Patent ID: 8491313

Claim:
A connector, comprising: an insulative portion and a plurality of conductive elements, each of the plurality of conductive elements comprising a beam extending from the insulative portion, the beams being disposed in a plurality of columns, each column comprising a first beam and a second beam, wherein: the first beam is associated with a first conductive element configured as a ground conductor; the first beam comprises a first contact region near a distal end of the first beam, the first contact region having a first width; the second beam is associated with a second conductive element configured as a signal conductor; the second beam comprises a second contact region near a distal end of the second beam, the second contact region having a second width larger than the first width; the connector is a first connector, the insulative portion is a first insulative portion, and the plurality of conductive elements is a first plurality of conductive elements; the first connector is in combination with a second connector adapted to mate with the first connector, the second connector comprising a second insulative portion and a second plurality of conductive elements, each of the second plurality of conductive elements comprising a pad extending from the second insulative portion, the pads being disposed in a plurality of columns, each column comprising a first pad and a second pad; the first pad is associated with a third conductive element configured as a ground conductor; the first pad comprises a third contact region adapted to make electrical contact with the first contact region of the first beam, the third contact region having a third width; the second pad is associated with a fourth conductive element configured as a signal conductor; and the second pad comprises a fourth contact region adapted to make electrical contact with the second contact region of the second beam, the fourth contact region having a fourth width smaller than the third width; the first connector further comprises a third beam, the third, first, and second beams being arranged in a sequence; and the third width of the third contact region of the first pad is wider than a distance between the third and first beams, so that the third contact region is capable of making electrical connection with the third and first beams simultaneously.