Cable backplane system

A cable backplane system comprising:

• a backplane circuit board having connector openings extending therethrough;
• and
• a cable rack coupled to the backplane circuit board, the cable rack comprising:
• a plurality of cable connectors interconnected by cables, each cable connector having a header holding signal contacts at a mating end of the header configured for mating with a card connector;
• a cable tray having side walls surrounding a cavity defining a raceway for the cables, the cable tray having a front edge, the cable tray holding header frames between the side walls, the header frames holding headers of corresponding cable connectors;
• and
• an organizer plate coupled to the cable tray at the front edge, the organizer plate having a plurality of connector channels receiving mating ends of corresponding headers, the connector channels holding the headers from different header frames in position relative to one another;
• wherein the organizer plate holds the headers in alignment with the connector openings in the backplane circuit board to guide loading of the headers into the connector openings.

A cable backplane system comprising:

• a plurality of connector bricks, each connector brick comprising a plurality of cable connectors interconnected by cables, each cable connector having a header holding signal contacts at a mating end of the header and configured for mating with a card connector, each connector brick comprising a header frame including end spacers and side spacers defining a header opening receiving the plurality of cable connectors;
• a cable tray having side walls surrounding a cavity defining a raceway for the cables, the cable tray having a front edge, the cable tray holding the connector bricks in the cavity;
• and
• an organizer plate coupled to the cable tray at the front edge and covering the plurality of connector bricks, the organizer plate having a plurality of connector channels receiving mating ends of corresponding headers, the connector channels holding positions of the headers associated with different connector bricks relative to one another.