Differential electrical connector assembly

A differential electrical connector assembly, which comprises:

• a first differential electrical connector having differential pairs held in a first insulative housing in a plurality of rows, wherein each of the plurality of rows includes:
• a plurality of first signal conductors provided as differential pairs, with each first signal conductor having a first contact end connectable to a first printed circuit board, a second contact end, and an intermediate portion therebetween;
• for each differential pair of first signal conductors, one first contact end lies along a first line that is parallel to the plurality of rows and the other first contact end lies along a second line that is parallel to and spaced from the first line;
• a plurality of first ground conductors with each first ground conductor corresponding to a differential pair of first signal conductors;
• each first ground conductor having a first contact end connectable to the first printed circuit board, a second contact end, and an intermediate portion therebetween;
• the first contact end of each first ground conductor lying along a third line that is parallel to and spaced from the first and second lines;
• a second differential electrical connector having differential pairs provided in a plurality of wafers, wherein each of the plurality of wafers corresponds to one of the plurality of rows of the first differential electrical connector and includes:
• a second insulative housing;
• a plurality of second signal conductors provided as differential pairs and held in the second insulative housing, with each second signal conductor having a first contact end connectable to a second printed circuit board, a second contact end connectable to the second contact end of a corresponding first signal conductor, and an intermediate portion therebetween;
• a second ground conductor having a first contact end connectable to the second printed circuit board, a second contact end connectable to the second contact end of a corresponding first ground conductor, and an intermediate portion therebetween;
• and
• wherein the second differential electrical connector further includes a third ground conductor electrically connected to the second ground conductor of each wafer, the third ground conductor oriented substantially perpendicular to the second ground conductor of each wafer.

A differential electrical interconnection system, which comprises:

• a first differential electrical connector having differential pairs held in a first insulative housing in a plurality of rows, wherein each of the plurality of rows includes:
• a plurality of first signal conductors provided as differential pairs, with each first signal conductor having a first contact end connectable to a first side of a midplane circuit board, a second contact end, and an intermediate portion therebetween;
• for each differential pair of first signal conductors, one first contact end lies along a first line that is parallel to the plurality of rows and the other first contact end lies along a second line that is parallel to and spaced from the first line;
• a plurality of first ground conductors with each first ground conductor corresponding to a differential pair of first signal conductors;
• each first ground conductor having a first contact end connectable to the first side of the midplane circuit board, a second contact end, and an intermediate portion therebetween;
• wherein for the first differential electrical connector, the number of rows, the number of first signal conductors for each of the rows, and the number of first ground conductors for each of the rows are pre-selected to ensure that the first contact ends of the first signal conductors and the first ground conductors form a substantially square footprint for connecting to the first side of the midplane circuit board;
• a second differential electrical connector having differential pairs held in a second insulative housing in a plurality of columns, wherein the columns are oriented perpendicular to the rows of the first differential electrical connector and each of the plurality of columns includes:
• a plurality of second signal conductors provided as differential pairs, with each second signal conductor having a first contact end connectable to a second side of the midplane circuit board, a second contact end, and an intermediate portion therebetween;
• for each differential pair of second signal conductors, one first contact end lies along a third line that is parallel to the plurality of columns and the other first contact end lies along a fourth line that is parallel to and spaced from the third line;
• a plurality of second ground conductors with each second ground conductor corresponding to a differential pair of second signal conductors;
• each second ground conductor having a first contact end connectable to the second side of the midplane circuit board, a second contact end, and an intermediate portion therebetween;
• wherein for the second differential electrical connector, the number of columns, the number of second signal conductors for each of the columns, and the number of second ground conductors for each of the columns are pre-selected to ensure that the first contact ends of the second signal conductors and the second ground conductors form a substantially square footprint for connecting to the second side of the midplane circuit board;
• and
• the midplane circuit board includes a plurality of vias extending from the first side to the second side with the vias providing first signal launches on the first side for electrically connecting to the first contact ends of the first signal conductors and the first ground conductors and the vias providing second signal launches on the second side for electrically connecting to the first contact ends of the second signal conductors and the second ground conductors.

A differential electrical connector having differential pairs held in a housing in a plurality of rows, wherein the differential electrical connector comprises:

• each of the plurality of rows including:
• a plurality of signal conductors provided as differential pairs, with each signal conductor having a first contact end connectable to a printed circuit board;
• for each differential pair of signal conductors, one first contact end lies along a first line that is parallel to the plurality of rows and the other first contact end lies along a second line that is parallel to and spaced from the first line;
• a first ground conductor corresponding to the plurality of signal conductors of the row, the first ground conductor extending substantially the length of the row;
• a plurality of second ground conductors, with each second ground conductor electrically connected to the first ground conductor of each row and oriented substantially perpendicular to the first ground conductor of each row;
• each second ground conductor extending substantially the length of the plurality of rows;
• and
• each second ground conductor positioned between adjacent differential pairs of each row and each second ground conductor having a first contact end connectable to the printed circuit board.