CIRCUIT BOARD(S) EMPLOYING OPTICAL INTERFACES OPTICALLY CONNECTED TO SURFACE-ACCESSIBLE, PLANAR-SHAPED, INTER-BOARD OPTICAL FIBER TRACES, AND RELATED CONNECTORS, ASSEMBLIES, AND METHODS

摘要

Circuit boards employing optical interfaces optically connected to surface-accessible, planar-shaped inter-board optical fiber traces, and related connectors, assemblies, and methods are disclosed. The circuit boards include inter-board optical fiber traces optically connected to optical components interfacing optical signals to electronic signal components in the circuit board. Providing inter-board optical fiber traces protects the optical fiber traces from the environment. To optically interface to the inter-board optical fiber traces, planar-shaped end portions of the inter-board optical fiber traces are provided surface accessible on the circuit board. In this manner, optical interfaces can be optically connected to planar-shaped, end portions of the inter-board optical fibers traces to establish optical connections. As an example, by the end portions of inter-board optical fiber traces being planar-shaped, the end portions of the inter-board optical fiber traces can be liquid displacing during assembly to avoid or reduce optical attenuation from liquid contamination.