Double row electrical connector

An electrical connector assembly for signal conductor means and ground conductor means of electrical cable means for use in transmitting electrical signals with high reliability and uniformity, said connector having at least two rows of contact locations comprising signal locations and ground locations in each row which are independently programmable from row to row, comprising:

• a forward housing means having a mating face and rows of terminal-receiving passageways at desired contact locations communicating with and extending rearwardly from said mating face,
• and a plurality of terminal assemblies secured to said forward housing means, ones thereof associated with respective said rows of passageways, each terminal assembly including:
• (a) a dielectric contact-carrying means substantially disposed in a plane;
• (b) a plurality of individual terminal means secured to one side of said contact-carrying means spaced laterally thereacross corresponding to said contact locations, ones of said individual terminal means at said signal locations being signal terminal means and others at said ground locations being ground terminal means, each said individual terminal means including a contact section means extending forwardly of said contact-carrying means, a conductor-connecting section means disposed along said one side of said contact-carrying means proximate a rearward end thereof capable of receiving and being terminated to respective signal conductor means of electrical cable means, a securing section means between said contact section means and said conductor-connecting section means, and at least an intermediate section forwardly of said securing section means;
• (c) ground plane means secured to the other side of said contact-carrying means including a conductor-connecting section means disposed along said other side of said contact-carrying means proximate said rearward end thereof and capable of receiving and being terminated to a plurality of ground conductor means of said electrical cable means, said ground plane means further having a securing section means forwardly of said conductor-connecting section means and disposed along said other side of said contact-carrying means and further having at least one tab section means extending forwardly from said securing section means and forwardly of said contact-carrying means at a preselected ground location, said at least one tab section means being adjacent and joined to a portion of said intermediate section means of a said individual terminal means at said preselected ground location, forming a said ground terminal means;
• (d) electrical cable means substantially disposed in said plane of said contact-carrying means rearwardly therefrom and having signal conductor means and ground conductor means, said signal conductor means located rearwardly from said signal locations, a plurality of stripped end portions of signal conductors and ground conductors extending forwardly from said electrical cable means with at least one said ground conductor associated with each said signal conductor, said stripped end portions extend along a rearward portion of said contact-carrying means with said signal conductor end portions electrically connected to respective said conductor-connecting section means of said signal terminals and said ground conductor end portions electrically connected to said conductor-connecting section means of said ground plane;
• and
• (e) dielectric cover means secured sealingly onto and around said contact-carrying means, said electrical connections, said signal and ground end portions, insulated end portions of said electrical cable means, and said individual terminal means and said ground plane means rearwardly from said contact section means thereof, embedding the individual terminals, sealing the terminations and providing support and non-deforming strain relief for said electrical cable means
• whereby with said contact section means of said terminal assemblies disposed in respective said housing passageways, ground terminals are locatable in any position along a row of said contact locations of said connector independently of ground terminal locations in any other row thereof in a manner minimizing impedance discontinuity.

A method of making a multi-row electrical connector having at least two rows of contact locations comprising signal locations and ground locations in each row which are independently programmable from row to row, comprising the steps of:

• selecting signal locations and ground locations in each row;
• forming a ground plane associated with each said row having tab sections at each ground location extending forwardly from an elongated planar section thereof and having a conductor-connecting section rearwardly of said planar section;
• securing said ground plane to one side of a respective dielectric contact-carrying member such that said tab sections extend forwardly thereof;
• securing to the other side of said contact-carrying member a plurality of individual terminals at all contact locations of said row, each said terminal including a contact section extending forwardly of said contact-carrying member, an intermediate section rearwardly from said contact section, and a securing section and a conductor-connecting section along said other side of said contact-carrying member, said intermediate section of each said terminal at a said ground location being adjacent a respective tab section of said ground plane;
• affixing and electrically connecting each said tab section to an associated said terminal forming a ground terminal;
• terminating signal conductors of electrical cable means to respective conductor-connecting sections of said individual terminals at signal locations, forming signal terminals;
• terminating the ground conductor means associated with said signal conductors of said electrical cable means to said conductor-connecting section of said ground plane;
• sealingly securing a dielectric cover means over said terminations, around end portions of said electrical cable means, and around said individual terminals and said ground plane rearwardly from said contact sections, forming a single-row terminal assembly for each said row of contact locations;
• and
• securing together said single-row terminal assemblies for said at least two rows.