SOLDER-LESS PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD EDGE CONNECTOR HAVING A COMMON GROUND CONTACT FOR A PLURALITY OF TRANSMISSION LINES

摘要

A solder-less printed circuit board edge connector (10) translates construction and impedance characteristics associated with a coaxial cable (20) to construction and impedance characteristics associated with a micro-strip transmission line formed on a printed circuit board (22). The solder-less printed circuit board edge connector (10) comprises a first edge connector (16), a second edge connector (16), and a "C-shaped" ground contact (30). The first edge connector (16) receives a first coaxial cable (20) having a first signal potential and a first ground potential, and has a first slot formed therein having the first ground potential. The second edge connector (16) receives a second coaxial cable (20) having a second signal potential and a second ground potential. The second edge connector (16) has a second slot formed therein having the second ground potential. The "C-shaped" ground contact (30) is electrically and mechanically coupled to the first slot having the first ground potential and the second slot having the second ground potential. The "C-shaped" ground contact (30) has multiple "V-shaped" spring members (32) for contacting multiple ground contacts (28) on a printed circuit board (22, 24) when the printed circuit board (22, 24) is positioned in the first slot and the second slot. Multiple "C-shaped" ground contacts (30) may be electrically and mechanically coupled together using an extension member (52), integrally formed as a unitary unit with the multiple "C-shaped" ground contacts (30). The extension member (52) has a notch (54) formed therein to permit the extension member (52) to bypass a signal contact (38) carrying the second signal potential.