TE Connectivity — Stacking Connectors: Things to Consider When Selecting a Mezzanine Connector

Things to Consider When Selecting a Mezzanine Connector

1. Determine a range of stack heights that will meet the application requirements.
2. Determine the minimum number of signals that must pass between the two printed circuit boards (PCBs) with consideration for power and ground.
3. Determine how much space is available for the connectors with consideration for its location. Will a traditional two-row connector fit or will a ‘grid’ (many rows) style product work best in the application? The largest pitch that will fit is typically chosen, as larger pitch connectors tend to be more rugged and easier to process.
4. Determine the preferred method of attachment. Ball-Grid Array (BGA) products are a variant of surface mount that give connector manufacturers greater co-planarity tolerance than typical surface mount leads. Other types of attachments are solder thru-hole and press-fit thru-hole.
5. Determine the connector type, open pin field or controlled impedance, that will best fit the application. Open pin field connectors typically do not have any pre-determined grounds and are usually used in lower speed applications. TE Connectivity does offer several open pin field connectors that have very good electrical performance characteristics.