Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing and a plurality of conductors held within the housing. The conductors are configured to electrically connect to mating conductors of a mating connector. The conductors each extend a length between a mating end and a mounting end of the respective conductor. One or more of the conductors include a copper alloy core, a copper plating layer, and a protective outer layer. The copper plating layer surrounds the copper alloy core, and is composed of a different material than the copper alloy core. The protective outer layer is disposed on and surrounds the copper plating layer. The protective outer layer is composed of a non-conductive polymeric material.

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 including a housing defining an interior cavity and extending from a mounting end to an engagement end, and at least one signal component disposed within the interior cavity of the housing. The housing is formed from a conductive composite material and engages the at least one signal component to shield the interior cavity.

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: A contact module includes a dielectric holder holding signal contacts having mating portions extending forward of the dielectric holder. A shield structure is coupled to the dielectric holder providing electrical shielding for the signal contacts. The shield structure has first and second ground shields having corresponding mating portions extending forward of the mating end of the dielectric holder. The shield structure has ground blades extending between the first and second ground shields having mating portions extending forward of the mating end of the dielectric holder at least one of above or below the mating portions of the signal contacts. The ground blades electrically connect the mating portions of the first ground shield and the mating portions of the second ground shield immediately forward of the mating end of dielectric holder.

Abstract: A contact includes a main body having a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side. The contact includes a terminating end extending from the main body and a mating beam extending from the main body opposite the terminating end. The mating beam has a root at the main body and a tip opposite the root. The mating beam has an elongated coupling base between the root and the tip. The elongated coupling base has a bottom surface configured to face a mating contact being generally parallel to the mating contact between the root and the tip.

Abstract: A contact includes a main body having a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side. The contact includes a terminating end extending from the main body and a mating beam extending from the main body opposite the terminating end. The mating beam has a root at the main body and a tip opposite the root. The mating beam has an elongated coupling base between the root and the tip. The elongated coupling base has a bottom surface configured to face a mating contact being generally parallel to the mating contact between the root and the tip.

Abstract: A contact module includes a dielectric holder holding signal contacts having mating portions extending forward of the dielectric holder. A shield structure is coupled to the dielectric holder providing electrical shielding for the signal contacts. The shield structure has first and second ground shields having corresponding mating portions extending forward of the mating end of the dielectric holder. The shield structure has ground blades extending between the first and second ground shields having mating portions extending forward of the mating end of the dielectric holder at least one of above or below the mating portions of the signal contacts. The ground blades electrically connect the mating portions of the first ground shield and the mating portions of the second ground shield immediately forward of the mating end of dielectric holder.

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 header ground shields each having a main panel, a first side panel extending from a first side of the main panel and a second side panel extending from a second side of the main panel. The main panel, the first side panel and the second side panel define a shield pocket receiving and shielding a signal contact. The first side panel includes a first overlapping segment and a first engagement segment and the second side panel includes a second overlapping segment and a second engagement segment. The header ground shields are arranged in shield columns and corresponding header ground shields in the same shield column engage adjacent header ground shields such that the first overlapping segments overlap second engagement segments of the adjacent header ground shield and such that the second overlapping segments overlap first engagement segments of the adjacent header ground shield.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a contact module having a first dielectric frame holding first conductors and a second dielectric frame holding second conductors stacked with the first dielectric frame to form the contact module. The first dielectric frame has insertion loss control windows defining air pockets exposing exposed portions of the corresponding first conductors to air. The size and shape of the insertion loss control windows control insertion loss along the first conductors. The second dielectric frame has insertion loss control windows defining air pockets exposing exposed portions of the corresponding second conductors to air. The size and shape of the insertion loss control windows control insertion loss along the second conductors. The insertion loss control windows of the second dielectric frame are aligned with and are open to the insertion loss control windows of the first dielectric frame.

Abstract: A contact module includes a dielectric holder holding signal contacts having mating portions extending forward of the dielectric holder. A shield structure is coupled to the dielectric holder providing electrical shielding for the signal contacts. The shield structure has first and second ground shields having corresponding mating portions extending forward of the mating end of the dielectric holder. The shield structure has ground blades extending between the first and second ground shields having mating portions extending forward of the mating end of the dielectric holder at least one of above or below the mating portions of the signal contacts. The ground blades electrically connect the mating portions of the first ground shield and the mating portions of the second ground shield immediately forward of the mating end of dielectric holder.

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: An electrical connector includes a contact module having a dielectric frame holding conductors. The conductors extend between a mating end and a terminating end and have a transition portion between the corresponding mating end and the terminating end passing through the dielectric frame. The transition portions of the conductors have opposite first and second sides and opposite first and second edges between the first and second sides. The dielectric frame has opposite first and second sides generally parallel to the first and second sides of the transition portions. The dielectric frame has insertion loss control windows in at least one of the first side and the second side defining air pockets exposing exposed portions of the corresponding transition portions to air. The size and shape of the insertion loss control windows controlling insertion loss along the conductors.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing and a plurality of conductors held within the housing. The conductors are configured to electrically connect to mating conductors of a mating connector. The conductors each extend a length between a mating end and a mounting end of the respective conductor. One or more of the conductors include a copper alloy core, a copper plating layer, and a protective outer layer. The copper plating layer surrounds the copper alloy core, and is composed of a different material than the copper alloy core. The protective outer layer is disposed on and surrounds the copper plating layer. The protective outer layer is composed of a non-conductive polymeric material.

Abstract: A connector assembly includes a housing and contact modules having signal contacts with signal pins and a ground shield providing electrical shielding for the signal contacts with ground pins. The connector assembly includes a conductive gasket compressible between the bottoms of the contact modules and the circuit board. The conductive gasket has a top and a bottom facing the circuit board. The conductive gasket has signal openings extending therethrough receiving corresponding signal pins in spaced apart locations to electrically isolate the signal pins from the conductive gasket. The conductive gasket at least partially fills a space between the bottoms of the contact modules and the circuit board to provide electrical shielding for the signal pins between the bottoms of the contact modules and the circuit board.

Abstract: A connector assembly includes a housing and contact modules having signal contacts with signal pins and a ground shield providing electrical shielding for the signal contacts with ground pins. The connector assembly includes a conductive gasket compressible between the bottoms of the contact modules and the circuit board. The conductive gasket has a top and a bottom facing the circuit board. The conductive gasket has signal openings extending therethrough receiving corresponding signal pins in spaced apart locations to electrically isolate the signal pins from the conductive gasket. The conductive gasket at least partially fills a space between the bottoms of the contact modules and the circuit board to provide electrical shielding for the signal pins between the bottoms of the contact modules and the circuit board.

Abstract: A header connector includes header ground shields each having a main panel, a first side panel extending from a first side of the main panel and a second side panel extending from a second side of the main panel. The main panel, the first side panel and the second side panel define a shield pocket receiving and shielding a signal contact. The first side panel includes a first overlapping segment and a first engagement segment and the second side panel includes a second overlapping segment and a second engagement segment. The header ground shields are arranged in shield columns and corresponding header ground shields in the same shield column engage adjacent header ground shields such that the first overlapping segments overlap second engagement segments of the adjacent header ground shield and such that the second overlapping segments overlap first engagement segments of the adjacent header ground shield.

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.