PC card assembly and method of assembling the same

A method of assembling a PC card connector assembly (1) including a printed circuit board (2) and first and second PC card connectors (3,4) fixed to opposite sides (2a, 2b) of the printed circuit board, the first PC card connector (3) including signal terminals (8) having surface mount type solder tails (11) and a first ground piece (9) having through-hole type solder tails (13), the second PC card connector (4) including signal terminals (17) having surface mount type solder tails (20) and a separate second ground piece (18) having surface mount type solder tails, the method comprising the steps of:

• placing the first PC card connector (3) on the first side (2a) of the printed circuit board;
• simultaneously soldering the solder tails (11) of the signal terminals (8) of the first PC card connector to a signal circuit pattern (12) formed on a surface of the first side of the printed circuit board and the solder tails (13) of the first ground piece (9) within the through-holes (14) of a ground circuit of the printed circuit board;
• placing the second PC card connector (4) on the second side (2b) of the printed circuit board;
• soldering the solder tails (20) of the signal terminals (17) of the second PC card connector to a signal circuit pattern (21) formed on a surface of the second side (2b) of the printed circuit board;
• subsequently mounting the second ground piece (18) onto the second PC card connector (4);
• and
• soldering the solder tails (22) of the second ground piece (18) to a ground circuit pattern (23) formed on the surface of the second side of the circuit board.