초록 ▼

An electrical connector according to the invention includes a linear contact array of electrically conductive contacts and a lead frame into which the contacts at least partially extend. The contacts may be selectively designated as either ground or signal contacts such that, in a first designation,

An electrical connector according to the invention includes a linear contact array of electrically conductive contacts and a lead frame into which the contacts at least partially extend. The contacts may be selectively designated as either ground or signal contacts such that, in a first designation, the contacts form at least one differential signal pair comprising a pair of signal contacts, and, in a second designation, the contacts form at least one single-ended signal conductor.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed: 1. An electrical connector comprising: a linear contact array of electrically conductive contacts; and a lead frame in which the contacts are fixed; wherein (i) the contacts may be selectively designated, while fixed in the lead frame, as either ground or signal contacts such that,

What is claimed: 1. An electrical connector comprising: a linear contact array of electrically conductive contacts; and a lead frame in which the contacts are fixed; wherein (i) the contacts may be selectively designated, while fixed in the lead frame, as either ground or signal contacts such that, in a first designation, the contacts form at least one differential signal pair comprising a pair of signal contacts, and, in a second designation, the contacts form at least one single-ended signal conductor, (ii) the contact array includes at least one ground contact disposed adjacent to the at least one differential signal pair in the first designation and adjacent to the at least one single-ended signal conductor in the second designation, (iii) the ground contact is disposed in the same relative location within the contact array in both the first designation and the second designation, (iv) each signal contact has a respective terminal end, (v) the ground contact has a terminal end, and (vi) the terminal end of the ground contact extends beyond any terminal end of any of the signal contacts. 2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the contacts may be selectively defined such that, in a third designation, the contacts form at least one differential signal pair and at least one single-ended signal conductor. 3. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the differential signal pair has a differential impedance of about 90-110 ohms. 4. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the single-ended signal conductor has a single-ended impedance of about 40-70 ohms. 5. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein at least one of the differential signal pair contacts has an insertion loss of less than about 0.7 dB at approximately 5 GHz. 6. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein multi-active near-end cross-talk measured at the differential signal pair is less than about three percent at approximately forty picoseconds and 10-90 percent rise time. 7. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the multi-active near-end cross-talk measured at the single-ended signal conductor is less than about five to eight percent at approximately 150 picoseconds and 20-80 percent rise time. 8. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein multi-active far-end cross-talk measured at the differential signal pair is less than about four percent at approximately forty picoseconds and 10-90 percent rise time. 9. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein multi-active far-end cross-talk measured at the single-ended signal conductor is less than about three percent at approximately 150 picoseconds and approximately 20-80 percent rise time. 10. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein there is limited crosstalk within a column. 11. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein crosstalk is limited as a result of a ratio of contact width to a gap width between adjacent contacts. 12. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein at least one of the single ended signal conductors has n insertion loss of less than about 2 dB at approximately 4 GHz. 13. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein (i) each of the electrically conductive contacts has a respective edge and a respective broadside that is at least twice as long as the edge, (ii) the pair of contacts that that form the differential signal pair are electrically coupled edge-to-edge in the first designation, and (iii) the ground contact is electrically coupled edge-to-edge to an adjacent signal contact in both the first designation and the second designation. 14. The electrical connector of claim 13, wherein the pair of signal contacts that form the differential signal pair have a distance between them that is about the same as a distance between the ground contact and the differential signal pair. 15. The electrical connector of claim 14, further comprising a dielectric material between the edges of the contacts that form the differential signal pair, wherein the distance between the contacts that form the differential signal pair is a function of the dielectric material between the edges of the contacts. 16. The electrical connector of claim 1, further comprising: a second linear contact array of electrically conductive contacts; and a second lead frame into which the contacts of the second linear array are fixed, wherein the contacts of the second linear array may be selectively designated, while fixed in the lead frame, as either ground or signal contacts such that, in a third designation, the contacts form at least one differential signal pair comprising a pair of signal contacts, and, in a fourth designation, the contacts form at least one single-ended signal conductor. 17. The electrical connector of claim 16, wherein cross-talk between signal contacts in the first linear array and signal contacts in the second linear array is limited to below a predefined level. 18. The electrical connector of claim 17, wherein the second lead frame is disposed adjacent to the first lead frame, and wherein the cross-talk is limited as a result of a configuration of the contacts. 19. The electrical connector of claim 18, wherein the cross-talk is limited as a result of a ratio of contact width to a gap width between adjacent contacts. 20. The electrical connector of claim 18, wherein the cross-talk is limited in the absence of any shield plate between the first and second lead frames. 21. The electrical connector of claim 18, wherein the contacts in the first linear contact array that are designated as signal contacts produce a relatively low electric field near the contacts in the second linear array that are designated as signal contacts. 22. The electrical connector of claim 21, wherein the differential signal pair of signal contacts includes a gap between them, and wherein the signal pair produce a relatively high electric field in the gap and a relatively low electric field near an adjacent signal contact. 23. The electrical connector of claim 22, wherein the adjacent signal contact is in the first linear contact array. 24. The electrical connector of claim 22, wherein the adjacent signal contact is in and adjacent linear contact array. 25. The electrical connector of claim 24, wherein the adjacent linear contact array is staggered relative to the first linear contact array. 26. A method for connecting an electrical connector to a circuit board, comprising: providing an electrical connector comprising first and second electrically conductive contacts, a ground contact, and a lead frame in which the contacts are fixed, wherein (i) each of the first and second contacts may be selectively designated, while fixed in the lead frame, as either a ground contact or a signal contact such that, in a first designation, the contacts form at least one differential signal pair comprising a pair of signal contact, and, in a second designation, the contacts form at least one single-ended signal conductor, (ii) the ground contact is disposed adjacent to the differential signal pair in the first designation and adjacent to the single-ended signal conductor in the second designation, (iii) the ground contact is disposed in the same relative location within the contact array in both the first designation and the second designation, (iv) each of the first and second contacts has a respective terminal end, (v) the ground contact has a terminal end, and (vi) the terminal end of the ground contact extends beyond the terminal ends of the first and second contacts; designating each of the first and second electrical contacts as either a ground contact or a signal contact; and electrically connecting the electrical connector to the circuit board having at least one signaling path. 27. The method of claim 26, further comprising: designating the contacts such that the contacts form at least one differential signal pair comprising a pair of signal contacts. 28. The method of claim 26, further comprising: designating the contacts such that the contacts form at least one single-ended signal conductor. 29. The method of claim 26, wherein the electrical connector comprises a third electrically conductive contact fixed in the lead frame that may be selectively designated, while fixed in the lead frame, as either a ground contact or a signal contacts contact, the method further comprising: designating the contacts such that the contacts form at least one differential signal pair comprising a pair of signal contacts and at least one single-ended signal conductor. 30. The method of claim 26, further comprising: electrically connecting a contact designated as a signal contact to a signaling path on the circuit board. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the signal path is a single-ended signaling path. 32. The method of claim 30, wherein the signal path is a differential signaling path. 33. A system, comprising: a circuit board having at least one signaling path; and an electrical connector comprising a linear contact array of electrically conductive contacts and a lead frame in which the contacts are fixed, wherein (i) the contacts may be selectively designated, while fixed in the lead frame, as either ground or signal contacts such that, in a first designation, the contacts form at least one differential signal pair comprising a pair of signal contacts, and, in a second designation, the contacts form at least one single-ended signal conductor, (ii) the contact array includes at least one ground contact disposed adjacent to the at least one differential signal pair in the first designation and adjacent to the at least one single-ended signal conductor in the second designation, (iii) the ground contact is disposed in the same relative location within the contact array in both the first designation and the second designation, (iv) each signal contact has a respective terminal end, (v) the ground contact has a terminal end, and (vi) the terminal end of the ground contact extends beyond any terminal end of any of the signal contacts, and wherein the electrical connector is electrically connected to the circuit board.