US-20260128548-A1 - LOOP BACK CONNECTORS AND BACKPLANE SYSTEMS

US20260128548A1US 20260128548 A1US20260128548 A1US 20260128548A1US-20260128548-A1

Abstract

Loop back connectors and storage backplane systems are described. An example connector includes a connector housing, a row of terminal conductors positioned within the connector housing, and a circuit board including a main connector tab positioned within the connector housing and a loop back connector tab that extends outside of the connector housing. The connector can also include a data cable with conductors coupled to contact pads on the circuit board in one example. In another example, the connector can include a data cable with conductors directly coupled to terminal conductors among the row of terminal conductors. An example storage system includes a backplane circuit board, a support shroud positioned over an aperture through the backplane circuit board, a card edge connector adjacent to the support shroud, and a loop back connector positioned within the support shroud with a loop back connector tab mated with the card edge connector.

Inventors

Alan Crighton
Marx G. Succes, JR.

Assignees

MOLEX, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251009

Claims (20)

1 . A connector, comprising: a connector housing; a row of terminal conductors positioned within the connector housing; and a circuit board comprising a main connector tab positioned within the connector housing and a loop back connector tab that extends outside of the connector housing.
2 . The connector of claim 1 , further comprising: a data cable with conductors coupled to contact pads on the circuit board and the row of terminal conductors; and an overmold housing molded over at least a portion of the data cable and over at least a portion of the circuit board.
3 . The connector of claim 1 , further comprising: a data cable with conductors directly coupled to terminal conductors among the row of terminal conductors; and an overmold housing molded over at least a portion of the data cable and over at least a portion of the circuit board.
4 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein: the circuit board further comprises a row of terminal contact pads positioned on the main connector tab; and the row of terminal contact pads comprises a group of loop back contact pads and a group of bypass contact pads.
5 . The connector of claim 4 , wherein: a first group of terminal conductors among the row of terminal conductors is coupled to the group of loop back contact pads; and a second group of terminal conductors among the row of terminal conductors is coupled to the group of bypass contact pads.
6 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein: the circuit board further comprises a first group of loop back contact pads on the main connector tab and a second group of loop back contact pads on the loop back connector tab; and contact pads among the first group of loop back contact pads are electrically coupled to corresponding contact pads among the second group of loop back contact pads by conductive traces of the circuit board.
7 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein: the circuit board further comprises a first group of bypass contact pads on the main connector tab and a second group of bypass contact pads; and contact pads among the first group of bypass contact pads are electrically coupled to corresponding contact pads among the second group of bypass contact pads by conductive traces of the circuit board.
8 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the circuit board comprises a row of terminal contact pads positioned on the main connector tab and coupled to the row of terminal conductors in the connector housing, a group of bypass contact pads positioned on the circuit board, and a group of loop back contact pads positioned on the loop back connector tab.
9 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein: the main connector tab of the circuit board comprises a group of loop back contact pads; a first group of terminal conductors among the row of terminal conductors is coupled to the group of loop back contact pads; and a second group of terminal conductors among the row of terminal conductors is directly coupled to conductors of a bypass data cable.
10 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein a centerline of the loop back connector tab is offset from and parallel to a centerline of the connector housing.
11 . A connector, comprising: a connector housing comprising a row of terminal conductors; a circuit board comprising a main connector tab positioned within the connector housing; a data cable with conductors coupled to the row of terminal conductors; and an overmold housing molded over at least a portion of the data cable and over at least a portion of the circuit board, wherein the circuit board further comprises a loop back connector tab that extends outside of the overmold housing.
12 . The connector of claim 11 , wherein the conductors of the data cable are coupled to contact pads on the circuit board and the row of terminal conductors.
13 . The connector of claim 11 , wherein the conductors of the data cable are directly coupled to terminal conductors among the row of terminal conductors.
14 . The connector of claim 11 , wherein: the circuit board further comprises a row of terminal contact pads positioned on the main connector tab; and the row of terminal contact pads comprises a group of loop back contact pads and a group of bypass contact pads.
15 . The connector of claim 14 , wherein: a first group of terminal conductors among the row of terminal conductors is coupled to the group of loop back contact pads; and a second group of terminal conductors among the row of terminal conductors is coupled to the group of bypass contact pads.
16 . A storage system, comprising: a backplane circuit board comprising a connector aperture formed through the backplane circuit board from a first side to a second side; a support shroud positioned on the backplane circuit board and over the connector aperture; a card edge connector coupled to the backplane circuit board at a location adjacent to the support shroud; and a loop back connector positioned in part within the support shroud and comprising a loop back connector tab mated with the card edge connector.
17 . The storage system of claim 16 , wherein: the support shroud comprises a slot formed in a sidewall of the support shroud; the loop back connector comprises a circuit board; and the circuit board of the loop back connector extends into the slot of the support shroud when the loop back connector tab is mated with the card edge connector.
18 . The storage system of claim 16 , wherein the loop back connector further comprises a connector housing that extends through the connector aperture and past the second side of the backplane circuit board when the loop back connector tab is mated with the card edge connector.
19 . The storage system of claim 16 , wherein the support shroud comprises a spring-based interlock arm that secures the loop back connector in the support shroud.
20 . The storage system of claim 16 , wherein the loop back connector further comprises: a connector housing; a row of terminal conductors positioned within the connector housing; and a circuit board comprising a main connector tab positioned within the connector housing and the loop back connector tab that extends outside of the connector housing.

Description

BACKGROUND A range of input/output (I/O) connectors are designed for power, data, and power and data interconnect systems, including board-to-board, wire-to-wire, and wire-to-board systems. A variety of designs exist for each type of system, depending on the requirements of the power and data communications environment in which the connectors are used. As one example, a wire-to-board system includes a free-end connector attached to a wire and a fixed-end connector attached to a board. It can be challenging to design interconnection system connectors, particularly for high data rate applications, due to a number of competing concerns. High data rate interconnection systems often rely upon differentially coupled conductor pairs to transmit a differential signal. The signal being transmitted is embodied by the electrical difference measured between the conductor pair. Differential signaling can be helpful to avoid spurious signals and crosstalk and avoid inadvertent signaling modes among adjacent signal pairs. In connector interfaces, ground or drain terminals can be relied upon to create a return path to electrical ground, provide shielding between differential pairs, and for other purposes. Connectors used in high data rate applications are typically designed to meet a range of mechanical and electrical requirements. High data rate connectors are often used in backplane applications, as one example, that require very high conductor density and data rates. To achieve the desired mechanical and electrical requirements, the connectors used in such applications often incorporate one or more wafer assemblies, among other components. It is still challenging, in any case, to design connectors having the conductor density and size needed for high data rate applications in new systems, while also maintaining the desired electrical characteristics for the transmission of data with integrity. SUMMARY Loop back connectors and storage backplane systems are described. An example connector includes a connector housing, a row of terminal conductors positioned within the connector housing, and a circuit board including a main connector tab positioned within the connector housing and a loop back connector tab that extends outside of the connector housing. The connector can also include a data cable with conductors coupled to contact pads on the circuit board in one example. In another example, the connector can include a data cable with conductors directly coupled to terminal conductors among the row of terminal conductors. An example storage system includes a backplane circuit board, a support shroud positioned over an aperture through the backplane circuit board, a card edge connector adjacent to the support shroud, and a loop back connector positioned within the support shroud with a loop back connector tab mated with the card edge connector. In some aspects, the circuit board includes loop back contact pads and bypass contact pads coupled to corresponding loop back terminal conductors and bypass terminal conductors in the row of terminal conductors. The loop back contact pads are electrically coupled to corresponding loop back contact pads positioned on the card edge connector tab. The bypass contact pads are electrically coupled to corresponding bypass contact pads positioned on the circuit board. In some cases, the connector also includes a data cable coupled to the row of terminal conductors. The data cable is coupled to the corresponding bypass contact pads on the circuit board and coupled to the row of terminal conductors by way of the circuit board in some examples. In other cases, the data cable is directly coupled to terminal conductors in the row of terminal conductors. In another example, a storage system includes a backplane circuit board having a connector aperture formed through the backplane circuit board from a first side to a second side of the backplane circuit board. The storage system further includes a support shroud and a card edge connector that are each coupled to the backplane circuit board. The support shroud includes a support frame that is aligned with the connector aperture. The card edge connector is coupled to the backplane circuit board at a location adjacent to the support frame. In some examples, the connector is positioned within the support frame with the connector housing extending through the connector aperture and past the second side of the backplane circuit board. The card edge connector tab of the connector is positioned outside of the connector, outside of the support frame, and within the card edge connector in these examples. The loop back terminal conductors in the connector housing, the loop back contact pads on the circuit board, and the card edge connector coupled to the backplane circuit board can be used together in one example to communicate at least one of relatively low-speed differential data signals, power signals, sideband signals, or other signals. For instance, the