Abstract: An electrical connector has dielectric posts surrounding the contacts and extending outwardly from the root along the contact axis a finite amount. The mating connector (or plug) has a housing that surrounds the posts. A device that includes both the electrical connector and the mating connector provides good electrical isolation between adjacent contacts.

Abstract: A device includes an electrical connector coupled to the end of a flex circuit. The connector includes interior ribs that engage slots in the flex circuit, with the ribs and slots separating adjacent contact pads on the flex circuit. The contact pads are exposed portions of conductive traces on the flex circuit. Other portions of the conductive traces may be covered by a dielectric material, such as a non-conductive ink. The ribs provide an increased isolation path between the contact pads.

Abstract: Uniquely positioned slots are provided in the receptacle and uniquely positioned bosses are provided in the plug of a connector pair. These features are designed to prevent the plug from being inserted midspan and damaging the exposed contacts of the receptacle. The bosses may be located near outside corners of the plug, and may protrude sufficiently from the face of the plug to prevent the corners of the plug from being inserted into the receptacle, except when the bosses are aligned with the boss-receiving slots in the receptacle.

Abstract: A linear connector contact array is presented with focus on the tails of the contacts that are connected to individual wires. A wire management comb made from dielectric material positions each wire over its contact's tail. The wire is attached to the tail by electrically welding the wire to the tail without removing the insulating material. This is accomplished with a heated welding electrode that melts through the insulator material until electrical contact is made with the wire. A non-heated electrode is beneath the tail to complete this circuit. The wire management comb has deep channels which form insulating ribs between adjacent wires. The weld sites are staggered, and exposed ends of the contact tails are held short of the end of the management comb.

Abstract: A circuit board connector is disclosed that has isolator ribs between contact tails, and slots in the edge of a circuit board between circuit pads that communicate with the ribs to avoid pad-to-pad current leakage and high-voltage breakdown. The slots may be between individual circuit board fingers that each include one of the conductor pads.

Abstract: A device includes an electrical connector coupled to the end of a flex circuit. The connector includes interior ribs that engage slots in the flex circuit, with the ribs and slots separating adjacent contact pads on the flex circuit. The contact pads are exposed portions of conductive traces on the flex circuit. Other portions of the conductive traces may be covered by a dielectric material, such as a non-conductive ink. The ribs provide an increased isolation path between the contact pads.

Abstract: An electrical connector has dielectric posts surrounding the contacts and extending outwardly from the root along the contact axis a finite amount. The mating connector (or plug) has a housing that surrounds the posts. A device that includes both the electrical connector and the mating connector provides good electrical isolation between adjacent contacts.

Abstract: A circuit board connector is disclosed that has isolator ribs between contact tails, and slots in the edge of a circuit board between circuit pads that communicate with the ribs to avoid pad-to-pad current leakage and high-voltage breakdown. The slots may be between individual circuit board fingers that each include one of the conductor pads.

Abstract: A linear connector contact array is presented with focus on the tails of the contacts that are connected to individual wires. A wire management comb made from dielectric material positions each wire over its contact's tail. The wire is attached to the tail by electrically welding the wire to the tail without removing the insulating material. This is accomplished with a heated welding electrode that melts through the insulator material until electrical contact is made with the wire. A non-heated electrode is beneath the tail to complete this circuit. The wire management comb has deep channels which form insulating ribs between adjacent wires. The weld sites are staggered, and exposed ends of the contact tails are held short of the end of the management comb.

Abstract: A connector assembly includes a female dual row connector, and a male dual row connector configured to be inserted into the female dual row connector. The female connector is configured to be compression mounted onto a circuit card, and has conductive tails for being brought into contact with traces on the card or circuit board. The female connector may have a stiffener to help it maintain its shape. The rows of contacts of the male connector may be selectively brought together (collapsed) or moved apart (expanded). The rows of contacts are collapsed during insertion or removal of the male connector from the female connector, thus allowing zero force insertion of the male connector into the female connector. The collapsing and expanding of the rows for the male connector may be accomplished through any of a variety of mechanisms.

Abstract: A male connector, which may be configured to mate with standard interfaces such as 4X or 12X interfaces, includes multiple modules stacked together. The modules each include a shield, signal contacts, and may include an equalization device. The equalization device may be directly connected to the signal contacts, overlapped by the shields of the module and an adjacent module. The equalization device may be a passive device, for example being a resistor and a capacitor in parallel. A nosepiece may be coupled to an insertion end of the connector to maintain desired spacing of the signal contacts and shields. The connector may include an accessibility tab to release latches. The male connector may be part of a cable assembly, with a cable that has a strain relief that includes a ridged collar and a shrink tube.