Electrical connectors having contacts that may be selectively designated as either signal or ground contacts
DCFirst Claim
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1. An electrical connector comprising:
- a linear contact array of electrically conductive contacts; and
a lead frame in which the contacts are fixed;
wherein (i) the contacts may be selectively designated, while fixed in the lead frame, as either ground or signal contacts such that, in a first designation, the contacts form at least one differential signal pair comprising a pair of signal contacts, and, in a second designation, the contacts form at least one single-ended signal conductor, (ii) the contact array includes at least one ground contact disposed adjacent to the at least one differential signal pair in the first designation and adjacent to the at least one single-ended signal conductor in the second designation, (iii) the ground contact is disposed in the same relative location within the contact array in both the first designation and the second designation, (iv) each signal contact has a respective terminal end, (v) the ground contact has a terminal end, and (vi) the terminal end of the ground contact extends beyond any terminal end of any of the signal contacts.
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Abstract
An electrical connector according to the invention includes a linear contact array of electrically conductive contacts and a lead frame into which the contacts at least partially extend. The contacts may be selectively designated as either ground or signal contacts such that, in a first designation, the contacts form at least one differential signal pair comprising a pair of signal contacts, and, in a second designation, the contacts form at least one single-ended signal conductor.
279 Citations
33 Claims
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1. An electrical connector comprising:
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a linear contact array of electrically conductive contacts; and a lead frame in which the contacts are fixed; wherein (i) the contacts may be selectively designated, while fixed in the lead frame, as either ground or signal contacts such that, in a first designation, the contacts form at least one differential signal pair comprising a pair of signal contacts, and, in a second designation, the contacts form at least one single-ended signal conductor, (ii) the contact array includes at least one ground contact disposed adjacent to the at least one differential signal pair in the first designation and adjacent to the at least one single-ended signal conductor in the second designation, (iii) the ground contact is disposed in the same relative location within the contact array in both the first designation and the second designation, (iv) each signal contact has a respective terminal end, (v) the ground contact has a terminal end, and (vi) the terminal end of the ground contact extends beyond any terminal end of any of the signal contacts. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for connecting an electrical connector to a circuit board, comprising:
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providing an electrical connector comprising first and second electrically conductive contacts, a ground contact, and a lead frame in which the contacts are fixed, wherein (i) each of the first and second contacts may be selectively designated, while fixed in the lead frame, as either a ground contact or a signal contact such that, in a first designation, the contacts form at least one differential signal pair comprising a pair of signal contact, and, in a second designation, the contacts form at least one single-ended signal conductor, (ii) the ground contact is disposed adjacent to the differential signal pair in the first designation and adjacent to the single-ended signal conductor in the second designation, (iii) the ground contact is disposed in the same relative location within the contact array in both the first designation and the second designation, (iv) each of the first and second contacts has a respective terminal end, (v) the ground contact has a terminal end, and (vi) the terminal end of the ground contact extends beyond the terminal ends of the first and second contacts; designating each of the first and second electrical contacts as either a ground contact or a signal contact; and electrically connecting the electrical connector to the circuit board having at least one signaling path. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A system, comprising:
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a circuit board having at least one signaling path; and an electrical connector comprising a linear contact array of electrically conductive contacts and a lead frame in which the contacts are fixed, wherein (i) the contacts may be selectively designated, while fixed in the lead frame, as either ground or signal contacts such that, in a first designation, the contacts form at least one differential signal pair comprising a pair of signal contacts, and, in a second designation, the contacts form at least one single-ended signal conductor, (ii) the contact array includes at least one ground contact disposed adjacent to the at least one differential signal pair in the first designation and adjacent to the at least one single-ended signal conductor in the second designation, (iii) the ground contact is disposed in the same relative location within the contact array in both the first designation and the second designation, (iv) each signal contact has a respective terminal end, (v) the ground contact has a terminal end, and (vi) the terminal end of the ground contact extends beyond any terminal end of any of the signal contacts, and wherein the electrical connector is electrically connected to the circuit board.
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Specification