Circuit card assemblies for a communication system

A circuit card assembly for a communication system comprising:

• a printed circuit board (PCB) having a first surface and a second surface extending along a primary axis and a secondary axis, the PCB having a mating edge between the first and second surfaces generally parallel to the secondary axis, the PCB having a slot between the first and second surfaces configured to receive a mating PCB of a mating circuit card assembly in a board mating direction parallel to the primary axis, the slot open at the mating edge to receive the mating PC, the PCB having a mounting area on the first surface adjacent the slot;
• and
• an electrical connector mounted to the first surface at the mounting area, the electrical connector having a front and a rear opposite the front, the front being provided proximate to the mating edge, the electrical connector having a mounting end extending between the front and the rear being mounted to the mounting area, the electrical connector having a mating end extending between the front and the rear generally parallel to the primary axis, the mating end being configured to be mated to a mating circuit card assembly of the mating circuit card assembly, the electrical connector having contacts including mating ends at the mating end of the electrical connector and terminating ends at the mounting end terminated to the PCB, the electrical connector including a connecting element at the mating end configured to engage the mating circuit card assembly to cause the mating end of the electrical connector to mate with the mating circuit card assembly in a connector mating direction non-parallel to the board mating direction.