초록 ▼

An electrical connector assembly having shielded cage assembly with a plurality of ports for receiving modules. In one embodiment, the modules comprise SFP (small form-factor pluggable) modules, and the electrical connector assembly is adapted for low-profile applications, thereby optimizing the amo

An electrical connector assembly having shielded cage assembly with a plurality of ports for receiving modules. In one embodiment, the modules comprise SFP (small form-factor pluggable) modules, and the electrical connector assembly is adapted for low-profile applications, thereby optimizing the amount of area and volume occupied by the SFP assembly. In one variant, the SFP modules are pluggable into individual ports, whereby two modules are interconnected to a single header connector interconnected to a motherboard. Methods of manufacturing the connector assembly are also disclosed.

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What is claimed is: 1. An electrical connector mountable on a printed circuit board, comprising: an insulative housing having an upper and a lower printed circuit card receiving slot and further comprising a lower surface, said lower surface having a plurality of terminals protruding therefrom; and

What is claimed is: 1. An electrical connector mountable on a printed circuit board, comprising: an insulative housing having an upper and a lower printed circuit card receiving slot and further comprising a lower surface, said lower surface having a plurality of terminals protruding therefrom; and a shield member assembly at least partly enclosing said insulative housing, said shield member assembly comprising a top surface and a bottom surface and further comprising a plurality of tabs, said plurality of tabs residing substantially in plane with said lower surface of said insulative housing; and wherein said top surface of said shield member assembly resides above the level said printed circuit board and said bottom surface of said shield member assembly resides below the level said printed circuit board and said lower surface of said insulative housing residing between the levels of said top and bottom surfaces of said shield member assembly. 2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said plurality of tabs comprises at least a first and a second tab, wherein the distance between a front surface of said shield member assembly and said first and said second tabs differs. 3. The electrical connector of claim 1, further comprising an ejection shield, said ejection shield resident within at least one of an upper or a lower transceiver receiving slot of said shield member assembly. 4. The electrical connector of claim 3, wherein at least a portion of said ejection shield is received within said insulative housing. 5. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said insulative housing further comprises a plurality of alignment slots and said shield member assembly comprises a plurality of alignment features, said plurality of alignment features adapted to be received within respective ones of said plurality of alignment slots. 6. The electrical connector of claim 5, wherein said plurality of alignment features comprises at least two alignment features on a side surface of said insulative housing, wherein said at least two alignment features are resident on two different planes between the levels of said top and bottom surfaces of said shield member assembly, respectively. 7. An electrical connector mountable on a printed circuit board, comprising: an insulative housing having an upper and a lower printed circuit card receiving slot; and a shield member assembly at least partly enclosing said insulative housing, said shield member assembly comprising a top surface and a bottom surface; and wherein said top surface resides above the level said printed circuit board and said bottom surface resides below the level said printed circuit board; and wherein said insulative housing further comprises a plurality of alignment slots and said shield member assembly comprises a plurality of alignment features, said plurality of alignment features adapted to be received within respective ones of said plurality of alignment slots. 8. The electrical connector of claim 7, wherein said insulative housing comprises a lower surface, said lower surface having a plurality of terminals protruding therefrom, said lower surface of said insulative housing residing between the levels of said top and bottom surfaces of said shield member assembly. 9. The electrical connector of claim 8, wherein said shield member assembly comprises a plurality of tabs, said plurality of tabs residing substantially in plane with said lower surface of said insulative housing. 10. The electrical connector of claim 9, wherein said plurality of tabs comprises at least a first and a second tab, wherein the distance between a front surface of said shield member assembly and said first and said second tabs differs. 11. The electrical connector of claim 10, further comprising an ejection shield, said ejection shield resident within at least one of an upper or a lower transceiver receiving slot of said shield member assembly. 12. The electrical connector of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of said ejection shield is received within said insulative housing. 13. The electrical connector of claim 7, wherein said plurality of alignment features comprises at least two alignment features on a side surface of said insulative housing, wherein said at least two alignment features are resident on two different planes between the levels of said top and bottom surfaces of said shield member assembly, respectively. 14. A method of manufacturing an electrical connector mountable on a printed circuit board, comprising: molding an insulative housing, said insulative housing comprising an upper and a lower printed circuit card receiving slot; forming a shield member assembly, said shield member assembly comprising a top surface and a bottom surface; inserting said insulative housing at least partly inside said shield member assembly thereby creating said electrical connector; and disposing said electrical connector on said printed circuit board, wherein said top surface resides above the level of said printed circuit board and said bottom surface resides below the level of said printed circuit board; wherein said act of forming said shield member assembly further comprises forming a plurality of tabs, said plurality of tabs residing substantially in plane with said lower surface of said insulative housing. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein said method further comprises disposing a plurality of terminals below the level of a lower surface of said insulative housing; wherein said lower surface of said insulative housing resides between the levels of said top and bottom surfaces of said shield member assembly. 16. The method of claim 14, further comprising: forming an ejection shield; and placing said ejection shield within at least one of an upper or a lower transceiver receiving slots of said shield member assembly. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein said act of placing said ejection shield further comprises inserting at least a portion of said ejection shield within said insulative housing. 18. The method of claim 14, further comprising: molding a plurality of alignment slots on said insulative housing; and forming a plurality of alignment features in said shield member assembly, said plurality of alignment features adapted to be received within respective ones of said plurality of alignment slots. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein said plurality of alignment features comprises at least two alignment features on a side surface of said insulative housing, wherein said at least two alignment features are resident on two different planes between said top and bottom surfaces of said shield member assembly. 20. An electrical connector mountable on a printed circuit board in a telecommunications apparatus, comprising: an insulative housing having an upper and a lower printed circuit card receiving slot; and a shield member assembly at least partly enclosing said insulative housing and comprising an upper and a lower transceiver receiving cavity and further comprising a plurality of tabs, said plurality of tabs residing substantially in plane with said bottom surface of said insulative housing; and wherein at least a portion of said lower transceiver receiving cavity resides below the level of said printed circuit board. 21. The electrical connector of claim 20, wherein said insulative housing comprises a bottom surface, said bottom surface having a plurality of terminals protruding therefrom, said bottom surface of said insulative housing residing between the levels of a top and a bottom surface of said shield member assembly. 22. The electrical connector of claim 20, wherein said insulative housing further comprises a plurality of alignment slots and said shield member assembly comprises a plurality of alignment features, said plurality of alignment features adapted to be received within respective ones of said plurality of alignment slots. 23. The electrical connector of claim 22, wherein said plurality of alignment features comprises at least two alignment features on a side surface of said insulative housing, wherein said at least two alignment features are resident on two different planes between said top and bottom surfaces of said shield member assembly. 24. An electrical connector mountable on a printed circuit board in a telecommunications apparatus, comprising: an insulative housing having an upper and a lower printed circuit card receiving slot, said housing comprising a lower surface and a plurality of alignment slots; and a shield member assembly at least partly enclosing said insulative housing and comprising a bottom surface and a plurality of alignment features, said plurality of alignment features adapted to be received within respective ones of said plurality of alignment slots; and wherein said bottom surface of said shield member assembly resides below the plane of said printed circuit board and said bottom surface of said insulative housing resides above the plane of said printed circuit board. 25. The electrical connector of claim 24, wherein said insulative housing lower surface comprises a plurality of terminals protruding therefrom, said lower surface of said insulative housing residing between the planes associated with a top and said bottom surface of said shield member assembly. 26. The electrical connector of claim 25, wherein said shield member assembly comprises a plurality of tabs, said plurality of tabs residing substantially in plane with said lower surface of said insulative housing. 27. The electrical connector of claim 24, wherein said plurality of alignment features comprises at least two alignment features on a side surface of said insulative housing, wherein said at least two alignment features are resident on two different planes between said top and bottom surfaces of said shield member assembly. 28. An electrical connector apparatus mountable on a printed circuit board in a telecommunications apparatus manufactured according to the method, comprising: molding an insulative housing, said insulative housing comprising an upper and a lower printed circuit card receiving slot; forming a shield member assembly, said shield member assembly comprising a top surface and a bottom surface and an upper transceiver receiving cavity and a lower transceiver receiving cavity with at least a portion of said lower transceiver receiving cavity being disposed below a lower surface of said printed circuit board when installed on said printed circuit board; forming a plurality of tabs in said shield member assembly; inserting said insulative housing at least partly inside said shield member assembly thereby creating said electrical connector such that said plurality of tabs reside substantially in plane with said bottom surface of said insulative housing; disposing said electrical connector on said printed circuit board, said printed circuit board comprising an upper surface and a lower surface with said insulative housing being disposed above said upper surface of said printed circuit board; and disposing a plurality of terminals below the level of a bottom surface of said insulative housing with said bottom surface of said insulative housing residing between the level of said top surface and the level of said bottom surface of said shield member assembly; wherein at least a portion of said electrical connector is disposed above the level of an upper surface of said printed circuit board; and wherein said top surface of said shield member assembly is disposed above said upper surface of said printed circuit board and said bottom surface of said shield member assembly is disposed below said lower surface of said printed circuit board. 29. The electrical connector apparatus of claim 28, further comprising: forming an ejection shield; and placing said ejection shield within at least one of said upper or said lower transceiver receiving cavity of said shield member assembly. 30. The electrical connector apparatus of claim 29, wherein said act of placing said ejection shield further comprises inserting at least a portion of said ejection shield within said insulative housing. 31. The electrical connector apparatus of claim 28, further comprising: molding a plurality of alignment slots within said insulative housing; and forming a plurality of alignment features in said shield member assembly, said plurality of alignment features adapted to be received within respective ones of said plurality of alignment slots. 32. The electrical connector apparatus of claim 31, wherein said plurality of alignment features comprises at least two alignment features on a side surface of said insulative housing, wherein said at least two alignment features are resident on two different planes between said top and bottom surfaces of said shield member assembly. 33. An electrical connector mountable on a circuit board, comprising: an insulative housing having a plurality of circuit card receiving slots; and a shield member at least partly enclosing said insulative housing, said shield member comprising a top surface and a bottom surface; and wherein said top surface resides above the level said circuit board and said bottom surface resides below the level said circuit board; and wherein said insulative housing further comprises a plurality of alignment slots and said shield member comprises a plurality of alignment features, said plurality of alignment features adapted to be received at least partly within respective ones of said plurality of alignment slots. 34. The electrical connector of claim 33, wherein said insulative housing comprises a lower surface, said lower surface having a plurality of terminals protruding therefrom, said lower surface of said insulative housing residing between the levels of said top and bottom surfaces of said shield member. 35. The electrical connector of claim 33, wherein said plurality of alignment features comprises at least two alignment features on a side surface of said insulative housing, said at least two alignment features resident on two different planes between the levels of said top and bottom surfaces of said shield member, respectively. 36. An electrical connector mountable on a circuit board, comprising: insulating housing means having a plurality of circuit card receiving means; and a shield member at least partly enclosing said housing means, said shield member comprising a top surface and a bottom surface; and wherein said top surface resides above the level said printed circuit board and said bottom surface resides below the level said printed circuit board; and wherein said housing means further comprises a plurality of first alignment means and said shield member comprises a plurality of second alignment means, said plurality of second alignment means adapted to be received at least partly within respective ones of said plurality of first alignment means.