I am trying to minimize space usage for an enclosure that holds 48 boards with a RJ45 connector for Ethernet communication on each board. The boards work well with 10BASE-T (2 pairs) connection to a 48 port 10/100 Ethernet switch, faster is not really needed.
I am thinking of replacing the RJ45 with a much smaller connector, or with simple gold fingers and have an edge connector going on top – in best case even a backplane that connects to multiple boards at the same time (other end would still be 48 port Ethernet switch though for the time being).
Would this work or do you have other recommendations?
(objective is shaving off the height of the stacked boards, keep noise at minimum, and avoid connecting one by one if possible)
Best Answer
In theory, you could get a custom cable to go from RJ45 to anything you want. Samtec has some great connectors. The only thing that (supposedly) matters is the pairs being twisted to prevent crosstalk between the pairs. However, if your cabling is very short, it might not matter as much, especially for 10BaseT. You can probably use an old-school 0.1 pitch connector for that.