CABLE TERMINATION FOR AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR

Abstract

A cable card assembly includes a circuit card and cables terminated to the circuit card. Each cable has signal conductors, an insulator, and a cable shield. The cable card includes conductor holders forward of the insulators manufactured from a dielectric material and having conductor channels that receive the signal conductors. The cable card assembly includes ground shields coupled to the circuit card providing electrical shielding for the cables. Each ground shield includes a side walls and an end wall. The end wall has an end wall connecting portion coupled to the cable shield. The first side wall has a first side wall connecting portion coupled to the cable shield. The second side wall has a second side wall connecting portion coupled to the cable shield.

Description

Claims

1. A cable card assembly comprising: a circuit card having a substrate including an upper surface and a lower surface, the substrate extending between a first end and a second end, the circuit card having mating pads, the circuit card having cable pads, the cable pads being electrically connected to corresponding mating pads, the circuit card having a ground plane;cables terminated to the circuit card, each cable having signal conductors and an insulator surrounding the signal conductors, terminating ends of the signal conductors exposed forward of an end of the insulator, the cable having a cable shield providing electrical shielding for the at least one signal conductor, the cable shield surrounding the insulator;conductor holders located forward of ends of the insulators, each conductor holder being manufactured from a dielectric material, each conductor holder having conductor channels that receive the terminating ends of the corresponding signal conductors; andground shields terminated to the ground plane of the circuit card, the ground shields providing electrical shielding for the corresponding cables, each ground shield including a first side wall, a second side wall and an end wall between the first and second side walls, the first and second side walls extending from the end wall to the circuit card, the end wall having an end wall connecting portion coupled to the cable shield, the first side wall having a first side wall connecting portion coupled to the cable shield, the second side wall having a second side wall connecting portion coupled to the cable shield.

2. The cable card assembly of claim 1, wherein each conductor holder includes a base located between the terminating ends of the signal conductors and the substrate, the base supporting the terminating ends of the signal conductors.

3. The cable card assembly of claim 1, wherein each conductor holder includes outer walls between the terminating ends of the signal conductors and the ground shield to separate the terminating ends from the ground shield and an inner wall between the terminating ends of the signal conductors to separate the terminating ends from each other.

4. The cable card assembly of claim 1, wherein the conductor channels have widths approximately equal to the diameters of the terminating ends of the signal conductors to hold the terminating ends in the conductor channels by an interference fit.

5. The cable card assembly of claim 1, wherein the conductor holders control positioning of the terminating ends from the ends of the insulators to the cable pads.

6. The cable card assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second side walls extend along first and second outer walls at opposite sides of the conductive holders.

7. The cable card assembly of claim 1, wherein each conductive holder includes a cap covering the conductor channels, the cap located between the end wall and the terminating ends of the signal conductors.

8. The cable card assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second side wall connecting portions include side wall mating tabs terminated to the circuit card.

9. The cable card assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second side walls are spaced apart by a first lateral spacing, the first and second side wall connecting portions being spaced apart by a second lateral spacing greater than the first lateral spacing.

10. The cable card assembly of claim 1, wherein the end wall includes an end wall mating tab forward of the conductor holder, the end wall mating tab terminated to the circuit card.

11. The cable card assembly of claim 1, wherein the cable includes first and second drain wires soldered to the exterior surfaces of the first and second side walls.

12. A cable assembly for a circuit card, the cable assembly comprising: a cable having a first signal conductor, a second signal conductor, and an insulator surrounding the first and second signal conductors, the first and second signal conductors having terminating ends exposed forward of an end of the insulator, the terminating ends configured to be terminated to the circuit card, the cable including a cable shield providing electrical shielding for the first and second signal conductors, the cable shield surrounding the insulator;a conductor holder located forward of the end of the insulator, the conductor holder being manufactured from a dielectric material, the conductor holder including conductor channels that receive the terminating ends of the first and second signal conductors; anda ground shield configured to be terminated to the circuit card, the ground shield providing electrical shielding for the terminating ends, the ground shield including a first side wall, a second side wall and an end wall between the first and second side walls, the first and second side walls extending from the end wall, the end wall having an end wall connecting portion coupled to the cable shield, the first side wall having a first side wall connecting portion coupled to the cable shield, the second side wall having a second side wall connecting portion coupled to the cable shield.

13. The cable assembly of claim 12, wherein each conductor holder includes a base located between the terminating ends and the substrate, the base supporting the terminating ends, the conductor holder including outer walls extending from the base and an inner wall extending from the base, the conductor channels defined between the inner wall and the outer walls, the outer walls located between the terminating ends and the ground shield to separate the terminating ends from the ground shield, the inner wall located between the terminating ends to separate the terminating ends from each other.

14. The cable assembly of claim 12, wherein the conductor holders control positioning of the terminating ends from the ends of the insulators to the cable pads.

15. The cable assembly of claim 12, wherein the first and second side walls extend along first and second outer walls at opposite sides of the conductive holders.

16. The cable assembly of claim 12, wherein the first and second side wall connecting portions include side wall mating tabs terminated to the circuit card.

17. An electrical connector comprising: a connector housing having a mating end configured to be coupled to a mating electrical connector, the connector housing having a housing cavity; anda cable card assembly received in the housing cavity, the cable card assembly including a circuit card and cables terminated to the circuit card, the cable card assembly including conductor holders associated with the cables, t cable card assembly including ground shields associated with the cables and terminated to the circuit card to provide electrical shielding for the cables;wherein the circuit card includes a substrate including an upper surface and a lower surface, the substrate extending between a first end and a second end, the circuit card having mating pads configured to be mated with the mating electrical connector, the circuit card having cable pads, the cable pads being electrically connected to corresponding mating pads, the circuit card having a ground plane;wherein the cables are terminated to the circuit card, each cable having signal conductors and an insulator surrounding the signal conductors, terminating ends of the signal conductors exposed forward of an end of the insulator, the cable having a cable shield providing electrical shielding for the at least one signal conductor, the cable shield surrounding the insulator;wherein the conductor holders are located forward of the ends of the insulators, each conductor holder being manufactured from a dielectric material, each conductor holder having conductor channels that receive the terminating ends of the corresponding signal conductors; andwherein ground shields are terminated to the ground plane of the circuit card, the ground shields providing electrical shielding for the corresponding cables, each ground shield including a first side wall, a second side wall and an end wall between the first and second side walls, the first and second side walls extending from the end wall to the circuit card, the end wall having an end wall connecting portion coupled to the cable shield, the first side wall having a first side wall connecting portion coupled to the cable shield, the second side wall having a second side wall connecting portion coupled to the cable shield.

18. The electrical connector of claim 17, wherein each conductor holder includes a base located between the terminating ends and the substrate, the base supporting the terminating ends, the conductor holder including outer walls extending from the base and an inner wall extending from the base, the conductor channels defined between the inner wall and the outer walls, the outer walls located between the terminating ends and the ground shield to separate the terminating ends from the ground shield, the inner wall located between the terminating ends to separate the terminating ends from each other.

19. The electrical connector of claim 17, wherein the conductor holders control positioning of the terminating ends from the ends of the insulators to the cable pads.

20. The electrical connector of claim 17, wherein the first and second side wall connecting portions include side wall mating tabs terminated to the circuit card.