Circuit board(s) employing optical interfaces optically connected to surface-accessible, planar-shaped, inter-board optical fiber traces, and related connectors, assemblies, and methods

摘要

Circuit boards employing optical interfaces optically connected to surface-accessible, planar-shaped inter-board optical fiber traces, and related connectors, assemblies, and methods are disclosed. The circuit boards include inter-board optical fiber traces optically connected to optical components interfacing optical signals to electronic signal components in the circuit board. Providing inter-board optical fiber traces protects the optical fiber traces from the environment. To optically interface to the inter-board optical fiber traces, planar-shaped end portions of the inter-board optical fiber traces are provided surface accessible on the circuit board. In this manner, optical interfaces can be optically connected to planar-shaped, end portions of the inter-board optical fibers traces to establish optical connections. As an example, by the end portions of inter-board optical fiber traces being planar-shaped, the end portions of the inter-board optical fiber traces can be liquid displacing during assembly to avoid or reduce optical attenuation from liquid contamination.

主权项

1. A circuit board assembly, comprising:
a circuit board comprising at least one inter-board optical fiber trace having at least one planar-shaped end portion accessible through an end surface of the circuit board; and at least one optical interface disposed in a ferrule, the at least one optical interface comprising a front end portion and a rear end portion, where the front end portion comprises a lens that is accessible through a coupling face of the ferrule; the at least one optical interface of the ferrule alignably mounted on the circuit board to optically connect the rear end portion of the at least one optical interface to the at least one planar-shaped end portion of the at least one inter-board optical fiber trace of the circuit board.