Importance

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Abstract

An electrical connector assembly is provided having a header connector and a receptacle connector matable with one another. An array of signal contacts are secured to the header connector and arranged in differential contact pairs. The differential contact pairs are configured to carry differential signal pairs. An array of L-shaped ground shields are secured to the header connector. Optionally, a second side may be added to the L-shape to form a C-shaped ground shield. Each ground shield is arranged to partially surround and isolate a corresponding differential contact pair from adjacent differential contact pairs. The receptacle contact includes a mating face having an array of contact receiving holes and ground shield receiving notches. The contact receiving holes are arranged in differential hole pairs corresponding to, and matable with, the differential contact pairs. The ground shield receiving notches are configured to be matable with the ground shields. The signal contacts in each differential contact pair are spaced apart by a contact-to-contact distance. Adjacent differential contact pairs are spaced apart by a contact pair-to-pair distance that is greater than the contact-to-contact distance. The L-shaped ground shields and contact spacing cooperate to more closely electromagnetically couple signal contacts in a differential contact pair to one another than to signal contacts in adjacent differential contact pairs.

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First Claim