High speed electrical connector

Claim 2

An electrical connector comprising: a connector housing holding signal contacts and ground contacts in an array organized into rows, each said row including pairs of said signal contacts and some of said ground contacts arranged in a pattern, wherein adjacent first and second rows have respective different first and second patterns.

Claim 3

The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein said first and second patterns each include said signal contact pairs and said ground contacts arranged in an alternating sequence.

Claim 4

The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein each of said rows alternates between said signal contact pairs and said ground contacts so that each signal contact pair is separated from another in-row signal contact pair by a ground contact.

Claim 5

The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein adjacent rows are staggered relative to one another so that said signal contact pairs in adjacent rows are separated from one another by said ground contacts.

Claim 6

The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein a first signal contact pair in said first row is shielded from a second signal contact pair in said first row by a first ground contact, and wherein said first row is staggered with respect to said second row so that said first signal contact pair is shielded from a third signal contact pair in said second row by said first ground contact.

Claim 7

The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein an order of said ground contacts and signal contact pairs in said first pattern is reversed with respect to an order of said ground contacts and signal contact pairs in said second pattern.

Claim 8

The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein said signal contact pairs are configured to carry pairs of differential signals.

Claim 9

The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein each signal contact pair includes a pair of signal contact posts extending from said connector housing, wherein each pair of signal contact posts in said first row is staggered with respect to an adjacent pair of signal contact posts in said second row.

Claim 10

The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein each of said ground contacts comprises a compliant tail section and a blade section joined offset from one another by a bend portion, wherein said compliant tail sections shield said signal contact pairs in said first row from one another and said blade sections shield said signal contact pairs in said first and second rows from one another.

Claim 11

An electrical connector comprising: a connector housing holding signal and ground contacts organized into contact groups, each contact group having at least two signal contacts and a single ground contact, said contact groups being aligned in parallel rows, wherein said contact groups in each of said rows are staggered with respect to said contract groups in adjacent rows, wherein each of said ground contacts has a blade section isolating said signal contacts in a corresponding contact group from signal contacts in said adjacent rows.

Claim 12

An electrical connector comprising: a connector housing holding signal and ground contacts organized into contact groups, each contact group having at least two signal contacts and a single ground contact, said contact groups being aligned in parallel rows, wherein said contact groups in each of said rows are staggered with respect to said contract groups in adjacent rows, wherein each of said ground contacts has a blade section isolating said signal contacts in a corresponding contact group from signal contacts in said adjacent rows.

Claim 13

The electrical connector of claim 10 , wherein said contact groups alternate between said single ground contacts and signal contact pairs such that each signal contact pair is separated from another signal contact pair by a single ground contact.

Claim 14

The electrical connector of claim 10 , wherein each of said rows includes an alternating sequence of signal contact pairs and said ground contacts so that each said signal contact pair is separated from another in-row signal contact pair by a ground contact.

Claim 15

The electrical connector of claim 10 , wherein adjacent rows are staggered relative to one another so that said signal contacts in adjacent rows are separated from one another by ground contacts.

Claim 16

The electrical connector of claim 10 , wherein a first signal contact pair in a first row is shielded from a second signal contact pair in said first row by a first ground contact, and wherein said first row is staggered with respect to a second row so that said first signal contact pair is shielded from a third signal contact pair in said second row by said first ground contact.

Claim 17

The electrical connector of claim 10 , wherein an order of said ground contacts and signal contact pairs in a first group is reversed with respect to an order of said ground contacts and signal contact pairs in a second group.

Claim 18

The electrical connector of claim 10 , wherein said at least two signal contacts are configured to carry pairs of differential signals.

Claim 19

The electrical connector of claim 10 , wherein each signal contact pair includes a pair of signal contact posts extending from said channels of said connector housing, wherein each pair of signal contact posts in said first row is staggered with respect to an adjacent pair of signal contact posts in said second row.

Claim 20

The electrical connector of claim 10 , wherein each of said ground contacts comprises a compliant tail section and a blade section joined offset from one another by a bend portion, wherein said compliant tail sections shield signal contact pairs in a first row from one another and said blade sections shield signal contact pairs in first and second rows from one another.

Claim 21

An electrical connector comprising: a connector housing holding signal contacts and ground contacts in an array organized into rows, each row including ground contacts separated by signal contact pairs, wherein said ground contacts and signal contact pairs are ordered in different first and second patterns, respectively, in adjacent first and second rows in said array, wherein said first and second rows are staggered relative to one another so that said signal contact pairs in said first and second rows are separated from one another by said ground contacts, and wherein a first signal contact pair in said first row is shielded from a second signal contact pair in said first row by a first ground contact, and wherein said first row is staggered with respect to said second row so that said first signal contact pair is shielded from a third signal contact pair in said second row by said first ground contact.

Claim 22

An electrical connector comprising: a connector housing holding signal contacts and ground contacts in an array organized into rows, each row including ground contacts separated by signal contact pairs, wherein said ground contacts and signal contact pairs are ordered in different first and second patterns, respectively, in adjacent first and second rows in said array, wherein said first and second rows are staggered relative to one another so that said signal contact pairs in said first and second rows are separated from one another by said ground contacts, and wherein a first signal contact pair in said first row is shielded from a second signal contact pair in said first row by a first ground contact, and wherein said first row is staggered with respect to said second row so that said first signal contact pair is shielded from a third signal contact pair in said second row by said first ground contact.

Claim 23

The electrical connector of claim 19 , wherein each signal contact pair includes a pair of signal contact posts extending from said connector housing, wherein each pair of signal contact posts in said first row is staggered with respect to an adjacent pair of signal contact posts in said second row.

Claim 24

The electrical connector of claim 19 , wherein each of said ground contacts comprises a compliant tail section and a blade section joined offset from one another by a bend portion, wherein said compliant tail sections shield said signal contact pairs in said first row from one another and said blade sections shield said signal contact pairs in said first and second rows from one another.