Cross talk reduction for high speed electrical connectors

This application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application No. 61/032,613 filed Feb. 29, 2008, and U.S. patent application No. 61/092,268 filed Aug. 27, 2008, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference

This application is related by subject matter to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/958,098, filed Dec. 17, 2007, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,548, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in its entirety herein.

In general, the invention relates to the field of electrical connectors, in particular to a high speed electrical connector comprising an insulating housing module having a plurality of contacts. The invention further relates to a connector comprising a plurality of such insulating housing modules.

Electrical connectors provide signal connections between electronic devices using signal contacts. Often, the signal contacts are so closely spaced that undesirable interference, or “cross talk,” occurs between adjacent signal contacts. Cross talk occurs when a signal in one signal contact induces electrical interference in an adjacent signal contact due to interfering electrical fields, thereby compromising signal integrity. Cross talk may also occur between differential signal pairs. Cross talk increases with reduced distance between the interfering signal contacts. Cross talk may be reduced by separating adjacent signal contacts or adjacent differential signal pairs with ground contacts.

With electronic device miniaturization and high speed signal transmission, high signal integrity electronic communications and the reduction of cross talk become a significant factor in connector design. It is desired to provide an improved connector reducing the problematic occurrence of cross talk, especially for high speed connectors.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an example connector assembly including a first and second electrical connector;

FIG. 1B is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the connector assembly illustrated in FIG. 1A with the housing removed;

FIG. 1C is a side elevation view of a portion of the connector assembly illustrated in FIG. 1B ; and

FIG. 1D is a perspective view of an example connector assembly including a first and second electrical connector, but including a schematic illustration of the connector housing;

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an electrical connector assembly as illustrated in FIGS. 1A-D , but including a ground coupling assembly constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 2B is a side elevation view of a portion of the electrical connector assembly illustrated in FIG. 2A ;

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an electrical connector assembly as illustrated in FIGS. 1A-D , but including a ground coupling assembly constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 3B is a side elevation view of a portion of the electrical connector assembly illustrated in FIG. 3A ;

FIG. 4 illustrates the electrical connector as illustrated in FIGS. 1A-D , but including a ground coupling assembly constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 5 illustrates the electrical connector as illustrated in FIGS. 1A-D , but including a ground coupling assembly constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 6A is a perspective view illustrating a set of electrical contacts usable with an electrical connector assembly, having ground contacts integrally connected to a ground coupling assembly constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 6B is a top plan view of the set of electrical contacts illustrated in FIG. 6A ;

FIG. 6C is a perspective view of the set of electrical contacts illustrated in FIG. 6A ;

FIG. 6D is a side elevation view of the set of electrical contacts illustrated in FIG. 6A ;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a set of electrical contacts having ground contacts integrally connected to a ground coupling assembly constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a connector assembly constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment, including an example right angle electrical connector;

FIG. 9A is a sectional side elevation view of the right angle electrical connector illustrated in FIG. 8 taken along line 9 A- 9 A, showing a connector module;

FIG. 9B is a sectional side elevation view of the right angle electrical connector illustrated in FIG. 8 taken along line 9 B- 9 B, showing a connector module;

FIG. 10A is a sectional side elevation view of the right angle electrical connector illustrated in FIG. 9B taken along line 10 A- 10 A, showing the mating end of the right angle connector;

FIG. 10B is a sectional side elevation view of the right angle electrical connector illustrated in FIG. 9B taken along line 10 B- 10 B, showing the mating end of the right angle connector;

FIG. 10C is a perspective view of an example ground coupling assembly used in the connector assembly;

FIGS. 11A-D are schematic views depicting various arrangements of one or more ground shorting bars in the right angle connector; and

FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view of the right angle connector illustrating a ground shorting bar according to another embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an electrical connector module configured for installation in a right-angle electrical connector, the electrical connector module including a ground coupling assembly constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a ground shorting bar that partially forms the ground coupling assembly illustrated in FIG. 13 , taken along line 14 - 14 ;

FIG. 15 is a reverse perspective view of the connector module illustrated in FIG. 13 ;

FIG. 16 is a close-up view of a portion of the connector module illustrated in FIG. 15 taken along line 16 - 16 ;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the electrical connector module illustrated in FIG. 13 but prior to installation of the ground coupling assembly;

FIGS. 18A-C illustrate ground shorting bars configured for attachment to an electrical connector module;

FIG. 19 is a close-up view of a portion of the electrical connector module illustrated in FIG. 17 , taken along line 19 - 19 ;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the electrical connector module illustrated in FIG. 17 , showing installation of the ground coupling assembly;

FIG. 21 shows an enlarged portion of the electrical connector module illustrated in FIG. 20 , taken along line 21 - 21 ;

FIG. 22 illustrates a pair of connector modules being assembled with the ground shorting bars;

FIG. 23 illustrates the pair of connector modules illustrated in FIG. 22 in an assembled configuration to form a connector module assembly;

FIG. 24 shows a plurality of ground shorting bars configured for insertion into a plurality of electrical connector modules;

FIG. 25 illustrates a plurality of subassemblies disposed adjacent each other and configured to be assembled;

FIG. 26 illustrates a front housing that secures the front end of the plurality of subassemblies illustrated in FIG. 24 , and an organizer that secures the rear end of the plurality of subassemblies illustrated in FIG. 24 to form a connector module assembly;

FIG. 27A is a cross-sectional view of the connector module assembly illustrated in FIG. 26 ;

FIG. 27B is a schematic view of the connector module assembly illustrated in FIG. 26 , showing an example arrangement of the ground shorting bars as installed in the connector modules;

FIG. 27C illustrates the receptacle pairs of the connector module;

FIG. 28A is a first perspective view of a first connector module configured to attach to a ground shorting bar constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 28B is an opposing perspective view of a second connector module configured to mate with the first connector module illustrated in FIG. 28A ;

FIG. 29 is an end view of the a pair of mated connector modules of the type illustrated in FIGS. 28A-B ;

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of the ground shorting bar configured to attach to the connector module s illustrated in FIG. 28 ;

FIG. 31 is a perspective view of the connector module illustrated in FIGS. 28A-B with the ground shorting bar coupled to the ground contacts of the connector module;

FIG. 32 is a perspective view of a connector module assembly including the connector module illustrated in FIGS. 28A-B connected to a like connector module with the ground shorting bar coupled to the ground contacts of the connector modules;

FIGS. 33A-B are perspective views of a first connector module configured to attach to a ground coupling assembly constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment;

FIGS. 34A-B are perspective views of a second connector module configured to attach to the connector module illustrated in FIGS. 33A-B and the ground coupling assembly to form a connector module assembly;

FIG. 35A is a perspective view of a first ground shorting bar of the ground coupling assembly configured for installation in the connector module illustrated in FIGS. 33A-B ;

FIG. 35B is a perspective views of a second ground shorting bar of the ground coupling assembly configured for installation in the connector module illustrated in FIGS. 34A-B

FIG. 36 is a perspective view of the first connector module illustrated in FIGS. 33A-B connected to the first ground shorting bar illustrated in FIG. 35A ;

FIG. 37 is a perspective view of the second connector module illustrated in FIGS. 34A-B connected to the second ground shorting bar illustrated in FIG. 35B ;

FIG. 38 is a perspective view of a connector module assembly including the connector modules illustrated in FIGS. 33-34 connected to the segments of the ground shorting bar illustrated in FIGS. 35A-B ;

FIG. 39A is a perspective view of a ground coupling assembly including a ground shorting plate constructed in accordance with another alternative embodiment; and

FIG. 39B is a bottom plan view of the ground shorting plate illustrated in FIG. 39A attached to a terminal end of a connector.

In one embodiment, an electrical connector includes a housing that retains a plurality of electrical contacts, wherein the electrical contacts includes a plurality of signal contacts and a plurality of ground contacts. The electrical connector further includes a shieldless ground coupling assembly that places at least a portion of the ground contacts in electrical communication with each other. The shieldless ground coupling assembly shifts unwanted spikes in insertion loss resonance frequencies to a higher frequency. Another embodiment includes an electrical connector that includes a first insulative housing comprising differential signal pairs, ground contacts, and a non-shielding ground coupling assembly, wherein the non-shielding ground coupling assembly shifts a resonance frequency to higher value as compared to a second electrical connector that is virtually identical to the electrical connector except for the non-shielding ground coupling assembly.

Electrical performance of existing differential signal connectors, such as serial advanced technology attachment (SATA), serial attached small computer system interface (SCSI) (SAS), back panel, and mezzanine connectors can be improved by electrically connecting ground contacts within the connectors. Embodiments described herein allow for a simple retrofit of existing connectors designed to operate at slower data transmission rates, resulting in a drop-in compatible, higher data transmission speed connector this is also compliant with developing new standards such as SATA Revision 2.6, SAS-2 Revision 15, IEEE 802.3ap, etc, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in its entirety herein. More specifically, embodiments described herein can shift resonance frequencies of existing connectors to extend the existing operating frequency range without changing the mating or mounting interface dimensions of existing standardized or non-standardized connectors. Stated another way, the described embodiments can allow existing connectors to be modified and/or replaced to produce a modified connector within the confines of the existing connector housing dimensions so that the modified connector effectively operates at faster data transmission rates (within frequency domain and time domain crosstalk limits such as six percent or less at about 40 ps for time domain or about −24 dB or less (−26 dB) for frequency domain at about 40 ps set forth in the standards), yet still remain drop-in compatible with existing connectors that cannot operate with the parameters of the new developing standards. The embodiments described herein are simple to construct, yet provides a significant advantage to existing implementers of various standards and a significant cost savings to standard implementers and component suppliers.

Referring to FIGS. 1A-D , an electrical connector assembly 50 constructed in accordance with one embodiment includes a first electrical connector 52 and a second electrical connector 54 . As shown, the first electrical connector 52 may be a SATA connector, however it should be appreciated that the connector 52 can be in the form of any suitable alternative connector configured to facilitate electrical communications between a first and second electrical device, such as a SAS connector or any suitable alternative connector. That is, the first electrical connector 52 may define a first end in the form of a mating end, and a second end in the form of a mounting end, such that the mating end extends parallel to the mounting end.

The first electrical connector 52 is illustrated as a receptacle connector having electrical contacts 60 that receive complementary electrical contacts 76 of the second electrical connector 54 . Thus, the electrical contacts 76 are configured as header contacts of a header connector 54 . It should be appreciated, however, that the first connector 52 could be provided as a header connector and the second connector 54 could be provided as a receptacle connector having electrical contacts that receive the contacts of the first connector 52 , or either connector could be provided as some other suitable mating connector that mates with other connector.

Accordingly, though the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1A-D show a vertical receptacle connector and a vertical header connector, it should be understood that the first and second electrical connectors 52 and 54 and, unless otherwise noted, any other connectors of the type described herein, can each be vertical connectors, right-angle connectors, or mezzanine connectors, and can further be provided as header connectors or receptacle connectors.

Various structures are described herein as extending horizontally along a longitudinal direction “L” and lateral direction “A”, and vertically along a transverse direction “T”. As illustrated, the longitudinal direction “L” extends along a forward/rearward direction of the connector assembly 50 , the lateral direction “A” extends along a width of the connector assembly 50 , and the transverse direction “T” extends along a height of the connector assembly 50 . Thus, unless otherwise specified herein, the terms “lateral,” “longitudinal,” and “transverse” are used to describe the orthogonal directional components of various components. The terms “inboard” and “inner,” and “outboard” and “outer” and like terms when used with respect to a specified directional component are intended to refer to directions along the directional component toward and away from the center of the apparatus being described.

It should be appreciated that while the longitudinal and lateral directions are illustrated as extending along a horizontal plane, and that the transverse direction is illustrated as extending along a vertical plane, the planes that encompass the various directions may differ during use, depending, for instance, on the orientation of the various components. Accordingly, the directional terms “vertical” and “horizontal” are used to describe the connector assembly 50 and its components as illustrated merely for the purposes of clarity and convenience, it being appreciated that these orientations may change during use.

The first electrical connector 52 may include an electrically insulating receptacle housing 58 (schematically illustrated in FIG. 1D ) that can be made from any suitable dielectric material, such as plastic. The housing 58 carries a first set of electrically conductive contacts 60 , which includes signal contacts 62 and ground contacts 64 that can be made from a metal or metal alloy, for example. The ground contacts 64 can be disposed regularly or irregularly among the signal contacts 62 . For instance, the ground contacts 64 can be disposed between pairs of signal contacts in an S-S-G configuration, such that first and second ground contacts are disposed on opposing sides of the differential signal pair. Pairs of signal contacts 62 can form differential signal pairs, or can be provided as single ended contacts. One or more power contacts can also be provided. The contacts 60 may be insert-molded prior to attachment to the receptacle housing 52 or stitched into the receptacle housing 52 .

The contacts 60 each include a lead portion 61 , a mounting portion 66 disposed at the rear end of the lead portion 61 , and a mating portion 68 disposed opposite the mounting portion 66 at the forward end of the lead portion 61 . The mounting portions 66 may include press-fit tails, surface mount tails, or fusible elements such as solder balls that are configured to electrically connect to a first electrical component 70 , which may be provided as a printed circuit board 72 having electrical terminals or contact pads 74 , or any alternative electrical device such as cables.

Likewise, the second electrical connector 54 may include an electrically insulating header housing that can be made from any suitable dielectric material, such as plastic. The housing carries a second set of electrically conductive contacts 76 , which includes signal contacts 78 and ground contacts 80 . The ground contacts 80 can be disposed regularly or irregularly among the signal contacts 78 . For instance, the ground contacts 80 can be disposed between pairs of signal contacts 78 in an S-S-G configuration. Pairs of signal contacts 78 can form differential signal pairs, or can be provided as single ended contacts. One or more power contacts can also be provided. The contacts 76 may be insert-molded prior to attachment to the header housing or stitched into the header housing.

The contacts 76 each include a lead portion 83 , a mounting portion 82 disposed at the rear end of the lead portion 83 , and a mating portion 84 disposed opposite the mounting portion 82 at the forward end of the lead portion 83 . The mounting portions 82 may include press-fit tails, surface mount tails, or fusible elements such as solder balls that are configured to electrically connect to a second electrical component 86 , which may be provided as a printed circuit board 88 having electrical terminals or contact pads 90 , or any alternative electrical device such as cables.

The mating portions 68 of each of the first set of contacts 60 can be provided as receptacle ends, and the mating portions 84 of each of the second set of contacts 76 can be provided as horizontally oriented blade ends or beams. The lead portion 61 extends forward from the mounting portion 66 and can be slightly angled vertically toward the complementary second contact 76 to be mated. The lead portion 61 can be flexible so as to be compliant when mating with the complementary second electrical contact 76 . The mating portion 68 can define a bend 71 that forms a hook that presents concave surface 72 with respect to the mating portion 84 of the complementary electrical contact 76 , and a terminal end 73 can extend forward from the bend 71 and can be angled vertically upward.

Thus, one or more contacts 60 can have upwardly angled lead portions 61 whose mating portions 68 define upward-facing hooks whose upper horizontal surfaces mate with the second contacts 76 . The terminal ends 73 extend forward and downward from the forward end of the hooks. One or more contacts 60 can also have downwardly angled lead portions 61 whose mating portions 68 define upward-facing hooks whose lower horizontal surfaces mate with the second contacts 76 . The terminal ends 73 extend forward and upward from the forward end of the hooks. The mating portions 84 of the second contacts 86 can have a horizontally oriented blade-shaped mating ends that are configured to electrically connect to the lowest point of the bend 71 of the first contacts 60 when the second contacts 76 are received in the first connector housing 58 .

Accordingly, the second set of contacts 76 is configured to be inserted into the first electrical connector 52 and electrically connect to the complementary first set of contacts 60 , such that an electrical connection is established between the first and second electrical devices 70 and 86 , respectively. Each of the first and second sets of contacts 60 and 76 can be compliant, or have compliant portions, so as to induce a biasing force at the mating interface between the contacts 60 and 76 that increases the reliability of the electrical connection. The contacts 60 and 76 each define a length from their respective mounting portions to their respective mating portions along the longitudinal direction L, and further define a width extending in the lateral direction A.

With continuing reference to FIGS. 1A-1D , the first connector 52 can include an ground coupling assembly 92 that is configured to electrically connect ground contacts 64 while maintaining electrical isolation with respect to the signal contacts 62 . The ground coupling assembly 92 can be provided as a ground shorting bar 94 in one embodiment. The ground shorting bar 94 can be constructed from any desirable electrically conductive material, such as a metal or metal alloy. The ground shorting bar 94 can be connected to more than one, up to and including all, ground contacts 64 at contact locations 103 to define an electrical path that includes all ground contacts to which the ground shorting bar 94 is connected. The ground shorting bar 94 can include an electrically conductive plate 98 and one or more, for instance a plurality of, electrically conductive legs 100 extending from the plate 98 . The legs 100 can be integrally formed with the plate 98 , or can be discreetly connected to the plate 98 , for instance via solder. The plate 98 can be elongate in a horizontal plane as illustrated, or can be elongate in a plane that is angled with respect to the horizontal, including in a vertical plane.

The legs 100 can extend longitudinally, and curve forward and downward from the plate 98 , and then curve downward and rearward so as to define a hairpin turn that extends into a mating portion 102 that connects to the upper surface of the ground contacts 64 . Thus, each leg 100 can correspond to one ground contact 64 that is to be electrically connected to at least one other ground contact. Alternatively, a given leg 100 can be electrically connected to more than one of the ground contacts 64 . The legs 100 can be soldered or otherwise connected to any desired location along the ground contacts 64 . In the illustrated embodiment, the legs 100 are discretely connected at two connection locations 103 to the ground contacts 64 , for instance via solder or a clamping mechanism, though it should be appreciated that the legs 100 could alternatively be connected to the ground contacts 64 at one location or more than two locations. When the ground shorting bar 94 is connected to the ground contacts 64 , the legs 100 position the plate 98 at a location spaced with respect to the signal contacts 62 , such that the ground shorting bar 94 is electrically isolated from the signal contacts 62 .

As illustrated, the mating portions 102 of the legs 100 are connected to the upper surface of the terminal ends 73 of the ground contacts 64 , and are further connected to the lead portion 61 at a location between the mounting portion 66 and the mating portion 68 . The distal end of the mating portions 102 of the legs 100 can flare upward away from the contact 64 such that the interface between the mating portions 102 of the legs 100 and the contacts 64 define a surface area greater than that of an edge of the legs 100 . It should be appreciated, however, that the ground shorting bar 94 can alternatively be connected to the ground contacts 64 at any desired location along the ground contacts 64 or contact pads 74 , and at any desired location of the ground shorting bar 94 .

In the illustrated embodiment, the ground shorting bar 94 can be overmolded by the housing 58 , or otherwise retained in the housing 58 , such that the bar 94 does not interfere with the mounting portions 66 or mating portions 68 of the contacts. The outer surface of the plate 98 (which is illustrated as the upper surface as illustrated in FIGS. 1A-D ) or portions of the outer surface of the plate 98 , can be retained inside the housing, or can be exposed directly to the ambient environment. Thus the ground shorting bar 94 does not alter the ability of the connector 52 to mate with the electrical device 72 or the mating connector 54 . As a result, a connector such as connector 52 that is provided without a ground shorting bar can be removed from connection with a mating connector such as connector 54 , and replaced by the connector 52 including the ground shorting bar 94 that can be inserted into the mating connector.

The ground shorting bar 94 does not extend over the entire length or substantially the entire length of the signal contacts 62 such that the signal contacts or corresponding differential pairs would be shielded from crosstalk, and thus the ground shorting bar 94 does not provide an electrical shield as is understood by one having ordinary skill in the art. In fact, the ground shorting bar 94 is elongate in a direction that is perpendicular to the direction of elongation of the signal contacts 62 . Furthermore, as illustrated, the first connector 52 does not include any shields, though it should be appreciated that, unless otherwise specified, one or more shields may be provided as metallic crosstalk plates that cover substantially the entire length of the signal contacts 62 if desired. Thus, unless otherwise indicated, the connector 52 can be a shieldless connector (that is, a connector that operates in the absence of metallic crosstalk plates) having a shieldless ground shorting bar 94 , or a shielded connector having a shieldless ground shorting bar 94 .

Without being bound by theory, it is believed that shorting the ground contacts to each other at multiple locations makes the ground more robust and effectively shortens the electrical length of the ground, thereby shifting the electrical resonance of the ground contacts to higher frequencies. This improves both insertion loss and crosstalk. The ground coupling assembly 92 can thus achieve various performance advantages for the connector 52 and connector assembly 50 , such as shifting the frequency at which resonance occurs, which can refer to a frequency at which significant unwanted signal degradation occurs as described in more detail below. Shifting significant unwanted insertion loss resonances to higher frequencies can allow for more usable bandwidth in the connector assembly 50 . For example, consider a connector that can operate with acceptable insertion loss and crosstalk (such as six percent or −24 dB or less) at 1.5 GHz (about 3 Gigabits/sec). The data transfer rate can be increased until a resonance frequency is encountered. At the resonance frequency, the crosstalk becomes too high (i.e., above six percent for time domain or a comparable time domain measurement) or the insertion loss to crosstalk ratio becomes too low and the connector no longer functions accecptably (out of specification or loss of data). According to the embodiments of the invention, the example 3 Gigabit/sec connector can be modified as described herein to shift the first resonance frequency so that the connector can operate acceptably at 3 GHz (about 6 Gigabits/sec). This increases the usable bandwidth of the electrical connector from 3 Gigabits/sec to 6 Gigabits/sec without changing the form factor of the connector. Furthermore, it is believed that shifting the above-described resonant frequencies can be achieved without substantially altering the impedance profile of the connector.

It is believed that shorting ground contacts 64 at locations closest to the middle of the longest electrical length section of the ground contacts 64 halves that ground length, which thereby doubles the frequency at which the first resonance occurs. Improvements have also been observed in embodiments where the grounds are shorted at locations offset from the middle of the longest electrical length section, or at multiple locations. It is also believed that the geometric configuration of the ground coupling assembly 92 , or ground shorting bar 94 , can affect the frequency of the electrical resonance. It should be appreciated that the multiple ground shorting bars 94 may connect the same or different grounds in a given connector. Thus, a first ground shorting bar 94 can electrically connect a first set of ground contacts, and a second ground shorting bar 94 can connect a second set of ground contacts, and the first set of ground contacts can be the same or different than the second set of ground contacts.

Thus, one or more electrical connectors, for instance connectors 52 , can be provided having a ground coupling assembly that can include one or more ground shorting bars, such as ground shorting bar 94 , that causes the signal contacts to have at least one differing performance characteristic, which can be an electrical resonant frequency characteristic, with respect to one or more of the other connectors. For instance, the electrical connectors 52 can have ground coupling assemblies 92 that 1) are connected at one or more different locations along the ground contacts 64 , 2) are connected to different ground contacts 64 , and/or 3) have different geometric configurations such that a kit of electrical connectors can be provided, wherein different connectors have differently tuned electrical resonant frequencies. This is believed to apply to not only the connectors 52 , but any electrical connector or electrical connector module that incorporates a ground coupling assembly of the type described herein.

For instance, the legs 100 , or any alternative location of a ground shorting bar of the type illustrated or described herein, can be connected to one or more location of each ground contacts 64 to which the ground shorting bar is attached. For instance, the ground shorting bar can be attached to a location that is coincident or substantially coincident with the longitudinal midpoint of the ground contact 64 , at a location rearward of the longitudinal midpoint, or at a location forward of the longitudinal midpoint, including at or proximate the terminal end 73 of the contact 64 . Furthermore, the ground shorting bar, for instance ground shorting bar 94 , can be constructed having a geometry such that the plate 98 or portions of the plate 98 are positioned at alternative locations. For instance, the plate 98 can extend above, or otherwise along, the ground contacts 64 such that the plate 98 is centered or otherwise disposed at a location spaced forward from the longitudinal midpoint of the contacts, at a location that includes the longitudinal midpoint, or at a location that is disposed rearward of the longitudinal midpoint. The plate 98 may also be constructed having a geometry such that portions of the plate 98 are located at different locations with respect to the longitudinal midpoint of one or more contacts 64 than other portions of the plate 98 . The plate 98 may also be centered with respect to the connection interface between the ground contacts 64 and 90 , or can be offset with respect to the connection interface.

Thus, a first electrical connector 52 can be provided that includes a first ground coupling assembly 92 , having a first geometrical configuration, that is connected to two or more ground contacts at a first location or first set of locations of the respective ground contacts. Another connector can be provided that is constructed similar to the connector 52 (and can be constructed substantially identical or identical with respect to connector 52 ), but having a ground coupling assembly 92 , having a second geometrical configuration, that is connected to two or more ground contacts at a second location or second set of locations of the respective ground contacts. The second geometrical configuration can be different than the first geometrical configuration and/or the second location or second set of locations can be different than the first location or first set of locations. In other words, the second ground coupling assembly 92 can be connected to one or more different locations to a given ground contact with respect to the first ground coupling assembly 92 , the second ground coupling assembly 92 can be connected at different locations to some but not all ground contacts with respect to the first ground coupling assembly 92 , and/or the second ground coupling assembly 92 can be connected to different ground contacts with respect to the first ground coupling assembly 92 .

In this regard, a method can be provided of tuning the electrical resonant frequency of a connector or a plurality of electrical connectors by adjusting an electrical resonant frequency characteristic, for instance 1) the location on the ground contacts 64 to which the ground coupling assembly 92 is connected, 2) the identity of the ground contacts 64 to which the ground coupling assembly 92 is connected and/or 3) the geometrical configuration of the ground coupling assembly 92 .

The geometrical configuration of the ground coupling assembly 92 can be varied, for instance, by changing the geometry of the conductive plate 98 . For example, while the conductive plate 98 is illustrated as being substantially rectangular in FIGS. 1A-D , the conductive plate can assume any alternative regular or irregular geometry. Furthermore, the conductive plate 98 has an aspect ratio (that is, the ratio of the length to width) that can be greater or less than that illustrated in FIGS. 1A-D .

Referring to FIGS. 2A-B , the electrical connector 52 is illustrated including an ground coupling assembly 92 in the form of a second example ground shorting bar 94 A constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment. As shown, the ground shorting bar 94 A is connected at different locations along the ground contacts 64 , and further has a geometric configuration that is different with respect to the ground shorting bar 94 . For instance, the legs 100 A extend rearward and downward from the rear end of the plate 98 A, and are connected to only one contact location 103 of the ground contacts 64 . The plate 98 A has aspect ratio greater than that of plate 98 , and the plate 98 A is disposed and contained above the terminal ends 73 of the ground contacts 64 . It should be appreciated that while the second example ground shorting bar 94 A is connected to one location on the ground contacts 64 , the shorting bar 94 A could alternatively be connected at more than one location on the ground contacts 64 , and at any desired location or locations along the ground contacts 64 in the manner described above. Furthermore, the second example ground shorting bar 94 A can have any alternative geometrical configuration as described above.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A-B , the electrical connector 52 is illustrated as including an ground coupling assembly 92 in the form of a third example ground shorting bar 94 B constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment. For instance, the third example ground shorting bar 94 B has a geometric configuration that is different than that of the ground shorting bars 94 and 94 A. In particular, the plate 98 B includes alternating first plate portions 99 A and second plate portions 99 B that have different geometries, and extend over different portions of the respective ground contacts 64 . In the illustrated embodiment, the third example ground shorting bar 94 B includes additional material disposed between ground contacts 14 with respect to the second example ground shorting bar 94 A.

As illustrated, the first plate portions 99 A extend over the terminal ends 73 of the ground contacts 64 in the manner described above with respect to the second example ground shorting bar 94 A. The legs 100 B extend rearward and down from the rear end of the first plate portions 99 A, and connect to the ground contacts 64 in the manner described above with respect to the legs 100 A of the second example ground shorting bar 94 A. The second plate portions 99 B extend over the terminal ends 73 along with a portion of the lead portion 61 . It should be appreciated that while the third example ground shorting bar 94 B is connected to the ground contacts 64 at one connection location 103 , the shorting bar 94 B could alternatively be connected at more than one location on the ground contacts 64 , and at any desired location or locations along the ground contacts 64 in the manner described above. Furthermore, the third ground shorting bar 94 B can have any alternative geometrical configuration as described above.

Referring now to FIG. 4 , the electrical connector assembly 50 is illustrated as including a ground coupling assembly 92 constructed as a fourth example ground shorting bar 94 C that is connected to the ground contacts 80 of the electrical connector 54 as opposed to the ground contacts 64 of the electrical connector 52 . The fourth example ground shorting bar 94 C includes a plate 98 C having first and second plate portions 99 C and 99 C′ constructed similar to the plate 98 B of the third example ground shorting bar 94 B. The legs 100 C extend down and forward from the first plate portions 99 C and connect to the terminal ends of the header ground contacts 80 . The plate portions 99 C and 99 C′ can each include a notch 111 formed in the outer portions toward the front of the plate portions 99 C′, and a tab 113 that extends laterally out from the second plate portions 99 C′. Of course, when the electrical connector 52 is mated to the electrical connector 54 , the ground shorting bar 94 C can couple the same ground connections as the ground shorting bars that were directly coupled to the ground contacts 64 of electrical connector 52 . While the fourth example ground shorting bar 94 C is constructed to have a geometrical configuration similar to that of the third example ground shorting bar 94 B, it should be appreciated that the fourth example ground shorting bar 94 C could have any desired geometrical configuration, and can be connected to one or more different locations on the ground contacts 80 than illustrated, in the manner described above.

While the ground contacts 80 extend vertically above the ground contacts 64 in the illustrated embodiment, it should be appreciated that the connector 54 can include a ground coupling assembly 92 when the ground contacts 80 extend vertically below the ground contacts 64 .

For instance, referring now to FIG. 5 , the electrical connector assembly can include the ground coupling assembly 92 in the form of a pair of ground shorting bars including a fifth example ground shorting bar 94 D connected to the ground contacts 64 and a sixth example ground shorting bar 94 E connected to the ground contacts 80 . The fifth ground shorting bar 94 D includes a conductive plate 98 D which can be constructed in accordance with any embodiment or alternative described herein, and legs 100 D extending rearward and down from the plate 98 D and connect to the ground contacts 64 in accordance with any embodiment or alternative described herein. The sixth example ground shorting bar 94 E includes a plate 98 E which can be constructed in accordance with any embodiment or alternative described herein, and one or more legs 100 E extending forward and up from the plate 98 E and connect to the ground contacts 80 in accordance with any embodiment or alternative described herein.

While the ground coupling assembly 92 has been illustrated as a ground shorting bar constructed in accordance with various embodiments, it should be appreciated that the ground coupling assembly can be configured as a ground shorting bar that is integrally connected to the ground contacts 64 as illustrated in FIGS. 6A-D . For instance, the terminal ends 73 of the ground contacts 64 defines a bent portion that curves down from the lead portion 61 as illustrated (or could curve upward) into a hairpin turn, such that the distal end of the terminal ends 73 are vertically offset with respect to the terminal ends of the signal contacts 62 . A laterally extending seventh example ground shorting bar 94 F can include a plate 98 F without legs that is directly connected to the terminal ends 73 at a location vertically offset with respect to the signal contacts 62 . The seventh example ground shorting bar 94 F can be discretely connected to the ground contacts 64 or can be integrally connected to the ground contacts 64 as described above. For instance, the ground shorting bar 94 F can be provided as a plurality of segments 94 F′ that extend between and are coplanar with the terminal ends 73 of the ground contacts 64 .

It should be further appreciated that the ground coupling assembly 92 can include an eight example ground shorting bar 94 that is spaced longitudinally forward with respect to the signal contacts 62 . For instance, as illustrated in FIG. 7 , the terminal ends 73 of the ground contacts 64 are spaced longitudinally forward with respect to those of the signal contacts 62 . A laterally extending eighth example ground shorting bar 94 G can include a plate 98 G without legs that is directly connected to the longitudinally forward edges of the terminal ends 73 of ground contacts 64 at a location longitudinally offset, and substantially vertically aligned, with respect to the signal contacts 62 .

While the ground coupling assembly 92 has been illustrated and described above in combination with a SAS or SATA connector, or any suitable alternative vertical or mezzanine connector, a ground coupling assembly can further be installed in a right-angle electrical connector, as will now be described.

Referring now to FIG. 8 , a connector assembly 120 includes an example right-angle electrical connector 122 and a header connector 124 configured to be mated with the right-angle connector 122 . It should be appreciated that the right-angle connector 122 could alternatively present header contacts that mate with a receptacle connector. The connector assembly 120 may be adapted to electrically connect one electrical component to another electrical component, such as printed circuit boards 126 A and 126 B, or any desired electronic device such as cables. The header connector 124 may be shielded or shieldless, that is the header connector 124 may include, or may be devoid of, metallic cross-talk shielding material or plates disposed between adjacent first and second connector modules of the type described herein or between arrays of differential signal pairs if the contacts are stitched. While the connector 122 is shown as a right-angle connector, the connector 122 may include other types of connectors, such as a vertical or horizontal electrical connector, or a connector that connects two or more devices oriented at different angles with respect to one another.

The connector 122 may include a connector housing 123 , and can have a first end 127 A that defines a mounting end 128 A and a second end 127 B that defines a mating end 128 B. Similarly, the header connector 124 may include a connector housing 125 , and can have a first end 129 A that defines a mounting end 130 A and a second end 129 B that defines a mating end 130 B. The mounting end 128 A of the right-angle connector 122 may be adapted to connect to the printed circuit board 126 A, and the mounting end 130 A of the header connector 124 may be adapted to connect to the printed circuit board 126 B. The mating end 128 B of the right-angle connector 122 may be adapted to connect to the mating end 130 B of the header connector 124 . Although the connector 122 is shown as mating with the header connector 124 , it will be appreciated that, in other embodiments, the connector 122 may mate directly with the printed circuit board 126 B.

The connector 122 may include one or more electrical connector modules 132 which can be provided as insert molded leadframe assemblies (IMLAs). At least one of the modules 132 , including all modules, may be shieldless in the manner described above. The connector 122 can be constructed as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/958,098, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in its entirety herein. Each connector module 132 may include an insulating or dielectric module housing 134 , or IMLA housing. The connector modules 132 may be attached to one another by way of a retaining clip 136 , which can be provided in the form of an organizer housing such as the organizer housing 196 described below. Therefore, the connector modules 132 , including the electrical contacts therein, may be removably secured within the connector 122 . As such, one or more connector modules 132 within the connector 122 may be removed and/or replaced as necessary.

Referring now also to FIGS. 9A and 9B , each connector module 132 may include a set of one or more right-angle electrical contacts 138 . Similarly, the header connector 124 may include one or more vertical electrical contacts 140 . Each electrical contact 138 may include a first mounting end 138 A, a second mating end 138 B, and a lead portion 138 C extending between the first end 138 A and the second end 138 B. Each electrical contact 140 may include a first end 140 A, a second end 140 B, and a lead portion 140 C extending between the first end 140 A and the second end 140 B.

The first end 138 A of the electrical contact 138 may include any suitable terminal for establishing an electrical and mechanical connection with the printed circuit board 126 A. For example, the mounting end 138 A may include a solder ball that is soldered to a solder pad on the printed circuit board 126 A. In addition, the mounting end 138 A may be a compliant end configured to be inserted into a plated through-hole of the printed circuit board 126 A. Like the first end 138 A, the first end 140 A of the electrical contact 140 may also include any suitable terminal for establishing an electrical and mechanical connection with the printed circuit board.

The mating end 138 B of each electrical contact 138 may be received within the connector housing 123 . The mating end 138 B of each electrical contact 138 may include any suitable mating end for establishing an electrical and mechanical connection with the second end 140 B of the electrical contact 140 of the header connector 124 . For example, as shown in FIGS. 8 , 9 A and 9 B, the mating end 138 B of each electrical contact 138 may define two flexible beams, or tines, that form a dual-beam mating end that engages with the second end 140 B, which may be a blade-shaped mating end. The dual-beams of the mating end 138 B may contact the same side of the mating end 140 B or opposing sides of the mating end 140 B. Moreover, as further shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B , the dual-beams of one of the electrical contacts 138 may extend from the respective lead portion 138 C on one side of the connector module 132 while the dual-beams of an adjacent electrical contact 138 may extend from the respective lead portion 138 C on the opposite side of the connector module 132 . That is, adjacent dual beams of the electrical contacts 138 in a particular connector module 132 may be arranged on alternating sides of the connector module 132 . However, any suitable mating configuration may be provided while remaining consistent with one or more embodiments.

With continuing reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B , the electrical contacts 138 may include signal contacts (S) and ground contacts (G). Adjacent signal contacts (S) may form a differential signal pair. Adjacent differential signal pairs in the connector module 132 may be separated by a ground contact (G). The connector module 132 may include a connecting element, such as a ground coupling assembly 142 that can be provided as a ground clip or ground shorting bar 144 . The ground shorting bar 144 may interconnect one or more ground contacts G in the connector module 132 . The ground shorting bar 144 may extend, or be arranged, on one side of the connector module 132 , and may be accommodated within the module housing 134 , which can be overmolded onto the contacts 138 .

Though adjacent signal contacts (S) have been described as forming differential signal pairs, it will be appreciated that the electrical contacts 138 of each connector module 132 may also be arranged for single signal applications. For example, the signal contacts (S) and the ground contacts (G) may be arranged or designated in the connector module 132 such that adjacent signal contacts (S) in the connector module 132 may be separated by a ground contact (G) in an S-S-G configuration.

Referring now to FIGS. 10A and 10B , the connector modules 132 in the connector 122 may be arranged side-by-side and substantially parallel to one another. In addition, the connector 122 may be devoid of metallic ground plates extending between, or adjacent, to one or more connector modules 132 along a plane that is generally parallel to the plane defined by the connector modules 132 . The connector modules 132 may be held in their respective positions by the retaining clip 136 . The configuration of the electrical contacts 140 in the header connector 124 may generally correspond to the configuration of the electrical contacts 138 in the connector 122 to accommodate the relative orientation of the connector modules 132 . Although the connector 122 is depicted as having four connector modules 132 , the connector 122 may include any suitable number of connector modules 132 while remaining consistent with one or more embodiments.

The electrical contacts 138 may be arranged in a linear array within each connector module 132 along a first direction 146 . The electrical contacts 138 may also be arranged in a linear array across adjacent connector modules 132 along a second direction 148 . The second direction 148 may define a non-zero angle (e.g., 90 degrees) with the first direction 146 . The dimensions (e.g., width, length and height) of the electrical contacts 138 , the spacing between adjacent electrical contacts 138 within a particular connector module 132 , and the spacing between adjacent electrical contacts 138 in adjacent connector modules 132 , may each be optimized to minimize cross talk and to match the impedance to a desired system impedance.

The retaining clip 136 may be electrically insulating and, therefore, may assist with the EMI shielding of the connector 122 . For example, the retaining clip 136 may be made of a conductive material. In addition, the retaining clip 136 may be floating or grounded. For example, as shown in FIG. 9A , the retaining clip 136 may be grounded via a connection to one of the ground contacts (G) in the connector module 132 . Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9B , the retaining clip 136 may be grounded via a connection to a separate ground contact 138 ′. The ground contact 138 ′ may be used to tune an impedance of an adjacent signal contact or differential signal pair.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B , the ground shorting bar 144 may be connected to each ground contact (G) in the connector module 132 . As such, the ground shorting bar 144 may be connected to ground via the ground contacts (G).

Referring now to FIG. 10C , the ground shorting bar 144 defines a conductive body portion 150 that presents a broadside 152 and an edge 154 . The body portion 150 extends from a top portion 156 to a bottom portion 158 . When positioned in the connector 122 , the body portion 150 of the ground shorting bar 144 may extend generally parallel to the linear array of electrical contacts 138 in the connector module 132 , and the broadside 152 of the ground shorting bar 144 may extend substantially perpendicular to the linear array of electrical contacts 138 . The ground shorting bar 144 may also include one or more projections 160 extending from the body portion 150 . The projections 160 may be used to connect the ground shorting bar 144 to the ground contacts (G) in the connector module 132 . The ground shorting bar 144 may be housed within the module housing 134 of the connector module 132 .

It should be appreciated that the ground shorting bar 144 can connect to the ground contacts (G) in various configurations and/or arrangements (e.g., horizontal, vertical, diagonal, etc.). The ground shorting bar 144 may be connected to each ground contact (G) in the connector module 132 , or may be connected to less than all of the ground contacts (G) in the connector module 132 . Each ground contact (G) in the connector 122 may define an electrical path that extends from the mounting end 138 A to the mating end 138 B of the ground contact (G). As shown in FIGS. 11A-D , the ground shorting bar 144 may be connected to the lead portion 139 C of the ground contacts (G), between the mounting end 138 A and the mating end 138 B. In addition, the position of the ground shorting bar 144 along the lead portion 138 C of the ground contact (G) may divide the electrical path of the ground contact (G) into unequal portions.

Referring to FIG. 11A in particular, the electrical path of the ground contact (G) may define a first portion that extends between the mounting end 138 A and the ground shorting bar 144 . The electrical path may further define a second portion that extends between the ground shorting bar 144 and the mating end 138 B. As further shown in FIG. 11A , the first portion of the electrical path may be longer and than the second portion of the electrical path. Conversely, in other embodiments, the first portion of the electrical path may be shorter than the second portion of the electrical path.

As shown in FIGS. 11B-D , the electrical path of the ground contact (G) may be divided into more than two portions by connecting one or more ground shorting bars 144 at multiple positions along the length of the ground contact (G).

By dividing the overall electrical path of the ground contact (G) into relatively shorter portions, it is believed that the fundamental wavelength for resonant signals, and thus that of higher harmonics thereof, is reduced, thereby shifting the resonance to higher frequencies. Particular resonances may further be prevented, or the frequency shifted, by applying additional ground shorting bars 144 to further divide the electrical path of the ground contact (G) into additional portions.

The ground shorting bar 144 may be connected to the ground contacts (G) in the connector module 132 by any suitable means, such as by soldering or a clamping mechanism. In addition, one or more ground shorting bars 144 may be at least partly accommodated in the connector module 132 by being fit or integrated in or onto the insulating material of the connector module 132 .

As shown in FIG. 11A , the ground shorting bar 144 may be in direct connection with the printed circuit board 126 A via a contact portion 143 . This may reduce a length of the electrical path between the ground shorting bar 144 and a grounding portion on the printed circuit board 126 A.

The ground shorting bar 144 may define any suitable shape, such as an L-shape, a U-shape, V-shape, etc. If the connector 122 includes two or more ground shorting bars 144 , the ground shorting bars 144 may be arranged in any suitable orientation. For example, as shown in FIG. 11B , one of the ground shorting bars 144 may extend in direction that is transverse to the other ground shorting bar 144 . As shown in FIG. 11C , the ground shorting bars 144 may form a series of spokes that originate from a common hub. As shown in FIG. 11D , the ground shorting bars 144 may extend substantially parallel to one another. Dividing the electrical path of each ground contact (G) into unequal portions may substantially prevent, minimize, or shift resonances.

The length of the electrical path of each electrical contact 138 may depend on the physical parameters (e.g., dimensions, materials, etc.) of the electrical contact 138 and any nearby contacts and any nearby dielectric materials. Generally, it has proven advantageous to provide air as the main dielectric material for high-speed connectors (e.g., by providing the module housing 134 with one or more openings between adjacent connector modules 132 and between adjacent electrical contacts 138 in each connector module 132 , and to reduce shielding material. Thus, the ground shorting bar 144 may be relatively small. For example, the dimensions of the ground shorting bar 144 may be the same or similar to the dimensions of the electrical contacts 138 .

Referring now to FIG. 12 , the ground coupling assembly 142 can include a ground shorting bar 144 of the type described above connected to ground contacts (G) in adjacent connector modules 132 . Moreover, the differential signal pairs in one connector module 132 may be offset from the differential signal pairs in an adjacent connector module 132 along the direction of the linear array of electrical contacts 138 . That is, the ground coupling assembly 142 can be configured to electrically connect ground contacts G of different connector modules when each connector module 132 includes different ground-signal contact patterns than one or more other connector modules. The electrical contacts 138 in the connector module 132 a may be arranged G, S, S, G, S, S, the electrical contacts 138 in the connector module 132 b may be arranged S, S, G, S, S, G, the electrical contacts 138 in the connector module 132 c may be arranged G, S, S, G, S, S, and the electrical contacts 138 in the connector module 132 d may be arranged S, S, G, S, S, G.

Furthermore, it is appreciated that a kit can be provided that includes a first and a second connector housing of the type described herein, or a plurality of connector housings. Each housing retains a plurality of signal contacts and ground contacts. The housings can be similarly, substantially identically, or identically constructed. The kit can further include a ground coupling assembly that is carried by each housing, and electrically connected to at least two ground contacts of the housing, wherein the ground coupling assembly has a different configuration in the first housing than in the second housing, and the different configuration causes the signal contacts retained in the first housing to achieve at least one differing performance characteristic with respect to the signal contacts retained in the second housing. The performance characteristic can include resonant frequencies of differential return loss, and/or different resonant frequencies of differential insertion loss, and/or different resonant frequencies of near end and/or far end differential cross talk. The housings in the kit can be configured for installation in an electrical connector, such as a SAS connector, a SATA connector, or a right-angle connector. The connector can thus be a vertical, mezzanine, or a right-angle connector. Alternatively, the kit can include a first and a second electrical connector that includes the first and second housings, respectively, or a plurality of electrical connectors that includes a plurality of housings. One or more connectors in the kit can be vertical, mezzanine connectors, and/or right-angle connectors, and can be header and/or receptacle connectors. It should be appreciated that the electrical connectors provided in the kit can be retrofitted into an existing electrical connector assembly without changing the dimensions of either connector, thereby replacing a previous electrical connector in the electrical connector assembly.

Accordingly, a preexisting connector having a footprint, height, depth, and mating interface that operates at a commercially acceptable speed at no more than 6% crosstalk at a 40 ps rise time or another speed according to an existing standard can be modified or replaced by a connector of any type described herein having a ground shorting assembly to produce a replacement connector having the same footprint, height, and mating interface as the preexisting connector (e.g., externally identical). Furthermore a connector of any type described herein can be configured to operate at a speed that is higher than that of the preexisting connector at no more than 6% crosstalk, while shifting resonant frequencies to levels that are higher than that of the operating frequency, and higher than the preexisting resonant frequency at the preexisting speed. An existing connector that does not meet the IEEE 802.3ap insertion loss over a frequency domain cross talk ratio can be modified or replaced to produce an externally identical connector as described herein to produce a replacement connector that meets the IEEE cross talk standard IEEE 802.3ap. Examples of resonant frequencies that can be shifted include differential return loss, differential insertion loss, near end differential crosstalk, and far end differential cross talk.

It should also be appreciated that a method can be provided for tuning an electrical connector to a desired performance characteristic, which can include desired resonant frequencies of differential return loss, and/or desired resonant frequencies of differential insertion loss, and/or desired resonant frequencies of near end differential cross talk, and/or desired resonant frequencies of far end differential cross talk. The method can include the steps of providing an electrical connector having a dielectric housing that retains a set of electrical contacts. The electrical contacts can include a plurality of signal contacts and a plurality of ground contacts. The method can further include installing a ground coupling element, for instance one or more ground shorting bars, into the connector. The installing step can include attaching one or more ground shorting bars to some or all ground contacts in the connector. Differently geometrically configured ground shorting bars can be installed, and connected to different locations of the ground contacts, until the desired performance characteristic is achieved.

Referring now to FIGS. 13-16 , a plurality of electrical connector modules, such as an electrical connector module 170 , is configured to be installed into a right-angle connector, such as the connector 122 described above. The electrical connector module 170 can be provided as an insert molded leadframe assemblies (IMLA) constructed as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/958,098, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in its entirety herein.

The connector module 170 may include an insulating or dielectric connector module housing 172 that retains a plurality of right-angle electrical contacts 174 . Each electrical contact 174 may include a first mounting end 174 A, a second mating end 174 B, and a lead portion 174 C (see FIGS. 27A-B ) extending between the first end 174 A and the second end 174 B. The mounting end 174 A of the electrical contact 174 may include any suitable terminal for establishing an electrical and mechanical connection with an electrical device. For example, the mounting end 174 A may include a solder ball that is soldered to a solder pad on the electrical device. In addition, the mounting end 174 A may be a compliant end configured to be inserted into a plated through-hole of the electrical device. The mating end 174 B of each electrical contact 174 may include any suitable mating end for establishing an electrical and mechanical connection with a complementary connector, for instance a header connector 124 of the type described above. Alternatively, the mating ends 174 B can electrically connect directly to an electrical device. As illustrated, the mating ends 174 B of the contacts 174 are arranged as receptacle contacts configured to receive mating header contacts. It should be appreciated, however, that the mating ends 174 B could alternatively define a blade-shaped mating end.

The connector module 170 includes a ground coupling assembly 176 that includes a first ground shorting bar 178 and a second ground shorting bar 180 configured to electrically connect certain ground contacts. The second ground shorting bar 180 has a length that is shorter than that of the first ground shorting bar 178 . The connector module 170 is illustrated as including a pair of the second ground shorting bars 180 disposed proximate to the mounting end 174 A and the mating end 174 B of the contacts 174 , and the first ground shorting bar 178 is disposed between the second ground shorting bars 180 . Because the first ground shorting bar 178 is longer than each of the second ground shorting bars 180 , the first ground shorting bar 178 is configured to electrically connect a greater number of ground contacts than the second ground shorting bars 180 . It should be appreciated, however, that the connector module 170 can include any number of ground shorting bars having different geometrical configurations as desired. For instance, the connector module 170 could include only one of the second ground shorting bars 180 , only the first ground shorting bar 178 , or a combination of the first ground shorting bar 178 and one second ground shorting bar 180 .

Referring now to FIGS. 17-19 , the connector module housing 172 includes one or more, for instance a plurality of, openings in the form of slots 182 , thereby causing the portions of the electrical contacts aligned with the slots 182 to be exposed to the ambient environment. The slots 182 can have any desired length, and as illustrated one slot 182 has a length greater than the other two slots. The ground coupling assembly can further include an insert 184 that is configured to be installed into each of the slots 182 . Each insert 184 can be insulating such that installation of the insert 184 into the slots 182 does not electrically connect the electrical contacts. Alternatively, each insert 184 can be conductive so long as the inserts 184 do not contact the electrical signal contacts when the insert 184 is installed. Each insert 184 can have a length substantially equal to the slots 182 in which the insert 184 is installed, and can be press-fit into the corresponding slots 182 . Alternatively, the insert 184 can be mechanically fastened to the connector module housing 172 in any desired manner.

As shown in FIG. 19 , each insert 184 includes a longitudinally elongate insert body 186 and a plurality of apertures 187 extending through the insert body. The apertures 187 are cylindrical in shape, or can define any alternative geometric configuration. The apertures 187 are spaced so as to be aligned with the electrical contacts of the connector module 170 when the insert 184 is installed in the connector module housing 172 . Alternatively, the insert 184 could define apertures 187 that are sized and spaced so as to be aligned with only ground contacts as opposed to all contacts when the insert 184 is installed. The insert body 186 can carry an outwardly protruding locating rib 185 , and a slot 189 is recessed into the insert body 186 and extends substantially centrally along the insert body 186 .

Referring now to FIGS. 18A-C , because the ground shorting bars 178 and 180 are similarly constructed, the ground shorting bars 178 and 180 will now be described with reference to the first ground shorting bar 178 , unless otherwise indicated. The ground shorting bar 178 includes a conductive plate 183 having a broadside 181 and opposing elongate edges 186 A and 186 B. The conductive plate 183 is discreetly or integrally connected to a first plurality of legs 188 A that projects out from the edge 186 A, and a second plurality of legs 188 B that projects out from the edge 186 B. In the illustrated embodiment, the legs 188 A and 188 B extend in a direction perpendicular with respect to the corresponding edges 186 A and 186 B, and are co-planar with respect to the conductive plate 183 . As illustrated, one or more of the legs 188 A may be out alignment with respect to legs 188 B in the longitudinal direction, and may be longitudinally spaced differently than legs 188 B. Accordingly, the ground coupling assembly 176 can be configured to electrically connect ground contacts of adjacent connector modules when the adjacent connector modules 170 include different ground-signal contact patterns. Alternatively, the legs 186 A and 186 B can be longitudinally aligned, and thus configured to electrically connect the ground contacts of adjacent modules when the ground contacts of adjacent modules are longitudinally aligned.

The legs 188 can present a barbed outer end 190 , and can have a thickness less than that of the insert apertures 187 such that the legs 188 can extend through the apertures 187 . In one embodiment, the legs 188 do not contact the apertures 187 , though if the insert body 186 is insulating or does not contact the signal contacts of the connector module 170 , the legs 188 can contact the apertures if desired. The ground shorting bar 178 can include a greater number of legs 188 than the ground shorting bar 180 . While the second ground shorting bar 180 includes three legs 188 as illustrated, and the first ground shorting bar 178 includes five legs as illustrated, it should be appreciated that the ground shorting bars 178 and 180 can include any desired number of legs configured to electrically connect to the ground contacts G of the connector module 170 in the manner as illustrated in FIG. 27A .

The edges 186 include a plurality of notches 191 formed in the edges on opposing sides of the legs 188 . One or both of the edges 186 A and 186 B can further include one or at least one locating notch 192 constructed similar to the notches 191 . The locating notch 192 is disposed between notches 191 , and is sized to receive the locating rib 185 of the insert 184 when the ground shorting bar 178 is inserted into the slot 189 of the insert to ensure that the ground shorting bar 178 is in its desired orientation.

Referring now to FIGS. 20-21 , the installation of the ground shorting bars 178 and 180 into the connector module 170 will now be described with reference to the ground shorting bar 178 , it being appreciated that the ground shorting bars 180 are similarly installed in the connector module 170 . In particular, the ground shorting bar 178 is positioned such that the legs 188 are aligned with the apertures 187 of the insert 184 . Next, the ground shorting bar 178 is press-fit into the slot 189 of the insert 184 such that the first edge 186 A is disposed in the slot 189 , and the legs 188 extend through the apertures 187 . Thus, the ground shorting bar plate 183 extends in a direction perpendicular to the connector module housing 172 . The legs 188 extending from edge 186 A mechanically connect to the ground contacts that are aligned with the apertures 187 , thereby placing those ground contacts in electrical communication with each other. The barbed end 190 of the legs 188 can cam over the ground contacts as the ground bar 178 is installed, and can snap down over the ground contacts once the ground bar 178 has been fully installed, thereby preventing the ground shorting bar 178 from being inadvertently removed.

Referring now to FIGS. 22-23 , once the ground shorting bars 178 and 180 have been installed in the electrical connector module 170 , a second connector module 170 A can connect to the second edge 186 B of the ground shorting bars 178 and 180 to form a connector module assembly 175 having a pair of connector modules 170 and 170 A that are mated. The second connector module 170 A can be constructed as described with respect to connector module 170 . The connector modules 170 of the assembly 175 include ground contacts that are joined by a ground coupling assembly 176 , which is provided as one or more common ground shorting bars that connect directly to the ground contacts of a first and second electrical connector. As described above, the legs 188 extending from the second edge 186 B can be aligned with the legs 188 extending from the first edge 186 A, or can be longitudinally offset with respect to the legs 188 extending from the first edge 186 A. The second connector module 170 A can be placed in position adjacent the first connector module 170 such that their respective connector housings 172 abut, such that the ground shorting bars 178 and 180 become inserted into the second connector module 170 A in the manner as described above with respect to the first connector module 170 .

FIG. 24 shows a plurality of ground shorting bars 178 and 180 arranged with respect to a first connector module 170 , it being appreciated that connector modules can connect to the plurality of inserts illustrated so as to form a portion of a backplane connector assembly of the type described above. As shown in FIG. 25 , a plurality of connector modules 170 can be connected to the ground shorting bars 178 and 180 in the manner described above so as to produce a plurality of subassemblies 175 that are disposed adjacent each other, and configured to form an assembly of the type that can be installed in a backplane system or other suitable electrical connector system. Referring to FIG. 26 , a dielectric front housing 194 can be installed onto the assembly 175 proximate to the mating ends of the electrical contacts, and a dielectric rear organizer housing 196 that secures the rear end of the plurality of subassemblies illustrated in FIG. 24 to form a connector 198 that is configured to communicate electrical signals and/or power between electrical devices. The connector 198 can then be integrated into a connector assembly.

Referring now to FIGS. 27A-C it should be appreciated that the ground coupling assembly 176 can connect to the ground contacts (G) in various configurations and/or arrangements (e.g., horizontal, vertical, diagonal, etc.). The ground shorting bars 178 and 180 may be connected to each ground contact (G) in the connector module 170 , or may be connected to less than all of the ground contacts (G) in the connector module 170 . Each ground contact (G) may define an electrical path that extends from the mounting end 174 A to the mating end 174 B of the ground contact (G). The ground shorting bars 178 and 180 may be connected to the lead portion 174 C of the ground contacts (G), between the mounting end 174 A and the mating end 174 B. The ground shorting bars 178 and 180 can be positioned to divide the electrical path of the ground contact (G) into equal or unequal portions.

Referring now to FIGS. 28-32 , a ground coupling assembly 220 is configured to electrically connect directly to the ground contacts of one or more electrical connector modules, such as a first connector module 222 and a second connector module 222 A in accordance with an alternative embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 28A-B , each electrical connector module 222 and 222 A can be provided as an insert molded leadframe assemblies (IMLA) constructed as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/958,098, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in its entirety herein. The connector modules 222 and 222 A may include an insulating or dielectric connector module housing 221 that presents opposing housing surfaces 223 and 223 A.

With continuing reference to FIGS. 28A-B , a the connector modules 222 and 222 A can include a set of one or more right-angle electrical contacts 224 as described above, including a first mounting end 224 A, a second mating end 224 B, and a lead portion extending between the first end 224 A and the second end 224 B. The mounting end 224 A of the electrical contact 224 may include any suitable terminal for establishing an electrical and mechanical connection with an electrical device. For example, the mounting end 224 A may include a solder ball that is soldered to a solder pad on the electrical device. In addition, the mounting end 224 A may be a compliant end configured to be inserted into a plated through-hole of the electrical device. The mating end 224 B of each electrical contact 224 may include any suitable mating end for establishing an electrical and mechanical connection with a complementary connector, for instance a header connector of the type described above. As illustrated, the mating ends 224 B of the contacts 224 are arranged as receptacle contacts configured to receive mating header contacts. It should be appreciated, however, that the mating ends 224 B could alternatively define a blade-shaped mating end.

Referring now to FIGS. 28-29 , the first connector module 222 includes a first engagement member 226 carried by the first housing surface 223 , and the second connector module 222 A includes a second engagement member 228 carried by the second housing surface 223 A. In the illustrated embodiment, the engagement member 226 is provided as a protuberance 230 that is centrally disposed at the mating end of the first housing surface 223 , and extends out from the first housing surface 223 . The engagement member 228 is provided as a pair of protuberances 232 that are disposed at the mating end of the second housing surface 223 A, but laterally spaced outwardly with respect to the protuberance 230 . The housing surface 223 includes a pair of recesses 234 disposed on both lateral sides of the protuberance 230 and laterally aligned with the protuberance 230 . The recesses 234 have a depth substantially equal to the height of the protuberances 232 . Likewise, the second housing surface 223 A includes a recess 236 disposed between the pair of protuberances 232 , and in lateral alignment with the protuberances 232 . The recess 236 has a depth substantially equal to the height of the protuberance 230 . Thus, the protuberances 230 and 232 can be of equal or substantially equal height.

As illustrated in FIG. 29 , the recesses 234 are laterally positioned so as to receive the protuberances 232 of a second connector module 222 A constructed as described with respect to connector module 222 , when the first side of the connector module 222 is mated with the second side of the like connector module. The recess 236 of the second connector module 222 A is sized to receive the protuberance 230 of the connector module 222 .

Referring now to FIGS. 30-32 , the ground coupling assembly 220 includes a ground shorting bar 240 having a conductive plate 242 that presents a broadside 244 and opposing elongate front and rear edges 246 A and 246 B, respectively. The conductive plate 242 carries a plurality of engagement members 260 configured to engage the engagement members 226 and 228 . In particular, the engagement members 260 are provided as an inner aperture 262 extending through the plate 242 , and a pair of outer apertures 264 extending through the plate 242 and aligned with the inner aperture 262 . The inner aperture 262 is sized and positioned to receive the protuberance 230 , and the outer apertures 264 are sized and positioned to receive the protuberances 232 . While one example of engagement members 226 and 260 has been provided that attaches the ground shorting bar 240 to mating electrical connector modules 222 and 222 A to form a connector module assembly 250 , any suitable alternative engagement members could be used. A plurality of the connector module assemblies 250 can be joined to form an electrical connector, for instance in the manner described above with respect to connector 198 , that can be integrated into a connector assembly.

The conductive plate 242 is discreetly or integrally connected to a first plurality of legs 248 A that projects out from the front edge 246 A in a first direction, and a second plurality of legs 248 B that projects out from the front edge 246 A in a second direction opposite the first direction. A first beam 249 A can connect each of the first legs 248 A to the plate 242 , and a second beam 249 B can connect each of the second legs 248 B to the plate, thereby rendering the legs 248 A and 248 B compliant. The legs 248 A and 248 B extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the connector module housing 221 sufficient so as to engage the mating ends 224 B of the ground contacts extending out from the housing 221 . The legs 248 A and 248 B are offset with respect to the lateral direction.

When the ground shorting bar 240 is installed onto the connector modules 222 and 222 A, the front edge 246 A is substantially aligned with the front edge of the housing 221 , such that the legs 248 A and 248 B are disposed forward of the front edge of the housing 221 . The legs 248 A contact corresponding ground contacts G of the connector module 222 , and the legs 248 B contact corresponding ground contacts G of the connector module 222 A. Accordingly, the ground shorting bar 240 is a common ground shorting bar that electrically connects two or more, up to all, ground contacts G of a pair of connector modules of a connector module assembly 250 . It should be appreciated that because the legs 248 A can be laterally offset with respect to legs 248 B, the ground shorting bar 240 can be configured to electrically connect to ground contacts G of the second connector modules 222 A having offset ground contacts with respect to the connector module 222 . It should be appreciated that the legs 248 can be laterally aligned in accordance with alternative embodiments. A plurality of subassemblies 250 can be joined to form a connector, for instance as described above with respect to the connector 198 , that can be integrated into a connector assembly.

Referring now to FIGS. 33-35 , a ground coupling assembly 300 can include a first ground shorting bar 301 A configured to electrically connect directly to one or more, such as a plurality of, including all, ground contacts of a first electrical connector module 302 A, and a second ground shorting bar 301 B configured to electrically connect one or more, such as a plurality of, including all, ground contacts of a second electrical connector module 302 B. The ground shorting bars 301 A and 301 B are substantially identically constructed, such that the description of the first ground shorting bar 301 A is intended to apply to the second ground shorting bar 301 B, unless otherwise indicated. Furthermore, the connector modules 302 A and 302 B are substantially identically constructed, such that the description of the first connector module 302 A is intended to apply to the second connector module 302 B, unless otherwise indicated.

As shown in FIGS. 33-34 , the electrical connector module 302 A can be provided as an insert molded leadframe assemblies (IMLA) constructed as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/958,098, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in its entirety herein. The connector module 302 A may include an insulating or dielectric connector module housing 303 that presents opposing first and second housing surfaces 303 A and 303 B, respectively. The connector module 302 A includes a first and second set, or plurality, of notches 306 and 308 , respectively, disposed at the mating end of both surfaces 303 A and 303 B of the connector housing 303 . Each notch of the second set of notches 308 is disposed between notches of the first set of notches 306 . The notches 306 and 308 of the first surface 303 A are aligned with the notches 306 and 308 of the second surface 303 B. The connector module 302 A further includes an engagement member 309 in the form of a slot 311 that extends into the second surface 303 B of the housing 303 . The slot 311 is elongate in a direction parallel to the mating end of the connector module 302 A.

The connector module 302 A can include a set of one or more right-angle electrical contacts 304 as described above, including a first mounting end 304 A, a second mating end 304 B, and a lead portion extending between the first end 304 A and the second end 304 B. The mounting end 304 A of the electrical contact 304 may include any suitable terminal for establishing an electrical and mechanical connection with an electrical device. For example, the mounting end 304 A may include a solder ball that is soldered to a solder pad on the electrical device. In addition, the mounting end 304 A may be a compliant end configured to be inserted into a plated through-hole of the electrical device. The mating end 304 B of each electrical contact 304 may include any suitable mating end for establishing an electrical and mechanical connection with a complementary connector, for instance a header connector of the type described above. As illustrated, the mating ends 304 B of the contacts 304 are arranged as receptacle contacts configured to receive mating header contacts. It should be appreciated, however, that the mating ends 304 B could alternatively define a blade-shaped mating end.

Referring now to FIGS. 35A-B , the ground coupling assembly 300 includes the first and second ground shorting bars 301 A and 301 B, respectively. The first ground shorting bar 301 A has a conductive plate 312 that presents a broadside 314 and opposing elongate front and rear edges 316 A and 316 B, respectively. The conductive plate 312 carries an engagement member 318 in the form of a flange 320 that extends out from the rear edge 316 A in a direction substantially perpendicular to the conductive plate 312 . The flange 320 is sized to be received in the slot 311 of the connector module 302 A.

The conductive plate 312 is discreetly or integrally connected to a first plurality of legs 322 A a second plurality of legs 322 B. The legs of the first and second pluralities of legs 322 A and 322 B are arranged in an alternating manner along the front edge 316 A of the conductive plate 312 .

The first legs 322 A extend forward from the plate 312 , and include an L-shaped leg 323 having a first portion 323 A that extends out from the front edge 316 A in a direction co-planar with the plate 312 A. The first legs 322 A each include a second portion 323 B extending in a first downward direction from the outer end of the first portion. The second portion 323 B provides a contacting member that is angled with respect to, and as illustrated is perpendicular to, the first portion 323 A. The second legs 322 B each include a curved beam 324 that is concave with respect to the first direction, and thus presents a contacting member that extends in a second upward direction from the conductive plate 312 .

Referring now to FIGS. 36-38 , the first ground shorting bar 301 A is installed in the first connector module 302 A by inserting the flange 320 of the ground shorting bar 301 A into the slot 311 of the connector module 302 A. The connector module 302 A can include one or more retention ribs 313 that narrow the slot opening, and thus bias the flange 320 against the housing 303 to assist in retaining the flange 320 in the slot 311 .

When the ground shorting bar 301 A is installed in the connector modules 302 A, each leg of the first plurality of legs 322 A is disposed in the corresponding first notches 306 , such that the second portion 323 B of the first legs 322 A contact the ground contacts G of the first connector module 302 A. In this regard, it should be appreciated that the first portion 323 A of the first legs 322 A extends beyond the forward edge of the connector housing 303 . Each of the second plurality of legs 322 B is disposed in the corresponding second notches 308 , and extends vertically above the connector housing 303 .

When the second ground shorting bar 301 B is installed in the second connector module 302 B, the connector modules 302 A and 302 B can be mated by positioning the first surface 303 A of the first connector module 302 A to face the second surface 303 B of the second connector module 302 B. The connector modules 302 A and 302 B can then be brought towards each other until the curved beams 324 of the first connector module 302 A contact the complementary curved beams 324 of the second connector module 302 B when the connector modules 302 A and 302 B are mated. The first legs 324 of the first and second ground shorting bars 301 A and 301 B are aligned when mounted onto the connector modules 302 A and 302 B, and are thus configured to electrically connect to aligned ground contacts (G) of the connector modules. The connector modules 302 A and 302 B thus mate to forming a connector module assembly 330 that can form part of an electrical connector, for instance as described above with respect to the connector 198 , that can be integrated into a connector assembly. Thus, the ground coupling assembly 300 can place the ground contacts of the each connector module 302 A and 302 B in electrical communication with each other, and in further electrical communication with the ground contacts of the other connector module 302 A.

Referring now to FIGS. 39A and 39B , the ground coupling assembly 176 as described and illustrated with reference to 13 - 27 C can be constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment to include a ground shorting plate 350 that can replace the ground shorting bars 178 and 180 and inserts 184 . The ground shorting plate 350 can define a plurality of slots 352 formed therein arranged in columns 354 . Each slot 352 is defined by opposing edges 355 of the plate 350 , has a thickness “T” that is greater than the width of the signal contacts “S” and ground contacts “G” of the electrical contacts 174 . In this regard, it should be appreciated that a cross-section of the contacts 174 can be rectangular, with an elongate length “L”, and a transverse width “W”. The plate 350 includes a pair of locating tabs 356 extending out from the outer edges of the plate and configured to engage complementary structure in the connector, such as connector 198 illustrated in FIG. 26 , that locates and/or affixes the plate 350 to the connector housing.

One or more of the slots, up to all slots, can further include opposing aligned necks 358 that extend in from each side edge 355 . The necks 358 define a necked gap 360 therebetween that has a thickness substantially equal or slightly less than the width “W” of the ground contacts “G,” which can be equal to the width of the signal contacts “S,” such that when the ground contacts G are disposed in their associated necked gaps 360 , the ground contacts “G” contact each of the opposing necks 358 .

The slots 352 further define slot sections 352 A that are disposed adjacent one or more necked gaps 360 . The slot sections 352 A have the thickness “T,” as defined by the distance between opposing side edges 355 of a given slot 352 along a direction perpendicular to the side edges 355 , that is greater than the width “W” of the contacts 174 . Accordingly, when the plate 350 is installed onto the mating end or mounting end of the connector housing, the contacts 174 of a given connector module 170 , such as an IMLA, are disposed in a common slot 352 , such that the ground contacts “G” are at least partially disposed in the necked gap 360 , while the signal contacts “S” are disposed in the slots 352 at slot sections 352 A, at locations between the opposing side edges 355 such that the signal contacts “S” do not contact the plate 350 .

When the plate 350 is mounted onto a mating end or mounting end of the connector housing, such as the front housing 194 or the rear organizer housing 196 , the contacts 174 of each connector module 170 are inserted into a corresponding slot 352 . Thus, the number of columns 354 can be equal to the number of connector modules 170 of the connector 198 . Thus, the plate 350 can electrically connect the ground contacts “G” of a plurality of adjacent connector modules 170 arranged in columns. The plate 350 is elongate in a direction perpendicular with respect to the direction of elongation of the contacts 174 with respect to the location of the contacts 174 that contacts the plate 350 . For instance, when the plate 350 is installed onto the mating end of the connector 198 , the plate 350 is oriented such that the plate is elongate in a direction perpendicular to the mating ends of the contacts 174 . When the plate 350 is installed onto the mounting end of the connector 198 , the plate 350 is oriented such that the plate is elongate in a direction perpendicular to the mounting ends of the contacts 174 . The plate 350 can have a thickness less than 1 mm, such as between 0.2 and 0.5 mm, for instance 0.2 mm or 0.35 mm.

It should be appreciated that the necked gaps 360 can be spaced as desired, and as illustrated are spaced to receive contacts 174 arranged in a repeating S-S-G pattern such that each ground contact “G” is disposed in a necked gap 360 . It should be appreciated that the number of necked gaps 360 in a given slot 352 can be decreased so as to cause the plate 350 to contact a select number of ground contacts of a given connector module 170 that is less than all of the ground contacts. Furthermore, the necked gaps 360 can be spaced to receive ground contacts “G” of contacts 174 that are arranged in a different pattern than a repeating S-S-G pattern. The plate 350 can be positioned at the mating end and/or the mounting end of the connector housing.

It should be noted that the illustrations and discussions of the embodiments shown in the figures are for exemplary purposes only, and should not be construed limiting the disclosure. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the present disclosure contemplates various embodiments. Additionally, it should be understood that the concepts described above with the above-described embodiments may be employed alone or in combination with any of the other embodiments described above. It should be further appreciated that the various alternative embodiments described above with respect to one illustrated embodiment can apply to all embodiments as described herein, unless otherwise indicated.