Multistage capacitive crosstalk compensation arrangement

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing crosstalk compensation in a jack are disclosed. According to one method, the crosstalk compensation is adapted to compensate for undesired crosstalk generated at a capacitive coupling located at a plug inserted within the jack. The method includes positioning a first capacitive coupling a first time delay away from the capacitive coupling of the plug, the first capacitive coupling having a greater magnitude and an opposite polarity as compared to the capacitive coupling of the plug. The method also includes positioning a second capacitive coupling at a second time delay from the first capacitive coupling, the second time delay corresponding to an average time delay that optimizes near end crosstalk. The second capacitive coupling has generally the same overall magnitude but an opposite polarity as compared to the first capacitive coupling, and includes two capacitive elements spaced at different time delays from the first capacitive coupling.

1 . A telecommunications jack for use in a twisted pair system, the jack comprising:
 a housing defining a port for receiving a plug;   a plurality of contact springs adapted to make electrical contact with the plug when the plug is inserted into the port of the housing, the contact springs including a middle spring pair, a split spring pair that straddles the middle spring pair and end spring pairs positioned on opposite sides of the split spring pair;   a plurality of wire termination contacts for terminating wires to the jack;   a circuit board including conductive tracks that electrically connect the contact springs to the wire termination contacts; and   a crosstalk compensation arrangement that provides crosstalk compensation at the telecommunications jack, the crosstalk compensation arrangement including a first compensation zone having an asymmetric capacitive coupling between a first wire pair and a second wire pair and a second compensation zone with a polarity opposite the polarity of the first compensation zone which also has an asymmetric capacitive coupling between the first wire pair and the second wire pair, wherein the first compensation zone includes at least one set of opposing capacitive plates that provide capacitive coupling between the first wire pair and the second wire pair;   wherein the first wire pair corresponds to the split spring pair of the contact springs and the second wire pair corresponds to one of the end spring pairs of the contact springs.   
     
     
         2 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 1 , wherein the crosstalk compensation arrangement includes two zones of compensation between a third wire pair and one of the first and second wire pairs, and wherein at least one of the two zones of compensation between the third wire pair and one of the first and second wire pairs has asymmetric capacitive coupling. 
     
     
         3 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 1 , wherein the asymmetric capacitive coupling of the second compensation zone is only between one conductive path of the first wire pair and one conductive path of the second wire pair. 
     
     
         4 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 3 , wherein conductive paths between which the asymmetric coupling of the second compensation zone is applied correspond to non-adjacent contact springs of the split spring pair and the end spring pair. 
     
     
         5 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 1 , wherein the crosstalk compensation arrangement includes a third compensation zone having the same polarity as the first compensation zone, the third compensation zone having an asymmetric capacitive coupling between the first wire pair and the second wire pair. 
     
     
         6 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 5 , wherein the asymmetric capacitive coupling of the third compensation zone is only between one of the wires of the first wire pair and one of the wires of the second wire pair. 
     
     
         7 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 1 , wherein the crosstalk compensation arrangement includes a third compensation zone having the same polarity as the first compensation zone, the third compensation zone having an asymmetric coupling between the first wire pair and the second wire pair, wherein the asymmetric capacitive coupling of the second compensation zone is only between one of the wires of the first wire pair and one of the wires of the second wire pair, and wherein the asymmetric capacitive coupling of the third compensation zone is only between one of the wires of the first wire pair and one of the wires of the second wire pair. 
     
     
         8 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 3 , wherein the conductive paths between which the asymmetric coupling of the second compensation zone is applied correspond to non-adjacent contact springs of the split spring pair and the end spring pair. 
     
     
         9 . A telecommunications jack for use in a twisted pair system, the jack including a plurality of pairs of signal paths that extend through the jack, the jack comprising:
 a housing defining a port for receiving a plug;   a plurality of contact springs adapted to make electrical contact with the plug when the plug is inserted into the port of the housing, the contact springs including a middle spring pair, a split spring pair that straddles the middle spring pair and end spring pairs positioned on opposite sides of the split spring pair;   a plurality of wire termination contacts for terminating wires to the jack;   a circuit hoard including conductive tracks that electrically connect the contact springs to the wire termination contacts;   the plurality of pairs of signal paths including a first pair of signal paths corresponding to the split spring pair and a second pair of signal paths corresponding to one of the end spring pairs;   a crosstalk compensation arrangement that provides crosstalk compensation at the telecommunications jack, the crosstalk compensation arrangement including:   a first asymmetric compensation zone including asymmetric first and second capacitive couplings applied between the first and second pairs of signal paths, wherein the asymmetric first and second capacitive couplings of the first compensation zone have a first polarity, and wherein the first capacitive coupling is applied between two of the signal paths of the first and second pairs of signal paths and the second capacitive coupling is applied between a different two of the signal paths of the first and second pairs of signal paths;   a second asymmetric compensation zone including a third capacitive coupling applied between two of the signal paths—of the signal paths of the first and second signal paths and not including a capacitive coupling between a remaining two of the signal paths of the first and second pairs of signal paths, the third capacitive coupling having a second polarity opposite the first polarity of the asymmetric first and second capacitive couplings of the first compensation zone;   a third asymmetric compensation zone including a fourth capacitive coupling applied between two of the signal paths of the first and second pairs of signal paths and not including a capacitive coupling between a remaining two of the signal paths of the first and second pairs of signal paths, the fourth capacitive coupling having a third polarity that matches the first polarity of the asymmetric first and second capacitive couplings of the first compensation zone; and   wherein the con tact springs, the conductive tracks and the wire termination contacts form at least portions of the signal paths.   
     
     
         10 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first and second capacitive couplings includes a pair of opposing capacitive plates. 
     
     
         11 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second capacitive couplings includes at least one capacitive plate. 
     
     
         12 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 9 , wherein the third and fourth capacitive couplings each include at least one capacitor member located at a conductive layer of the circuit board. 
     
     
         13 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 9 , wherein the fourth capacitive coupling is introduced to the signal paths at a location closer to the wire termination contacts than to the contact springs. 
     
     
         14 . A telecommunications jack for use in a twisted pair system, the jack including a plurality of pairs of signal paths that extend through the jack, the jack comprising:
 a housing defining a port for receiving a plug;   a plurality of contact springs adapted to make electrical contact with the plug when the plug is inserted into the port of the housing, the contact springs including a middle spring pair, a split spring pair that straddles the middle spring pair and end spring pairs positioned on opposite sides of the split spring pair;   a plurality of wire termination contacts for terminating wires to the jack;   a circuit board including conductive tracks that electrically connect the contact springs to the wire termination contacts;   the plurality of pairs of signal paths including a first pair of signal paths corresponding to a first one of the spring pairs and a second pair of signal paths corresponding to a second one of the spring pairs;   a crosstalk compensation arrangement that provides crosstalk compensation at the telecommunications jack, the crosstalk compensation arrangement including:   a first asymmetric compensation zone including asymmetric first and second capacitive couplings applied between the first and second pairs of signal paths, wherein the asymmetric first and second capacitive couplings of the first compensation zone have a first polarity, wherein the first capacitive coupling is applied between two of the signal paths of the first and second pairs of signal paths and the second capacitive coupling is applied between a different two of the signal paths of the first and second pairs of signal paths, and wherein at least one of the first and second capacitive couplings includes opposing capacitor plates;   a second asymmetric compensation zone including a third capacitive coupling applied between the two of the signal paths of the first and second pairs of signal paths, the third capacitive coupling having a second polarity opposite the first polarity of the asymmetric first and second capacitive couplings of the first compensation zone; and   wherein the contact springs, the conductive tracks and the wire termination contacts form at least portions of the signal paths.   
     
     
         15 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 14 , wherein the first one of the spring pairs includes the split spring pair and the second one of the spring pairs includes one of the end spring pairs. 
     
     
         16 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 14 , wherein the crosstalk compensation arrangement includes two additional zones of compensation between one of the first and second pairs of signal paths and a third pair of signal paths corresponding to a third one of the spring pairs, and wherein at least one of the two additional zones has asymmetric capacitive coupling. 
     
     
         17 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 15 , wherein the second asymmetric compensation zone is totally unbalanced. 
     
     
         18 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 17 , wherein the asymmetric coupling of the asymmetric second compensation zone is applied to the signal paths of the first and second pairs of signal paths that correspond to non-adjacent contact springs of the split spring pair and the end spring pair. 
     
     
         19 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 14 , wherein the crosstalk compensation arrangement includes a third compensation zone having the same polarity as the first compensation zone, the third compensation zone haying an asymmetric capacitive coupling between two of the signal paths of the first and second pairs of signal paths. 
     
     
         20 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 19 , wherein the asymmetric capacitive coupling of the third compensation zone is totally unbalanced. 
     
     
         21 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 15 , wherein the crosstalk compensation arrangement includes a third compensation zone having the carne polarity as the first compensation zone, the third compensation zone having an asymmetric coupling between the two of the signal paths of the first and second pairs of signal paths, wherein the asymmetric capacitive coupling of the second compensation zone is totally unbalanced, and wherein the asymmetric capacitive coupling of the third compensation zone is totally unbalanced. 
     
     
         22 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 21 , wherein the asymmetric coupling of the second compensation zone is applied to the signal paths of the first and second pairs of signal paths that correspond to non-adjacent contact springs of the split spring pair and the end spring pair. 
     
     
         23 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second capacitive couplings each include opposing capacitor plates. 
     
     
         24 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 23 , wherein the third capacitive coupling includes opposing capacitor plates. 
     
     
         25 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 24 , wherein the second asymmetric compensation zone is totally unbalanced. 
     
     
         26 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 15 , wherein the first and second capacitive couplings each include opposing capacitor plates. 
     
     
         27 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 26 , wherein the third capacitive coupling includes opposing capacitor plates. 
     
     
         28 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 27 , wherein the second asymmetric compensation zone is totally unbalanced. 
     
     
         29 . A telecommunications jack for use in a twisted pair system, the jack including a plurality of pairs of signal paths that extend through the jack, the jack comprising:
 a housing defining a port for receiving a plug;   a plurality of contact springs adapted to make electrical contact with the plug when the plug is inserted into the port of the housing, the contact springs including a middle spring pair, a split spring pair that straddles the middle spring pair and end spring pairs positioned on opposite sides of the split spring pair;   a plurality of wire termination contacts for terminating wires to the jack;   a circuit board including conductive tracks that electrically connect the contact springs to the wire termination contacts;   the plurality of pairs of signal paths including a first pair of signal paths corresponding to a first one of the spring pairs and a second pair of signal paths corresponding to a second one of the spring pairs;   a crosstalk compensation arrangement that provides crosstalk compensation at the telecommunications jack, the crosstalk compensation arrangement including:   a first compensation zone including at least a first capacitive coupling applied between the first and second pairs of signal paths, wherein the first coupling of the first compensation zone has a first polarity;   a second compensation zone including at least a second capacitive coupling applied between the first and second pairs of signal paths, the second capacitive coupling having a second polarity opposite the first polarity of the first capacitive coupling of the first compensation zone; and   wherein each of the first and second compensation zones is asymmetric, wherein each of the first and second capacitive couplings includes a pair of opposing capacitor plates, and wherein the contact springs, the conductive tracks and the wire termination contacts form at least portions of the signal paths.   
     
     
         30 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 29 , wherein the first one of the spring pairs includes the split spring pair and the second one of the spring pairs includes one of the end spring pairs. 
     
     
         31 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 30 , wherein the first and second asymmetric compensation zones are each totally unbalanced. 
     
     
         32 . The telecommunications jack of  claim 29 , wherein the first and second asymmetric compensation zones are each totally unbalanced.