Abstract: An electrical connector assembly includes a housing having a mating interface configured to be mated with a hermaphroditic mating electrical connector assembly. The housing includes an electrically conductive commoning member having contact openings. Wafer assemblies are coupled to the housing each having a leadframe, a wafer body holding the leadframe, and a ground frame providing electrical shielding for the leadframe. The signal contacts are terminated to cables. The ground shields are electrically connected to the commoning member. The mating ends of the signal contacts and the ground shields form a hermaphroditic mating interface for mating with the hermaphroditic mating electrical connector assembly.

Abstract: A printed circuit board includes a layered substrate having a plurality of layers having an electrical connector footprint configured to receive an electrical connector. The printed circuit board includes pair anti-pads passing through the layered substrate around pairs of signal vias. The printed circuit board includes ground vias passing through the layered substrate. The ground vias are configured to receive ground pins of the electrical connector. The ground vias are located outside of the pair anti-pads. The printed circuit board includes SI vias passing through the layered substrate. The SI vias form an SI fence surrounding the corresponding pair anti-pad.

Abstract: A contact module includes a leadframe having signal contacts arranged in pairs. Each signal contact includes a lead having sides extending between inner and outer edges. The contact module includes a dielectric frame supporting the leadframe having a first side and a second side with windows extending through the dielectric frame between the first side and the second side. The windows exposing to air the sides, the inner edges and the outer edges of the corresponding leads along a majority of lengths of the leads. The contact module includes a shield structure having a first ground shield at the first side and a second ground shield at the second side to provide electrical shielding for the signal contacts.

Abstract: A contact module includes a leadframe having signal contacts arranged in pairs. Each signal contact includes a lead having sides extending between inner and outer edges. The contact module includes a dielectric frame supporting the leadframe having a first side and a second side with windows extending through the dielectric frame between the first side and the second side. The windows exposing to air the sides, the inner edges and the outer edges of the corresponding leads along a majority of lengths of the leads. The contact module includes a shield structure having a first ground shield at the first side and a second ground shield at the second side to provide electrical shielding for the signal contacts.

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: 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 includes a housing and plural contact modules stacked adjacent to each other and held by the housing. Each contact module includes a contact array, a dielectric holder, and lossy blocks. The contact array includes signal contacts and ground contacts arranged in alternating pairs along a length of a column. The dielectric holder surrounds and engages the signal and ground contacts along intermediate segments thereof to secure the signal and ground contacts in place. The lossy blocks are mounted to the intermediate segments of the ground contacts within the dielectric holder. Each lossy block is associated with a corresponding pair of ground contacts and engages at least one of the ground contacts in the pair. The lossy blocks are composed of a lossy material that has a greater loss tangent than a low loss material that forms the dielectric holder.

Abstract: Electrical connector includes a connector body having a front side configured to engage a mating connector and a mounting side configured to engage an electrical component. The electrical connector also includes a conductor array including a plurality of signal conductors and a plurality of ground conductors that extend through the connector body. The plurality of signal conductors includes adjacent signal conductors and the plurality of ground conductors include first and second ground conductors that are positioned between the adjacent signal conductors. The first and second ground conductors are separated from each other by a physical gap. The electrical connector also includes first and second resonance-control elements attached to the first and second ground conductors, respectively, within the gap between grounds. The first and second resonance-control elements are spaced from each other and include at least one of an electrically-lossy or magnetically-lossy material.

Abstract: Electrical connector includes a connector body having a front side configured to engage a mating connector and a mounting side configured to engage an electrical component. The electrical connector also includes a conductor array including a plurality of signal conductors and a plurality of ground conductors that extend through the connector body. The plurality of signal conductors includes adjacent signal conductors and the plurality of ground conductors include first and second ground conductors that are positioned between the adjacent signal conductors. The first and second ground conductors are separated from each other by a physical gap. The electrical connector also includes first and second resonance-control elements attached to the first and second ground conductors, respectively, within the gap between grounds. The first and second resonance-control elements are spaced from each other and include at least one of an electrically-lossy or magnetically-lossy material.

Abstract: Electrical connector including a connector housing having a front side that faces along a mating axis and contact passages that open to the front side. The contact passages are configured to receive corresponding ground shields of a system connector during a mating operation. The electrical connector also includes signal contacts that are coupled to the connector housing and configured to engage corresponding contacts of the system connector. The electrical connector also includes a grounding lattice that is held by the connector housing. The grounding lattice includes a support frame and lattice springs that are interconnected by the support frame. The support frame extends generally transverse to the mating axis. The lattice springs are positioned to engage the ground shields of the system connector as the ground shields are inserted into the corresponding contact passages of the connector housing.

Abstract: Electrical connector including a connector housing having a front side that faces along a mating axis and contact passages that open to the front side. The contact passages are configured to receive corresponding ground shields of a system connector during a mating operation. The electrical connector also includes signal contacts that are coupled to the connector housing and configured to engage corresponding contacts of the system connector. The electrical connector also includes a grounding lattice that is held by the connector housing. The grounding lattice includes a support frame and lattice springs that are interconnected by the support frame. The support frame extends generally transverse to the mating axis. The lattice springs are positioned to engage the ground shields of the system connector as the ground shields are inserted into the corresponding contact passages of the connector housing.