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High-Density PCB Connectors

Published Date
Author Cadence PCB Solutions

Key Takeaways

  • High-density PCB designs are focused on downsizing board dimensions by using high-current-density interconnects and high-power-rated components. 

  • The merging of signal, power, and grounding pins into a single pinout in high-density PCB connectors is used to increase the signal count handled by them so that space can be saved in the PCB. 

  • High-density PCB connectors are available with different stack heights, pitches, mounting technology, etc. 

Usually, high-density PCB connectors are designed for high current density, high power density, and high-frequency operation

 Usually, high-density PCB connectors are designed for high current density, high power density, and high-frequency operation

The electronics industry is invested in miniaturizing boards. The market demands miniaturized boards showcasing high performance, high efficiency, and reliability. There are various ways in which miniaturization can be achieved, such as using ICs instead of subcircuits, stacking PCBs, etc.

Among the techniques of miniaturization, high-density interconnect (HDI) PCBs or high-density PCBs are very popular. The high-density PCBs are designed to withstand high currents per unit area. For establishing interconnections, say board-to-board or wire-to-board, high-density PCB connectors are used in HDI PCBs. Usually, high-density PCB connectors are designed for high current density, high power density, and high-frequency operation.

Let’s find out more about high-density PCB connectors in this article. 

High-Density PCB Connectors

High-density PCB connectors are designed especially for high-density PCB designs. High-density PCB designs are focused on downsizing board dimensions by using high-current-density interconnects and high-power-rated components. High-density PCB connectors also match with current and power requirements of the high-density board designs. As many PCB connectors do, high-density PCB connectors establish electrical interconnections between PCBs or to any external system (which can be a component or another PCB).

High-density PCB connectors find applications in limited-space electronic circuits such as medical devices, communication systems, computers, automotive electronic boards, industrial electronics, etc.

High-Density PCB Connector Pinouts

There are different types of PCB connectors available, such as board-to-board connectors, wire-to-wire connectors, board-to-wire connectors, etc. High-density PCB connectors are also available in all the above-mentioned categories. However, the difference is that high-density connectors try to merge all the signals, power, and ground connections into a single pinout. The approach is to increase the signal count handled by high-density PCB connectors so that space can be saved in the PCB.

High-density PCB connectors possess a higher number of pins per unit area. In most cases, the land pattern of high-density PCB connectors looks like a ball-grid array due to the pin density. 

High-Density PCB Connector Characteristics

Compared to conventional PCB connectors, high-density PCB connectors are different in their own characteristics.  Some of the characteristics include:

  1. Compact size 
  2. Increased contact points within a unit area or limited space compared to conventional PCB connectors
  3. With increased pin count, high-density PCB connectors transmit multiple signals or power within a small footprint

Advantages of High-Density PCB Connectors

Some of the advantages of high-density PCB connectors are:

  1. They help in optimizing package miniaturization. Higher pin count, smaller footprint, and a low profile are some of the characteristics of high-density PCB connectors that enable package miniaturization. 
  2. High-density PCB connectors offer electrical as well as mechanical robustness. 
  3. The high-density PCB connectors offer design flexibility with their availability in different configurations, orientations, etc. 
  4. The high-density PCB connectors are available with different stack heights, pitches, mounting technology, etc. 

High-Density PCB Connector Types

High-Density PCB Connector Types

Backplane connectors

For high-density PCBs handling increased data rates, backplane connectors are the best. They offer an increased data rate along with decreased signal rise. The backplane connectors are very reliable for high-speed signal transmission and offer great clarity. They are available as co-planar, right-angle, and mezzanine connectors. Usually, backplane high-density PCB connectors are used for connecting multiple PCBs.

Board-to-board connector

The high-density board-to-board connectors are engineered to enable signal transmission between two PCBs. The board-to-board connectors are high-performance connectors even in the harshest conditions.

Memory card connectors

Consumer electronics demand a miniaturized design with memory card requirements. SD card connectors are fixed in all these consumer electronic boards and provide high-speed data transfer rates. The contact reliability increase can be availed with spherical contact point type memory card connectors. The mounting configurations (top or bottom type) with different packaging options makes the memory card connectors easy to use on high-density boards.

While selecting high-density PCB connectors, the factors to be considered are:

  1. Contact or pin count
  2. Distance between adjacent pins or pitch
  3. Current rating 
  4. Voltage rating
  5. Signal integrity requirements
  6. Compatibility with board design
  7. Reliability 
  8. Environmental conditions

Cadence OrCAD can help you in designing PCB boards with different types of PCB connectors. Leading electronics providers rely on Cadence products to optimize power, space, and energy needs for a wide variety of market applications. If you’re looking to learn more about our innovative solutions, talk to our team of experts or subscribe to our YouTube channel.