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 contact cavity and an optical cavity, the receptacle housing including an upper wall and a lower wall at a front of the receptacle housing defining a card slot configured to receive a mating edge of an optical module circuit board of a pluggable optical generator module, the upper wall including an upper wall opening above the card slot;
• a contact assembly coupled to the receptacle housing, the contact assembly including receptacle contacts received in the contact cavity, 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
• a receive optical connector coupled to the receptacle housing, the receive optical connector including a top and a bottom, the receive optical connector positioned above the card slot with the bottom of the receive optical connector facing the contacts across the upper wall opening and the card slot, the receive optical connector including a ferrule holding 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.

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 an upper wall and a lower wall at a front of the receptacle housing defining 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 upper wall including an upper wall opening above the card slot;
• 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;
• wherein the receive optical connector is positioned above the upper wall opening.