Internal crosstalk compensation circuit formed on a flexible printed circuit board positioned within a communications outlet, and methods and system relating to same

An electronic system, comprising:

• a first electronic subsystem;
• a communication cable coupled to the first electronic subsystem and including a communications plug;
• a communications outlet adapted to receive the communications plug, the communications outlet including eight outlet tines positioned adjacent to one another and defining four pairs of outlet tines, the fourth and fifth outlet tines defining a first pair, the first and second outlet tines defining a second pair, the third and sixth outlet tines defining a third pair, and the seventh and eighth outlet tines defining a fourth pair, each outlet tine having a free end near which a plug tine is adapted to contact the outlet tine and each outlet tine having a fixed end coupled through a corresponding conductive tine to a corresponding electrical contact, the communications outlet comprising a first internal crosstalk compensation stage having a plurality of conductive fingers, each conductive finger being physically connected to a corresponding one of the outlet tines proximate the free ends of the tines, the first internal crosstalk compensation stage operable to provide positive compensation for internal crosstalk between pairs corresponding to the tines to which the conductive fingers of a flexible printed circuit board are connected;
• a second communications cable coupled to the electrical contacts of the communications outlets;
• and
• a second electronic subsystem coupled to the second plurality of communication cables.

A method of reducing internal crosstalk in a communications outlet, the communications outlet including at least eight conductive outlet tines forming four pairs of outlet tines with one of the pairs of outlet tines being a split pair and the pair of tines located between the split pair being designated the first pair, each of the tines having a free end and a fixed end and the method comprising:

• proximate the free ends of the tines,
• introducing first positive compensation between the first pair and the split pair;
• and
• introducing second positive compensation between the first pair and the split pair, the second positive compensation being time delayed relative to the first positive compensation.