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: 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 receptacle connector includes a housing and a plurality of contacts held in the housing. The housing extends between a front end and an opposite, rear end. The housing defines a card slot that is open at the front end for receiving a mating plug connector into the card slot through the front end. The contacts include deflectable spring beams exposed in the card slot and configured for electrical connection with the plug connector. Each of the spring beams extends continuously from an arm to a distal tip. The spring beams include bends between the arms and the distal tips. The bends are located at front ends of the contacts such that the distal tips and the arms of the spring beams are disposed rearward of the bends.

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 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 receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing having panels defining a housing cavity receiving a pluggable module. The panels are conductive to provide electromagnetic interference shielding. The receptacle housing has a bottom mounted to a circuit board. A communication module is received in the housing cavity and mounted to the circuit board. The communication module includes a communication connector interfacing with the pluggable module. The receptacle assembly includes a light pipe assembly coupled to the receptacle housing having has a plurality of flexible light pipes each extending between a light-receiving end and a light-emitting end. The light-receiving end is positioned proximate to the bottom to receive light from a light-emitting device mounted to the circuit board. The light-emitting end is provided proximate to the front end of the receptacle housing for displaying a status indicator for the communication connector.

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 receptacle connector includes a housing having a mating end for mating with a plug connector and a mounting end for mounting to a circuit board. The housing has side walls and end walls with contacts in contacts arrays along both side walls. The contacts have mating ends and terminating ends. The housing has a card slot open at the mating end for receiving plug connector defined by interior surfaces of the side walls. The mating ends of the contacts are exposed in the card slot for mating electrical connection with the plug connector. The housing has alignment tabs extending inward into the card slot from the interior surface for aligning the plug connector within the card slot.

Abstract: An interconnect system includes a circuit board including a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a plurality of signal conductors and a plurality of ground conductors including respective contact pads in a mating area of the substrate for engaging corresponding contacts of an electrical connector, and a plurality of ground vias extending at least partially through the substrate between the first and second surfaces. The ground vias are coupled to corresponding ground conductors. The ground vias include lossy plugs at least partially filling the ground vias. The lossy plugs are manufactured from lossy material capable of absorbing electrical resonance propagating through the substrate.

Abstract: A plug connector includes a circuit card and a guide frame mounted to the circuit card. The circuit card is held by a housing. The circuit card includes a front edge and opposing outer edges. The circuit card defines a datum hole in a first surface. The circuit card further includes a set of contact pads along the first surface proximate to the front edge. The contact pads are registered relative to the datum hole. The guide frame has a base that has a post. The guide frame includes a frame member that extends from the base. An outer wall of the frame member is registered relative to the post. The post is received in the datum hole of the circuit card such that the outer wall of the frame member is registered relative to the contact pads, independent of locations of the outer edges of the circuit card.

Abstract: A receptacle assembly includes communication connectors secured together as a communication module each having a contact array arranged within a shroud for mating with a pluggable module. A gasket plate is coupled to the communication module between the communication module and the pluggable modules. The gasket plate has a plurality of openings receiving corresponding shrouds and pluggable module interfaces around each of the openings for interfacing with mating ends of the pluggable modules. The receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing having a plurality of panels dividing a housing cavity into module cavities. The gasket plate is coupled to the communication module to define a connector module assembly. The connector module assembly is loaded into the housing cavity prior to mounting to the circuit board such that the connector module assembly and the receptacle housing are configured to be mounted to the circuit board as a unit.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing having a first end and a second end with a mating slot formed between the first and second ends configured to receive a mating connector having contact pads. A leadframe assembly is disposed in the housing. The leadframe assembly has a contact array including ground contacts and signal contacts interspersed between corresponding ground contacts. The leadframe assembly has an overmold body supporting the ground and signal contacts. The overmold body has lossy ground absorbers coupled to corresponding ground contacts. The lossy ground absorbers are manufactured from lossy material absorbing electrical resonance propagating through the leadframe assembly.

Abstract: A receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing having panels defining a housing cavity receiving a pluggable module. The panels are conductive to provide electromagnetic interference shielding. The receptacle housing has a bottom mounted to a circuit board. A communication module is received in the housing cavity and mounted to the circuit board. The communication module includes a communication connector interfacing with the pluggable module. The receptacle assembly includes a light pipe assembly coupled to the receptacle housing having has a plurality of flexible light pipes each extending between a light-receiving end and a light-emitting end. The light-receiving end is positioned proximate to the bottom to receive light from a light-emitting device mounted to the circuit board. The light-emitting end is provided proximate to the front end of the receptacle housing for displaying a status indicator for the communication connector.

Abstract: A receptacle assembly includes communication connectors secured together as a communication module each having a contact array arranged within a shroud for mating with a pluggable module. A gasket plate is coupled to the communication module between the communication module and the pluggable modules. The gasket plate has a plurality of openings receiving corresponding shrouds and pluggable module interfaces around each of the openings for interfacing with mating ends of the pluggable modules. The receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing having a plurality of panels dividing a housing cavity into module cavities. The gasket plate is coupled to the communication module to define a connector module assembly. The connector module assembly is loaded into the housing cavity prior to mounting to the circuit board such that the connector module assembly and the receptacle housing are configured to be mounted to the circuit board as a unit.

Abstract: A ground contact module includes a ground leadframe and a ground dielectric body. The ground leadframe has ground contacts extending between corresponding mating ends and terminating ends with transition portions therebetween. The ground dielectric body holds the ground leadframe and has a low loss layer overmolded over the ground leadframe and encasing the transition portions of the ground contacts. The ground dielectric body has lossy wings received in pockets in the low loss layer. The lossy wings are electrically coupled to corresponding ground contacts and are manufactured from lossy material capable of absorbing electrical resonance propagating through the contact module stack. The lossy wings are separate and discrete from the low loss layer and are attached to the at least one low loss layer in proximity to the corresponding ground contacts. Each lossy wing is electrically coupled to only one of the ground contacts.

Abstract: Pluggable connector having a connector housing with a receiving space that opens to a leading end of the connector housing. The pluggable connector includes an edge interface that is positioned within the receiving space and has a mating edge. The pluggable connector also includes a guard assembly that is coupled to the connector housing and includes a front wall and a spring member that operably engages the front wall. The front wall has an edge slot. The spring member is biased to hold the front wall in a forward position with respect to the edge interface. The front wall compresses the spring member as the front wall moves from the forward position to a displaced position. The mating edge moves through the edge slot and clears the front wall as the front wall moves to the displaced position.

Abstract: An interconnect system includes a circuit board including a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a plurality of signal conductors and a plurality of ground conductors including respective contact pads in a mating area of the substrate for engaging corresponding contacts of an electrical connector, and a plurality of ground vias extending at least partially through the substrate between the first and second surfaces. The ground vias are coupled to corresponding ground conductors. The ground vias include lossy plugs at least partially filling the ground vias. The lossy plugs are manufactured from lossy material capable of absorbing electrical resonance propagating through the substrate.

Abstract: A feed-through adapter assembly includes a bezel cage configured to receive a pluggable module. Walls of the cage are manufactured from a metal material and provide electrical shielding for the pluggable module. A feed-through connector is received in the bezel cage and is positioned at or near a rear end of the cage member. The feed-through connector has a feed-through connector housing holding a contact assembly. The contact assembly has a plurality of feed-through contacts defining a first board mating interface configured to mate with and be electrically connected to a circuit board of the pluggable module and a second board mating interface configured to mate with and be electrically connected to a circuit board of a cable connector. The first and second board mating interfaces are substantially identical.

Abstract: A receptacle connector includes a housing having a slot configured to receive a mating connector therein. Signal contacts are held by the housing. The signal contacts include signal mating segments and signal mounting segments. The signal mating segments include signal mating interfaces that are exposed within the slot for engagement with the mating connector. Ground contacts are held by the housing. The ground contacts include ground mating segments and ground mounting segments. The ground mating segments include ground mating interfaces that are exposed within the slot for engagement with the mating connector. A ground bus electrically commons the ground contacts with each other. The ground contacts and the ground bus are integrally fabricated as a single, unitary, continuous structure.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing having a first end and a second end with a mating slot formed between the first and second ends configured to receive a mating connector having contact pads. A leadframe assembly is disposed in the housing. The leadframe assembly has a contact array including ground contacts and signal contacts interspersed between corresponding ground contacts. The leadframe assembly has an overmold body supporting the ground and signal contacts. The overmold body has lossy ground absorbers coupled to corresponding ground contacts. The lossy ground absorbers are manufactured from lossy material absorbing electrical resonance propagating through the leadframe assembly.