Board edge termination back-end connection assemblies and communications connectors including such assemblies

A communications plug, comprising:

• a printed circuit board having a top side and a bottom side;
• a housing that receives at least a portion of the printed circuit board;
• first through eighth skeletal plug blades mounted on the printed circuit board;
• first through eighth insulation piercing contacts mounted on the printed circuit board;
• and
• a board edge termination assembly that includes an opening that receives an edge of the printed circuit board, the board edge termination assembly comprising a body that is configured to receive at least eight conductors of a communications cable and to electrically connect the eight conductors to respective ones of the first through eighth insulation piercing contacts;
• wherein each skeletal plug blade comprises a wire having first and second ends, and wherein at least one of the first and second ends is positioned to make a wiping contact with a respective conductive element of the printed circuit board.

A communications plug, comprising:

• a printed circuit board having a top side and a bottom side;
• a housing that receives at least a portion of the printed circuit board;
• first through eighth skeletal plug blades mounted on the printed circuit board;
• first through eighth insulation piercing contacts mounted on the printed circuit board;
• and
• a board edge termination assembly that includes an opening that receives an edge of the printed circuit board, the board edge termination assembly comprising a body that is configured to receive at least eight conductors of a communications cable and to electrically connect the eight conductors to respective ones of the first through eighth insulation piercing contacts;
• wherein at least one end of each skeletal plug blade contacts the printed circuit board via a compression contact that is not inserted within an aperture in the printed circuit board.

A communications plug, comprising:

• a printed circuit board having a top side and a bottom side;
• a housing that receives at least a portion of the printed circuit board;
• first through eighth skeletal plug blades mounted on the printed circuit board;
• first through eighth insulation piercing contacts mounted on the printed circuit board;
• and
• a board edge termination assembly that includes an opening that receives an edge of the printed circuit board, the board edge termination assembly comprising a body that is configured to receive at least eight conductors of a communications cable and to electrically connect the eight conductors to respective ones of the first through eighth insulation piercing contacts;
• wherein the first through eighth skeletal plug blades comprise first through eighth wires that are bent to form plug blades,
• wherein the skeletal plug blades are generally aligned in side-by-side fashion in numerical order,
• wherein first ends of each of the first, third, fifth and seventh wires are aligned in a first row,
• wherein first ends of each of the second, fourth, sixth and eighth wires are aligned in a second row,
• wherein second ends of each of the first, third, fifth and seventh wires are aligned in a third row,
• wherein second ends of each of the second, fourth, sixth and eighth wires are aligned in a fourth row, and
• wherein the first, second, third and fourth rows are offset from each other.

A communications plug, comprising:

• a printed circuit board having a top side and a bottom side;
• first through eighth elongated skeletal plug blades, wherein each skeletal plug blade comprises a wire having a first end mounted in a respective one of first through eighth openings in the top side of the printed circuit board and a second end;
• and
• first through eighth insulation piercing contacts that are mounted directly into the printed circuit board, wherein four of the first through eighth insulation piercing contacts are mounted to extend above the top side of the printed circuit board and the remaining four of the first through eighth insulation piercing contacts are mounted to extend below the bottom side of the printed circuit board;
• wherein the first through eighth insulation piercing contacts include at least one sharpened triangular cutting surface.

A communications plug, comprising;

• a printed circuit board having a top side and a bottom side;
• first through eighth skeletal plug blades, wherein each skeletal plug blade comprises a wire having a first end mounted in a respective one of first through eighth openings in the top side of the printed circuit board and a second end;
• and
• first through eighth insulation piercing contacts mounted on the printed circuit board, wherein four of the first through eighth insulation piercing contacts are mounted on the top side of the printed circuit board and the remaining four of the first through eighth insulation piercing contacts are mounted on the bottom side of the printed circuit board;
• wherein the second end of each wire is mounted in a respective one of ninth through sixteenth openings in the top side of the printed circuit board.

A communications plug, comprising:

• a printed circuit board;
• a skeletal blade comprising a wire having a first end that is received within a first aperture in the printed circuit board and a second end that is received within a second aperture in the printed circuit board;
• and
• an insulation piercing contact that is mounted on the printed circuit board and that is electrically connected to the skeletal plug blade through a conductive path in the printed circuit board;
• wherein the skeletal plug blade is configured to mate with a contact of a mating communications jack;
• and
• wherein at least one of the first end and the second end is electrically connected to a conductive element in the printed circuit board.

A communications plug, comprising:

• a printed circuit board;
• a skeletal blade comprising a wire having a first end that is received within a first aperture in the printed circuit board and a second end that is received within a second aperture in the printed circuit board
• wherein the skeletal plug blade is configured to mate with a contact of a mating communications jack;
• and
• wherein at least one of the first end and the second end is electrically connected to a conductive element in the printed circuit board;
• wherein the first end and the second end are configured to be either press fit or soldered into the first and second apertures in the printed circuit board, respectively.

A communications plug, comprising;

• a printed circuit board;
• and
• a skeletal blade comprising a wire having a first end that is electrically connected to the printed circuit board via a first contact pad and a second end that is electrically connected to the printed circuit board via a second contact pad;
• and
• an insulation piercing contact that is mounted on the printed circuit board and that is electrically connected to the skeletal plug blade through a conductive path in the printed circuit board.