Abstract: Electrical connector includes a housing, signal contacts, and ground shields. The signal contacts are coupled to the housing and positioned for mating with mating signal contacts of a mating connector. The ground shields are coupled to the housing and at least partially surround the signal contacts to shield the signal contacts. The ground shields are plated with a ground-material composition along one or more contact segments of the ground shields that come into compression engagement with one or more other conductive members. The ground-material composition includes a tin-nickel (Sn/Ni) alloy plating layer. The signal contacts are plated with a signal-material composition that is different than the ground-material composition.

Abstract: An electrical cable includes a conductor assembly having a first conductor, a second conductor, a first insulator surrounding the first conductor and a second insulator surrounding the second conductor. The first insulator has a first thickness between the first conductor and an outer surface. The second insulator has a second thickness between the second conductor and an outer surface. The first thickness is greater than the second thickness. A cable shield is wrapped around the conductor assembly and engages the outer surface of the first insulator along a first segment and engaging the outer surface of the second insulator along a second segment. The cable shield has an inner edge and a flap covering the inner edge. The cable shield forms a void at the inner edge located closer to the first conductor than the second conductor.

Abstract: Electrical contact includes a base portion and a mating portion having a leading end of the electrical contact. The mating portion includes a contact finger coupled to the base portion and extends between the base portion and the leading end. The contact finger has an engagement surface that is shaped to define a primary contact zone. The electrical contact also includes a resonance-control protrusion shaped to define a stub-contact zone. The stub-contact zone is positioned at the base portion or between the base portion and the primary contact zone. The primary contact zone and the stub-contact zone are configured to engage another contact. The stub-contact zone is configured to impede electrical resonance along a stub portion of the other contact.

Abstract: A circuit card assembly includes an electrical connector having a housing mounted to a PCB. The housing has a mounting end and a mating end extending between a front and a rear. The housing has a cavity at the mating end configured to receive a second electrical connector. The housing holds deflectable contacts having spring beams at the mating end having mating interfaces. The circuit card assembly includes a contact actuator in the cavity engaging the spring beams and moving the spring beams between compressed positions and released positions. The mating interfaces of the spring beams are spaced apart from the second electrical connector in the compressed positions and are configured to engage and electrically connect with the second electrical connector in the released positions.

Abstract: A contact module includes a dielectric holder holding signal contacts having mating portions extending forward of the dielectric holder. A shield structure is coupled to the dielectric holder providing electrical shielding for the signal contacts. The shield structure has first and second ground shields having corresponding mating portions extending forward of the mating end of the dielectric holder. The shield structure has ground blades extending between the first and second ground shields having mating portions extending forward of the mating end of the dielectric holder at least one of above or below the mating portions of the signal contacts. The ground blades electrically connect the mating portions of the first ground shield and the mating portions of the second ground shield immediately forward of the mating end of dielectric holder.

Abstract: An electrical connector for a circuit card assembly includes a receptacle housing and a mating housing movable relative to the receptacle housing in a connector mating direction. The electrical connector includes contact modules each having a leadframe having signal contacts with a mating conductor, a mounting conductor and a flexible conductor between the mating conductor and the mounting conductor. Each contact module includes an inner dielectric body and an outer dielectric body separate and discrete from the inner dielectric body. The flexible conductors extend between the inner and outer dielectric bodies to allow relative movement of the inner dielectric body in the connector mating direction relative to the outer dielectric body.

Abstract: A communication system includes a receptacle connector assembly and a pluggable module. The receptacle connector assembly includes a receptacle cage and a communication connector received in the receptacle cage and mounted to a host circuit board. The communication connector includes a connector housing holding contacts and extending between a front and a rear with a bottom of the connector housing mounted to the host circuit board and a longitudinal card slot open at a top of the connector housing. The pluggable module is received in the module channel in a loading direction and includes a module body and a plug board having a mating edge. The plug board is held in the module body in a vertical orientation with the mating edge at a bottom of the plug board being received in the card slot with the contact pads electrically coupled to corresponding contacts of the communication connector.

Abstract: A communication system includes a first circuit card assembly having a first PCB and a first electrical connector with first contacts and a second circuit card assembly having a second PCB and a second electrical connector with second contacts. At least one of the PCBs include a slot configured to receive the other PCB when mated in a board mating direction. The first electrical connector is mated to the second electrical connector in a connector mating direction perpendicular to the board mating direction. The first contacts are mated to the second contacts in a contact mating direction as the first PCB and the second PCB are mated in the board mating direction and as the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are mated in the connector mating direction. The contact mating direction is non-parallel to the board mating axis and non-parallel to the connector mating axis.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly includes an electrical connector having a mating end and a mounting end mounted to a PCB. The electrical connector assembly includes an airflow fairing extending rearward from the electrical connector. The airflow fairing has a front end and a rear end. The airflow fairing has a curved profile between the front end and the rear end having a front cross-sectional area at the front end and a rear cross-sectional area at the rear end less than the front cross-sectional area.

Abstract: An electrical cable includes a conductor assembly having a first conductor, a second conductor and an insulator surrounding the first conductor and the second conductor. The insulator has an outer surface. The conductor assembly extends along a longitudinal axis for a length of the electrical cable. The first conductor has a first core and a first conductive layer on the first core. The second conductor has a second core and a second conductive layer on the second core. The first and second cores are dielectric. The electrical cable includes a cable shield around the conductor assembly engaging the outer surface of the insulator and providing electrical shielding for the first and second conductors. The cable shield extends along the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A communication system includes a first circuit card assembly having a first PCB including a first slot and a first electrical connector mounted to the first PCB along the first slot and having a first mating end. The communication system includes a second circuit card assembly having a second PCB and a second electrical connector mounted to the second PCB and having a second mating end. The first and second circuit card assemblies are mated along a board mating axis parallel to the first slot with the first PCB oriented perpendicular to the second PCB. The first and second mating ends are oriented parallel to the board mating axis. The second PCB is received in the first slot to align the second mating end with the first mating end.

Abstract: An electrical cable includes a conductor assembly having a first conductor, a second conductor and an insulator surrounding the first conductor and the second conductor. The insulator has an outer surface and extends along a longitudinal axis for a length of the electrical cable. The conductor assembly has a coating layer on the outer surface of the insulator being conductive defining an inner electrical shield of the electrical cable. A cable shield is wrapped around the conductor assembly and has an inner edge and an outer edge. The outer edge is wrapped over the inner edge to form a flap covering the inner edge and extending along the longitudinal axis. The cable shield engages the inner electrical shield and forms an outer electrical shield exterior of the inner electrical shield.

Abstract: A contact module includes a dielectric holder holding signal contacts having mating portions extending forward of the dielectric holder. A shield structure is coupled to the dielectric holder providing electrical shielding for the signal contacts. The shield structure has first and second ground shields having corresponding mating portions extending forward of the mating end of the dielectric holder. The shield structure has ground blades extending between the first and second ground shields having mating portions extending forward of the mating end of the dielectric holder at least one of above or below the mating portions of the signal contacts. The ground blades electrically connect the mating portions of the first ground shield and the mating portions of the second ground shield immediately forward of the mating end of dielectric holder.

Abstract: An electrical connector for a circuit card assembly including a PCB includes a mating housing having a mating end movable relative to the PCB and contact modules coupled to the mating housing including signal contacts having a mating conductor, a mounting conductor and a flexible conductor. The flexible conductor is flexible to allow relative movement of the mating conductor relative to the mounting conductor. The flexible conductor has a bent portion changing shape. The contact modules have ground contacts providing electrical shielding for the signal contacts. The ground contacts include covers extending along and providing shielding along at least one side of the bent portion of the corresponding signal contact.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a plurality of contact modules and ground shields. The ground shields are interleaved with the contact modules within a housing, such that the ground shields alternate with the contact modules. The contact modules include multiple electrical signal conductors held by a dielectric body of the respective contact module. Each of the ground shields includes a plate that defines a bridge slot therethrough and a ground bridge extending from the plate. The ground bridge extends from the plate at a location that is spaced apart from the bridge slot. The ground bridges of the ground shields extend laterally across corresponding contact modules. Distal tips of the ground bridges are received within the bridge slots of adjacent ground shields disposed along opposite sides of the corresponding contact modules, and the distal tips engage edges of the bridge slots to electrically connect the ground shields together.

Abstract: A communication system includes a first circuit card assembly having a first PCB including a first slot and a first electrical connector mounted to the first PCB along the first slot and having a first mating end. The communication system includes a second circuit card assembly having a second PCB and a second electrical connector mounted to the second PCB and having a second mating end. The first and second circuit card assemblies are mated along a board mating axis parallel to the first slot with the first PCB oriented perpendicular to the second PCB. The first and second mating ends are oriented parallel to the board mating axis. The second PCB is received in the first slot to align the second mating end with the first mating end.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a plurality of contact modules and ground shields. The ground shields are interleaved with the contact modules within a housing, such that the ground shields alternate with the contact modules. The contact modules include multiple electrical signal conductors held by a dielectric body of the respective contact module. Each of the ground shields includes a plate that defines a bridge slot therethrough and a ground bridge extending from the plate. The ground bridge extends from the plate at a location that is spaced apart from the bridge slot. The ground bridges of the ground shields extend laterally across corresponding contact modules. Distal tips of the ground bridges are received within the bridge slots of adjacent ground shields disposed along opposite sides of the corresponding contact modules, and the distal tips engage edges of the bridge slots to electrically connect the ground shields together.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing and a plurality of signal conductors held within the housing. The housing includes a mating shroud protruding forward from a front wall of the housing and defining a port that receives a mating circuit card therein. Each of the signal conductors includes a mating contact disposed within the mating shroud and a mounting contact that projects beyond a bottom end of the housing to electrically connect to a circuit board. The mounting contacts are located within a termination area of the electrical connector. The housing defines a nesting cavity extending rearward from the front wall along the bottom end. The nesting cavity is disposed between the mating shroud and the termination area along a longitudinal axis of the electrical connector. The nesting cavity is configured to accommodate a discrete, second connector that is mounted to the circuit board.

Abstract: An electrical cable includes a conductor assembly having a first conductor, a second conductor and an insulator surrounding the first conductor and the second conductor. The conductor assembly extends along a longitudinal axis for a length of the electrical cable, along a lateral axis bisecting the first and second conductors, and along a transverse axis centered between the first and second conductors. The longitudinal axis, the lateral axis and the transverse axis are mutually perpendicular axes. The insulator has an outer surface. A cable shield is wrapped around the core having an inner edge and a flap covering the inner edge. The cable shield forms a void at the inner edge. The cable shield engages the outer surface entirely circumferentially around the insulator except at the void. The void is aligned with the transverse axis.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing and a plurality of conductors held within the housing. The conductors are configured to electrically connect to mating conductors of a mating connector. The conductors each extend a length between a mating end and a mounting end of the respective conductor. One or more of the conductors include a copper alloy core, a copper plating layer, and a protective outer layer. The copper plating layer surrounds the copper alloy core, and is composed of a different material than the copper alloy core. The protective outer layer is disposed on and surrounds the copper plating layer. The protective outer layer is composed of a non-conductive polymeric material.