Patent ID: 7037138

Claim:
A terminal assembly for use in transmitting differential signal between two electronic components, comprising: at least two pairs of conductive terminals, each of the pairs including two, differential signal terminals; an insulative support formed from a dielectric material and supporting the pairs of terminals in an arrangement where the two differential signal terminal pairs are aligned together in the support, the support having a plurality of distinct sides; said terminals each including tail portions that are exposed along a first one of the distinct sides for connection to traces on a circuit board, contact portions that are exposed along a second side of said distinct sides, terminal body portions interconnecting the tail and contact portions together and defining a signal path through said support, said support including a skeletal framework which spaces terminals of each differential signal pair apart from each other and which aligns said terminals of said differential signal pairs with each other, the skeletal framework including at least one slot disposed in one of said first and second distinct sides of said framework, the slot extending in a preselected distance into said framework, said slot partially separating said differential signal terminal pairs from each other within said framework, said skeletal framework including a plurality of openings defined therein that expose portions of said terminal body portions, the openings being aligned with said terminal body portions in a path between said terminal tail and contact portions, said first and second sides of said framework being spaced apart from each other and extending parallel to each other, said terminal body portions extending linearly within said support between said terminal tail and contact portions.