What type of connector for differential signal

[KD494]

Hey all,

Wasn't sure what category this would fall under but here we go. I'm designing a PCB that will be in two places in my system. I need to bring an LVDS clock signal from one PCB to the other through a 50Ohm cable. Now if I were using LVCMOS or some other type of ground referenced clock signal I would choose SMA or MCX or something of that sort. My question is, could I just use these same types of connectors and have one of the signals on the outer casing where the ground usually is or is there something specially designed for this situation?

Thanks!

 

[D.A.(Tony)Stewart]

It depends on your clock rate and allowed jitter and distance.
Dual stripline to RJ45 to Cat5 thru Cat7.
Balanced Differential offers the best SNR with good common mode rejection.

 

[KD494]

The clock rate is about 80MHz, distance is probably in the area of 1 meter, and I don't think added jitter should be too big a problem since we'll be buffering the signal again on the receiving end. I'll definitely look into all your suggestions but if one of them stands out for my application I'd love to hear your opinion.

 

[KlausST]

Hi,

For a 80MHz signal the connector will not be that problematic. Use a shielded twisted pair cable with the correct wave impedance.
And most important use a terminating resistor at the receiving end of the cable.
Either use a driver with built in termination resistors at the transmitting side of the cable, or use two resistors, one in each line, in series, but half the value of wave impedance.

Klaus