High-density zero insertion force microcoaxial cable interconnection technology

A novel high-density zero-insertion-force microcoaxial cable interconnection method has been developed. The system consists of a microferrule to connect to the served shield wires of each coaxial cable, a modular microstrip style coaxial cable to PWB (printed wiring board) connector with compliant pin technology, a variable geometry PWB separable interface contact distribution, and a fine-pitch interposer contact array to serve as the separable interface. This system has been designed with manufacturing as a key design objective and can be semiautomated with careful attention to detail. Contact density is currently 91 contacts per square inch, including provisions for mounting hardware and support structures. A major advantage of this interconnection approach is that it provides a versatile format for custom cable interconnection platforms to meet individual customer requirements for pin counts and signal/ground ratios.<>