Field installable connector backshell shield for motor drive

A servo motor drive system comprising:

• a servo motor drive comprising a drive connector socket and a shielded control signal cable including a backshell connector engaged with said drive connector socket, said shielded control signal cable comprising an electrical shield surrounding control signal conductors, wherein said backshell connector establishes an electromagnetic interference shield envelope around said control signal conductors, and wherein said backshell connector and said drive connector socket cooperate to provide a low impedance electrical connection path from said electrical shield of said control signal cable to a ground path of said servo motor drive;
• said drive connector socket comprising:
• a plastic connector header including connector pin sockets located in a front face;
• and,
• a metal shroud that provides an electromagnetic interference shield for said plastic connector header, said metal shroud comprising first and second spaced-apart side walls that cover left and right sides of the plastic connector header, a rear wall that covers a rear surface of the plastic connector header, a top wall that covers a top surface of said plastic connector header, and a front wall that covers part of the front face of said plastic connector header, said front wall of said metal shroud including a window that provides access to said connector pin sockets in said front face of said plastic connector header, wherein said metal shroud includes at least one ground connection to a ground path associated with said servo motor drive;
• said backshell connector of said control signal cable comprising:
• a metallic shell comprising a base and a cover connected to said base, said base comprising a recess and said shell defining an envelope around and enclosing said recess when said cover is operably connected to said base;
• said shell further comprising a first end including a connector opening that opens through said shell into a first portion of said recess and including a mouth that opens through said shell into a second portion of said recess, wherein a terminal end of said control signal cable extends through said mouth into said recess and a plastic plug connector operably engaged with first and second control signal conductors of the control signal cable is located in said recess with a plug portion thereof projecting out of said shell through said connector opening and operably mated with said pin sockets of said drive connector socket;
• wherein said first end of said shell is abutted with said front wall of said metal shroud of said connection socket to complete a low impedance ground path between said shell and said metal shroud;
• said shell further comprising an electrical shield contact structure located in said recess and adapted for contacting an electrical shield surrounding the cable terminal end located in said recess, said electrical shield contact structure electrically connecting the electrical shield of the cable to the shell such that said shell defines an electromagnetic interference shield around the cable terminal end located in said recess, and such that said electrical shield of said cable is grounded through said shell to said metal shroud of said drive connector socket.