Receptacle connector with contact assembly

A receptacle connector configured to mate with a plug connector, the receptacle connector comprising:

• a contact assembly having a first contact sub-assembly and a second contact sub-assembly coupled to the first contact sub-assembly, the first contact sub-assembly having a first dielectric carrier and first contacts held by the first dielectric carrier, the second contact sub-assembly having a second dielectric carrier and second contacts held by the second dielectric carrier;
• and
• a housing holding the contact assembly, the housing having a mating end configured to mate with the plug connector and a mounting end configured to be mounted to the circuit board, the housing having first and second side walls and first and second end walls extending between the mating end and the mounting end, the housing having a card slot open at the mating end for receiving the plug connector, the housing including a contact assembly cavity at the mounting end for receiving the contact assembly;
• wherein the housing includes primary positioning ribs and secondary positioning ribs extending from the first and second side walls into the contact assembly cavity to position the contact assembly within the contact assembly cavity, the primary positioning ribs being press-fit against the contact assembly to hold the contact assembly in the contact assembly cavity, the secondary positioning ribs aligning the contact assembly in the contact assembly cavity without being press-fit against the contact assembly.

A receptacle connector configured to mate with a plug connector, the receptacle connector comprising:

• a contact assembly having a dielectric carrier holding contacts, the contacts having mating ends configured for electrical connection with the plug connector, the contacts having terminating ends configured for electrical connection with a circuit board, the contacts having intermediate sections between the mating ends and the terminating ends, the intermediate sections passing through the dielectric carrier, the dielectric carrier having channels extending between first and second sides of the contact assembly;
• and
• a housing holding the contact assembly, the housing having a mating end at a top of the housing configured to mate with the plug connector and a mounting end at a bottom of the housing configured to be mounted to the circuit board, the housing having first and second side walls extending between the top and the bottom, the housing having first and second end walls extending between the top and the bottom, the housing having a card slot open at the top for receiving the plug connector with the mating ends of the contacts being exposed in the card slot for mating electrical connection with the plug connector, the housing including a contact assembly cavity open at the bottom for receiving the contact assembly, the housing including strengthening ribs extending between the first and second side walls to connect the first side wall to the second side wall at a location remote from the first end wall and remote from the second end wall, the strengthening ribs being received in corresponding channels of the dielectric carrier.