Update!
So I received the prototype PCBs last Tuesday which was kind of a bummer as I had a few days off the week prior. I will have to do a revision of the board as I messed up the connector footprint. Note to self, print your pcb layout to scale and triple check everything.
Nevertheless not all was bad! The connector itself sits fantastically in the STV board and it's really compact. Check out the pics below, I have added a few comments.
If you checked the 3D render I have added some time ago this should be familiar. The build quality is great, I was really impressed about it.
Backside view with a profile of the connector. This is the solder side. I messed up the footprint; the spacing in the middle through holes is wrong in the perpendicular direction. To add insult to injury I have also messed up the staggered pattern so I couldn't MacGyver a test unit. Oh well...
Internal connections are fine though! Slightly high resistance in the (internal) traces between the connector and through holes but that was expected. It's measuring a loss of 2 mV and around 2 Ohm resistance. Not too much of a concern but I will test the next prototype thoroughly to ensure that signal integrity.
The edge connector is spot on though, the alignment is perfect.
... and of course, it fits the board perfectly:
I did a quick check and there were no shorts and had good strong signals on my logic probe (didn't feel like grabbing the scope).
Oh, and it's really tiny about the same size as a cartridge:
I will keep everyone posted once I revise the current board and get the new prototype. Oh! One last thing... The fit is really good and it probably won't need extra support but I will check that my guesstimate is correct in the next version.
See you guys soon!