien crosstalk mitigation portion that is structurally configured to electrically connect with the first and second cable shield portions of first and second cables so as to provide an enhanced level of alien crosstalk of 3 dB or more to the conductors of the cables from a cabling system. SUMMARY [0010] According to embodiments of the disclosure, a connector is configured to connect cables so