Abstract: A card edge connector for mounting on a circuit board and removeably receiving a circuit card includes an elongated housing defining a card receiving slot. Numerous terminal receiving cavities intersect and extend to both sides of the slot. Alternate cavities include stamped reference (ground or power) terminals and signal terminals, all having downwardly extending board contacts and upwardly extending spring arms. There are numerous similar sets of face to face contacts, each including a reference contact parallel to and substantially overlying an opposed pair of signal contacts. The upwardly extending reference terminal spring arms include oversize pad portions for reducing crosstalk by increasing coupling between the reference and signal terminals. The circuit paths to the circuit board are in an array symmetrical about the centerline of the circuit card, with parallel inner lines of circuits containing only reference contacts and outer lines of circuits containing only signal contacts.

Abstract: An IC card includes a generally rectangular frame. A circuit board assembly is mounted on the frame, with the circuit board assembly including a generally planar dielectric substrate having circuit traces and at least one electrical component mounted thereon. A receptacle connector including terminals is mounted at an edge of the circuit board assembly, with the terminals being adapted to mechanically and electrically engage the circuit traces on the circuit board assembly. Complementary interengaging latches are provided between the frame and the receptable connector for securing the receptacle connector at the edge of the circuit board assembly and for ensuring a mechanical and electrical connection between the terminals and the circuit traces on the circuit board assembly. The invention also contemplates a method of fabricating the IC card according to the above.

Abstract: A shielded electrical receptacle connector assembly for an IC card includes a circuit substrate and a conductive cover for shielding the substrate. The assembly includes a housing adapted for mounting at a front edge of the circuit substrate. A plurality of terminals are mounted in the housing and are adapted for engaging circuit traces on the circuit substrate. A conductive shield is mounted on the housing and includes contact portions adapted for engaging ground circuit traces on the circuit substrate; a downwardly stepped lip extending along a rear edge of the shield vertically spaced from an overlapping front edge portion of the cover; attachment portions projecting from opposite ends of the downwardly stepped lip at a level spaced vertically from the cover for securing the shield to the housing; and at least one mounting finger projecting forwardly from the shield into a passage in a front mounting flange of the housing to hold the leading edge of the shield to the housing.

Abstract: A zero insertion force electrical connector for use with a device having an array of pin terminals including a lower connector housing having a top surface and a plurality of cavities in the top surface corresponding to the array of pin terminals. Each of the cavities includes a base wall spaced from the top surface. A plurality of resilient terminals are mounted in the cavities. Each of the terminals includes a mounting portion for securing the terminal in the base wall, a free end portion, a contact structure adjacent the free end portion and a spring arm portion between the base wall and the contact structure. The pin terminals are moved in the cavities in a first direction along a path of travel between an unmated position wherein the pins are spaced from the contact structures in the cavities and a mated position wherein the pins are fully mated with the contact structures. The contact structure includes a pin engagement surface at least partly inclined with respect to the path of travel.

Abstract: A grounding system is provided for a card-receiving header connector assembly. The header connector assembly includes a header connector mounted on a printed circuit board for receiving an IC card. The IC card includes a receptacle connector and a receptacle shield. A plurality of terminals are mounted within the header connector and are adapted for mating to terminals of the receptacle connector of the IC card. A grounding shroud is mounted on the header connector and includes a main body plate and a plurality of ground contact portions formed therein for engaging corresponding contacts on the receptacle shield of the IC card. The ground contact portions each are formed by a generally C-shaped spring arm having opposite ends joined to the main body plate of the shroud, with a portion of the spring arm between the ends being formed downwardly for asymmetrically engaging the contacts on the receptacle shield of the IC card.