Re: [Xylo-SDR] Teamspeak FPGA discussion - Have we painted ourselves into a corner? Boxed ourselves in?

[Philip Covington <p.covington@gmail.com>]

On 1/21/06, Eric Ellison <ecellison@comcast.net> wrote:

> Just for verbal clarification regarding the project enclosure: Designers
> have ONLY ONE 100 mm edge for connections to the outside world. Connections
> between boards can ONLY be done over the buss. The other three sides are
> totally blocked by the enclosure and backplane.
>
>
>
> Cecil, Bill  and I did discuss possible options for board interconnects NOT
> on the bus for RF or lvds sigs.
>
>
>
> Dip header (perhaps 10 pin) for twisted pair lvds sigs mounted recessed away
> from the front panel on the project board. Meaning they would not protrude
> through the front panel.
>
>
>
> The boards when slid into the enclosure, would be about 1/8" from the front
> face of the enclosure, allowing RG-174 or twisted pair to pass from board to
> board, along the front of the enclosure behind the aluminum front panel.

More suggestions:

1. Mounting a SMA or SMB connector so it passes through the front
panel - the interboard connections are then done outside the box. 
This would be desirable for some of the projects anyhow.

2. Specify a hole or notch location that will be in each plug in board
to allow RG-174 cable assemblies to pass through.  I prefer the notch
since it would involve unplugging a board, routing the cable through
the notch, and then plugging in the board again.

3. Use a wider case so that the plug in board only slides in one side
of the board notch in the case.  The board is constrained by the
backplane, the one side of the box and the front panel of the box. 
The top side of the plug in boards would have a certain amount of
distance from the side of the enclosure that would allow you to pass
cable from board to board.


Phil N8VB