Abstract: A cable assembly is provided and includes a cable core including a first signal conductor and a second signal conductor separated by at least one insulator. The first and second signal conductor both include exposed segments extending forward from their respective insulator to a conductor end. The cable assembly includes a contact holder extending between a front and a rear. The cable assembly includes a first contact received in the corresponding channel of the contact holder. The first contact has a mating end and a terminating end. The cable assembly includes a first contact and a second contact received in their corresponding channel of the contact holder. The first and second contact have a mating end and a terminating end. The terminating end has a weld edge welded to the conductor end at a butt weld.

Abstract: A cable assembly is provided and includes a cable core including a first signal conductor and a second signal conductor separated by at least one insulator. The first signal conductor includes a first exposed segment extending forward of the first insulator to a first conductor end. The second signal conductor includes a second exposed segment extending forward of the second insulator to a second conductor end. The cable has a cable shield surrounding the cable core providing electrical shielding along a length of the cable. The cable assembly includes a contact holder extending between a front and a rear. The contact holder is located forward of the cable. The contact holder has contact channels extending between the front and the rear. The cable assembly includes a first contact received in the corresponding channel of the contact holder. The first contact has a mating end and a terminating end. The terminating end has a first weld edge welded to the first conductor end at a first butt weld.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a front housing having a front and a rear. The front housing is configured to hold signal contacts and has a cavity at the rear. The front is configured to be mated with the mating connector. A conductive insert is received in the cavity. The conductive insert includes end walls and cross walls extending between the end walls. The conductive insert includes channels between the cross walls configured to receive ground shields used to provide electrical shielding for the signal contacts. The cross walls are configured to be electrically coupled to the corresponding ground shields. The conductive insert is configured to electrically couple each of the ground shields.

Abstract: A header connector includes signal contacts, header shields and a header housing holding the signal contacts and the header shields. The signal contacts each have a base, a mating pin and a mounting portion. The header shields have walls defining shield pockets receiving corresponding pairs of the signal contacts to provide electrical shielding for the pairs of signal contacts. Each header shield has a base and a mounting portion. The header housing has a front shell and a rear shell. The front shell is dielectric and the rear shell is conductive and providing electrical shielding for the signal contacts. The front shell holds the signal contacts. The rear shell holds the header shields and is electrically connected to each of the header shields.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a front housing having a front configured to be mated with a header connector and a rear having a cavity. The electrical connector includes a conductive insert received in the cavity including end walls and cross walls extending between the end walls. The conductive insert includes channels between the cross walls receiving header ground shields of the header connector. The cross-walls include protrusions extending into the channels each having a mating interface engaging the header ground shields. The conductive insert electrically couples each of the header ground shields of the header connector.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a front housing having a front and a rear. The front housing is configured to hold signal contacts and has a cavity at the rear. The front is configured to be mated with the mating connector. A conductive insert is received in the cavity. The conductive insert includes end walls and cross walls extending between the end walls. The conductive insert includes channels between the cross walls configured to receive ground shields used to provide electrical shielding for the signal contacts. The cross walls are configured to be electrically coupled to the corresponding ground shields. The conductive insert is configured to electrically couple each of the ground shields.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing, signal contacts, and ground shields. The housing has a base wall that defines openings therethrough. The signal contacts are arranged in pairs and project through at least some of the openings beyond a top side of the base wall. The ground shields project through at least some of the openings beyond the top side of the base wall. Each ground shield has at least two walls and at least partially surrounds a corresponding pair of the signal contacts. Each ground shield has an inner side that faces the corresponding pair of signal contacts and an outer side that is opposite the inner side. The outer sides of the ground shields have a lossy coating to absorb electrical resonances, and the inner sides of the ground shields lack the lossy coating.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a front housing having a front configured to be mated with a header connector and a rear having a cavity. The electrical connector includes a conductive insert received in the cavity including end walls and cross walls extending between the end walls. The conductive insert includes channels between the cross walls receiving header ground shields of the header connector. The cross-walls include protrusions extending into the channels each having a mating interface engaging the header ground shields. The conductive insert electrically couples each of the header ground shields of the header connector.

Abstract: A printed circuit board (PCB) includes a substrate and a PCB connector footprint defined along a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis being subdivided into PCB column grouping footprints in columns parallel to the longitudinal axis. The PCB includes signal vias arranged in pairs along a signal pair axis. The pairs of signal vias are aligned in the columns parallel to the longitudinal axis and in rows parallel to the lateral axis. The signal pair axis is non-parallel to the lateral and longitudinal axes. The PCB includes ground vias with at least one ground via arranged between adjacent pairs of signal vias within the PCB column grouping footprints and at least one ground via is arranged between adjacent pairs of signal vias in adjacent PCB column grouping footprints. This orientation is to allow more spacing between the signal vias and some ground vias to enhance signal integrity.

Abstract: A header connector includes signal contacts, header shields and a header housing holding the signal contacts and the header shields. The signal contacts each have a base, a mating pin and a mounting portion. The header shields have walls defining shield pockets receiving corresponding pairs of the signal contacts to provide electrical shielding for the pairs of signal contacts. Each header shield has a base and a mounting portion. The header housing has a front shell and a rear shell. The front shell is dielectric and the rear shell is conductive and providing electrical shielding for the signal contacts. The front shell holds the signal contacts. The rear shell holds the header shields and is electrically connected to each of the header shields.

Abstract: A printed circuit board (PCB) includes a substrate and a PCB connector footprint defined along a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis being subdivided into PCB column grouping footprints in columns parallel to the longitudinal axis. The PCB includes signal vias arranged in pairs along a signal pair axis. The pairs of signal vias are aligned in the columns parallel to the longitudinal axis and in rows parallel to the lateral axis. The signal pair axis is non-parallel to the lateral and longitudinal axes. The PCB includes ground vias with at least one ground via arranged between adjacent pairs of signal vias within the PCB column grouping footprints and at least one ground via is arranged between adjacent pairs of signal vias in adjacent PCB column grouping footprints.

Abstract: A receptacle connector assembly includes a contact module having signal contacts and ground contacts and a housing having a front shell and a rear shell coupled to the front shell. The front shell and the rear shell receive the signal contacts and corresponding header signal contacts of a header connector assembly in mating engagement with the signal contacts in a mating zone. The front shell and the rear shell receive the ground contacts and corresponding header ground contacts of the header connector assembly in mating engagement with the ground contacts in the mating zone. The rear shell has pockets receiving corresponding signal contacts and ground contacts. The rear shell has conductors at the front of the rear shell providing electrical shielding in the mating zone.

Abstract: An electrical cable connector includes a contact subassembly having a center contact, a dielectric holder, and an outer contact. The dielectric holder defines a channel that is open at a top side of the dielectric holder. The center contact has a termination region that is held in the channel. The termination region includes a first cable insulation displacement (CID) feature. The outer contact includes a second CID feature extending from a base wall of the outer contact outside of the dielectric holder. The second CID feature extends into the channel through an aperture in the dielectric holder. The first CID feature engages a core conductor of a cable and the second CID feature engages a shield layer of the cable as the cable is loaded into the channel from above the top side of the dielectric holder.

Abstract: An electrical cable connector includes a contact subassembly having a center contact, a dielectric holder, and an outer contact. The dielectric holder defines a channel that is open at a top side of the dielectric holder. The center contact has a termination region that is held in the channel. The termination region includes a first cable insulation displacement (CID) feature. The outer contact includes a second CID feature extending from a base wall of the outer contact outside of the dielectric holder. The second CID feature extends into the channel through an aperture in the dielectric holder. The first CID feature engages a core conductor of a cable and the second CID feature engages a shield layer of the cable as the cable is loaded into the channel from above the top side of the dielectric holder.

Abstract: A component feeding system includes a platform and a tray supported by the platform having a component support surface for supporting a plurality of components. An agitation unit is supported by the platform and is operatively coupled to the tray to agitate the tray to cause the components to move on the tray. A guidance system is supported by the platform and has a camera viewing the tray. A positioning system is supported by the platform and a component gripper is supported by the positioning system and moved by the positioning system relative to the tray. The component gripper is configured to pick and place components on the tray. A controller communicates with the agitation unit, the positioning system, the component gripper and the guidance system. The controller operates the agitation unit, the positioning system and the component gripper based on an image obtained by the camera.

Abstract: A contactless connector module includes first and second fiber optic connector assemblies. The first fiber optic connector assembly includes a first fiber optic cable and a first connector provided at an end of the first fiber optic cable. The first connector includes a first converter converting between optical and electrical signals and a first communication chip electrically connected to the first converter. The first communication chip is configured to transmit wireless RF signals. The second fiber optic connector assembly includes a second fiber optic cable and a second connector provided at an end of the second fiber optic cable. The second connector includes a second converter converting between optical and electrical signals and a second communication chip electrically connected to the second converter. The second communication chip is configured to receive the wireless RF signals from the first communication chip.

Abstract: A contactless connector includes a first communication chip configured to at least one of transmit and receive wireless RF signals, a second communication chip configured to at least one of transmit and receive wireless RF signals, and a waveguide structure between the first and second communication chips. The waveguide structure conveys RF signals between the first and second communication chips.

Abstract: A contactless connector includes a waveguide structure having a waveguide body extending between a first end and a second end and a septum received in the waveguide body and extend at least partially along an interior of the waveguide body. The septum divides at least a portion of the waveguide body into a first chamber and a second chamber. The waveguide structure conveys RF signals between the first and second ends. The contactless connector includes a communication module having a circuit board positioned at the first end of the waveguide body with transmit and receive communication chips coupled to the circuit board. The waveguide guides the RF signals from and to the transmit and receive communication chips, and the septum isolates the RF signals associated with the communication chips.

Abstract: A component feeding system includes a platform and a tray supported by the platform having a component support surface for supporting a plurality of components. An agitation unit is supported by the platform and is operatively coupled to the tray to agitate the tray to cause the components to move on the tray. A guidance system is supported by the platform and has a camera viewing the tray. A positioning system is supported by the platform and a component gripper is supported by the positioning system and moved by the positioning system relative to the tray. The component gripper is configured to pick and place components on the tray. A controller communicates with the agitation unit, the positioning system, the component gripper and the guidance system. The controller operates the agitation unit, the positioning system and the component gripper based on an image obtained by the camera.

Abstract: A contactless connector includes a transmitter having a first transmit integrated circuit generating a first signal and a second transmit integrated circuit generating a second signal. A first pick-up antenna is adjacent the first transmit integrated circuit and conveys the first signal along a first transmission line to a first propagation antenna. A second pick-up antenna is adjacent the second transmit integrated circuit and conveys the second signal along a second transmission line to a second propagation antenna. The first and second propagation antennas transmit the first and second signals to a propagation path at different and separable polarizations to allow duplex communication with the propagation path.