Card edge connector having compact structure

A card edge connector for electrically connecting an electronic card to a circuit board, comprising:

• an insulative housing having opposite top and bottom walls defining a central slot therebetween for receiving an electronic card therein, a row of upper passageways and a row of lower passageways defined in the top and bottom walls, respectively, and both communicated with the central slot, and a supporting means formed in each of the lower passageways;
• a row of upper contacts and a row of lower contacts being inserted into corresponding upper and lower passageways of the insulative housing, respectively, each of the upper and the lower contacts forming a retaining portion retained in a corresponding one of the upper and the lower passageways, a mating beam and a soldering portion extending from the retaining portion, respectively, the mating beam of the lower contact being shorter than the mating beam of the upper contact and being distanced from and above the supporting means with a distance within a spring limitation amount of the mating beam of the lower contact;
• and
• a pair of latching members integrally formed on opposite ends of the insulative housing for latching the electronic card with the housing,
• wherein the supporting means of the insulative housing is an embossment and the mating beam of the lower contact forms a contact portion vertically above and distanced from the embossmen, said embossment is configured to engage a respective recess in the mating beam when a card inserted in the slot.