Fiber optic circuit connector

Abstract

A circuit board uses both electrical and optical connectors to carry signals in both electrical and light form. The optical connector employs redundant alignment features to provide for reliable connectivity between plug in boards and the electro-optic back plane. A process is of forming the back plane and other multilevel circuit boards so as to embed optical connectors is disclosed.

1 . A circuit board, comprising: 
 a plurality of layers;    an optical fiber embedded within the layers; and    a right angle interface body connected to the optical fiber and embedded within the layers, the right angle interface body has one or more first optical paths and one or more second optical paths, each of the first optical paths being optically coupled to a corresponding second optical path, wherein the first optical paths are disposed in a first plane and the one or more second optical paths are disposed in a second plane, the first and second planes being at substantially a right angle with respect to one another.    
   
   
       2 . The circuit board of  claim 1 , further comprising a protective covering on a top surface of the right angle interface body covering the first optical paths.  
   
   
       3 . The circuit board of  claim 2 , wherein the protective covering is a copper tape.  
   
   
       4 . The circuit board of  claim 1 , further comprising a registration plate having at least one alignment hole, and wherein the right angle interface body further comprises at least one anchor member extending downwardly from a bottom side of the right angle interface body and received in the alignment hole of the registration plate.  
   
   
       5 . The circuit board of  claim 1 , further comprising an outer copper foil layered on as a top layer.  
   
   
       6 . The circuit board of  claim 1 , wherein the right angle interface body has a tapered sidewall.