Orthogonal connector system with power connection

A connector assembly for an orthogonal connector system used to interconnect circuit boards oriented orthogonally with respect to one another, the connector assembly comprising:

• a housing having a mating face;
• and
• contact modules held within the housing, the contact modules each have a contact module body including a mating edge and a mounting edge that is orthogonal to the mating edge, the contact modules each have conductors held by the corresponding contact module body along a conductor plane, contact tails extend from the conductors at the mounting edge for connection to a circuit board, mating contacts extend from the conductors at the mating edge for mating with corresponding mating contacts of a corresponding mating connector assembly;
• wherein at least one conductor of each contact module defines a power conductor configured to transmit power and at least one conductor of each contact module defines a signal contact configured to transmit data signals.

An orthogonal connector system for connecting a first circuit board and a second circuit board oriented orthogonally with respect to the first circuit board, the orthogonal connector system comprising:

• a first connector assembly being connected to the first circuit board, the first connector assembly having a first connector housing, a plurality of signal contact modules held by the first connector housing, and a power contact module held by the housing, the signal contact modules having a dielectric body and first connector contacts extending from the dielectric body, the power contact module having a dielectric body and power contacts extending from the dielectric body;
• and
• a second connector assembly mated with the first connector assembly, the second connector assembly being connected to the second circuit board, the second connector assembly having a second connector housing and second connector contact modules held by the second connector housing, each second connector contact module having a dielectric body, second connector contacts extending from the dielectric body and power contacts extending from the dielectric body;
• wherein the first connector contacts are directly connected to corresponding second connector contacts, and wherein the power contacts of the second connector contact modules are directly connected to corresponding power contacts of the power contact module, the power contact module being oriented orthogonal to the second connector contact modules.

An orthogonal connector system for connecting a first circuit board and a second circuit board oriented orthogonally with respect to the first circuit board, the orthogonal connector system comprising:

• a receptacle assembly and a header assembly mated with the receptacle assembly, the receptacle assembly being connected to the first circuit board and the header assembly being connected to the second circuit board, the receptacle assembly and the header assembly both have a housing and contact modules held by the corresponding housing, each contact module having a dielectric body and mating contacts extending from the dielectric body, the mating contacts of the receptacle assembly being directly connected to the mating contacts of the header assembly;
• a receptacle power contact module having a plurality of power contacts, the receptacle power contact being configured to be connected to the first circuit board adjacent to the receptacle assembly;
• and
• a header power contact module having a plurality of power contacts, the header power contact being configured to be connected to the second circuit board adjacent to the header assembly, the power contacts of the header assembly being directly connected to the power contacts of the receptacle assembly.