Patent Publication Number: US-11387606-B2

Title: Communication connectors utilizing multiple contact points

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/458,388, filed on Jul. 1, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,790,616, which issued on Sep. 29, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/904,620, filed on Feb. 26, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,361,514 which issued on Jul. 23, 2019, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/465,984, filed on Mar. 2, 2017, the entirety of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Network communications have come to rely heavily on twisted pair cables, and RJ45 plug and jacks which enable connectivity. RJ45 plug and jacks are designed to mate together by way of plug contacts within the plug and plug interface contacts (PICs) within the jack. When plug contacts of an RJ45 plug contact the PICs of an RJ45 jack, data can flow through the mated plug/jack combination. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following detailed description references the drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a communications system; 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric view of a shielded RJ45 network jack in a mated state with a shielded RJ45 plug assembly for use in the communications system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a top isometric view of the shielded RJ45 network jack exploded from the shielded RJ45 plug assembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom isometric view of the shielded RJ45 network jack exploded from the shielded RJ45 plug assembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded front top isometric view of the shielded RJ45 network jack shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded front bottom isometric view of the shielded RJ45 network jack shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded rear top isometric view of the shielded RJ45 network jack shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a front isometric view of a sled assembly included in the shielded RJ45 network jack shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a rear isometric view of the sled assembly shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded front isometric view of the sled assembly shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 11  is an exploded rear isometric view of the sled assembly shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 12  is an exploded rear top isometric view of the shielded RJ45 plug assembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 13  is an exploded rear bottom isometric view of the shielded RJ45 plug assembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 14  is an exploded front top isometric view of the shielded RJ45 plug assembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 15  is an exploded rear top isometric view of a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly included in the shielded RJ45 plug assembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 16  is a detailed view of a plug contact region of the PCB assembly shown in  FIG. 15 ; 
         FIG. 17  is a cross-sectional view about section line  17 - 17  of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 18  is an isometric view of the shielded RJ45 network jack and shielded RJ45 plug assembly of  FIG. 2  in an over-travel state; 
         FIG. 19  is a cross-sectional view about line  19 - 19  of  FIG. 18  showing the shielded RJ45 network jack and shielded RJ45 plug assembly in the over-travel state; 
         FIG. 20  is a top isometric view of the shielded RJ45 network jack shown in  FIG. 2  mated with another embodiment of a shielded RJ45 plug assembly; 
         FIG. 21  is a cross-sectional view about line  21 - 21  of  FIG. 20  showing the shielded RJ45 network jack and the shielded RJ45 plug assembly in the mated state; 
         FIG. 22  is a vector plot showing the relative location in time of crosstalk; 
         FIG. 23  illustrates an example plug contact arrangement for use in the shielded RJ45 plug assemblies disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 24  is another vector plot showing the relative location in time of crosstalk; 
         FIG. 25  is a schematic view of parallel current paths when the shielded RJ45 plug assembly and the shielded RJ45 network jack of  FIG. 2  are mated; 
         FIG. 26  is a close-up cross-sectional view of a mating section between the shielded RJ45 plug assembly and the shielded RJ45 network jack of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 27  illustrates a trace arrangement on the PCB assembly included in shielded RJ45 plug assembly shown in  FIG. 2  to create inductive compensation; 
         FIG. 28  is a top view showing traces on a first layer of the PCB assembly included in shielded RJ45 plug assembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 29  is a top view showing traces on a second layer of the PCB assembly included in shielded RJ45 plug assembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 30  is a top view showing traces on a third layer of the PCB assembly included in shielded RJ45 plug assembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 31  is a top view showing traces on a fourth layer of the PCB assembly included in shielded RJ45 plug assembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 32  is a top view showing traces on a fifth layer of the PCB assembly included in shielded RJ45 plug assembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 33  is a top view showing traces on a sixth layer of the PCB assembly included in shielded RJ45 plug assembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 34  is a top view showing superimposed traces of various layers of the PCB assembly included in shielded RJ45 plug assembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 35  is a plot of near-end crosstalk (NEXT) response; 
         FIG. 36  is a top isometric view of the shielded RJ45 network jack and shielded RJ45 plug assembly of  FIG. 2  in a pre-release state; 
         FIG. 37  is a cross-sectional view about line  37 - 37  of  FIG. 36  showing the shielded RJ45 network jack and the shielded RJ45 plug assembly in the pre-release state; 
         FIG. 38  is a top isometric view of the shielded RJ45 network jack and shielded RJ45 plug assembly of  FIG. 2  in a partial release state; 
         FIG. 39  is a cross-sectional view about line  39 - 39  of  FIG. 38  showing the shielded RJ45 network jack and the shielded RJ45 plug assembly in the partial release state; 
         FIG. 40  is a top isometric view of the shielded RJ45 network jack and shielded RJ45 plug assembly of  FIG. 2  in a released state; and 
         FIG. 41  is a cross-sectional view about line  41 - 41  of  FIG. 40  showing the shielded RJ45 network jack and the shielded RJ45 plug assembly in the released state. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In accordance with various standards, RJ45 plugs and jacks in use today must meet certain electrical characteristics. These include the requirements for the plug to produce a predetermined amount of crosstalk and for the jack to cancel that predetermined amount of crosstalk. While the production and cancellation of crosstalk can be relatively straightforward at lower operating frequencies, as the frequencies increase, the required crosstalk cancellation (i.e., compensation) becomes more difficult. This difficulty generally stems from the physical distance between the point where crosstalk is generated and the point where crosstalk is cancelled. 
     Various designs have been proposed to address this issue by describing techniques to minimize the delay between the capacitive compensation in the jack and the crosstalk generation in the plug. In these cases, inductive compensation must be implemented in the jack to ensure compliance with the far-end crosstalk (FEXT) requirements of a mated connector. While the inductive compensation is required to ensure mated FEXT compliance, it also contributes to the mated near-end crosstalk (NEXT) performance. The distance between the crosstalk generation in the plug and the inductive compensation in the jack is detrimental to the mated NEXT performance as the frequency of operation is increased. 
     The present disclosure describes various communications systems that allow for multiple contacts points between the plug contacts in the plug and the PICs in the jack, and that allow for mating with these multiple contact points within plug contacts surface for both conventional plugs and a non-conventional plug. In some disclosed implementations, a communications system may include an RJ45 jack with at least some transmission paths having two separate plug interface contacts that allow for multiple contact points between the plug contacts in the plug and the PICs in the jack, which allows for mating with these multiple contacts points within plug contacts surface for both conventional plugs and non-conventional plugs. The communications system may also include a non-conventional plug in which at least some transmission paths having two separate plug contacts allowing for mating to the multiple plug interface contacts within the jack. Splitting the plug contacts into two separate entities compared to a standard/conventional RJ45 plug allows for a controlled delay between the two potential interface contacts between the plug and jack. The communications system may also include multiple signal paths through the plug jack mating region, which allows for more optimal positioning of capacitive and inductive compensation within the jack. 
     Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar parts. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for illustration and description purposes only. While several examples are described in this document, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible. Accordingly, the following detailed description does not limit the disclosed examples. Instead, the proper scope of the disclosed examples may be defined by the appended claims. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an example a communications system  50  which includes patch panel  52  with shielded RJ45 network jacks  54  and corresponding shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56 , terminated to respective cables  58  and  60 . Once shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  mates with a shielded RJ45 network jack  54  data can flow in both directions through these connectors. Although communications system  50  is illustrated as a patch panel in  FIG. 1 , alternatively it can be other active or passive equipment. Examples of passive equipment can be, but are not limited to, modular patch panels, punch-down patch panels, coupler patch panels, wall jacks, etc. Examples of active equipment can be, but are not limited to, Ethernet switches, routers, servers, physical layer management systems, and power-over-Ethernet equipment as can be found in data centers and telecommunications rooms; security devices (cameras and other sensors, etc.) and door access equipment; and telephones, computers, fax machines, printers and other peripherals found in workstation areas. Communications system  50  can further include cabinets, racks, cable management and overhead routing systems, and other such equipment. 
       FIG. 2  is a top isometric view of shielded RJ45 network jack  54  mated with shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  and respective cables  58  and  60 .  FIG. 3  is a top isometric view of the assembly of shielded RJ45 network jack  54  exploded from shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56 .  FIG. 4  is a bottom isometric view of the assembly of shielded RJ45 network jack  54  from shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56 . 
       FIG. 5  is an exploded front top isometric view of shielded network jack  54 . Shielded RJ45 network jack  54  includes conductive shield  62 , jack housing  64 , sled assembly  66  (which includes front odd PICs  68 , front even PICs  70 , rear odd PICs  72 , rear even PICs  74 , front sled holder  76 , middle sled holder  78 , back sled holder  80 , rear PIC comb  82 , and rigid-flex PCB  84 , shown in  FIG. 8 ), PCB support  86 , spring  87 , insulation displacement contacts (IDCs)  88 , rear sled  90 , wire cap assembly  92  (which includes wire cap conductor holder  94 , conductive wire cap back  96 , and conductive strain relief clip  98 ).  FIG. 6  is an exploded front bottom isometric view of shielded RJ45 network jack  54 .  FIG. 7  is a rear top isometric exploded view of shielded RJ45 network jack  54 . 
       FIG. 8  is a front isometric view in the same orientation as that of  FIG. 6  of sled assembly  66 .  FIG. 9  is a rear isometric view in the same orientation as that of  FIG. 7  of sled assembly  66 .  FIG. 10  is an exploded front isometric view in the same orientation as that of  FIG. 8  of sled assembly  66 .  FIG. 11  is an exploded rear isometric view in the same orientation as that of  FIG. 9  of sled assembly  66 . Rigid-flex PCB  84  is divided into three sections, front rigid section  100 , middle flex section  102 , and rear rigid section  104 . 
     During assembly of sled assembly  66 , the first task is to secure the back sled holder  80  to rigid-flex PCB  84 . Back sled holder  80  includes an alignment post  106 , which aligns with an alignment hole  108  on front rigid section  100 . Comb ribs  110  on back sled holder  80  act to keep rear odd PICs  72  and rear even PICs  74  in respective slots. PIC mandrels  112  on back sled holder  80  act to control the bend radius of rear odd PICs  72  and rear even PICs  74 . Unlike typical mandrels for controlling bend radius control of PICs, PIC mandrels  112  extend within the RJ45 plug combs during the assembled state. Rear odd PICs  72  are secured to front rigid section  100  at a row of vias  115  and rear even PICs  74  are secured to front rigid section  100  at a row of vias  119  through the means of a soldered connection but other non-limiting means including a press fit connection may be used. Then to keep respective rear odd PICs  72  and rear even PICs  74  aligned rear PIC comb  82  is attached to back sled holder  80 , which has alignment combs  114 . This connection is made via snaps  116  on PIC comb  82  which align with pockets  118  on back sled holder  80 . 
     The next step is to slide middle sled holder  78  over front rigid section  100  and connect middle sled holder  78  to back sled holder  80 . Back sled holder  80  has latches  120  which align with receptive latch pockets  122  of middle sled holder  78 . Comb ribs  126  on middle sled holder  78  act to keep front odd PICs  68  and front even PICs  70  in respective slots. PIC mandrels  128  on middle sled holder  78  act to control the bend radius of front odd PICs  68  and front even PICs  70 . Unlike typical mandrels for controlling bend radius control of PICS, PIC mandrels  128  extends within the RJ45 plug combs during the assembled state. Front odd PICs  68  are secured to front rigid section  100  at vias  113  and front even PICs  70  are secured to front rigid section  100  at vias  117  through the means of a soldered connection but other non-limiting means including a press fit connection may be used. Rows of vias  113 ,  115 ,  117 , and  119  may all be different rows on front rigid section  100 . 
     Both middle sled holder  78  and rear sled holder  80  have respective flex support mandrels  132  and  134  that control the bend radius of middle flex section  102  as it transitions from front rigid section  100 . Both front odd PICs  68  and front even PICs  70  have a respective secondary bend  135  and  137  that helps reduce the chance of front odd PICs  68  and front even PICs  70  snagging when the plug is withdrawn. 
     The next step is to slide front sled holder  76  over front rigid section  100  and connect front sled holder  76  to middle sled holder  78 . Front sled holder  76  has latches  136  which align with receptive latch pockets  138  of middle sled holder  78 . Front sled holder  76  has PCB pocket  142 , which aligns with PCB notch  144  on front rigid section  100 , which serves dual purposes of providing more PCB routing space and added alignment. 
     Rear sled holder  80  includes guide rails  146  which align with respective guide slots  148  of jack housing  64 . Middle sled holder  78  includes guide rails  150  which align with respective guide slots  152  of jack housing  64 . 
     Rear sled holder  80  includes spring post  154  for alignment of spring  87  during final assembly. PCB support  86  includes spring hole  156 , which provides clearance for spring  87 . Rear rigid section  104  also include a PCB spring hole  157  for clearance of spring  87 . PCB support  86  includes a placement post  158  which aligns with placement hole  160  of rear rigid section  104 . Bend radius control mandrel  162  of rear sled holder  80 , controls the bend radius of middle flex section  102  as it transitions into rear rigid section  104 . In order to back up PCB support  86  during termination of cable  58  to IDCs  88 , multiple support features have been added. These support features include top support bar  164 , middle support arms  166 , and bottom support arms  168 . 
     IDCs  88  are terminated to vias  170  of rear rigid section  104  though a compliant pin termination but other non-limiting means of termination may be used such as soldering. Clearance holes  172  on PCB support  86  act as clearance for IDCs  88 . Clearance slits  174  of rear sled  90  act as clearance for IDCs  88 . Positioning posts  176  of rear sled  90  align with positioning cutouts  178  of rear rigid section  104 . Rear sled  90  includes spring post  180  for alignment of spring  87  during final assembly. Rear sled  90  includes flex spacer  182 , which controls the spacing between middle flex section  102  and conductive shield  62 . This controlled spacing is preferred for better impedance control within the middle flex section  102 , as if there was inconsistent spacing between middle flex section  102  and conductive shield  62 , electrical results would be more unpredictable. Rear sled  90  includes housing snaps  184  which align with snap pockets  186  of jack housing  64 . 
     Rear sled  90  includes alignment slots  188 , which align with grounding ribs  190  of conductive wire cap back  96 . Alignment slots  188  help to ensure that when inserting wire cap assembly  92  into rear sled  90 , proper alignment occurs before IDCs  88  engage with the conductors of cable  58 . Grounding pockets  192  of rear sled  90  provide clearance for grounding flanges  194  of conductive shield  62 , which during final assembly make an electromechanical connection with grounding ribs  190 . Grounding flanges  195  of conductive shield  62  also makes an electromechanical connection with conductive wire cap back  96  but is not constrained by rear sled  90 . Plug grounding flanges  196  and  197  make contact with the shield/conductive body of respective shielded RJ45 plug assemblies and provide an electrical bond. Reliably bonding all of the metal non-signal carrying components mitigates EMI susceptibility and enables shielding effectiveness that will meet the standards&#39; requirements. 
     In conventional RJ45 shielded solutions there are only two contact regions between the external shield of the plug and that of the jack, as this is all that is defined in IEC 60603-7-1:2011 and IEC 60603-7-7:2010. This contact region is on the side of the plug and jack comparable to the contact of plug grounding flanges  196 . However, as the operating frequency of the jack increases, complying with the shielding effectiveness requirements becomes more challenging. This is due to the fact that as the frequency of the signal increases, the impedance through any one shielding interface increases due to the inductance through the shielding contact. To ensure a low impedance shield connection through the connectivity, multiple contact locations between the plug and jack shield can be added to lower the overall inductance. In addition, higher frequency signals will pass through smaller and smaller openings, which in turn has a negative effect on the EMC performance of a cabling system. The addition of plug grounding flanges  197  creates a more comprehensive grounding connection around the port opening. In order to further reduce the opening size of conductive shield  62 , shield icon slot  198  and shield front latching slot  200  were both reduced so that the outer interface is covered by conductive shield  62 . 
     IDCs  88  of shielded RJ45 network jack  54  are arranged in a balanced manner to maintain acceptably low levels of internal pair-to-pair coupling. Additionally, IDCs  88  are spaced within each pair to maintain a predetermined impedance so as to not detrimentally affect return loss at the wire cap termination interface. 
       FIG. 12  is an exploded rear top isometric view of shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56 . Shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  includes front housing  202 , front combs  203 , conductive shell  204 , PCB assembly  206  (which includes plug contacts  208 , plug contacts  210 , plug contacts  212 , plug contacts  214 , PCB  216 , insulation piercing contacts (IPCs)  218 , shielded divider  220 , front load bar  222 , and rear load bar  224 ), rear conductive shell  226 , and bend radius control boot  228 .  FIG. 13  is an exploded rear bottom isometric view of shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56 .  FIG. 14  is a front top isometric exploded view of shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56 .  FIG. 15  is an exploded rear top isometric view of PCB assembly  206 . 
     During the assembly operation of shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  the first step places rear conductive shell  226  and bend radius control boot  228  over shielded cable  60 . During the assembly process front combs  203  attaches to conductive shell  204  through latches  230 , which aligns with pockets  236 . During the assembly process front housing  202  attaches to conductive shell  204  through latches  234 , which aligns with pockets  238 . 
     Once PCB assembly  206  is installed, latches  234  are trapped from backing out of pocket  238 . Relief slot  238  in conductive shell  204  acts as both clearance and an added tangle prevention feature for plug latch  240 . 
     During the assembly process of PCB assembly  206 , plug contacts  208 - 214  are placed into vias  242 ,  244 , and  246 . Vias  242 ,  244 , and  246  are positioned in different rows on PCB  216 . Plug contacts  208  and  210  attach to PCB  216  in a first row of vias  242 , plug contacts  214  attach to PCB  216  in a second row of vias  244 , and plug contacts  214  attach to PCB  216  in a third row of vias  246 . Plug contacts  208  may be generally T-shaped, plug contacts  210  may be generally C-shaped, and plug contacts  212  and  214  may be generally upside-down U-shaped. 
     Plug contacts  208 - 214  are shown with compliant pin connections but other non-limiting means such as soldering may be used for electrical and mechanical interfacing with PCB  216 . Unlike many vias in electrical connectors, vias  242 - 246  are routed such that at least some are not circular, instead they are oval. This is to increase the spacing between adjacent vias, while still allowing for a reliable compliant pin design. IPCs  218  are placed into IPC vias  248  and un-plated holes  250 . Shielded divider  220  slides into PCB slot  252 ; shielded divider  220  is secured in the assembly when front load bar  222  and rear load bar  224  are installed. 
     Electrical isolation of IPCs  218  is achieved through three means. The first mean is from foil over the pairs in cable  60 . This foil isolates coupling from the front row of conductors to the bottom, through PCB  216  as conductor pairs are no longer in foil when in rear load bar  224 . The second means is through isolation with shielded divider  220 , which mitigates coupling of adjacent pairs, specifically when no longer in foil. The third means of isolation is front to back separation of the front load bar  222  and rear load bar  224  such that no conductor pair that is not in foil runs on top of each other over PCB  216 . In order to insulate the foil from IPCs  218  and PCB  216 , a polyimide film may be placed over the board or the exposed areas of foil may be covered with a non-conductive material such as, but not limited to, heat shrink or tape. 
     The alignment of rear conductive shell  226  and conductive shell  204  is ensured by the alignment of posts  254  of conductive shell  204  and alignment slots  256  of rear conductive shell  226 . The length of alignment posts  254  helps strengthen and secure the crimp tooling. Engagement rib  258  on rear conductive shell  226  acts to secure bend radius control boot  228 . Embosses  260  of rear conductive shell  226  align clearance slots  262  which prevent rotation of bend radius control boot  228  during final assembly. 
       FIG. 16  is a detailed view of the plug contact region  16  taken from  FIG. 14 . Plug contacts  208  are associated with conductor  1 ,  2 ,  7 , and  8  where the conductor numbers correspond with EIA/TIA 568B numbering sequence. The conductors within an RJ45 plug are typically labelled  1 - 8 , in sequential order. The wiring of these cables to RJ45 connectors to make a straight through cable is defined by EIA/TIA 568B. When mated with shielded RJ45 network jack  54  plug contact  208   1  mates with both front odd PIC  68   1  and rear odd PIC  72   1  where the coefficients correspond with respective the EIA/TIA 568B numbering sequence. When mated with shielded RJ45 network jack  54  plug contact  208   2  mates with both front even PIC  70   2  and rear even PIC  74   2 . When mated with shielded RJ45 network jack  54  plug contact  208   7  mates with both front odd PIC  68   7  and rear odd PIC  72   7 . When mated with shielded RJ45 network jack  54  plug contact  208   8  mates with both front even PIC  70   8  and rear even PIC  74   8 . 
     Plug contacts  210  are associated with conductor  3 ,  4 ,  5 , and  6 , however instead of mating with multiple PICs, each plug contact  210  only mates with one PIC. When mated with shielded RJ45 network jack  54  plug contact  210   3  mates with rear odd PIC  72   3 . When mated with shielded RJ45 network jack  54  plug contact  210   4  mates with rear even PIC  74   4 . When mated with shielded RJ45 network jack  54  plug contact  210   5  mates with rear odd PIC  72   5 . When mated with shielded RJ45 network jack  54  plug contact  210   6  mates with rear even PIC  74   6 . 
     Plug contacts  212  are associated with conductors  3  and  6 , and also only mate with one PIC. When mated with shielded RJ45 network jack  54  plug contact  212   3  mates with front odd PIC  68   3 . When mated with shielded RJ45 network jack  54  plug contact  212   6  mates with front even PIC  70   6 . Plug contacts  214  are associated with conductors  4  and  5 , and also only mate with one PIC. When mated with shielded RJ45 network jack  54  plug contact  214   4  mates with front even PIC  70   4 . When mated with shielded RJ45 network jack  54  plug contact  214   5  mates with front odd PIC  68   5 . 
     The IEC-60603-7:2010 preferred electrical mating point location is typically considered roughly on the front radius of the plug contact. When shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  is mated with shielded RJ45 network jack  54  both rear odd PICs  72  and rear even PICs  74  mate in what would be defined as the IEC-60603-7:2010 preferred electrical mating point location. When shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  is mated with shielded RJ45 network jack  54  both front odd PICs  68  and front even PICs  70  mate on the flat of a plug surface which is out of the defined IEC-60603-7:2010 preferred electrical mating point location, but still can be used for mating. 
     To prevent snagging of either front odd PICs  68  or front even PICs  70  upon retraction of shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  from shielded RJ45 network jack  54 , the plug contact mating surface needs either be roughly flat or slope up into the plug combs so that upon withdrawing shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  there is no catch point. Also, the plug contact mating surface needs to be relatively continuous. As on at least some of the conductors there are multiple plug contacts, this surface is no longer continuous. Leveling rib  263  of front combs  203  acts as a surface to keep the gap between two plug contacts relatively continuous, specifically this is done between plug contacts  210  and plug contacts  212  as well as between plug contacts  210  and plug contacts  214 . Upon withdrawal of shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  from shielded RJ45 network jack  54 , front odd PICs  68  or front even PICs  70  would temporarily make contact with leveling ribs  263  of front combs  203 . 
       FIG. 17  is a cross-section taken from  FIG. 2  about section line  17 - 17  of the mated assembly of shielded RJ45 network jack  54  and shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56 , and respective cables  58  and  60 . There are two distinct planes of mating interface. Leading contact points  272  occur between rear odd PICs  72  and rear even PICs  74  and respective plug contacts  208  and plug contacts  210 . Trailing contact points  274  occur between front odd PICs  68  and front even PICs  70  and respective plug contacts  208 , plug contacts  212 , and plug contacts  214 . 
       FIG. 18  is a top isometric view of mated assembly of shielded RJ45 network jack  54  and shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  and respective cables  58  and  60  in an over-travel state. The over-travel state allows for insertion of RJ45 plug assembly  56  into shielded RJ45 network jack  54 . RJ45 plug assembly  56  is approximately 0.032″ further inserted into RJ45 network jack  54  as compared to the mating state shown in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 19  is a cross-section view, taken along section line  19 - 19  of  FIG. 18  across the mating interface of shielded RJ45 network jack  54  and shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  in the over-travel state. The relative positioning between the PICs and plug contacts does not change in the over-travel state, although leading contact points  272  and trailing contact points  274  translate accordingly with sled assembly  66 . Shielded RJ45 network jack  54  having sled assembly  66  being spring loaded provides another added benefit. It allows for greater separation between the front and the rear PICs while still being mechanically backwards compatible when conventional plugs are mated with shielded RJ45 network jack  54 . This is because in the over-travel state this approximately 0.032″ further insertion would cause both front odd PICs  68  and front even PICs  70  to fall off the back end of the plug contacts. 
       FIG. 20  is a top isometric view of mated assembly of shielded RJ45 network jack  54  and shielded RJ45 plug assembly  264  and respective cables  58  and  266  in the mated state.  FIG. 21  is a cross-section taken from  FIG. 20  about section line  21 - 21  of shielded RJ45 network jack  54  and shielded RJ45 plug assembly  264  and respective cables  58  and  266  in the mated state. It can be seen in  FIG. 21  that front odd PICs  68  and front even PICs  70  are on trailing edge  268  of plug contacts  270 . If shielded RJ45 plug assembly  264  were inserted an extra 0.032″ into the port of shielded RJ45 network jack  54  and sled assembly  66  was not allowed to translate accordingly that 0.032″, then front odd PICs  68  and front even PICs  70  may get behind trailing edge  268  and potentially get snagged and damaged. 
     The NEXT requirement between pairs 3-6 and 4-5 of a mated connector is the most difficult to satisfy. This is because the inherent crosstalk between pairs 3-6 and 4-5 in an RJ45 plug is the highest of all possible pair combinations. A traditional RJ45 plug and jack will have eight plug contacts arranged to mate with eight PICs in the jack at the plug/jack interface. The crosstalk compensation elements in a traditional RJ45 jack are positioned as close as possible to the plug/jack interface to minimize the distance between the crosstalk generation in the plug and the crosstalk compensation in the jack. For NEXT compensation between pairs 3-6 and 4-5, this is especially critical. 
     The ideal implementation of NEXT compensation in a traditional mated RJ45 connector will position the capacitive compensation directly at the plug/jack interface, for example through a stub connection. Inductive compensation is then positioned along the current paths within the jack either along the PICs or along the traces on a jack printed circuit board.  FIG. 22  is a vector plot showing the relative location in time of the crosstalk in the plug and the compensation elements in the jack for the high-quality NEXT compensation implementation in a traditional mated RJ45 connector. 
       FIG. 23 , illustrates a detailed view of the mating region between shielded RJ45 network jack  54  mated with shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56 , where the plug contacts of shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  are in contact with the PICs of shielded RJ45 network jack  54 . As shown in  FIG. 23 , shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  may include additional plug contacts  212   3 ,  214   4 ,  214   5 , and  212   6 , which are positioned along the transmission path of the 3-6 and 4-5 pairs on plug PCB  216 . These additional plug contacts are located earlier in time relative to the traditional plug contacts  210   3 ,  210   4 ,  210   5 , and  210   6  and are intended to mate with additional PICs  68   3 ,  70   4 ,  68   5 , and  70   6  located within shielded RJ45network jack  54 . By incorporating additional plug contacts and PICs into the connectivity, a second plug/jack interface  276  is created for the 3-6 and 4-5 pairs, which is located earlier in time relative to the traditional plug/jack interface  278 . Capacitive compensation  286  in the jack, connected close to the second plug/jack interface  276 , reduces and potentially eliminates the delay between the overall crosstalk in the plug and the capacitive compensation in the jack. 
     Similarly, the delay between the crosstalk in the plug and the inductive compensation in the jack can also be reduced or possibly eliminated. The current flow through a traditional mated connector propagates from the cable, through the plug and plug contacts, across the plug/jack interface, through the PICs, and along the transmission paths in the jack to the jack IDCs. By connecting the additional PICs  68   3 ,  70   4 ,  68   5 , and  70   6  to the traditional PICs  72   3 ,  74   4 ,  72   5 , and  74   6  through jack rigid-flex PCB  84  for the 3-6 and 4-5 pairs, a second current path  280  ( FIG. 26 ) across the second plug/jack interface  276  is created. Consider a signal propagating along conductor  3  of pair 3-6 from the plug toward the jack from the perspective of  FIG. 26  which is a side view of the mated connectivity. When the signal propagating through the plug reaches the additional plug contact  212   3  at location  292   3  shown in  FIG. 26 , a portion of the current will flow through the additional plug contacts, across the second plug/jack interface  276 , through the additional front odd PIC  68   3 , and into jack rigid-flex PCB  84 . A portion of the current will continue to propagate along the traditional current path  282   3  through plug PCB  216  and traditional plug contact  210   3 , across the traditional plug/jack interface, through the traditional rear odd PIC  72   3 , and into jack rigid-flex PCB  84 . Within jack rigid-flex PCB  84 , the parallel current paths are recombined into a single transmission path at or after the location where the traditional PICs engage jack rigid-flex PCB  84  shown as location  294   3  in  FIG. 26 . Similarly, parallel current paths are implemented for conductors  4 ,  5 , and  6  across the plug jack mating interfaces. Inductive compensation  284  is now being implemented on jack rigid-flex PCB  84  along the parallel current path between the additional PICs  68   3 ,  70   4 ,  68   5 ,  70   6  and the traditional PICs  72   3 ,  74   4 ,  72   5 ,  74   6 . In this arrangement, the delay between the crosstalk in the plug and the inductive compensation in the jack is significantly reduced and potentially eliminated.  FIG. 24  is a vector plot showing the relative location in time of the crosstalk in the plug and the compensation elements in the jack. Comparing the vector plots of  FIG. 22  and  FIG. 24 , it is evident that the embodiments of the present invention can provide a significant improvement in the mated NEXT performance for pairs 3-6 and 4-5. This technique can be implemented for NEXT compensation of any possible pair combination if needed. 
       FIG. 25  is a schematic view of the parallel current paths  280  and  282  when shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  and shielded RJ45 network jack  54  are mated.  FIG. 25  shows the intentional interactions between pair 3-6 and pair 4-5. Such interactions can be applied to other pair combinations to improve performance. The differential transmission path  288  of pair 3-6 beginning in plug PCB  216  is represented by discrete components L 3 PCB, L 6 PCB, and C 36 PCB. The differential transmission path  290  of pair 4-5 beginning in the plug PCB  216  is represented by discrete components L 4 PCB, LSPCB, and C 45 PCB. The implementation of these transmission paths is shown in  FIG. 34  which is a top view of the 3-6 and 4-5 pairs on plug PCB  216 . 
     Traditional current path  282  continues from differential transmission paths  288  and  290  through plug PCB  216  toward the nose of the plug and the traditional plug/jack interface  278 . Along this path, inductive and capacitive crosstalk is introduced to produce the appropriate amount of NEXT and FEXT between pairs 3-6 and 4-5 in the plug. A portion of this crosstalk can be seen in  FIG. 25  as inductive coupling M 34 _ 1 , M 56 _ 1  and C 34 _PCB 2 , C 56 _PCB 2  which is implemented on the plug PCB  216  shown in  FIG. 34 . Another portion of the required crosstalk in the plug is introduced by the traditional plug contacts  210   3 ,  210   4 ,  210   5 , and  210   6 . The coupling between these plug contacts is represented in  FIG. 25  by inductive coupling M 34 _ 2  and M 56 _ 2  along with the capacitive coupling C 34 _Cont and C 56 _Cont. Plug contacts  210   3 ,  210   4 ,  210   5 , and  210   6  mate with the traditional PICs  72   3 ,  74   4 ,  72   5 , and  74   6  respectively at the traditional plug jack interface  278 . Discrete components L 3 _PIC, L 6 _PIC, and C 36 _PIC represent PICs  72  and components L 4 _PIC, L 5 _PIC, and C 45 _PIC represent PICs  74 . The crosstalk between the traditional PICs is represented by capacitors C 34 _PIC and C 56 _PIC, along with the inductive coupling M 34 _ 3  and M 56 _ 3 . The traditional plug contacts, traditional plug jack interface, and traditional PICs are also visible in  FIG. 23  which is a front trimetric view of the mated assembly for pairs 3-6 and 4-5. 
     The second current path  280  branches off from differential transmission paths  288  and  290  at location  292  through additional plug contacts  212   3 ,  214   4 ,  214   5 , and  212   6  towards the second plug/jack interface  276 . Additional plug contacts  212   3 ,  214   4 ,  214   5 , and  212   6  along with the coupling between the contacts are shown schematically in  FIG. 25 . Discrete components L 3 _Contact, L 6 _Contact, and C 36 _Cont represent plug contacts  212   3  and  212   6  and components L 4 Contact, L 5 Contact, and C 45 _Cont represent plug contacts  214   4  and  214   5 . The crosstalk between the additional plug contacts is represented by capacitors C 34 _Cont and C 56 _Cont, along with the inductive coupling M 34 _ 4  and M 56 _ 6 . Plug contacts  212   3 ,  214   4 ,  214   5 , and  212   6  mate with the additional PICs  68   3 ,  70   4 ,  68   5 , and  70   6  respectively at the second plug jack interface  276 . Discrete components L 3 _PIC 2 , L 6 _PIC 2 , and C 36 _PIC 2  represent PICs  68   3  and  70   6  and components L 4 _PIC 2 , L 5 _PIC 2 , and C 45 _PIC 2  represent PICs  70   4  and  68   5 . The crosstalk between the additional PICs is represented by capacitors C 34 _PIC 2  and C 56 _PIC 2 , along with the inductive coupling M 34 _ 5  and M 56 _ 5 . The additional plug contacts, second plug jack interface, and additional PICs are also visible in  FIG. 23  which is a front trimetric view of the mated assembly for pairs 3-6 and 4-5. Continuing along the second current path in  FIG. 25 , capacitive compensation and inductive compensation are represented by discrete components C 35 _Comp, C 46 _Comp, and inductive coupling M 35  and M 46 . These elements are implemented on jack rigid-flex PCB  84  and can be seen in  FIG. 23  as well as in  FIG. 27  which is a top view of jack rigid-flex PCB  84  showing the trace arrangement for creating inductive compensation. Positioning the inductive and capacitive compensation between the traditional plug jack mating interface and the second plug jack mating interface allows for improved NEXT performance at frequencies up to 2 GHz. These traces in  FIG. 27  complete the second current path  280  after which it is reunited with the traditional current path at location  294 . Beyond location  294 , the differential transmission paths for pair 3-6 and pair 4-5 are routed through jack PCB  84  with a controlled impedance to their respective IDCs  88  with negligible coupling between pairs. 
       FIG. 35  shows the mated NEXT response of the 36-45 pair combination with data markers at 100 MHz, 500 MHz, and 2 GHz, showing over 5 dB of margin across the whole operating frequency range over the entire range of plug characteristics from low to high. NEXT performance line  296  shows the 36-45 NEXT performance when the connector is mated to a “High” plug. NEXT performance line  298  shows the 36-45 NEXT performance when the connector is mated to a “Low” plug. 
       FIG. 28  is a top view of traces on the first layer of PCB  216 .  FIG. 29  is a top view of traces on the second layer of PCB  216 .  FIG. 30  is a top view of traces on the third layer of PCB  216 .  FIG. 31  is a top view of traces on the fourth layer of PCB  216 .  FIG. 32  is a top view of traces on the fifth layer of PCB  216 .  FIG. 33  is a top view of traces on the sixth layer of PCB  216 . 
     Power over Ethernet (PoE) allows a single cable to provide both electrical power and data connections, which eliminates the need for additional power cables and devices such as transformers and AC outlets. Some non-limiting examples of PoE devices include Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless access points, network routers, switches, industrial devices (controllers, meters, sensors), nurse call stations, IP security cameras, televisions, LED lighting fixtures, remote point of sale kiosks, and physical security devices. PoE was launched into the market in 2003, standardized under IEEE 802.3af, and allowed for a power draw of 12.95 W and 350 mA per pair (Type 1). POE+ was launched into the market in 2009, standardized under IEEE 802.3at, and allowed for a power draw of 25.5 W and 600 mA per pair (Type 2). As the need for more and more power becomes apparent, non-standard applications such as Cisco&#39;s Universal Power over Ethernet (UPoE) at 60 W and Power over HDBaseT (100 W), with 1000 mA per pair of current capacity, have arisen. As of 2015 there is a proposed IEEE 802.3bt (PoE++) with 49 W (Type 3) to 100 W (Type 4) of power draw and 600 mA (Type 3) to 1000 mA (Type 4) per pair of power, expected to be available in 2016. In the future, there are potential applications that could require a current capacity of 1500 mA per pair or more. 
     However, with this new increase in power and standardization of PoE, many connectors were not previously mechanically designed for durability under this electrical load. In a PoE application upon disconnection of the plug and jack connector there is an electrical discharge that can damage the plug and jack mating interface. This electrical discharge can be seen as an electrical arc (spark) or a corona discharge. A spark is a fast, single event that is time independent and may cause a large distinct crater on either the plug contacts or the PICs of the jack module, or both. A corona discharge is a relatively slower event that is time dependent, has multiple events, and causes many shallow craters or pits that erode either the plug contacts or the PICs of the jack module, or both. These effects are worsened after multiple insertions as erosion caused by mechanical abrasion also damages the plug/jack mating interface. IEC 60603-7, requires a minimum of 750 plug insertions into a jack module. Many vendors test to a higher amount of insertion cycles as for some applications 750 plug insertions is relatively low. The effects of this damage are seen in the form of physical damage, electrical interface degradation, and over time, corrosion on the contacts. To quantify these effects, IEC developed test methods IEC 60512-9-3 and IEC 60512-99-001 (Arcing Test Method Standards). 
       FIG. 36  is a top isometric view of mated assembly of shielded RJ45 network jack  54  and shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  and respective cables  58  and  60  in a pre-release state. The pre-release state is the state where all PICs within RJ45 network jack  54  are still in contact with the plug contacts of shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  are still in electrical contact. In the pre-release state, sled assembly  66  is in a fully forward state approximately 0.021″ forward from the mated state. This state is the same as the initial insertion state just prior to translating sled assembly  66 .  FIG. 37  is a cross-section view, taken along section line  37 - 37  from  FIG. 36  across the mating interface of shielded RJ45 network jack  54  and shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  in the pre-release state. 
       FIG. 38  is a top isometric view of mated assembly of shielded RJ45 network jack  54  and shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  and respective cables  58  and  60  in a partial-release state. The partial-release state is the state where all rear odd PICs  72  and rear even PICs  74  have disconnected from respective plug contacts, but front odd PICS  68  and front even PICS  70  are still in contact with respective plug contacts of shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56 . In the partial-release state, sled assembly  66  is in the fully forward state approximately 0.021″ forward from the mated state.  FIG. 39  is a cross-section view, taken along section line  39 - 39  from  FIG. 38  across the mating interface of shielded RJ45 network jack  54  and shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  in the pre-release state. In this pre-release state, no electrical discharge has occurred due to a disconnection as there is still a current path through the shielded RJ45 network jack  54  although one of the current paths has been broken. 
       FIG. 40  is a top isometric view of mated assembly of shielded RJ45 network jack  54  and shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  and respective cables  58  and  60  in a released state. The release state is a state where all rear odd PICs  72  and rear even PICs  74  have disconnected from respective plug contacts, and front odd PICS  68  and front even PICS  70  are just about to release from respective plug contacts of shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  if any more retraction of shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  is done. In the release state sled assembly  66  is in the fully forward state approximately 0.021″ forward from the mated state.  FIG. 41  is a cross-section view, taken along section line  41 - 41  from  FIG. 40  across the mating interface of shielded RJ45 network jack  54  and shielded RJ45 plug assembly  56  in the release state. In the release state, an electrical discharge occurs roughly at discharge point  376  due to a disconnection as the current path through the shielded RJ45 network jack  54  has been broken. No electrical discharge ever occurs on rear odd PICs  72  and rear even PICs  74  as they are never the last point of connection. 
     Note that cable  58  and  60  are shown as shielded cable but may be any other non-limiting form of cable including, but not limited to, F/UTP or UTP cabling. Also, although shielded RJ45 network jack  54  utilizes multiple PICs per each conductor, variations of this can be done such as just utilizing multiple PICs per each conductor on conductor pairs 3-6 and 4-5. 
     Note that while the present disclosure includes several embodiments, these embodiments are non-limiting, and there are alterations, permutations, and equivalents, which fall within the scope of this invention. Additionally, the described embodiments should not be interpreted as mutually exclusive, and should instead be understood as potentially combinable if such combinations are permissive. It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure. It is therefore intended that claims that may follow be interpreted as including all such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure.