Patent ID: 8950954
Filing Date: 2015-02-10
Classification: G02B,H04B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An optical communications system comprising: a motherboard printed circuit board (PCB) having at least upper and lower surfaces that are generally parallel to one another; at least a first edge card connector mounted on the upper surface of the motherboard PCB, the first edge card connector having at least first and second side walls that face one another and that are separated from one another by an air gap that forms a slot in the edge card connector, the edge card connector having electrical contacts disposed on at least one of the first and second side walls inside of the slot; at least a first parallel optical communications module (POCM) comprising a first module PCB having at least first and second parallel optical communications sub-modules (POCSMs) mounted thereon and electrically interconnected with the module PCB, a lower side edge of the first module PCB having electrical contacts thereon and being disposed within the slot of the first edge card connector such that the electrical contacts disposed on the lower side edge of the first module PCB are in contact with the electrical contacts of the first edge card connector, the lower side edge of the first module PCB is parallel to the upper surface of the motherboard PCB, and a plane of the first module PCB is oriented perpendicular to the upper surface of the motherboard, wherein the first and second POCSMs are mounted at an angle between zero and 90 degrees with respect to the lower side edge of the first module PCB; and a first metal housing that substantially surrounds the first POCM, a wall of the first metal housing having an opening formed therein through which ends of at least first and second optical fiber ribbon cables pass in an orientation stacked together and substantially perpendicular to the wall, the first and second optical fiber ribbon cables curving in an arcuate shape within the housing between an orientation substantially perpendicular to the wall and the POCSMs, the ends of the first and second optical fiber ribbon cables being oriented at the angle at which the first and second POCSMs are mounted and being connected to first and second POCSMs, respectively, the first metal housing acting as an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield for the first POCM and protecting the first module PCB and the first and second POCSMs from an environment surrounding the POCM.