Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing stack comprising a front housing and a rear housing coupled to the front housing at a seam. The housing stack defines plural contact cavities that extend continuously through the front housing and the rear housing between mating and mounting ends. A lossy spacer is disposed at the seam between the front and rear housings. The lossy spacer has plural contact cavities aligned with corresponding contact cavities of the housing stack. Signal and ground contacts are disposed in corresponding contact cavities of the housing stack. The signal contacts extend through the lossy spacer such that the signal contacts do not directly engage the lossy spacer. The ground contacts extend through the contact cavities in the lossy spacer such that the ground contacts are coupled by the lossy spacer.

Abstract: A header transition connector includes a header housing having a first end and a second end with a separating wall separating a first cavity from a second cavity. The separating wall has signal contact openings and ground shield openings therethrough. Header signal contacts are held in corresponding signal contact openings and arranged in pairs carrying differential signals. The header signal contacts have first mating ends in the first cavity and second mating ends in the second cavity for mating with first and second receptacle connectors, respectively. Header ground shields are held in corresponding ground shield openings and have walls surrounding associated pairs of header signal contacts on at least two sides thereof. The header ground shields have first mating ends in the first cavity and second mating ends in the second cavity for mating with the first and second receptacle connectors, respectively.

Abstract: A contact module is provided for an electrical connector. The contact module includes a carrier and a leadframe held by the carrier. The leadframe includes signal contacts that extend outward from the carrier for mating with corresponding mating signal contacts. A ground shield is mounted to the carrier. The ground shield includes a body configured to extend over at least a portion of the leadframe. The ground shield includes ground contacts configured to mate with corresponding mating ground shields. The ground contacts include groups of spring beams. Each group of spring beams includes at least first and second spring beams that extend from the body of the ground shield in respective different directions.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing stack and plural conductors. The housing stack includes a front housing and a rear housing. The rear housing is disposed rearward of the front housing. The housing stack defines plural cavities that extend continuously through the front housing and the rear housing. The front housing includes a forward-facing shoulder within at least some of the cavities. The rear housing includes a rear-facing shoulder associated with the cavities that include the forward-facing shoulder. The conductors are disposed in the cavities of the housing stack. At least some of the conductors have a first projecting feature that engages the forward-facing shoulder in the corresponding cavity and a second projecting feature that engages the rear-facing shoulder to secure the front housing to the rear housing.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing stack comprising a front housing and a rear housing coupled to the front housing at a seam. The housing stack defines plural contact cavities that extend continuously through the front housing and the rear housing between mating and mounting ends. A lossy spacer is disposed at the seam between the front and rear housings. The lossy spacer has plural contact cavities aligned with corresponding contact cavities of the housing stack. Signal and ground contacts are disposed in corresponding contact cavities of the housing stack. The signal contacts extend through the lossy spacer such that the signal contacts do not directly engage the lossy spacer. The ground contacts extend through the contact cavities in the lossy spacer such that the ground contacts are coupled by the lossy spacer.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing stack and plural conductors. The housing stack includes a front housing and a rear housing. The rear housing is disposed rearward of the front housing. The housing stack defines plural cavities that extend continuously through the front housing and the rear housing. The front housing includes a forward-facing shoulder within at least some of the cavities. The rear housing includes a rear-facing shoulder associated with the cavities that include the forward-facing shoulder. The conductors are disposed in the cavities of the housing stack. At least some of the conductors have a first projecting feature that engages the forward-facing shoulder in the corresponding cavity and a second projecting feature that engages the rear-facing shoulder to secure the front housing to the rear housing.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly includes a housing extending between a mating end and a mounting end. The housing defines plural contact cavities extending through the housing. Signal contacts are disposed in corresponding contact cavities of the housing. The signal contacts are arranged in rows along row axes extending in a longitudinal direction and in columns along column axes extending in a lateral direction. The signal contacts are arranged in pairs. A first set of pairs of signal contacts defining column pairs being arranged in-column along the corresponding column axis and a second set of pairs of signal contacts define cross pairs being arranged across the corresponding column axis. Adjacent pairs of signal contacts along the column axes alternate between column pairs and cross pairs. Adjacent pairs of signal contacts along row axes alternate between column pairs and cross pairs.

Abstract: A contact module is provided for an electrical connector. The contact module includes a carrier and a leadframe held by the carrier. The leadframe includes signal contacts that extend outward from the carrier for mating with corresponding mating signal contacts. A ground shield is mounted to the carrier. The ground shield includes a body configured to extend over at least a portion of the leadframe. The ground shield includes ground contacts configured to mate with corresponding mating ground shields. The ground contacts include groups of spring beams. Each group of spring beams includes at least first and second spring beams that extend from the body of the ground shield in respective different directions.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a front housing and a plurality of contact modules stacked side by side along a rear side of the front housing. Each contact module comprises a housing frame, multiple signal conductors and ground conductors held in the housing frame, and a ground shield coupled to an outer side of the housing frame. The housing frame is formed by a first shell member abutting a second shell member at an interface. At least one of the shell members defines multiple openings that align with the ground conductors held in the housing frame. The ground shield includes ground tabs that extend through the openings and engage the ground conductors to electrically connect the ground shield and the ground conductors. Broad sides of the signal conductors and the ground conductors are oriented orthogonal to the interface between the first and second shell members.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a front housing and a plurality of contact modules stacked side by side along a rear side of the front housing. Each contact module comprises a housing frame, multiple signal conductors and ground conductors held in the housing frame, and a ground shield coupled to an outer side of the housing frame. The housing frame is formed by a first shell member abutting a second shell member at an interface. At least one of the shell members defines multiple openings that align with the ground conductors held in the housing frame. The ground shield includes ground tabs that extend through the openings and engage the ground conductors to electrically connect the ground shield and the ground conductors. Broad sides of the signal conductors and the ground conductors are oriented orthogonal to the interface between the first and second shell members.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing stack, signal and ground conductors, and an electrically conductive ground bracket. The housing stack comprises a front housing and a rear housing. The front housing defines a mating end of the housing stack, and the rear housing defines a mounting end of the housing stack. The housing stack defines signal cavities and ground cavities that extend continuously through the front housing and the rear housing. The signal conductors and ground conductors are held in the signal cavities and ground cavities, respectively, of the housing stack. The signal conductors are arranged in signal pairs, and the ground conductors are interleaved between the signal pairs. The ground bracket is held in the housing stack between the front housing and the rear housing. The ground bracket engages and is electrically connected to each of the ground conductors to electrically common the ground conductors along a ground plane.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing stack, signal and ground conductors, and an electrically conductive ground bracket. The housing stack comprises a front housing and a rear housing. The front housing defines a mating end of the housing stack, and the rear housing defines a mounting end of the housing stack. The housing stack defines signal cavities and ground cavities that extend continuously through the front housing and the rear housing. The signal conductors and ground conductors are held in the signal cavities and ground cavities, respectively, of the housing stack. The signal conductors are arranged in signal pairs, and the ground conductors are interleaved between the signal pairs. The ground bracket is held in the housing stack between the front housing and the rear housing. The ground bracket engages and is electrically connected to each of the ground conductors to electrically common the ground conductors along a ground plane.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a plurality of contact modules stacked parallel to each other within a housing. Each contact module includes a pair of wafer sub-assemblies. The wafer sub-assemblies are identical and oriented 180° with respect to each other. Each wafer sub-assembly includes an overmolded leadframe and a conductive shell holding the overmolded leadframe. The overmolded leadframe has a plurality of contacts including intermediate sections extending between mating and mounting ends. The intermediate sections are encased in an overmolded body of the overmolded leadframe. The shell has a pocket at an inner side thereof receiving the overmolded leadframe and the inner sides of the shells face each other. The shell has securing features for securing the shells together and the shell provides electrical shielding for the contacts of the overmolded leadframe.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing, signal contacts, and ground shields. The housing extends between a front end and a rear end and defines a cavity at the front end. The signal contacts are held by the housing and are arranged in pairs carrying differential signals. The signal contacts have mating ends in the cavity for mating with a mating connector. The ground shields are held by the housing and extend along the signal contacts in the cavity. The ground shields have center walls and side walls surrounding associated pairs of the signal contacts on at least two sides thereof. The ground shields each have a commoning feature extending outward from a corresponding side wall. The commoning feature mechanically engages another ground shield in a group of ground shields to electrically join the ground shields of the group within the cavity.

Abstract: A header assembly of a mezzanine connector system may include a main housing defining signal channels extending through the main housing and ground channels extending into a first surface of the main housing, a plurality of signal modules, and a plurality of ground shields. At least a portion of each of the plurality of signal modules is retained within a respective one of the signal channels. At least a portion of each of the plurality of ground shields is retained within at least one of the ground channels.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing, signal contacts, and ground shields. The housing extends between a front end and a rear end and defines a cavity at the front end. The signal contacts are held by the housing and are arranged in pairs carrying differential signals. The signal contacts have mating ends in the cavity for mating with a mating connector. The ground shields are held by the housing and extend along the signal contacts in the cavity. The ground shields have center walls and side walls surrounding associated pairs of the signal contacts on at least two sides thereof. The ground shields each have a commoning feature extending outward from a corresponding side wall. The commoning feature mechanically engages another ground shield in a group of ground shields to electrically join the ground shields of the group within the cavity.

Abstract: A header assembly of a mezzanine connector system may include a main housing defining signal channels extending through the main housing and ground channels extending into a first surface of the main housing, a plurality of signal modules, and a plurality of ground shields. At least a portion of each of the plurality of signal modules is retained within a respective one of the signal channels. At least a portion of each of the plurality of ground shields is retained within at least one of the ground channels.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a contact module having a leadframe and a dielectric frame surrounding the leadframe. The leadframe has signal conductors having transition contacts encased in the dielectric frame. The transition contacts are coplanar such that the transition contacts are arranged within a contact plane of the leadframe. The signal conductors have mating contacts extending from the corresponding transition contacts. Each of the mating contacts have a mating interface configured to be electrically connected to a corresponding mating contact of a mating connector. The mating contacts are arranged in pairs with the corresponding mating interfaces aligned in rows along corresponding row axes. Each of the pairs of mating contacts are arranged in different rows.

Abstract: A leadframe for a contact module includes signal contacts arranged in pairs carrying differential signals. Each pair of signal contacts includes a first signal contact and a second signal contact. Each signal contact has a mating beam at an end thereof configured to be electrically connected to a corresponding header contact of a header assembly. Each mating beam includes a stem and a branch extending from the stem. A first paddle extends from the stem and a second paddle extends from the branch. In an initial, stamped orientation, the mating beams are stamped such that the mating beams of the first and second signal contacts within the same pair of signal contacts are angled non-parallel to one another.

Abstract: A connector assembly includes a contact module having a conductive holder and a frame assembly held by the conductive holder. The conductive holder includes first and second holder members electrically connected to one another and having a chamber divided into a plurality of channels by first and second tabs. The first tabs have posts extending therefrom and the second tabs having holes receiving the posts with tab segments on opposite sides of the associated holes. Each hole has a bridge extending across the hole between the tab segments that blocks electrical radiation across the hole between the adjacent channels. The frame assembly includes a dielectric frame received in the holder members including a plurality of contacts and frame members supporting the contacts routed through corresponding channels. The first and second tabs are disposed between corresponding frame members and the bridges are disposed between corresponding frame members.