Abstract: A shielded connector for interconnecting printed circuit boards that has a contact assembly that includes a plurality of contacts electrically connectable to the printed circuit boards, first and second guide members that separable from the contact assembly and associated with one of the printed circuit boards, and shielding that establishes electrical continuity through the connector. The contact assembly and the first and second guide members are configured to provide axial and radial float to compensate for axial and radial misalignment between the printed circuit boards.

Abstract: An electrical connector for connecting a conductor of a daughter card connector wafer with a blade in the housing of a backplane connector. The daughter card conductor has a body with two elongated beams extending outward from the body. The two elongated beams each have an outer edge and an inner edge, whereby an opening is defined between the inner edges. The backplane conductor has a body with a narrowed tab portion extending outward from said second conductor body. The narrowed tab portion having outer opposite edges and is sized so that the narrowed tab portion fits between at least a portion of the outer edges of the two elongated beams, and in some cases between at least a portion of the inner edges of the two elongated beams.

Abstract: An electrical connector module with openings in an insulative support selectively positioned to limit dielectric loss in a signal. The connector may include a first and second conductor including first and second sides between first and second edges. An insulative support holds the first conductor adjacent the second conductor and may have at least five pedestal portions, wherein the first pedestal portion contacts the first side of the first conductor, the second pedestal portion contacts the second side of the first conductor, the third pedestal portion contacts the first side of the second conductor, the fourth pedestal portion contacts the second side of the second conductor, and at least a portion of the fifth pedestal portion is disposed between two edges of the first and second conductors. The pedestal portions may have widths less than the widths of the first and second sides of the first and second conductors.

Abstract: Embodiments related to electrical connectors including superelastic components are described. The high elastic limit of superelastic materials compared to conventional connector materials may allow for designs which provide reliable connections and high frequency operation. Superelastic components also may enable connector designs with higher densities of connections. In some embodiments, a connector includes one or more superelastic elongated members forming the mating contacts of the connector. The superelastic elongated members deform within one or more conductive receptacles to generate a suitable contact force. The conductive receptacles may include a plurality of protrusions arranged to deflect the superelastic elongated members during mating. A superelastic component may also be provided in a receiving portion of a connector, and may form a portion of a conductive receptacle.

Abstract: A cable assembly comprising a termination with at least one conductive, compressible member and a conductive ground shield. The conductive, compressible member may be held within a connector module forming the termination such that the conductive compressive member is pressed against, and therefore makes electrical contact with, both an outer conductive layer of the cable and ground structures within the connector module. In some embodiments, these connections may be formed using a conductive, compressible member with an opening configured to receive the end of the cable therethrough. The conductive ground shield may be configured to compress the conductive, compressible member, and to cause the conductive, compressible member to electrically contact the cable's conductive layer. The conductive, compressible member may be formed from a compressible material and may comprise a plurality of conductive particulates configured to provide electrically conductive paths.

Abstract: A cable connector with improved performance and ease of use. The connector has staggered ports to reduce crosstalk and to prevent incorrect insertion of a plug into a receptacle. The plug may be constructed with subassemblies, each of which has a lossy central portion. Conductive members embedded within an insulative housing of the subassemblies may be used to electrically connect ground conductors within the subassemblies. Further, the connector may have a quick connect locking screw that can be engaged by pressing on the screw, but requires rotation of the screw to remove. Additionally, a ferrule may be used in making a mechanical connection between a cable bundle and a plug and making an electrical connection between a braid of the cable bundle and a conductive shell of the plug. The ferrule may be in multiple pieces for easy attachment while precluding deformation of the cable, which disrupts electrical performance.

Abstract: An interconnection system including a pluggable transceiver and a connector disposed in a cavity of a conductive cage. The pluggable transceiver may include a latching mechanism for locking to the conductive cage. The latching mechanism may include a pair of latches positioned on opposite sides of the pluggable transceiver. The latches may be spatially offset from each other along a longitudinal and/or vertical direction. Corresponding latching tabs in the conductive cage may be disposed in the same relationship, even in a ganged configuration when latching tabs for adjacent cavities are formed in a common wall between cavities. Cammed surfaces of a release mechanism, centered between latching edges of the transceiver latches may impart a latch releasing force at a central portion of the latching tab forcing the lathing tab back into the common wall, reducing rotational moment applied in prior designs, such as QSFP ganged cages.

Abstract: Embodiments related to electrical connectors including superelastic components are described. The high elastic limit of superelastic materials compared to conventional connector materials may allow for designs which provide reliable connections and high frequency operation. Superelastic components also may enable connector designs with higher densities of connections. In some embodiments, a connector includes one or more superelastic elongated members forming the mating contacts of the connector. The superelastic elongated members deform within one or more conductive receptacles to generate a suitable contact force. The conductive receptacles may include a plurality of protrusions arranged to deflect the superelastic elongated members during mating. A superelastic component may also be provided in a receiving portion of a connector, and may form a portion of a conductive receptacle.

Abstract: An electrical assembly has a lead frame with a plurality of elongated conductor sets and an insulative housing. Each conductor set has two differential signal pair conductors between a first ground conductor and a second ground conductor. A slot extends through the insulative housing and at least partially exposes the first ground conductor of a first conductor set and the second ground conductor of a second conductor set. A first ground shield has a first tab bent inward that extends into the slot from a first side of the lead frame. A second ground shield has second tab bent inward that extends into the slot from a second side of the lead frame. A conductive medium is provided in the slot to electrically connect the first tab, the second tab, the first ground conductor and the second ground conductor.

Abstract: An electrical connector for high speed signals. The connector has multiple conductive elements that may serve as signal or ground conductors. A member formed with lossy material and conductive compliant members may be inserted in the connector. The conductive compliant members may be aligned with conductive elements of the connector configured as ground conductors. For a connector configured to carry differential signals, the ground conductors may separate pairs of signal conductors. The member may further include a conductive web, embedded within the lossy material, that interconnects the conductive compliant members. For a receptacle connector, the conductive elements may have mating contact portions aligned along opposing surfaces of a cavity. The conductive elements may have contact tails for attachment to a printed circuit board and intermediate portions connecting the mating contact portions and the contact tails. The conductive compliant members may press against the intermediate portions.

Abstract: A modular electrical connector with separately shielded signal conductor pairs. The connector may be assembled from modules, each containing a pair of signal conductors with surrounding partially or fully conductive material. Modules of different sizes may be assembled into wafers, which are then assembled into a connector. Wafers may include lossy material. In some embodiments, shielding members of two mating connectors may each have compliant members along their distal portions, such that, the shielding members engage at points of contact at multiple locations, some of which are adjacent the mating edge of each of the mating shielding members.

Abstract: An interconnection system with a compliant shield between a connector and a substrate such as a PCB. The compliant shield may provide current flow paths between shields internal to the connector and ground structures of the PCB. The connector, compliant shield and PCB may be configured to provide current flow in locations relative to signal conductors that provide desirable signal integrity for signals carried by the signal conductors. In some embodiments, the current flow paths may be adjacent the signal conductors, offset in a transverse direction from an axis of a pair of conductors. Such paths may be created by tabs extending from connector shields. A compliant conductive member of the compliant shield may contact the tabs and a conductive pad on a surface of the PCB. Shadow vias, running from the surface pad to internal ground structures may be positioned adjacent the tip of the tabs.

Abstract: A cable assembly comprising a termination with at least one conductive, compressible member and a conductive ground shield. The conductive, compressible member may be held within a connector module forming the termination such that the conductive compressive member is pressed against, and therefore makes electrical contact with, both an outer conductive layer of the cable and ground structures within the connector module. In some embodiments, these connections may be formed using a conductive, compressible member with an opening configured to receive the end of the cable therethrough. The conductive ground shield may be configured to compress the conductive, compressible member, and to cause the conductive, compressible member to electrically contact the cable's conductive layer. The conductive, compressible member may be formed from a compressible material and may comprise a plurality of conductive particulates configured to provide electrically conductive paths.

Abstract: An electrical interconnection system comprising one or more insulative projecting members. The electrical interconnection system may comprise a first connector and a second connector. Each connector may comprise one or more projecting members extending along the mating direction. When the connectors are mated, the projecting member(s) may be configured to affect the impedance of the signal conductors of the connectors. In a partially mated position, the projecting member(s) may be configured to fill at least a portion of the region separating the connectors, thereby replacing air that might otherwise exist in that separation with a dielectric member. Because this dielectric constant is closer to what would be experienced in the fully mated position, the magnitude of the change in impedance as a result of separation may be less than had the entire space been filled with air.

Abstract: A modular electrical connector with separately shielded signal conductor pairs. In some embodiments, the connector is may be assembled from modules, each containing a pair of signal conductors with surrounding partially or fully conductive material. In some embodiments, the modules may have projecting portions, of conductive and/or dielectric material, that are shaped and positioned to reduce changes in impedance along the signal paths as a function of separation of conductive elements, when the connectors are separated by less than the functional mating range.

Abstract: A printed circuit board includes a plurality of layers including conductive layers separated by dielectric layers, the conductive layers including a signal layer; and via patterns formed in the plurality of layers, each of the via patterns comprising first and second signal vias extending from a first surface of the printed circuit board to the signal layer, the signal layer including first and second signal traces connected to the first and second signal vias, respectively, the signal layer further including a ground conductor located between the signal traces and adjacent signal-carrying elements.

Abstract: A connector assembly that has a connector including a coupling member rotatably coupled to a body, a gripping sleeve that receives a portion of the body and a portion of the coupling member, and a torque limiting feature associated with one or both of the gripping sleeve and the coupling member. The torque limiting feature has first and second predetermined torque limits. Rotation of the gripping sleeve applies torque to and rotates the coupling member in a tightening direction until the first predetermined torque limit is reached such that no additional torque is applied to the coupling member by the gripping sleeve that is greater than the first predetermined torque limit. The gripping sleeve rotates with respect to coupling member in a loosening direction until the second predetermined torque limit is reached thereby allowing the gripping sleeve to rotate the coupling member in the loosening direction.

Abstract: A modular electrical connector with modular components suitable for assembly into a right angle connector may also be used in forming an orthogonal connector or connector in other desired configurations. The connector modules may be configured through the user of extender modules. Those connector modules may be held together as a right angle connector with a front housing portion, which, in some embodiments, may be shaped differently depending on whether the connector modules are used to form a right angle connector or an orthogonal connector. When designed to form an orthogonal connector, the extender modules may interlock into subarrays, which may be held to other connector components through the use of an extender shell. The mating contact portions on the extender modules may be such that a right angle connector, similarly made with connector modules, may directly mate with the orthogonal connector.

Abstract: A printed circuit board includes a plurality of layers including attachment layers and routing layers; and columns of via patterns formed in the plurality of layers, wherein via patterns in adjacent columns are offset in a direction of the columns, each of the via patterns comprising: first and second signal vias forming a differential signal pair, the first and second signal vias extending through at least the attachment layers; and at least one conductive shadow via located between the first and second signal vias of the differential pair. In some embodiments, at least one conductive shadow via is electrically connected to a conductive surface film.