ADVANCED MULTI-GIGABIT CONNECTORS, INSERTS, ACTIVE OPTICAL CABLES AND METHODS

摘要

A connector insert arrangement, an active optical cable and methods are described. The connector insert is receivable in a connector housing for removable engagement with a complementary connector. Dielectric inserts each support one or more electrical contacts for access by the complementary connector and each electrical contact is selected as one of a contact pad and a spring probe pin for electrical contact with a complementary spring probe pin and complementary contact pad, respectively, in the complementary connector. A ground body supports the dielectric inserts to maintain a characteristic transmission line impedance along each of a plurality of high speed data paths such that each high speed data path serves as an independent transmission line structure that provides a data transfer rate of at least 1 gigabit per second. An active optical cable is described that can be hermaphroditic.