Ribbon cable connector with ground bus

An electrical connector configured to attach a plurality of conductors extending though the connector, the connector comprising:

• a housing;
• a first signal contact row positioned in said housing, said first contact row defining a first slot that receives a first of said plurality of conductors and makes electrical contact therewith without interrupting said first of said plurality of conductors;
• a ground contact row positioned in said housing, said ground contact row defining second and third slots, said second slot capable of receiving a second of said plurality of conductors and making electrical contact therewith without interrupting said first of said plurality of conductors, said second slot further being capable of being arranged adjacent to said third slot without a bypass slot therebetween;
• said ground contact row further defining a bypass slot that receives said first of said plurality of conductors without making electrical contact therewith;
• a second signal contact row positioned in said housing, said second signal contact row defining a gap that receives said first of said plurality of conductors without making electrical contact therewith;
• and
• wherein said first signal row and ground contact row, said bypass slot, and said gap are arranged such that said first and second of said plurality of conductors lie substantially within the same plane, and said first of said plurality of conductors is uninterrupted within the connector.

An electrical connector configured to attach a plurality of conductors extending though the connector, the connector comprising:

• a housing;
• a first signal contact secured in said housing, said first signal contact defining a slot for receiving a first of said plurality of conductors and making electrical contact therewith;
• a second signal contact secured in said housing adjacent to said first signal contact and separated therefrom by a gap, said gap permitting a second of said plurality of conductors to pass therethrough without making electrical contact therewith;
• and
• a ground bus secured in said housing, said ground bus comprising first and second ground contacts, said first ground contact defining a slot for receiving said second of said plurality of conductors and making electrical contact therewith, said ground bus further comprising a first bypass slot, said first bypass slot being operative to receive said first of said plurality of conductors without making electrical contact therewith, wherein said first and second ground contacts and said first bypass slot are capable of being arranged such that said first ground contact is adjacent said second ground contact without said bypass slot therebetween.

An electrical connector for attaching to a plurality of conductors extending though the connector, each of said plurality of conductors comprising a conductor and an insulative layer, the connector comprising:

• a housing;
• a first contact row secured in said housing and having a plurality of contacts, said first contact row defining a first slot for receiving a first of said plurality of conductors and making electrical contact therewith;
• a second contact row secured in said housing, said second contact row defining a second slot for receiving third of said plurality of conductors and making electrical contact therewith;
• said first contact row further defining a gap between an adjacent two of said plurality of contacts for receiving a second of said plurality of conductors without making electrical contact with said conductor;
• said second contact row further defining a bypass slot for receiving said first of said plurality of conductors without making electrical contact therewith;
• said second contact row further defining a third slot for receiving a fourth of said plurality of conductors an making electrical contact therewith, said third slot being capable of being arranged adjacent to said second slot without said bypass slot therebetween;
• and
• wherein said first and second contacts, said gap and bypass slot are arranged such that said first, second and third of said plurality of conductors lie substantially within the same plane.

An electrical connector for attaching to a plurality of conductors extending though the connector, the connector comprising:

• a housing;
• a signal contact row secured in said housing, said signal contact row having a plurality of contacts and defining at least one signal slot for receiving a first of said plurality of conductors an making electrical contact therewith, said signal contact row further defining at least one gap between adjacent contacts;
• a first ground contact row removably secured in said housing, said first ground contact row defining at least two ground slots for receiving second and third of said plurality of conductors and making electrical contact therewith, said first ground contact row further defining at least one ground bypass slot, said at least one ground bypass slot being operative to receive said first of said plurality of conductors without making electrical contact therewith, wherein said at least two ground slots are capable of being arranged adjacent each other without said ground bypass slot therebetween;
• and
• wherein said at least one signal slot, said at least two ground slots, said at least one gap and said at least one ground bypass slot are arranged such that said first and second of said plurality of conductors lie substantially within the same plane.

An electrical connector configured to attach a plurality of conductors extending though the connector, the connector comprising:

• a housing;
• and
• a ground bus positioned in said housing and having a slot for receiving a first of said plurality of conductor and making electrical contact therewith, said ground bus further comprising towers that assist in aligning said first of said plurality of conductors in said electrical connector;
• wherein said slot and said towers protrude from a terminating face of said housing, and wherein said towers comprise a portion that protrudes above said terminating face to a height greater than said slot.

An electrical connector configured to attach a plurality of conductors extending though the connector, the connector comprising:

• a housing;
• a first contact positioned in said housing, said first contact defining a slot that receives a first of said plurality of conductors and makes electrical contact therewith without interrupting said first of said plurality of conductors;
• a ground bus positioned in said housing, said ground bus comprising a second contact, said second contact defining a slot that receives a second of said plurality of conductors and makes electrical contact therewith without interrupting said second of said plurality of conductors, said ground bus further comprising a bypass slot, said bypass slot being operative to receive said first of said plurality of conductors without making electrical contact therewith;
• and
• a third and fourth contacts positioned in said housing, said third and fourth contacts defining a gap therebetween that receives said first of said plurality of conductors without making electrical contact therewith;
• said ground bus being positioned between said first contact and said third contact;
• and
• wherein said first, second, third, and fourth contacts, said bypass slot, and said gap are arranged such that said first and second of said plurality of conductors lie substantially within the same plane, and said first of said plurality of conductors is uninterrupted within the connector.

An electrical connector configured to attach a plurality of conductors extending though the connector, the connector comprising:

• a housing;
• a first signal contact row positioned in said housing, said first contact row defining a first slot that receives a first of said plurality of conductors and makes electrical contact therewith without interrupting said first of said plurality of conductors;
• a ground contact row positioned in said housing, said ground contact row defining a second slot that receives a second of said plurality of conductors and makes electrical contact therewith without interrupting said first of said plurality of conductors;
• said ground contact row further defining a bypass slot that receives said first of said plurality of conductors without making electrical contact therewith;
• a second signal contact row positioned in said housing, said second signal contact row defining a gap that receives said first of said plurality of conductors without making electrical contact therewith;
• said ground contact row being positioned between said first and second signal contact rows;
• and
• wherein said first and second contacts, said bypass slot, and said gap are arranged such that said first and second of said plurality of conductors lie substantially within the same plane, and said first of said plurality of conductors is uninterrupted within the connector.