Optical receptacle connector for an optical communication system

An optical receptacle connector for an optical communication system comprising:

• a receptacle housing having housing walls defining a lower contact cavity and an upper contact cavity, the housing walls defining a lower optical cavity and an upper optical cavity stacked above the lower optical cavity, the receptacle housing including a lower card slot at a front of the receptacle configured to receive a mating edge of an optical module circuit board of a lower pluggable optical generator module, the receptacle housing including an upper card slot at the front of the receptacle housing configured to receive a mating edge of an optical module circuit board of an upper pluggable optical generator module;
• a contact assembly coupled to the receptacle housing, the contact assembly including lower receptacle contacts received in the lower contact cavity and extending into the lower card slot to electrically connect to the optical module circuit board of the lower pluggable optical generator module, the lower receptacle contacts configured to supply power to the lower pluggable optical generator module to operate a light source of the lower pluggable optical generator module, the contact assembly including upper receptacle contacts received in the upper contact cavity and extending into the upper card slot to electrically connect to the optical module circuit board of the upper pluggable optical generator module, the upper receptacle contacts configured to supply power to the upper pluggable optical generator module to operate a light source of the upper pluggable optical generator module;
• a lower receive optical connector coupled to the receptacle housing, the lower receive optical connector including a lower ferrule holding at least one lower optical fiber, the lower ferrule having a mating end configured to be mated with a lower supply optical connector of the lower pluggable optical generator module to receive optical signals from the lower supply optical connector, the lower receive optical connector including a lower optical cable extending from the lower ferrule;
• and
• an upper receive optical connector coupled to the receptacle housing, the upper receive optical connector including an upper ferrule holding at least one upper optical fiber, the upper ferrule having a mating end configured to be mated with an upper supply optical connector of the upper pluggable optical generator module to receive optical signals from the upper supply optical connector, the upper receive optical connector including an upper optical cable extending from the upper ferrule.

A communication system comprising:

• a receptacle cage having cage walls defining a module channel, the module channel extending between a front end and a rear end of the receptacle cage, the module channel being open at the front end to receive a pluggable optical generator module;
• and
• an optical receptacle connector located in the module channel for electrical and optical connection with the pluggable optical generator, the optical receptacle connector including a receptacle housing holding a contact assembly and a receive optical connector;
• the receptacle housing includes housing walls defining a contact cavity and an optical cavity, the receptacle housing including a card slot at a front of the receptacle housing configured to receive a mating edge of an optical module circuit board of the pluggable optical generator module;
• the contact assembly includes receptacle contacts received in the contact cavity of the receptacle housing, the receptacle contacts extending into the card slot to electrically connect to the optical module circuit board of the pluggable optical generator module, the receptacle contacts configured to supply power to the pluggable optical generator module to operate a light source of the pluggable optical generator module;
• and
• the receive optical connector includes a ferrule received in the optical cavity of the receptacle housing, the ferrule holds at least one optical fiber, the ferrule having a mating end configured to be mated with a supply optical connector of the pluggable optical generator module to receive optical signals from the supply optical connector, the receive optical connector including an optical cable extending from the ferrule.