Multi-conductor cable connector with integral grounding bus

A connector for multi-conductor ribbon cable that has a first plurality of signal conductors, a second plurality of ground conductors interleaved between said first plurality of signal conductors, and a subset of said first plurality of signal conductors which are signal ground conductors, the connector comprising:

• a plurality of ground contacts that have an insulation displacement end which is configured to be electrically connected to said second plurality of ground conductors within the ribbon cable by being inserted into and displacing the insulation surrounding the ground conductors when the ribbon cable is positioned in said connector;
• a plurality of signal contacts that have an insulation displacement end which is configured to be electrically connected to said first plurality of signal conductors within the ribbon cable by being inserted into and displacing the insulation surrounding the ground conductors when the ribbon cable is positioned in said connector, wherein the plurality of signal contacts include a second end that provides a contact point for external contacts to make electrical contact with said first plurality of signal conductors in the ribbon cable via the plurality of signal contacts;
• a base member having a first surface and wherein at least one opening is formed in the first surface so as to receive the plurality of ground contacts and a second plurality of openings is formed in the first surface so as to receive the plurality of signal contacts wherein the at least one opening and the second plurality of openings are positioned in the first surface so as to retain the plurality of ground contacts and the plurality of signal contacts in a fixed relationship relative to each other with the first ends of the plurality of signal contacts and the first ends of the plurality of ground contacts extending outward from the first surface;
• and
• a cover member that is adapted to be engaged with the base member when the ribbon cable is positioned in said connector wherein the cover member defines a ribbon cable receiving area and is configured so that, when the cover member is engaged with the base member and the ribbon cable is positioned in the ribbon cable receiving area, the first and second plurality of conductors of the ribbon cable are positioned adjacent the openings in the first surface of the base member so that the first ends of the plurality of ground contacts make electrical contact with the second plurality of ground conductors within the ribbon cable and the first ends of the plurality of signal contacts make electrical contact with the first plurality of signal conductors within the ribbon cable and wherein the plurality of ground contacts are interconnected so as to define a common ground plane and wherein the common ground plane is electrically connected to at least one of said subset of said first plurality of signal conductors which are signal ground conductors when the ribbon cable is positioned in said connector.