Abstract: A backplane connector for mating with a daughter-card connector assembly, said backplane connector having a front and rear orientation and comprising: (a) a retainer block configured for attachment to a backplane and defining a plurality of ferrule slots, each slot configured to receive a ferrule; (b) a plurality of ferrules disposed in said ferrule slots; (c) a plurality of ferrule springs to urge said plurality of ferrules forwardly; and (d) Fwafera plurality of ferrule spring retainers for retaining said ferrule springs and being mounted rearward on said retainer block, wherein each ferrule spring retainer retains springs for two or more ferrules.

Abstract: A daughter-card connector assembly comprising: (a) a housing defining a first plane configured for mounting parallel to a backplane, and a second plane for mounting parallel to a daughter card, and a plurality of parallel slots perpendicular to said first plane; and (b) one or more opto-electric cards, each of said one or more opto-electric cards disposed in one of said plurality of slots, and comprising at least, (i) a printed circuit board (PCB) defining at least a first edge and a second edge, wherein, when said opto-electric card is mounted in said slot, said first edge is parallel to said first plane and said second edge is parallel to said second plane; (ii) a blind-mate optical connector along said first edge; (iii) an electrical interface along said second edge; (iv) at least one optical component mounted on said PCB for converting between electrical and optical signals, said PCB being electrically connected to at least a portion of said electrical interface; and (v) one or more waveguides connecting

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: An electrical connector is provided that includes a socket housing holding an array of electrical contacts and a load plate rotatably coupled to the housing and rotatable between an open position and a closed position. The load plate includes a channel that is configured to receive an electronic package when the load plate is in the open position. The load plate loads the package into the housing as the load plate is rotated to the closed position.