Multiconductor electrical cable terminations and methods and apparatus for making same

A termination for an electrical cable having a plurality of interspersed co-planar signal and ground wires embedded in a substantially planar insulating sheath, each wire having an uninsulated end portion extending from an end portion of the insulation, comprising:

• a planar circuit board substantially parallel to the plane of the cable and having a plurality of signal wire termination sites disposed in a longitudinal array on a first major surface of the circuit board, the lateral spacing between the signal wire termination sites corresponding to the lateral spacing between the signal wires in the cable, and the uninsulated end portion of each signal wire being mechanically and electrically connected to a respective one of the signal wire termination sites;
• a bus member having a longitudinal mid-portion which overlies and spans the entire width of the end portion of the insulation, the uninsulated end portion of each ground wire being mechanically and electrically connected to the bus member;
• a cover overlying the first major surface of the circuit board, the signal wire termination sites, the bus member and a portion of the cable upstream from the bus member;
• and
• means for securing the bus member to the circuit board adjacent each end of the bus member so that the bus member clamps the end portion of the insulation against the first major surface of the circuit board with the plane of the cable parallel to the plane of the circuit board.