PCIe Gen 4.0 164-Pin SMT Connector with Grounding — No Strain-Relief Rib

Part numbers: BR16402E5K1CR (15µ" gold) / BR16402G5K1CR (30µ" gold) — manufactured by CONSHARE

If you are routing a PCIe Gen 4 x16 link onto a board where every square millimeter is already spoken for, the connector should not be the part that forces you to compromise. The BR16402 series is a 164-pin SMT card-edge connector with grounding built into the body and no strain-relief rib — two details that sound minor and change real things: a tighter footprint, a defined signal return path at the mating interface, and one less component fighting your placement. This page explains the design choices, the two plating options, and the assembly details that actually matter when the part lands on your board.

Three design decisions, and what they do for your board

SMT instead of press-fit

SMT means the connector reflows in the same pass as the rest of your surface-mount components. No press-fit tooling, no separate insertion step, and — more useful than it sounds during prototype-to-production swings — a misaligned part can be reworked instead of scrapping the whole board. For riser cards, add-in card slots, and other mid-volume Gen 4 builds, that flexibility usually wins over the field-replaceability argument for press-fit.

Grounding that does not rely on luck

At 16 GT/s per lane, signal quality is decided by the return path as much as by the trace itself. The BR16402 routes grounding through the connector body, giving you a defined low-impedance return path at the mating interface instead of hoping the chassis picks up the slack. In practice that means cleaner eye diagrams and less margin eaten by EMI at the slot — exactly where Gen 4 links tend to get noisy.

No strain-relief rib — deliberate, not a cost cut

Removing the rib makes the connector body narrower, frees up keep-out space around the slot, and avoids clearance fights with adjacent components during reflow. It also feeds more smoothly from the reel on a placement machine. The trade-off: there is no rib to absorb mechanical pull on the housing. If your application subjects the slot to real force, secure it with a latch or screw — which most motherboard and riser designs do anyway. For the majority of Gen 4 applications the connector carries no mechanical load at all, so the no-rib version is a net win.

15µ" or 30µ" gold — pick by how the part gets used

Plating thickness is the one spec on this connector that changes price, so choose it based on the environment and the insertion cycles the slot will see — not on habit.

For most commercial Gen 4 equipment, 15µ" is enough: the card is installed once and rarely touched. Choose 30µ" when the slot will be re-seated repeatedly (test fixtures, storage sleds, field-serviceable systems) or when the unit lives somewhere humid or sulfur-prone. When in doubt, start from 30µ" — the connector is the last part you want to swap after the board is in the field.

Where this connector earns its keep

The combination of SMT mounting and a compact no-rib body maps onto a specific set of boards:

• GPU and AI accelerator riser cards — tight card-edge spacing, high lane counts, and no room for bulky housings.

• Server motherboards and storage controllers — where every slot matters and grounding discipline pays off at higher lane rates.

• NICs and networking appliances — Gen 4 links running close to margin; the integrated ground path gives you headroom.

• Test fixtures and development boards — SMT reworkability is a genuine advantage when prototypes change weekly.

If your board fits one of these categories, this is a standard, well-proven choice rather than an experiment.

Assembly notes worth reading before you place the part

• Alignment: the signal pins are fine-pitch, so placement accuracy and a first-article inspection are non-negotiable. Coplanarity matters more than it does for through-hole parts — one skewed lead becomes a cold joint you cannot see.

• Reflow: follow the solder paste supplier's profile; the connector body is large relative to its leads, so watch for temperature differences between the two ends of the part.

• Inspection: check the grounding pads and the signal joints separately under AOI — grounding connections fail differently and are easier to miss.

• Feeding: the parts come on reel, ready for automated placement; keep them in the moisture barrier bag until use.

• Mechanical security: because there is no rib, if the slot sits near a board edge or in a high-vibration area, add a screw or latch rather than relying on solder joints alone.

What ordering from CONSHARE means in practice

• Quality control: every production batch is sampled for contact resistance, insertion/withdrawal force, and coplanarity before shipment — the coplanarity check is the one that protects you from reflow rework.

• Delivery: standard part numbers carry short lead times, and sample or small-batch orders are supported for evaluation builds. Ask your CONSHARE contact for current lead times.

• Customization: plating grade, packaging, part marking, and non-standard variants can be discussed per project.

• Compliance: RoHS and REACH compliance with test reports available on request.

FAQ

Can this connector carry PCIe Gen 5 signals?

It is rated and characterized for Gen 4. Gen 5 tightens the channel budget significantly, so verify with a full signal-integrity simulation — or ask CONSHARE whether a Gen 5-ready variant is available before you commit the layout.

What really changes between 15µ" and 30µ" gold?

Wear life. Gold thickness determines how many insertions the contact survives before base metal exposure. More cycles and harsher environments justify 30µ"; a card installed once does not.

Can I drop this into a footprint designed for the ribbed version?

No. The housing outline and grounding layout differ, so the PCB footprint and keep-out must follow the no-rib version's drawing. They are not drop-in interchangeable.

Does SMT mean I can skip press-fit tooling entirely?

Yes — the part reflows with your normal SMT line. Just respect the pad design and coplanarity requirements and it behaves like any fine-pitch SMT component.

What is the minimum order?

Samples and small evaluation quantities are supported. Contact CONSHARE for quantities, pricing, and lead time on the plating grade you need.

Ordering information

Other variants in the BR16402 family are available — contact CONSHARE for the full matrix, samples, drawings, or a lead-time quote.

Product Documentation