Board-to-board stacking connectors support up to 16 GT/s

TE Connectivity (TE) has introduced a new generation of free height computer-on-module (COM) connectors in a 0.5-mm centerline to address vertical, parallel board-to-board connections that require high-speed data transmission and different stacking heights. These new board-to-board stacking connectors are compliant with the COM Express Type 7 specification and can be compatible with the PCIe Gen 4 protocol.

These stacking connectors can be an economic upgrade solution by keeping the same footprint as other COM standard interconnects, said TE Connectivity, eliminating the need for customers to change printed-circuit-board footprints.

Designed for higher speed applications, these connectors can support up to 16 giga transmission per second (GT/s), which doubles the performance of the previous COM connectors. They also offer flexible options with 5-mm and 8-mm stacking heights and 220 and 440 pin configurations.

The connectors feature an improved mechanical design that reduces mating and unmating force by about 30% compared to previous generations, for easier operation. In addition, they offer improved signal integrity, said the company, with low insertion loss, return loss, PSNEXT, and PSFEXT, whether using both new receptables and plugs or mating new receptables with older plugs.

These COM stacking connectors can connect CPUs to carrier boards in a wide range of applications. These include health-care devices, industrial machinery, test & measurement and telecommunication equipment.