Card edge connector

A card edge connector comprising:

• a housing having a mating end and a mounting end, the housing having a first side and a second side extending between the mating and mounting ends, the housing having a central plane between the first and second sides, the housing having a card edge slot extending along the central plane between the first and second sides configured to receive a circuit card therein;
• signal contacts held by the housing, the signal contacts being arranged in a first group and a second group, the first group being between the central plane and the first side, the second group being between the central plane and the second side, the signal contacts having mating portions configured to be electrically coupled to corresponding signal pads of the circuit card, the signal contacts having tail portions configured to be electrically coupled to a corresponding circuit board, the tail portions of the signal contacts being laterally offset away from the central plane from the mating portions;
• and
• ground contacts held by the housing, the ground contacts being arranged in a first group and a second group, the first group being between the central plane and the first side, the second group being between the central plane and the second side, the ground contacts having tail portions configured to be electrically coupled to the circuit board, the tail portions of the ground contacts being laterally offset toward the central plane, the ground contacts having bifurcated portions extending from corresponding tail portion, the ground contacts having first mating portions extending from corresponding bifurcated portions, the ground contacts having second mating portions extending from corresponding bifurcated portions the first and second mating portions of the ground contacts being aligned with, and positioned directly between, the mating portions of corresponding signal contacts to provide electrical shielding between the signal contacts.