Modular connector system

A connector insert comprising;

• a wafer device which includes a pair of substantially identical wafers constructed of insulative material, each having front and rear faces;
• a plurality of leads that each has a front portion projecting from the front face of one of said wafers, a rear portion projecting from the rear face of the corresponding wafer, and a middle portion molded into the corresponding wafer;
• a plurality of contacts lying at the front face of each wafer, each contact attached to said front portion of one of said leads;
• said contacts lying in a first plurality of rows on each wafer, said wafers having adjacent edges extending primarily parallel to said rows and joined so the two wafers together hold twice the number of rows of contacts on each wafer;
• each of said contacts has a hollow rearward portion which receives a said front lead portion, and each of said wafers includes a plurality of tower portions that each project from said front face and surround the rearward portion of a said contact and the forward portion of a said lead, whereby to enable precision locating of a said contact with respect to a said lead forward portion.

A connector system comprising:

• a circuit board assembly having opposite board faces and a row of terminals on each of said board faces;
• a wafer device of insulative material having front and rear faces;
• a plurality of contacts arranged in at least four rows and a plurality of columns on said wafer device;
• a plurality of leads that each has a forward portion projecting from said wafer device front face and coupled to one of said contacts, a rearward portion projecting from said rear face, and a middle portion molded into said wafer device;
• said lead forward portions lying in said at least four rows, said lead rearward portions including locations lying in two lead rows and bearing against said opposite board faces against said terminals thereon, the pitch of said lead rows being smaller than the pitch of said columns;
• at least some of said lead middle portions that are molded into said wafer device, each have parts extending in a longitudinal direction largely parallel to the length of said rows, and also in a lateral direction largely parallel to the length of said columns;
• said wafer device includes two identical wafers that each have an inner edge, and said leads are arranged in identical wafer assemblies, said wafer assemblies being oriented with one turned 180.degree. with respect to the other and the inner edges of the two wafers being joined.