INTERCONNECTION SYSTEM FOR OPTICAL CIRCUIT BOARDS

An interconnection system is shown that enables an optical circuit board [30 0] having a number of optical devices [400, 500] to be easily connected to and disconnected from a backplane [100]. The optical devices are positioned alon g a side edge [311] of a substrate [310] and are adapted to interconnect with a like number of optical connectors [200] that are arrayed on the backplane in a row or colum n. Each optical plug is held in a holder [120], which is retained in backplane [100] by a clip [110]. Each of the optical connectors is a plug that includes a ferrule [24] , which encloses an optical fiber and projects from one end of the plug. Each of the edge-mounted optical devices includes a jack receptacle [410, 510] at its front end and h as a cavity [401, 501] that is shaped to receive the optical plug. All of the jac k receptacles are similarly shaped. Each cavity further includes a boss [421, 521] for receiving the ferrule. The plugs and jack receptacles are arranged to engage, but not interlock with, each other. The optical devices include two or more downward-extending pins [430, 530] that are received in corresponding holes [334, 335] in the substrate board for accurate positioning. Illustratively, optical device [400] includes a jack receptacle in its front-end portion [410] and its back-end portion [420]; whereas optical device [500] includes a jack receptacle in its front-end portion [510] and one or more transducers [550], for converting between electrical and optical signals, in its back-end portion [520].