Abstract: A high speed electrical connector is disclosed. The electrical connector includes a plug portion and a receptacle portion. The plug portion has a first plurality of signal contacts contained in a plug back housing. The receptacle portion is adapted to mate with plug portion and has a second plurality of signal contacts in a receptacle back housing. The plug back housing is adapted to contain the first plurality of signal contacts for both surface mount and thru-hole termination and the receptacle back housing is adapted to contain the second plurality of signal contacts for both surface mount and thru-hole termination.

Abstract: A modular board to board mezzanine ball grid array BGA connector includes a plug, a receptacle and if needed an adapter. The plug and the receptacle can be made form the same base pieces to accommodate different stack heights. If a greater stack height is needed, spacers can be used in the plug and the receptacle to accommodates a greater selected stack height. The plug and the receptacle both include a base having an interstitial diamond recesses in which the solder balls are disposed and in which one end of a contact is inserted. The plug may further include a plug cover that can be connected to the base, and the receptacle may include a receptacle cover that fits over its base. The plug can have a plug contact assembly, and the receptacle can have a receptacle contact assembly. The plug and the receptacle can be mated by mating the plug cover to the receptacle cover and the receptacle contacts to the plug contacts.