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Solderless SMP Spring Loaded Connectors for High-speed Applications

Overview:

Currently the market is dominated by a select few competitors that offer a multi-piece solution that uses shrouds that are soldered to printed circuit boards (PCBs) and mated with a single in-line coax (referred to as a Bullet). The problems with the current solution offered include:

  • Cost of ownership – Assembly is a soldered solution which requires expensive processes to manage and install connectors on PCBs.
  • Ease of assembly – Competitors' products snap together with 2-4 lbs. of force. When installing PCB’s together, depending on the number of coaxes, it can take hundreds of pounds of force to mate the connectors
  • Ease of rework – Competitors' solution requires tooling to demate the connectors and PCB damage occurs frequently.

Smiths Interconnect has designed a one-piece, spring loaded, double-ended coax that meets the stack-height of most SMP’s and is a solder-less solution. The design addresses all the problems that the competitive solutions have. Validation shows that it will perform as well or better than the competitors’ products.

Key Takeaways:

  • Explore how solder-less SMPs are easy to implement and have a lower cost of ownership than 3-piece bullet-style SMPs.
  • Learn how Interposers address power and digital signaling needs.
  • Discover how EZiCoax contacts require less than 5 oz.  (18 Newtons) to install.
  • Examine how EZiCoax can absorb tolerance misalignment in the X, Y and Z direction.

Presenters

  • Kevin DeFord

    Product Line Manager, Interposers & Backplane

    Kevin has over 25 years of experience in test and development of high-speed interconnects and manages the Spring Probe Interposer and VPX Backplane product lines for Smiths Interconnect. His experience in Test & Measurement and his product knowledge are key to the development of solutions for some of the most challenging applications. Kevin graduated from Devry University in Kansas City, Missouri with a degree in Technical Management and holds a degree in electronics.

  • Kyle Gobble

    Product Line Manager

    Kyle Gobble started over 4 years ago as a mechanical design engineer at Smiths Interconnect developing our LightCONEX active-optical backplane connectors and is currently editor of the newly published VITA 66.5 Optical Interconnects on VPX standard. His involvement in VITA standards, VPX and other open architecture standards are key to providing innovative solutions for next generation systems. Gobble graduated from the University of North Florida with a degree in mechanical engineering.