Abstract: A selectable compatibility electrical connector assembly has a high performance jack and a high performance plug for mating with the jack to form a high performance electrical connection. The jack is adapted to receive low performance plugs and has a movable member therein for altering the transmission loss characteristic of the connector by introducing or removing circuit elements into or from the connector circuit depending upon whether a low performance plug or the high performance plug is inserted in the jack. The plug is adapted to be inserted into a low performance jack and has a movable member therein for altering the transmission loss characteristic of the connector by introducing or removing circuit elements into or from the connector circuit depending upon whether the plug is inserted into or removed from a low performance jack.

Abstract: An electrical connector, comprising an insulating housing, a plurality of conductors mounted within the insulating housing in at least two rows of aligned pairs, a first compensation section which provides a first crosstalk compensation, and a second compensation section which provides a second crosstalk compensation. A first end portion of each conductor is adapted to electrically connect with contacts of another connector while a second end portion of each conductor is adapted to electrically connect with an electrical device such as a printed circuit board. The first compensation section is located within the insulating housing with the conductors being arranged therein in an orientation to provide the first crosstalk compensation. The second compensation section further is located within the connector and typically comprises a multi-layered circuit board.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly has a terminal housing, and a number of electrically conductive connector assembly terminals supported by the housing. The connector assembly terminals have mid-sections that protrude from the housing for contacting terminals of a mating connector, and outside connection ends for making electrical connections with outside circuits. Free ends of the connector assembly terminals next to the terminal mid-sections and opposite the outside connection ends, are positioned inside the terminal housing. An electrical circuit component is mounted inside the terminal housing. The circuit component is connected to the free ends of the assembly terminals, so that the mating connector becomes electrically connected to the circuit component through paths between the mid-sections and the free ends of the assembly terminals, in proximity to the circuit component.

Abstract: A selectable compatibility plug has a substantially hollow housing member and a plurality of contact members extending from a cable connection end to a connector end. A movable circuit member is contained in the housing for translational movement, the circuit members having circuit components on a surface thereof that is in contact with the contact members. Actuator means for moving the circuit member from a first position to a second position is mounted to the circuit member and adapted to be actuated when the plug is inserted in a low performance jack to cause the contact members to contact certain ones of the circuit elements.

Abstract: A low crosstalk connector configuration includes a terminal face, and at least three pairs of elongated parallel electrical connector terminals, wherein each pair is aligned in a plane normal to the terminal face. A first pair of terminals is aligned in a plane parallel to a second plane in which a second pair of terminals is aligned. A first distance between midpoints of the first and the second pairs of terminals in a direction parallel to the first and the second planes, equals a second distance between the midpoints in a direction perpendicular to the first and the second planes. A third pair of terminals is aligned in a third plane perpendicular to the first and the second planes. The third plane coincides with a point between either of the first or the second pair of terminals. A cable and connector assembly includes a length of cable with at least three pairs of twisted wires, with each wire pair connected to a corresponding pair of the connector terminals.

Abstract: A selectable compatibility electrical connector plug has a substantially hollow housing member and a plurality of contact members extending from a cable connection end to a connector end. A circuit member having circuit components thereon is affixed within the housing with the circuit components being spaced from the contact members or leads. In open embodiment, actuator members contact the leads and project above the exterior surface of the housing. When the plug is inserted into a low performance jack, the actuator members force the leads against the circuit components to produce crosstalk and transmission loss characteristics of a low performance plug. When the plug is removed from the jack, the resilience of the leads forces the actuators up into a neutral position. The actuators may be buttons, toggles, or, in one embodiment, bowed portions of the leads which project above the surface of the housing.

Abstract: An upgradeable communication connector for use in wired telecommunication networks. The connector has a connector housing with an upgrade component passage for receiving an electrical upgrade component having at least one electrical contact terminal. A number of electrically conductive connector terminals are supported by the housing. The connector terminals have first end portions for contacting a mating connector, and second end portions for making electrical connections between the connector terminals and outside circuits. At least one of the connector terminals has a contact portion in the region of the upgrade component passage for electrically contacting a contact terminal of the upgrade component when the component is within the component passage.

Abstract: A wire-connection terminal is formed with a mounting base portion having a bottom edge that is shaped to align with a top surface of a wire board. The mounting base portion forms a shoulder that protrudes a certain distance so that the terminal can be restrained by an outside part that confronts the shoulder when the terminal is mounted on the wire board. A wire-connection portion of the terminal projects above the mounting base portion, and a wire board mounting part or tail projects below the mounting base portion. The mounting part has a needle eye configuration for retaining the terminal by friction in a corresponding opening in the wire board on which the terminal is to be mounted.

Abstract: A selectable compatibility jack has at least a partially hollow housing member or jack frame and a plurality of spring contact members or leads extending from the rear portion thereof to the connector end. The housing has a front face with an opening therein configured to receive a plug. A circuit member, such as a printed wiring board is mounted and affixed within the housing and has circuit components on a surface thereof. Actuator means responds to the insertion of a low performance plug into the jack to cause the leads to contact certain ones of the circuit elements, such as capacitance pads, to alter the crosstalk and transmission loss characteristics of the jack. Clearance means within the jack prevent the actuator means from being actuated when a high performance plug is inserted in the jack.

Abstract: A network interface device includes a base, a cover and a circuit board secured in the base. The circuit board includes terminations for input and output communication lines. Each pair of input and output communication lines corresponds to a single standard telephone line, a high speed data line or other type of line. The communication line terminations may be implemented as insulation displacement connectors, and the cover may include projections on its inner surface such that closing the cover also closes the insulation displacement connectors on the circuit board. For each communication line, the circuit board may include a subscriber bridge which establishes a breakable connection between the input and output line terminations via traces in the circuit board. In fixed wireless, fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and other similar applications, the circuit board may also include terminations for input and output power lines, and the base and cover may be extended to accommodate an uninterruptible power supply.

Abstract: A selectable compatibility electrical connector assembly for use in a high performance connection has a plug and a jack, which mate together in the high performance mode, but each of which has contained therein a printed wiring board having circuitry thereon that converts either the plug or the jack to a low performance connector component when used with a low performance mating component. Both the plug and the jack have actuator members which respond to the mating of a low performance component to introduce the printed wiring board or other source of capacitance into the circuit.

Abstract: A selectable compatibility electrical connector assembly for use in a high performance communication connection has a plug and a jack which mate together in the high performance mode. The plug has a printed wiring board (PWB) therein which is movable in longitudinal translation. The PWB has, on a surface thereof printed circuitry for altering the electrical characteristics and a plurality of conductive leads in contact with the surface. The PWB has a first position where the leads are in contact with the circuitry and a second position where they contact no circuitry. The jack has members therein which engage the PWB and move it from the first position to the second position when the plug is inserted into the jack, and which return the PWB to the first position when the plug is removed from the jack.

Abstract: A selectable compatibility jack has at least a partially hollow housing member or jack frame and a plurality of spring contact members extending from the rear portion thereof to the connector end. The housing has a front face with an opening therein configured to receive a plug. A movable circuit member is contained in the housing for translational movement, the circuit member having circuit components on a surface thereof that is contacted by the spring contact members. Actuator means for moving the circuit member from a first position to a second position is mounted to the circuit member and adapted to be actuated when a low performance plug is inserted in the jack to cause the spring contact members to contact certain ones of the circuit elements. The opening in the front face has clearance slots providing clearance for a high performance plug when inserted into the jack.

Abstract: A terminal housing assembly and terminal arrangement for a wire board, suitable for use with solderless mountable connector terminals. A terminal housing body has a base wall placed on a wire board at a wire connection terminal region of the board. The base wall has a channel grooved in its bottom surface for receiving base portions of a number of connector terminals on the wire board. The housing body has a row of terminal slots that open into the channel to receive wire connecting portions with the terminals, and the base portions of the terminals form shoulders that protrude a certain distance from the wire connecting portions. The housing body includes partitions between the terminal slots, wherein the partitions have bottom parts defining a base of the channel for confronting the shoulders of the terminals, and for restraining the terminals from being pulled out from terminal openings in the wire board while outside wires are being connected to and disconnected from the terminals.

Abstract: A wire terminal block for communication connectors. The block includes a mandrel, and a frame arranged for mounting on a printed wire board and for supporting the mandrel on the board where a number of terminal wires emerge to contact a mating connector. A number of slots are formed along the mandrel, and an inner contour at a base of each slot is configured to form a desired bend radius in the terminal wires when the wires are seated in corresponding ones of the slots and are wrapped about the mandrel within the slots. In one embodiment, the inner contour of the mandrel is configured to form a first bend radius in the terminal wires at a side of the wire board from which the wires emerge, and to form a second bend radius in the terminal wires with which the wires angle back over an opposite side of the wire board to contact the mating connector.

Abstract: A communication jack assembly suitable for high data rate applications, includes a wire board having conductive paths that extend between a jackwire terminal region at a first portion of the board and a wire-connection terminal region at a second portion of the board. A number of spring jackwires extend through the jackwire terminal region, to connect with a communication plug when placed in the jackwire terminal region. The jackwires connect at one end to corresponding conductive paths on the wire board, and the conductive paths form a part of at least one communications signal path when the plug is connected to the jackwires. The conductive paths may be configured to compensate for crosstalk otherwise developed in a signal path once the plug is mated with the jack. A dielectric terminal housing is formed to protect the wire-connection terminal region on top of the wire board, and a cover is formed to protect the connection terminal region on the bottom of the board.

Abstract: A jack frame includes a jack frame block having a front surface, a pair of side surfaces and a top surface. The front surface has a plug opening with a plug axis along which a plug connector can be inserted to connect to the jack frame block. The front surface is dimensioned to be received in a jack opening in a face plate, and the inner periphery of the jack opening is defined in part by a pair of side walls and a top wall. The top surface of the jack frame block has a first surface portion that extends at a first angle relative to the plug axis of the plug opening in the block's front surface, and a second surface portion that extends at a second angle relative to the plug axis. Either the first or the second surface portion can be aligned with the top wall of the jack opening, so the frame block can be mounted on the face plate with a desired orientation depending on which one of the first and the second surface portions is aligned with the top wall of the jack opening.

Abstract: An electrical contact with an insulated wire conductor is established by defining a wire passage in a connector housing to receive an insulated wire conductor, and capturing a contact member having an electrically conductive hook portion in the housing. An end of the hook portion projects into the wire passage. When an insulated wire conductor is fed into the passage, insulation on the conductor slides along the hook portion of the contact member. Upon withdrawing or displacing the conductor a certain distance relative to the hook portion, an end of the hook portion engages and pierces the insulation on the conductor to make electrical contact with the conductor.

Abstract: A storage spool adapted to have excess optical fiber or wired lengths wound thereon consists of a cylinder having a curved outer surface on which the fibers are to be wound. A mounting arm extends from a separating wall portion on the curved surface and has a mounting latch member on its distal end. The arm has an arcuate fiber guide portion for guiding the fibers onto the curved surface, and retaining means are provided for maintaining the fibers in position on the curved surface of the cylinder.