Button contacts for liquid nitrogen applications

The development of a prototype high-density connector and cabling technique for use in a liquid nitrogen environment is discussed. The so-called fuzz button and flexible printed cables were selected as the best choice for a hardware combination that must remain compliant at very low temperatures. Test hardware used to make comparison tests at room temperature (298 K) and in liquid nitrogen (77 K) are described. The development of a cable-to-board clamping system that functions in liquid nitrogen is described. Test results for both temperatures and temperature-humidity testing of the button/cable pairs are discussed. General observations on this connector system for applications in liquid nitrogen are given. Work with other interposer types is discussed.<>