High-speed electrical connector having a ground bus

A card edge connector for mating with a pluggable module, the card edge connector comprising:

• a housing including a top and a bottom, the housing having a front and a rear, the housing having a first side and a second side, the bottom configured to be mounted to a host circuit board, the housing including a cavity at the rear, the housing including a card slot open to the cavity at the front of the housing, the card slot configured to receive a card edge of a module circuit board of the pluggable module;
• a contact assembly received in the cavity, the contact assembly having a contact positioner holding an upper contact array and a lower contact array;
• the contact positioner having a central wall and a rear wall, the contact positioner received in the cavity and coupled to the housing, the contact positioner including a front slot aligned with the card slot to receive the card edge of the module circuit board;
• an upper contact array coupled to the contact positioner, the upper contact array including upper contacts, the upper contacts including forward sections extending along the central wall and rearward sections extending along the rear wall, the forward sections of the upper contacts extending to the front slot to mate with the module circuit board, the forward sections and the rearward sections being oriented perpendicular to each other, the upper contact array including an upper ground shield having an upper ground plate extending along the forward sections of the upper contacts and an upper ground panel extending along the rearward sections of the upper contacts, the upper ground plate and the upper ground panel being oriented perpendicular to each other, the upper contact array including an upper forward contact holder and an upper rearward contact holder, the upper forward contact holder coupled to the upper ground plate and coupled to the forward sections of the upper contacts to locate the forward sections of the upper contacts relative to the upper ground plate, the upper forward contact holder including forward slots to separate the upper forward contact holder into discrete sections, the upper rearward contact holder coupled to the upper ground panel and coupled to the rearward sections of the upper contacts to locate the rearward sections of the upper contacts relative to the upper ground panel, the upper rearward contact holder including rearward slots to separate the upper rearward contact holder into discrete sections;
• and
• a lower contact array coupled to the contact positioner, the lower contact array including lower contacts, the lower contacts including forward sections extending along the central wall and rearward sections extending along the rear wall, the forward sections of the lower contacts extending to the front slot to mate with the module circuit board, the forward sections and the rearward sections being oriented perpendicular to each other, the lower contact array including a lower ground shield having a lower ground plate extending along the forward sections of the lower contacts and a lower ground panel extending along the rearward sections of the lower contacts, the lower ground plate and the lower ground panel being oriented perpendicular to each other, the lower contact array including a lower forward contact holder and a lower rearward contact holder, the lower forward contact holder coupled to the lower ground plate and coupled to the forward sections of the lower contacts to locate the forward sections of the lower contacts relative to the lower ground plate, the lower forward contact holder including forward slots to separate the lower forward contact holder into discrete sections, the lower rearward contact holder coupled to the lower ground panel and coupled to the rearward sections of the lower contacts to locate the rearward sections of the lower contacts relative to the lower ground panel, the lower rearward contact holder including rearward slots to separate the lower rearward contact holder into discrete sections.

A card edge connector for mating with a pluggable module, the card edge connector comprising:

• a housing including a top and a bottom, the housing having a front and a rear, the housing having a first side and a second side, the bottom configured to be mounted to a host circuit board, the housing including a cavity at the rear, the housing including an inner contact channel and an outer contact channel, the inner contact channel closer to the bottom and the host circuit board, the housing including an inner card slot open to the inner contact channel at the front of the housing, the housing including an outer card slot open to the outer contact channel at the front of the housing, the inner and outer card slots configured to receive card edges of module circuit boards of the stacked pluggable modules;
• an inner contact assembly received in the cavity, the inner contact assembly having an inner contact positioner holding inner contacts, the inner contact positioner is positioned in the inner contact channel aligned with the inner card slot to receive the card edge of the module circuit board, the inner contacts configured to be electrically connected to the host circuit board and configured to be electrically connected to the corresponding module circuit board;
• and
• an outer contact assembly received in the cavity, the outer contact assembly having an outer contact positioner holding outer contacts in an upper contact array and a lower contact array, the outer contacts configured to be electrically connected to the host circuit board and configured to be electrically connected to the corresponding module circuit board, the outer contact positioner including a front slot aligned with the outer card slot to receive the card edge of the corresponding module circuit board, the upper contact array including upper contacts arranged in pairs, an upper ground shield, and an upper contact holder holding the upper contacts relative to the upper ground shield, the upper contact holder including slots to separate the upper contact holder into discrete sections each supporting one of the pairs of the upper contacts, the slots located between the pairs of the upper contacts, the lower contact array including lower contacts arranged in pairs, a lower ground shield, and a lower contact holder holding the lower contacts relative to the lower ground shield, the lower contact holder including slots to separate the lower contact holder into discrete sections each supporting one of the pairs of the lower contacts, the slots located between the pairs of the lower contacts.

A contact assembly comprising:

• a contact positioner having a central wall and a rear wall, the contact positioner including a front slot at a front of the contact positioner configured to receive a card edge of a module circuit board of a pluggable module;
• an upper contact array coupled to the contact positioner, the upper contact array including upper contacts, the upper contacts including forward sections extending along the central wall and rearward sections extending along the rear wall, the forward sections of the upper contacts extending to the front slot to mate with the module circuit board, the forward sections and the rearward sections being oriented perpendicular to each other, the upper contact array including an upper ground shield having an upper ground plate extending along the forward sections of the upper contacts and an upper ground panel extending along the rearward sections of the upper contacts, the upper ground plate and the upper ground panel being oriented perpendicular to each other, the upper contact array including an upper forward contact holder and an upper rearward contact holder, the upper forward contact holder coupled to the upper ground plate and coupled to the forward sections of the upper contacts to locate the forward sections of the upper contacts relative to the upper ground plate, the upper forward contact holder including forward slots to separate the upper forward contact holder into discrete sections, the upper rearward contact holder coupled to the upper ground panel and coupled to the rearward sections of the upper contacts to locate the rearward sections of the upper contacts relative to the upper ground panel, the upper rearward contact holder including rearward slots to separate the upper rearward contact holder into discrete sections;
• and
• a lower contact array coupled to the contact positioner, the lower contact array including lower contacts, the lower contacts including forward sections extending along the central wall and rearward sections extending along the rear wall, the forward sections of the lower contacts extending to the front slot to mate with the module circuit board, the forward sections and the rearward sections being oriented perpendicular to each other, the lower contact array including a lower ground shield having a lower ground plate extending along the forward sections of the lower contacts and a lower ground panel extending along the rearward sections of the lower contacts, the lower ground plate and the lower ground panel being oriented perpendicular to each other, the lower contact array including a lower forward contact holder and a lower rearward contact holder, the lower forward contact holder coupled to the lower ground plate and coupled to the forward sections of the lower contacts to locate the forward sections of the lower contacts relative to the lower ground plate, the lower forward contact holder including forward slots to separate the lower forward contact holder into discrete sections, the lower rearward contact holder coupled to the lower ground panel and coupled to the rearward sections of the lower contacts to locate the rearward sections of the lower contacts relative to the lower ground panel, the lower rearward contact holder including rearward slots to separate the lower rearward contact holder into discrete sections.