Electrical connector for a circuit card assembly of a communication system

An electrical connector for a circuit card assembly including a printed circuit board (PCB), the electrical connector comprising:

• a receptacle housing having a first side and a second side including a cavity between the first and second sides, the receptacle housing configured to be mounted to a mounting area of the PCB;
• a mating housing received in the cavity of the receptacle housing, the mating housing being movable relative to the receptacle housing in a connector mating direction, the mating housing having a mating end configured to be mated with a second electrical connector of a second circuit card assembly;
• and
• contact modules coupled to the receptacle housing and the mating housing, the contact modules each including a leadframe having signal contacts including a mating conductor, a mounting conductor and a flexible conductor between the mating conductor and the mounting conductor, the contact module including an inner dielectric body holding the mating conductors in the mating housing, the contact module including an outer dielectric body separate and discrete from the inner dielectric body holding the mounting conductors in the receptacle housing, the flexible conductors extending between the inner dielectric body and the outer dielectric body and being flexible therebetween to allow relative movement of the inner dielectric body and the mating housing in the connector mating direction relative to the outer dielectric body and the receptacle housing, the flexible conductor having a bent portion changing shape when the flexible conductor is flexed, the contact modules including ground contacts extending along corresponding signal contacts and providing electrical shielding for the signal contacts, the ground contacts including flexible conductors following corresponding flexible conductors of the signal contacts, the flexible conductors of the ground contacts having covers extending along and providing shielding along at least one side of the bent portion of the corresponding signal contact.

A communication system comprising:

• a first circuit card assembly having a first printed circuit board (PCB) and a first electrical connector mounted to the first PCB, the first electrical connector having a first mating end and first contacts at the first mating end, the first contacts having a mating conductor, a mounting conductor and a flexible conductor between the mating conductor and the mounting conductor, the mounting conductor being terminated to the first PCB, the flexible conductor allowing the mating conductor to move in a connector mating direction along a connector mating axis relative to the mounting conductor, the flexible conductor having a bent portion changing shape when the flexible conductor is flexed, the first electrical connector having a ground shield including ground contacts extending along corresponding first contacts and providing electrical shielding for the first contacts, the ground contacts including covers extending along and providing shielding along at least one side of the bent portion of the corresponding first contact;
• and
• a second circuit card assembly having a second PCB and a second electrical connector mounted to the second PCB, the second electrical connector having a second mating end and second contacts at the second mating end mated with mating conductors of corresponding first contacts, the second electrical connector having a header housing holding the second contacts;
• wherein at least one of the first PCB and the second PCB includes a slot receiving the other of the first PCB and the second PCB in a board loading direction along a board loading axis;
• wherein the mating conductors are coupled to corresponding second contacts in the connector mating direction generally perpendicular to the board loading direction.