Electrical connector and electrical connector assembly having a mating array of signal and ground contacts

An electrical connector assembly comprising:

• a mating connector having signal conductors and ground conductors;
• and
• an electrical connector comprising:
• a housing;
• and
• a mating array comprising a plurality of signal contacts and a plurality of ground contacts that are coupled to the housing, the signal contacts and the ground contacts being positioned for mating with the signal conductors and the ground conductors, respectively, of the mating connector;
• wherein the ground contacts are plated with a ground-material composition and the signal contacts are plated with a signal-material composition, the ground-material composition and the ground conductors mating with each other at respective ground interfaces and the signal-material composition and the signal conductors mating with each other at respective signal interfaces, wherein the ground interfaces have a first low-level contact resistance (LLCR) and the signal interfaces have a second LLCR, the second LLCR being less than the first LLCR.

An electrical connector comprising:

• a housing;
• and
• a mating array comprising a plurality of signal contacts and a plurality of ground contacts that are coupled to the housing, the signal contacts and the ground contacts being positioned for mating with signal conductors and ground conductors, respectively, of a mating connector;
• wherein the ground contacts have a plated layer that includes a precious metal and the signal contacts have a plated layer that includes the precious metal, the plated layers of the ground contacts and the plated layers of the signal contacts having different thicknesses, wherein the thickness of the plated layers of the signal contacts is greater than the thickness of the plated layers of the ground contacts.