Abstract: A cable card assembly includes a circuit card having mating conductors at a mating end for mating with a mating electrical connector and circuit conductors at s cable end. The cable card assembly includes cables having signal conductors and cable shields. The cable card assembly includes a contact assembly coupled to the circuit card and coupled to the cables and a contact holder holding signal contacts. Each signal contact includes a base tab terminated to the corresponding circuit conductor and a mating tab terminated to the corresponding signal conductor. The cable card assembly includes a ground bus separate and discrete from the contact assembly and coupled to the contact assembly. The ground bus is electrically connected to the cable shields to electrically connect the cable shields of the cables.

Abstract: A plug connector includes a plug housing having a mating end at a front of the plug housing for mating with a mating connector. The plug housing has an upper wall, an end wall extending from the upper wall, and side walls extending from the upper wall. The plug housing has a mating chamber defined by the upper wall, the end wall and the side walls. The mating chamber is open at the front. The end wall is opposite the front at a rear of the mating chamber. The plug connector includes a circuit card held by the plug housing. The circuit card extends into the mating chamber for mating with the mating connector. The circuit card has plug contacts. The plug connector includes a mating spring coupled to the end wall. The mating spring has a spring arm extending into the mating chamber. The spring arm has a mating interface configured to engage a mating end of the mating connector to bias the end wall away from the mating end of the mating connector.

Abstract: An electrical device includes a substrate having a plurality of signal contacts and a ground contact along a surface of the substrate. A communication cable includes a differential pair of signal conductors, a grounding element that surrounds the signal conductors, and a cable jacket surrounding the signal conductors and the grounding element. Each of the signal conductors has a wire-terminating end that is terminated to a corresponding signal contact of the substrate, the wire-terminating end projecting beyond a jacket edge of the cable jacket. A ground termination component has a main panel electrically coupled with the ground contact, and a strain relief element engaged with at least a portion of the communication cable. The strain relief element includes a connective terminal electrically coupled to the grounding element.

Abstract: An electrical device includes a substrate having a plurality of signal contacts and a ground contact along a surface of the substrate. A communication cable includes a differential pair of signal conductors, a grounding element that surrounds the signal conductors, and a cable jacket surrounding the signal conductors and the grounding element. Each of the signal conductors has a wire-terminating end that is terminated to a corresponding signal contact of the substrate, the wire-terminating end projecting beyond a jacket edge of the cable jacket. A ground termination component has a main panel electrically coupled with the ground contact, and a strain relief element engaged with at least a portion of the communication cable. The strain relief element includes a connective terminal electrically coupled to the grounding element.

Abstract: An electrical device includes a substrate having a plurality of signal contacts and a ground contact along a surface of the substrate. A communication cable includes a differential pair of signal conductors, a grounding element that surrounds the signal conductors, and a cable jacket surrounding the signal conductors and the grounding element. Each of the signal conductors has a wire-terminating end that is terminated to a corresponding signal contact of the substrate, the wire-terminating end projecting beyond a jacket edge of the cable jacket. A ground termination component has a main panel electrically coupled with the ground contact, and a strain relief element engaged with at least a portion of the communication cable. The strain relief element includes a connective terminal electrically coupled to the grounding element.

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: An electrical device includes a circuit board having upper signal contacts and at least one upper ground contact along an upper surface of the circuit board. The electrical device also includes a communication cable including a differential pair of signal conductors, a shield layer that surrounds the signal conductors, a drain wire electrically coupled with the shield layer, and a cable jacket that surrounds the shield layer and the drain wire. Each of the signal conductors has a wire-terminating end engaged to a corresponding signal contact of the circuit board. The wire-terminating ends project beyond a jacket edge of the cable jacket. An upper ground-terminating component electrically couples to the upper ground contact having a main panel with a connective terminal electrically coupled to the drain wire.

Abstract: A cable management clasp includes a clasp body extending between a connector end and a cable end configured to receive a cable array of cables through a cable entrance. The cable array exits the clasp body at the connector end through a cable exit. The clasp body holds the cables of the cable array in a parallel arrangement. The clasp body extends along mutually perpendicular longitudinal, lateral and elevation axes. The clasp body has a mandrel including a cable bend surface having a bend radius greater than a minimum bend radius of the cables. The cables transition around the cable bend surface between the cable entrance and the cable exit. The mandrel directs the cable array to rotate a roll angle about the elevation axis and the mandrel directs the cable array to rotate a yaw angle about the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: An electrical device includes a circuit board having upper signal contacts and at least one upper ground contact along an upper surface of the circuit board. The electrical device also includes a communication cable including a differential pair of signal conductors, a shield layer that surrounds the signal conductors, a drain wire electrically coupled with the shield layer, and a cable jacket that surrounds the shield layer and the drain wire. Each of the signal conductors has a wire-terminating end engaged to a corresponding signal contact of the circuit board. The wire-terminating ends project beyond a jacket edge of the cable jacket. An upper ground-terminating component electrically couples to the upper ground contact having a main panel with a connective terminal electrically coupled to the drain wire.

Abstract: A pluggable module includes a pluggable body extending between a cable end and a mating end opposite the cable end and a latch held by the pluggable body having an actuation end and a latching end. The actuation end has an actuator extending from the cable end and the latching end has a latching tooth configured to latchably secure the pluggable module to a component. A pull tab device is secured to the actuator. The pull tab device has a handle configured to be pulled away from the pluggable body to release the latch. The pull tab device has a connecting end opposite the handle having a first segment and a second segment. The first segment wraps around the actuator and is secured to the second segment such that the pull tab device is self-secured to the actuator.

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 pluggable module includes a pluggable body extending between a cable end and a mating end opposite the cable end and a latch held by the pluggable body having an actuation end and a latching end. The actuation end has an actuator extending from the cable end and the latching end has a latching tooth configured to latchably secure the pluggable module to a component. A pull tab device is secured to the actuator. The pull tab device has a handle configured to be pulled away from the pluggable body to release the latch. The pull tab device has a connecting end opposite the handle having a first segment and a second segment. The first segment wraps around the actuator and is secured to the second segment such that the pull tab device is self-secured to the actuator.

Abstract: A protective cover is provided for a connector that is mounted to a host structure. The cover includes a metal shell having a body defined by at least one shell segment that includes a base and a support wall that extends outward from the base. The support wall includes an interior side that defines a connector pocket configured to receive a corresponding sub-segment of a cantilevered connector segment of the connector. The base of the shell segment is configured to be mounted to the host structure with the support wall extending outward from the host structure over the corresponding sub-segment of the cantilevered connector segment such that the body of the metal shell is cantilevered from the host structure around at least a portion of a circumference and along at least a portion of a length of the cantilevered connector segment to provide a metal barrier that covers at least a portion of the cantilevered connector segment.

Abstract: A cable assembly includes a grommet, a cable, and a ferrule. The grommet has a cylindrical sleeve defining a cable channel therethrough and a flange extending radially outward from the cylindrical sleeve. The cable includes one or more insulated wires, a cable shield surrounding the one or more insulated wires, and an outer jacket surrounding the cable shield. The cable extends through the cable channel of the grommet. The cable shield and the one or more insulated wires protrude from an end of the outer jacket. The cable shield has an overlap portion extending around the end of the outer jacket and surrounding and engaging the cylindrical sleeve of the grommet to electrically connect the cable shield to the grommet. The ferrule surrounds and engages the overlap portion of the cable shield to secure the overlap portion to the cylindrical sleeve of the grommet.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing having a mating end, a rear end opposite the mating end, and an exterior wall extending at least partially between the mating end and the rear end. The exterior wall includes a cavity with a latch held on the housing at least partially received in the cavity and a latch actuator at least partially received in the cavity. The latch actuator has first and second release mechanisms. The first release mechanism includes a pull tab being linearly movable within the cavity during a pull release operation, and the second release mechanism includes a push button being movable within the cavity during a push release operation for interacting with the latch to release the latch during the push release operation.

Abstract: A cable management clasp includes a clasp body extending between a connector end and a cable end configured to receive a cable array of cables through a cable entrance. The cable array exits the clasp body at the connector end through a cable exit. The clasp body holds the cables of the cable array in a parallel arrangement. The clasp body extends along mutually perpendicular longitudinal, lateral and elevation axes. The clasp body has a mandrel including a cable bend surface having a bend radius greater than a minimum bend radius of the cables. The cables transition around the cable bend surface between the cable entrance and the cable exit. The mandrel directs the cable array to rotate a roll angle about the elevation axis and the mandrel directs the cable array to rotate a yaw angle about the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A cable management clasp includes a clasp body having an upper locating member and a lower locating member joined to the upper locating member at opposite first and second ends. The upper and lower locating members are parallel to each other to form an elongated cable receptacle between the upper and lower locating members. The upper and lower locating members gang a plurality of cables in a parallel arrangement within the cable receptacle.

Abstract: A protective cover is provided for a connector that is mounted to a host structure. The cover includes a metal shell having a body defined by at least one shell segment that includes a base and a support wall that extends outward from the base. The support wall includes an interior side that defines a connector pocket configured to receive a corresponding sub-segment of a cantilevered connector segment of the connector. The base of the shell segment is configured to be mounted to the host structure with the support wall extending outward from the host structure over the corresponding sub-segment of the cantilevered connector segment such that the body of the metal shell is cantilevered from the host structure around at least a portion of a circumference and along at least a portion of a length of the cantilevered connector segment to provide a metal barrier that covers at least a portion of the cantilevered connector segment.

Abstract: A cable management clasp includes a clasp body having an upper locating member and a lower locating member joined to the upper locating member at opposite first and second ends. The upper and lower locating members are parallel to each other to form an elongated cable receptacle between the upper and lower locating members. The upper and lower locating members gang a plurality of cables in a parallel arrangement within the cable receptacle.

Abstract: A cable assembly for a cable backplane system includes a tray having a frame and spacer assemblies coupled to the frame that hold cable tray connectors in fixed positions relative to the frame. Each cable tray connector has a housing holding a plurality of contacts and cables extending rearward from the corresponding housing. The housings are configured to be received in corresponding openings in a backplane of the cable backplane system. A flexible cable harness extends from the tray. The flexible cable harness has a flexible shield electrically coupled to the frame and a harness connector electrically connected to at least one corresponding cable tray connector. At least some of the cables are routed from the tray through the flexible shield to the harness connector. The flexible shield provides electrical shielding for the cables. The harness connector is variably positionable relative to the tray.