Connector system and method

An electrical connector for connecting to ground and first and second differential signal lines, comprising:

• a ground contact for connecting to ground;
• a first signal contact for connecting to the first differential signal line;
• a second signal contact for connecting to the second differential signal line;
• a switch connected to the first signal contact and the second signal contact, the switch is biased to “on” to electrically connect the first signal contact to the second signal contact until after (i) the first signal contact is connected to the first differential signal line, (ii) the ground contact is connected to the ground, and (iii) the second signal contact is connected to the second differential signal line;
• wherein the switch, during connection of the connector to ground and the first and second differential signal lines, is thereby automatically triggered to “off” during connection of the connector, to electrically disconnect the first signal contact from the second signal contact after connecting of the first signal contact to the first signal line, the ground contact to the ground, and the second signal contact to the second signal line.

A circuit of an electrical connector, comprising:

• a ground contact for connecting to ground;
• a first signal contact for connecting to a first signal line;
• a second signal contact for connecting to a second signal line;
• a switch connected to the first signal contact and the ground contact, operative to electrically disconnect the first signal contact and the ground after the ground contact is connected to the ground, the first signal contact is connected to the first signal line, and the second signal contact is connected to the second signal line, and operative to electrically connect the first signal contact and the ground as the first signal contact is being disengaged from the first signal line but while, at least momentarily, the first signal contact continues to remain connected to the first signal line.

A circuit of an electrical connector, comprising:

• a ground contact for connecting to ground;
• a first signal contact for connecting to a first differential signal line;
• a second signal contact for connecting to a second differential signal line;
• a switch connected to the first signal contact and the second signal contact, operative to electrically disconnect the first signal contact and the second signal contact after the ground contact is connected to the ground, the first signal contact is connected to the first differential signal line, and the second signal contact is connected to the second differential signal line, and operative to electrically connect the first signal contact and the second signal contact ground as the first signal contact is being disengaged from the first differential signal line but while, at least momentarily, the first signal contact continues to remain connected to the first differential signal line.

A switch of a connector, the connector includes a ground contact, a first signal contact and a second signal contact, the connector capable of mating with a ground and first and second signal lines, for electrical connection and disconnection of the ground contact to the ground, the first signal contact to the first signal line and the second signal contact to the second signal line, comprising:

• a conductor connected to the first signal contact, the conductor is biased to contact the ground contact and electrically connect the first signal contact and the ground contact;
• wherein the conductor of the switch is operatively disengaged from electrical connection to the ground contact during mating of the connector, via the ground contact, the first signal contact and the second signal contact, with the ground, the first signal line and the second signal line, respectively, only after the ground contact is touching the ground, the first signal contact is touching the first signal line, and the second signal contact is touching the second signal line, and
• wherein the conductor of the switch is operatively engaged in electrical connection to the ground contact during de-mating of the connector, via the ground contact, the first signal contact and second signal contact, with the ground, the first signal line and the second signal line, respectively, before the ground contact is completely disengaged from touching the ground, the first signal contact is completely disengaged from touching the first signal line, and the second signal contact is completely disengaged from touching the second signal line.

A switch of a connector, the connector includes a ground contact and first and second differential signal contacts, the connector capable of mating with a ground and first and second differential signal lines, for electrical connection and disconnection of the ground contact to the ground, the first signal contact to the first differential signal line and the second signal contact to the second differential signal line, comprising:

• a conductor connected to the first differential signal contact, the conductor is biased to contact the second differential signal contact and electrically connect the first differential signal contact and the second differential signal contact;
• wherein the conductor of the switch is operatively disengaged from electrical connection to the second differential signal contact during mating of the connector, via the ground contact, the first differential signal contact and the second differential signal contact, with the ground, the first differential signal line and the second differential signal line, respectively, only after the ground contact is touching the ground, the first differential signal contact is touching the first signal line, and the second differential signal contact is touching the second signal line, and
• wherein the conductor of the switch is operatively engaged in electrical connection to the second differential signal line during de-mating of the connector, via the ground contact, the first differential signal contact and second differential signal contact, with the ground, the first differential signal line and the second differential signal line, respectively, before the ground contact is completely disengaged from touching the ground, the first differential signal contact is completely disengaged from touching the first signal line, and the second differential signal contact is completely disengaged from touching the second signal line.

A retrofit connector, the retrofit connector capable of connecting to another connector, the other connector is one of either an XLR connector or a TRS connector, comprising:

• a housing;
• a pass through ground contact of the housing capable of connecting to a ground signal line and a ground contact of the other connector;
• a pass through first signal contact of the housing capable of connecting to a first signal line and a first signal line of the other connector;
• a pass through second signal contact of the housing capable of connecting to a second signal line of the other connector;
• a switch contained in the housing, the switch operatively biased to electrically connect the pass through first signal contact to one of either the pass through ground contact and the pass through second signal contact;
• wherein the switch is electrically disconnected from the either of the pass through ground contact and the pass through second signal contact, as applicable, during mating of the retrofit connector, via the pass through ground contact, the pass through first signal contact and the pass through second signal contact, with the ground contact, the first signal contact and the second signal line, respectively, of the other connector, only after the pass through ground contact is touching the ground contact, the pass through first signal contact is touching the first signal contact, and the pass through second signal contact is touching the second signal contact, and
• wherein the switch electrically connects the pass through first signal contact to either of the pass through ground contact and the pass through second signal contact, as applicable, during de-mating of the retrofit connector, via the pass through ground contact, the pass through first signal contact and pass through second signal contact, from connection to the ground contact, the first signal contact and the second signal contact, respectively, of the other connector, before the pass through ground contact is completely disengaged from touching the ground contact, the pass through first signal contact is completely disengaged from touching the first signal contact, and the pass through second signal contact is completely disengaged from touching the second signal contact.