Abstract: An electrical connector system includes a receptacle connector having a housing, a contact assembly held in the housing and an insert movably received in the housing and supporting the contact assembly. The housing has a cavity and a mating end including a slot receiving a circuit card. The contact assembly is received in the cavity and includes contacts. Each contact has a base fixed in the cavity and a mating end movable relative to the base between an undeflected position and a deflected position. The insert is received in the cavity and is movable in the cavity between a forward position and a retracted position. The insert holds the mating ends of the contacts in the undeflected positions when in the forward position. The insert engages the contacts and forces the contacts to the deflected positions when in the retracted position.

Abstract: An electrical connector system includes a receptacle connector having a housing, a contact assembly held in the housing and an insert movably received in the housing and supporting the contact assembly. The contact assembly includes contacts arranged upper and lower rows. The housing has a cavity receiving the contact assembly and a mating end including a slot open to the cavity and configured to receive a circuit card. The insert is received in the cavity and is movable in the cavity between a forward position and a retracted position. The insert is manufactured from a dielectric material and supports the mating ends of the contacts in the forward position. The mating ends are released from the insert in the retracted position and the mating ends are more exposed to air when the insert is in the retracted position.

Abstract: A lead frame module of an electrical connector includes a ground lead frame, signal conductors, a dielectric holder, and a ground plate. The ground lead frame includes multiple ground conductors and a tie bar that extends between and connects the ground conductors. The signal conductors are interleaved with the ground conductors. The signal conductors have jogged segments that extend across the tie bar around an outer side of the tie bar without engaging the tie bar. The dielectric holder at least partially surrounds the signal conductors and the ground lead frame to secure the signal conductors relative to the ground lead frame. The ground plate is disposed along an interior side of the dielectric holder and engages an inner side of the tie bar, which is opposite the outer side, to electrically connect the ground plate to the ground lead frame.

Abstract: A card edge connector includes a housing and a contact assembly. The housing has a cavity, a card slot and a chamber adjacent the card slot. The card slot receives a card edge of a module circuit board of a pluggable module. The contact assembly has a contact holder, first contacts held by the contact holder, and a contact positioner. The contact positioner is forward of the contact holder and located in the chamber for receiving mating ends of the first contacts. The contact positioner is movable in the chamber relative to the contact holder and the housing between an inward position and an outward position. The contact positioner moves the mating ends of the first contacts outward from the card slot as the contact positioner is moved from the inward position to the outward position.

Abstract: A card edge connector assembly includes a card edge connector having a housing defining a card slot receiving a pluggable module and a card guide module coupled to the housing. The card guide module has a main body having a cavity receiving the pluggable module and support beams secured to the host circuit board with a window defined between the support beams under the main body receiving the card edge connector. A latch is coupled to the main body being latchably coupled to the pluggable module in a latched position to secure the pluggable module in the cavity and being decoupled from the pluggable module in an unlatched position to allow the pluggable module to be removed from the cavity. An actuator with a ramp surface may be pressed downwardly to drive the latch to the unlatched position.

Abstract: A receptacle connector includes a contact assembly having a dielectric carrier holding contacts, which may be overmolded by the dielectric carrier. The receptacle connector includes a housing holding the contact assembly having a mating end mated with a plug connector and a mounting end mounted to the circuit board. The housing has first and second side walls and first and second end walls. The housing has a card slot open at the top for receiving the plug connector and a contact assembly cavity open at the bottom for receiving the contact assembly. The housing may have positioning ribs extending from the first and second side walls to position the contact assembly within the cavity and/or strengthening ribs extending across the cavity to connect the side walls at a location remote from the end walls.

Abstract: A card guide module includes first and second rail assemblies mounted to a host circuit board proximate to a card edge connector. The rail assemblies each include a rail body having a base mounted to the host circuit board and a track extending from the base receiving a circuit card. The rail assemblies each include a positioning member held in the track having a side positioning arm engaging a corresponding side of the circuit card to position the circuit card relative to the card edge connector. The first and second side positioning arms are configured to locate the circuit card therebetween.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing holding electrical conductors and a coupling device mounted to the housing for coupling the electrical connector to a mating connector. The coupling device includes an elongated stem and first and second latch arms that are located at least proximate to ends of the stem. The latch arms extend from the stem and have hook tips at distal ends thereof. The coupling device further includes a return spring beam extending from the stem and located between the latch arms. The coupling device pivots between a locking position and a depressed position. The hook tips of the latch arms protrude beyond a mating interface surface of the housing a greater extent when in the locking position than when in the depressed position to latch onto the mating connector. The return spring beam engages the housing to bias the coupling device to the locking position.

Abstract: A connector system includes a first connector and a second connector. The first connector includes a plug housing that holds a circuit card. The plug housing includes a tongue portion extending to a mating end of the plug housing. The circuit card protrudes beyond the mating end. The plug housing includes a rail disposed along an outer surface of the tongue portion. The second connector includes a receptacle housing that defines a card slot configured to receive the circuit card of the first connector therein. The second connector includes a shell mounted to the receptacle housing. The shell protrudes beyond a mating end of the receptacle housing to define a receptacle that receives the tongue portion of the plug housing therein. The shell defines a guide channel configured to receive the rail of the plug housing therein as the tongue portion enters the receptacle.

Abstract: A card edge connector assembly includes a card edge connector having a housing defining a card slot receiving a pluggable module and a card guide module coupled to the housing. The card guide module has a main body having a cavity receiving the pluggable module and support beams secured to the host circuit board with a window defined between the support beams under the main body receiving the card edge connector. A latch is coupled to the main body being latchably coupled to the pluggable module in a latched position to secure the pluggable module in the cavity and being decoupled from the pluggable module in an unlatched position to allow the pluggable module to be removed from the cavity.

Abstract: A connector system includes a first connector and a second connector. The first connector includes a plug housing that holds a circuit card. The plug housing includes a tongue portion extending to a mating end of the plug housing. The circuit card protrudes beyond the mating end. The plug housing includes a rail disposed along an outer surface of the tongue portion. The second connector includes a receptacle housing that defines a card slot configured to receive the circuit card of the first connector therein. The second connector includes a shell mounted to the receptacle housing. The shell protrudes beyond a mating end of the receptacle housing to define a receptacle that receives the tongue portion of the plug housing therein. The shell defines a guide channel configured to receive the rail of the plug housing therein as the tongue portion enters the receptacle.

Abstract: A latch for latching a connector to a device includes a body comprising a hub, an actuator extending from the hub, a latch pin extending from the hub and a return spring extending from the hub, the actuator and/or the latch pin. The latch pin is movable between a latched position and an unlatched position, wherein the latch pin is configured to latch the connector to the device when the latch pin is in the latched position. The actuator is configured such that movement of the actuator moves the latch pin between the latched position and the unlatched position. The return spring is configured to bias the latch pin to the latched position. The actuator, the latch pin and the return spring are integrally integrally formed as a single, unitary body.

Abstract: A card edge connector assembly includes a card edge connector having a housing defining a card slot configured to receive a paddle card of a pluggable module and having a mounting lug having a datum surface. The card edge connector assembly includes support hardware coupled to the housing having a base including a locating cavity having a locating surface that receives the mounting lug such that the locating surface engages the datum surface of the mounting lug to locate the support hardware relative to the housing at a support location. The support hardware has a support beam extending from the base having a support surface for supporting the pluggable module independent of the card edge connector such that the paddle card is oriented in the card slot relative to the contacts for electrical connection therewith.

Abstract: A card edge connector assembly includes a card edge connector having a housing defining a card slot receiving a circuit card and a card guide module coupled to the housing. The card guide module has a base and a support beam extending from the base having a support surface supporting the circuit card. The card guide module has a locking arm pivotably coupled to the support beam. The locking arm has a latch at a distal end thereof latchably secured to the circuit card in a latched position to secure the circuit card in the card slot. The locking arm has an ejector engaging the circuit card and moving the circuit card in an unmating direction when the locking arm is moved to an unlatched position.

Abstract: A card edge connector assembly includes a card edge connector having a housing defining a card slot receiving a paddle card of a pluggable module having a base mounted to a host circuit board holding contacts in the card slot to electrically connect to the paddle card. Support hardware is coupled to the housing having a base including a cavity receiving the card edge connector and a support beam extending from the base having a pocket receiving the pluggable module. The support beam has a support surface configured to support the pluggable module independent of the card edge connector. The support hardware has a latch coupled to the support beam latchably coupled to the pluggable module to secure the pluggable module in the support hardware electrically coupled to the card edge connector.

Abstract: A card edge connector assembly includes a card edge connector having a housing defining a card slot receiving a circuit card and a card guide module coupled to the housing. The card guide module has a base and a support beam extending from the base having a support surface supporting the circuit card. The card guide module has a locking arm pivotably coupled to the support beam. The locking arm has a latch at a distal end thereof latchably secured to the circuit card in a latched position to secure the circuit card in the card slot. The locking arm has an ejector engaging the circuit card and moving the circuit card in an unmating direction when the locking arm is moved to an unlatched position.

Abstract: A card edge connector assembly includes a pluggable module having a paddle card with a card edge and a card edge connector having a housing defining a card slot receiving the card edge. The housing holds contacts in the card slot to electrically connect to corresponding contact pads of the paddle card. Support hardware is coupled to the pluggable module and includes first and second mounting legs. The first mounting leg has a first mounting foot and the second mounting leg has a second mounting foot configured to be mounted to the host circuit board to support the pluggable module on the host circuit board independent of the card edge connector.

Abstract: A card edge connector assembly includes a card edge connector having a housing defining a card slot for a circuit card and having a base mounted to a host circuit board and including mounting lugs having datum surfaces. The assembly includes card guide modules coupled to the housing each having a base secured to the host circuit board and a support beam extending from the base for supporting the circuit card. The base includes a locating cavity that receives the mounting lug and locating surfaces that engage the datum surfaces to register the card guide modules relative to the housing.

Abstract: A pluggable module includes a pluggable body extending between a front end and a mating end receivable in a module cavity of a receptacle assembly to mate with a communication connector. The pluggable body has channel walls defining a cooling channel at a top of the pluggable body allowing airflow between the front end and the mating end. The pluggable body has a plurality of heat transfer fins in the cooling channel between the channel walls and a landing cover spanning between the channel walls over the heat transfer fins. The channel walls, the heat transfer fins and the landing cover are an integral unitary structure.

Abstract: A card edge connector assembly includes a card edge connector having a housing defining a card slot for a circuit card and having a base mounted to a host circuit board and including mounting lugs having datum surfaces. The assembly includes card guide modules coupled to the housing each having a base secured to the host circuit board and a support beam extending from the base for supporting the circuit card. The base includes a locating cavity that receives the mounting lug and locating surfaces that engage the datum surfaces to register the card guide modules relative to the housing.