Automotive Gigabit Ethernet Press-Fit Header Design and Performance

As the demand for Gigabit Automotive Ethernet based on single unshielded twisted pair continues to increase, there is a need to expand the market to include robust automotive grade solderless technology. The new Automotive Ethernet solution features Automotive press fit contacts that can both handle the harsh environments of the application and be applied to the PCB without the need for a soldering process. The solution at hand performs up to 1Gbps speeds without the need for current product plastic header housing redesign, which makes the solution compatible with its through-hole counterpart. Other advantages of a solderless solution include the increase in the amount of materials that can suit the application once the temperature requirements of the system decrease. Also, the smaller diameter PCB vias required for press fit applications and lack of variability in solder amounts, yield a connector whose differential impedance is better matched and can potentially achieve higher data rates. This paper explores the design advantages of switching to a solderless approach for twisted pair ethernet as well as the challenges of using existing terminals that were not designed specifically for high-speed data connectors, performance data to support the claims, and optimization suggestions to increase connector performance.