Search

US-12621934-B2 - Electronic circuit device having closed-core inductors in side-by-side relation and associated methods

US12621934B2US 12621934 B2US12621934 B2US 12621934B2US-12621934-B2

Abstract

An electronic circuit device may include a main circuit board having an inductor assembly mounting area thereon, and an inductor assembly coupled to the main circuit board adjacent the inductor assembly mounting area. The inductor assembly may include an inductor assembly circuit board with an inductor assembly circuit board though-opening therein, and closed-core inductors coupled to the inductor assembly circuit board in side-by-side relation and having lower portions extending into the inductor assembly circuit board though-opening.

Inventors

  • Mark D. White
  • BEN WILLISTEIN
  • Joseph D. MAJKOWSKI
  • Barrett Bartell
  • John Russell

Assignees

  • HARRIS GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20240228

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . An electronic circuit device comprising: a main circuit board having an inductor assembly mounting area thereon; an inductor assembly coupled to the main circuit board adjacent the inductor assembly mounting area, the inductor assembly comprising an inductor assembly circuit board having an inductor assembly circuit board through-opening therein, and a plurality of closed-core inductors coupled to the inductor assembly circuit board in side-by-side relation and having lower portions extending into the inductor assembly circuit board though-opening.
  2. 2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each closed-core inductor comprises a toroidally-shaped core and a winding associated therewith.
  3. 3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the inductor assembly circuit board comprises: an assembly dielectric layer having a lower side adjacent the main circuit board and an upper side opposite the lower side; a lower set of contact areas on the lower side of the assembly dielectric layer; an upper set of contact areas on the upper side of the assembly dielectric layer and coupled to the plurality of closed-core inductors; and a set of interconnecting traces extending between the lower and upper sets of contact areas.
  4. 4 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the set of interconnecting traces comprises a plurality of castellated vias.
  5. 5 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the main circuit board comprises a main dielectric layer and a third set of contact areas on an upper side thereof coupled to the lower set of contact areas.
  6. 6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each closed-core inductor has a medial opening therein; and wherein the inductor assembly comprises an elongate member having opposing ends coupled to the inductor assembly circuit board and extending through the medial openings of the plurality of closed-core inductors.
  7. 7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the elongate member comprises a conductive material coupled to a circuit ground.
  8. 8 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the inductor assembly comprises a respective spacer between adjacent ones of the plurality of closed-core inductors.
  9. 9 . The electronic device of claim 1 , comprising: a chassis connector coupled to an end of the main circuit board; and another circuit board positioned opposing the main circuit board and coupled to the chassis connector.
  10. 10 . An electronic circuit device comprising: a circuit board having a through-opening therein; a plurality of inductors, the inductors having a closed-core, the inductors coupled to the circuit board in side-by-side relation and having a portion of the cores extending into the through-opening; and the circuit board having conductive traces for each inductor.
  11. 11 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein each closed-core inductor comprises a toroidally-shaped core and a winding associated therewith.
  12. 12 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the circuit board comprises: an assembly dielectric layer having a lower side and an upper side opposite the lower side; a lower set of contact areas on the lower side of the assembly dielectric layer; an upper set of contact areas on the upper side of the assembly dielectric layer and coupled to the plurality of closed-core inductors; and a set of interconnecting conductive traces extending between the lower and upper sets of contact areas.
  13. 13 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the conductive traces comprise a plurality of castellated vias.
  14. 14 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein each closed-core inductor has a medial opening therein; and comprising an elongate member having opposing ends coupled to the circuit board and extending through the medial openings of the plurality of closed-core inductors.
  15. 15 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the elongate member comprises a conductive material configured to be coupled to a circuit ground.
  16. 16 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein a respective spacer is positioned between adjacent ones of the plurality of closed-core inductors.
  17. 17 . A method of making an inductor assembly to be coupled to a main circuit board adjacent an inductor assembly mounting area thereof, the method comprising: forming an inductor assembly circuit board having an inductor assembly circuit board through-opening therein; and coupling a plurality of closed-core inductors to the inductor assembly circuit board in side-by-side relation and having lower portions extending into the inductor assembly circuit board through-opening.
  18. 18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein each closed-core inductor comprises a toroidally-shaped core and a winding associated therewith.
  19. 19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein forming the inductor assembly circuit board comprises: forming a lower set of contact areas on a lower side of an assembly dielectric layer; forming an upper set of contact areas on an upper side of the assembly dielectric layer and coupled to the plurality of closed-core inductors; and forming a set of interconnecting traces extending between the lower and upper sets of contact areas.
  20. 20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein forming the set of interconnecting traces comprises forming a plurality of castellated vias.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of electronic circuit devices, and more particularly, to an electronic circuit device having an inductor assembly coupled to a circuit board and related methods. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many modern electronic circuit devices may require high quality factor (high-Q) components, such as inductors that have low energy loss and high performance in filters and oscillators. For example, a direct Radio Frequency (RF) sampling receiver may require high-Q inductors that operate with low noise amplifiers as a filter before the RF analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) that directly digitizes the RF signal. Many other electronic circuit devices may also use high-Q inductors. In most cases, these inductors are difficult to mount because of the limited space on a printed circuit board. The high-Q inductors may also be associated with a Virtual Path Cross-Connect (VPX) card having limited height and width, and thus, limited board space for mounting the inductors. Additionally, with some printed circuit board designs, the circuit board header and package tolerances limit the area on which high-Q inductors can be placed. Many surface-mounted closed-core inductors employ printed circuit board carriers, but even with these improved packaging techniques, surface-mounted closed-core inductors require a relatively large printed circuit board area, especially when a large array of inductors are used for circuit performance. When larger arrays of multiple inductors are placed on a printed circuit board, there is often unused space between them, which is inefficient and unnecessary. Thus, in many electronic circuit device designs, there is a limit to the density that high-Q inductors can achieve on a printed circuit board, and this limit is usually a mechanical issue, and not an electrical issue. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In general, an electronic circuit device may comprise a main circuit board having an inductor assembly mounting area thereon. An inductor assembly may be coupled to the main circuit board adjacent the inductor assembly mounting area. The inductor assembly may comprise an inductor assembly circuit board having an inductor assembly circuit board through-opening therein, and a plurality of closed-core inductors coupled to the inductor assembly circuit board in side-by-side relation and having lower portions extending into the inductor assembly circuit board through-opening. Each closed-core inductor may comprise a toroidally-shaped core and a winding associated therewith, for example. The inductor assembly circuit board may comprise an assembly dielectric layer having a lower side adjacent the main circuit board and an upper side opposite the lower side, a lower set of contact areas on the lower side of the assembly dielectric layer, and an upper set of contact areas on the upper side of the assembly dielectric layer and coupled to the plurality of closed-core inductors. A set of interconnecting traces may extend between the lower and upper sets of contact areas. The set of interconnecting traces may comprise a plurality of castellated vias, in some embodiments. The main circuit board may comprise a main dielectric layer and a set of contact areas on an upper side thereof coupled to the lower set of contact areas. Each closed-core inductor may have a medial opening therein. The inductor assembly may comprise an elongate member having opposing ends coupled to the inductor assembly circuit board and extending through the medial openings of the plurality of closed-core inductors. The elongate member may comprise a conductive material and may be coupled to a circuit ground. The inductor assembly may comprise a respective spacer between adjacent ones of the plurality of closed-core inductors. A chassis connector may be coupled to an end of the main circuit board, and another circuit board may be positioned opposing the main circuit board and coupled to the chassis connector. Another aspect is directed to a method of making an inductor assembly to be coupled to a main circuit board adjacent an inductor assembly mounting area thereof. The method may comprise forming an inductor assembly circuit board having an inductor assembly circuit board through-opening therein, and coupling a plurality of closed-core inductors to the inductor assembly circuit board in side-by-side relation and having lower portions extending into the inductor assembly circuit board through-opening. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention which follows, when considered in light of the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a plan view of an electronic circuit device having an inductor assembly coupled to a main circuit board according to the invention. FIG. 2 is a top isometric view of the inductor assembly coupled to the main circuit board shown in a partial cu