Abstract: An electrical connector system includes first and second connector assemblies. Each connector assembly includes contacts arranged in at least two differential pairs wherein one of the pairs is an aggressor pair and one of the pairs is a victim pair. A differential signal carried by the aggressor pair generates far end crosstalk on the victim pair. The contacts are arranged such that, when the first and second connector assemblies are electrically connected to each other, the far end crosstalk on the victim pair in the first connector assembly has a magnitude and a polarity, and the far end crosstalk on the victim pair in the second connector assembly has the same magnitude and an opposite polarity.

Abstract: A contact module assembly is provided for an electrical connector. The contact module assembly includes a lead frame having a plurality of terminals and a commoning member at least partially including an electrically conductive material. The commoning member has a plurality of tabs that are electrically connected to selected ones of the terminals, thereby electrically commoning the selected ones of the terminals. The commoning member can be configured with different patterns of the tabs to selectively configure the lead frame with different patterns of commoned terminals.

Abstract: A contact module assembly includes a dielectric body having a mating end with a plurality of mating contacts and a mounting end with a plurality of mounting contacts. A lead frame is at least partially encased by the dielectric body, wherein the lead frame has a plurality of conductors representing both signal conductors and ground conductors extending alone a lead frame plane. The signal and ground conductors extend from respective ones of the mating contacts and the mounting contacts, wherein at least some of the ground conductors include a mating contact terminal proximate the respective mating contact and a mounting contact terminal proximate the respective mounting contact. The ground conductors extend only partially between the mating contact and the mounting contact associated with the respective ground conductor such that a gap exists between the mating contact terminal and the mounting contact terminal of the ground conductor.

Abstract: A leadframe for a contact module assembly includes a terminal set having first, second and third terminals configured to operate in one of a signal-signal-ground pattern and a ground-signal-signal pattern. Each of the terminals have a length that extends between a mating end and a mounting end, wherein a difference in lengths between the first terminal and the second terminal is the same as a difference in lengths between the second terminal and the third terminal such that the terminal set has the same amount of skew between the terminals defining signal contacts in both the signal-signal-ground pattern and the ground-signal-signal pattern.

Abstract: A contact module assembly includes a dielectric body having a mating end with a plurality of mating contacts and a mounting end with a plurality of mounting contacts. A lead frame is at least partially encased by the dielectric body, wherein the lead frame has a plurality of conductors representing both signal conductors and ground conductors extending alone a lead frame plane. The signal and ground conductors extend from respective ones of the mating contacts and the mounting contacts, wherein at least some of the ground conductors include a mating contact terminal proximate the respective mating contact and a mounting contact terminal proximate the respective mounting contact. The ground conductors extend only partially between the mating contact and the mounting contact associated with the respective ground conductor such that a gap exists between the mating contact terminal and the mounting contact terminal of the ground conductor.

Abstract: A leadframe for a contact module assembly includes a terminal set having first, second and third terminals configured to operate in one of a signal-signal-ground pattern and a ground-signal-signal pattern. Each of the terminals have a length that extends between a mating end and a mounting end, wherein a difference in lengths between the first terminal and the second terminal is the same as a difference in lengths between the second terminal and the third terminal such that the terminal set has the same amount of skew between the terminals defining signal contacts in both the signal-signal-ground pattern and the ground-signal-signal pattern.

Abstract: A contact module assembly is provided for an electrical connector. The contact module assembly includes a lead frame having a plurality of terminals and a commoning member at least partially including an electrically conductive material. The commoning member has a plurality of tabs that are electrically connected to selected ones of the terminals, thereby electrically commoning the selected ones of the terminals. The commoning member can be configured with different patterns of the tabs to selectively configure the lead frame with different patterns of commoned terminals.

Abstract: An electrical connector system includes first and second connector assemblies. Each connector assembly includes contacts arranged in at least two differential pairs wherein one of the pairs is an aggressor pair and one of the pairs is a victim pair. A differential signal carried by the aggressor pair generates far end crosstalk on the victim pair. The contacts are arranged such that, when the first and second connector assemblies are electrically connected to each other, the far end crosstalk on the victim pair in the first connector assembly has a magnitude and a polarity, and the far end crosstalk on the victim pair in the second connector assembly has the same magnitude and an opposite polarity.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing that holds signal contacts which are associated as signal contact pairs. The housing has a mounting face and the signal contact pairs are aligned in rows along the mounting face. Each of the rows includes multiple signal contact pairs. Each of the signal contact pairs includes two of the signal contacts aligned on a respective axis. The axes of the signal contact pairs within each row are aligned in a common direction, and the axes of the signal contact pairs in adjacent rows are aligned in respective different directions.

Abstract: A contact module assembly is provided for an electrical connector. The contact module assembly includes a lead frame having a plurality of terminals and a commoning member at least partially including an electrically conductive material. The commoning member has a plurality of tabs that are electrically connected to selected ones of the terminals, thereby electrically commoning the selected ones of the terminals. The commoning member can be configured with different patterns of the tabs to selectively configure the lead frame with different patterns of commoned terminals.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing and a contact module mounted in the housing. The contact module includes a mating edge and a mounting edge, and a lead frame having terminals extending between the mating and mounting edges. The contact module has an insulated body with a side surface, and the insulated body includes a slot open from the side surface to expose at least some of the terminals. Each of the terminals exposed by the slot has a respective exposed portion in the slot, and each exposed portion has an equal length.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing having a mating face and a mounting face. The housing holds signal contacts and ground contacts arranged in rows. Each of the signal contacts and ground contacts include a mating end extending from the mating face of the housing and a mounting end extending from the mounting face of the housing. For each row, the mating ends of the signal contacts and ground contacts are aligned in a common plane. The mounting ends of the ground contacts are aligned in the common plane, and the mounting ends of the signal contacts are offset from the common plane.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided that includes a dielectric housing having a plurality of slots therein, and a plurality of electrical contacts disposed within at least one of the slots. A plurality of electrical wafers, are each received in one of the plurality of slots. Each wafer has a first edge and a second edge. Some of the plurality of electrical wafers are signal wafers and some of the plurality of wafers are power wafers. Each of the power wafers includes at least one trace and at least one contact pad. The contact pad is sized to mate with a predetermined number of the plurality of contacts to transfer a predetermined amount of current through the trace.

Abstract: A power connector includes a housing and an electrical wafer mounted in the housing. The wafer includes a dielectric material having a thickness between a first side and a second side. The second side is opposite the first side and substantially parallel to the first side. A power trace is located on the first side of the wafer. A ground trace is located on the second side of the wafer. The power trace at least partially overlaps the ground trace. The thickness is such that the power trace and the ground trace form a decoupling capacitor that reduces fluctuations in the power transmitted through the connector.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a dielectric housing that holds a plurality of electrical wafers. Each of the wafers includes a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a forward mating edge. A plurality of contact pads on the first side are recessed from the forward mating edge, and a perimeter conductive trace is closer than the contact pads to the forward mating edge.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided for operation in a point-to-point application. The connector includes an insulated housing having first and second card interfaces configured to mate with associated first and second circuit cards. An electrical wafer is held in the housing and configured to operate in a point-to-point architecture. The signal traces end at signal contact pads located proximate to first and second edges, respectively. The signal contact pads receive a unidirectional signal. Each of the signal traces include a break section at an intermediate point along a length thereof to form a disconnect in the signal traces. The connector further includes an active compensation component bridging the break section in the signal traces. The active compensation component compensates the differential signal incoming from the input contact pads for signal degradation and transmits a compensated signal outward to the output contact pads.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing and at least one electrical wafer that is receivable in the housing. The wafer has a first edge and a second edge that intersect each other and an array of conductive paths between the first and second edges. Each conductive path has a resistance between the first and second edges that is substantially equal.

Abstract: An electrical wafer configured to be housed within an electrical connector comprising a main body, and a plurality of signal routes, gap routes and ground planes. The plurality of signal routes, gap routes and ground planes may be positioned on each of the first and second sides of the main body. Alternatively, all of the signal routes may be on one side, while all of the ground planes may be on the other side. Each ground plane on one side of the wafer is positioned between two gap routes, or a gap route and a signal route.

Abstract: An electrical wafer configured to be housed within an electrical connector comprising a main body, and a plurality of signal routes, gap routes and ground planes. The plurality of signal routes, gap routes and ground planes may be positioned on each of the first and second sides of the main body. Alternatively, all of the signal routes may be on one side, while all of the ground planes may be on the other side. Each ground plane on one side of the wafer is positioned between two gap routes, or a gap route and a signal route.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided having a connector housing with signal modules and grounding members therein. Each of the signal modules has a ground plane on at least one side of each of the signal modules. The ground planes have contact pads formed at opposite ends thereof proximate mating ends of the signal modules. The grounding members interconnect the ground planes on the sides of adjacent signal modules to one another at a point along one of the ground planes and the contact pads. Optionally, the signal modules may include vias having conductive liners therethrough that electrically connect ground planes from opposite sides of a signal module to one another. Alternatively, the signal modules can be printed circuit boards. The signal modules may be arranged parallel to one another within the housing.