Electrical connector having terminal position assurance device

An electrical connector comprising:

• an outer housing having a cavity, the outer housing extending between a mating end and a cable end, the outer housing including cable channels extending along cable channel axes;
• an inner housing received in the cavity, the inner housing including contact channels extending along channel axes and being aligned with the cable channels, the inner housing including an inner bore located adjacent to the contact channels;
• a contact assembly received in the cavity, the contact assembly including contacts received in the corresponding contact channels and cables terminated to the contacts received in the corresponding cable channels, each contact having a retention feature;
• and
• a terminal position assurance (TPA) device received in the cavity, the TPA device including a barrel and a hub, the barrel extending along an axis parallel to the channel axes, the barrel being received in the inner bore and located adjacent to the contacts in the contact channels, the hub including locking lobes extending radially outward from the hub, the TPA device being rotatable about the axis relative to the inner housing between a clearance position and a blocking position, the locking lobes being offset from the contact channels in the clearance position, the locking lobes being positioned in the contact channels in the blocking position for interfacing with the corresponding retention feature of the corresponding contact to hold the contact in the contact channel.

A communication system comprising:

• a receptacle connector including a receptacle housing having a cavity, the receptacle housing having a mating end and a cable end, the receptacle housing having receptacle contact channels extending along channel axes, the receptacle connector including a receptacle contact assembly received in the cavity of the receptacle housing, the receptacle contact assembly including receptacle contacts received in the corresponding receptacle contact channels, each receptacle contact having a retention feature, the receptacle connector including a receptacle terminal position assurance (TPA) device received in the cavity of the receptacle housing, the receptacle TPA device extending along an axis parallel to the channel axes, the receptacle TPA device including receptacle locking lobes, each receptacle locking lobe configured to interface with the retention feature of the corresponding receptacle contact to hold the receptacle contact in the receptacle housing, the receptacle TPA device being rotatable about the axis relative to the receptacle housing between a clearance position and a blocking position, each receptacle locking lobe interfacing with the retention feature of the corresponding receptacle contact in the blocking position;
• and
• a plug connector including a plug housing having a cavity, the plug housing having a mating end and a cable end, the mating end of the plug connector being plugged into the cavity of the receptacle housing at the mating end of the receptacle housing, the plug housing having plug contact channels extending along channel axes, the plug connector including a plug contact assembly received in the cavity of the plug housing, the plug contact assembly including plug contacts received in the corresponding plug contact channels, each plug contact having a retention feature, the plug connector including a plug terminal position assurance (TPA) device received in the cavity of the plug housing, the plug TPA device extending along an axis parallel to the channel axes, the plug TPA device including plug locking lobes, each plug locking lobe configured to interface with the retention feature of the corresponding plug contact to hold the plug contact in the plug housing, the plug TPA device being rotatable about the axis relative to the plug housing between a clearance position and a blocking position, each plug locking lobe interfacing with the retention feature of the corresponding plug contact in the blocking position.