Cable receptacle connector

A cable receptacle connector comprising:

• a receptacle housing extending between a front and a rear, the receptacle housing having a mating receptacle at the front configured to receive a mating connector, the receptacle housing including a rear cavity at the rear, the receptacle housing including a base wall between the front and the rear having contact channels, the contact channels being open to the mating receptacle;
• and
• a contact assembly received in the receptacle housing, the contact assembly including an upper contact sub-assembly and a lower contact sub-assembly coupled to the upper contact sub-assembly, the contact assembly including upper cables electrically connected to the upper contact sub-assembly and lower cables electrically connected to the lower contact sub-assembly;
• the upper contact sub-assembly comprising an upper signal leadframe, an upper ground leadframe and an upper contact holder, the upper signal leadframe including a plurality of upper signal contacts each extending between a mating end configured to be mated with an upper mating signal contact of the mating connector and a terminating end electrically connected to the corresponding upper cable, the upper ground leadframe including a plurality of upper ground contacts each extending between a mating end configured to be mated with an upper mating ground contact of the mating connector and a terminating end electrically connected to the corresponding upper cable, each upper ground contact including a central transition section approximately centered between the mating end and the terminating end, the central transition section extending out of plane relative to the upper signal leadframe, the upper ground leadframe including an upper ground tie bar extending between each of the central transition sections to electrically connect each of the upper ground contacts, the upper ground tie bar positioned out of plane relative to the upper signal leadframe with the central transition sections to extend across the upper signal contacts, the upper contact holder holding the upper signal contacts and the upper ground contacts, the upper contact holder surrounding the central transition sections of the upper ground contacts and electrically isolating the upper ground tie bar from the upper signal contacts;
• and
• the lower contact sub-assembly comprising a lower signal leadframe, a lower ground leadframe and a lower contact holder, the lower signal leadframe including a plurality of lower signal contacts each extending between a mating end configured to be mated with a lower mating signal contact of the mating connector and a terminating end electrically connected to the corresponding lower cable, the lower ground leadframe including a plurality of lower ground contacts each extending between a mating end configured to be mated with a lower mating ground contact of the mating connector and a terminating end electrically connected to the corresponding lower cable, each lower ground contact including a central transition section approximately centered between the mating end and the terminating end, the central transition section extending out of plane relative to the lower signal leadframe, the lower ground leadframe including a lower ground tie bar extending between each of the central transition sections to electrically connect each of the lower ground contacts, the upper ground tie bar positioned out of plane relative to the lower signal leadframe with the central transition sections to extend across the upper signal contacts, the upper contact holder holding the lower signal contacts and the lower ground contacts, the upper contact holder surrounding the central transition sections of the lower ground contacts and electrically isolating the lower ground tie bar from the lower signal contacts;
• wherein the lower contact holder is coupled to the upper contact holder to position the lower signal contacts and the lower ground contacts relative to the upper signal contacts and the upper ground contacts.

A cable receptacle connector comprising:

• a shroud having a chamber, the shroud extending between a front and a rear, the shroud having a right side and a left side between the front and the rear;
• a receptacle assembly received in the chamber of the shroud, the receptacle assembly including a right side sub-assembly in the chamber at the right side of the shroud and a left side sub-assembly in the chamber at the left side of the shroud;
• the right side sub-assembly including a first receptacle housing and a first contact assembly received in the first receptacle housing, the first receptacle housing having a first mating receptacle at a front and a first base wall rearward of the first mating receptacle having first contact channels open to the first mating receptacle, the right side sub-assembly including first cables electrically connected to the first contact assembly, the first contact assembly including a first signal leadframe, a first ground leadframe and a first contact holder coupled to the first signal leadframe and the first ground leadframe, the first signal leadframe including a plurality of first signal contacts each extending between a mating end and a terminating end electrically connected to the corresponding first cable, the first ground leadframe including a plurality of first ground contacts each extending between a mating end and a terminating end, the first ground leadframe including a first ground tie bar extending between each of the first ground contacts, the first ground tie bar positioned out of plane relative to the first signal leadframe to extend across the first signal contacts, the first contact holder holding the first signal contacts and the first ground contacts;
• and
• the left side sub-assembly including a second receptacle housing and a second contact assembly received in the second receptacle housing, the second receptacle housing having a second mating receptacle at a front and a second base wall rearward of the second mating receptacle having second contact channels open to the second mating receptacle, the left side sub-assembly including second cables electrically connected to the second contact assembly, the second contact assembly including a second signal leadframe, a second ground leadframe and a second contact holder coupled to the second signal leadframe and the second ground leadframe, the second signal leadframe including a plurality of second signal contacts each extending between a mating end and a terminating end electrically connected to the corresponding second cable, the second ground leadframe including a plurality of second ground contacts each extending between a mating end and a terminating end, the second ground leadframe including a second ground tie bar extending between each of the second ground contacts, the second ground tie bar positioned out of plane relative to the second signal leadframe to extend across the second signal contacts, the second contact holder holding the second signal contacts and the second ground contacts;
• wherein the first receptacle housing includes an inner end and an outer end opposite the inner end, the outer end including a keying tab extending therefrom configured to engage the right side of the shroud to locate the first receptacle housing in the chamber, and wherein the second receptacle housing includes an inner end and an outer end opposite the inner end, the outer end including a keying tab extending therefrom configured to engage the left side of the shroud to locate the second receptacle housing in the chamber.