Patent ID: 6863549

Claim:
A connector for providing a connection between differential signal circuits, wherein each differential signal circuit includes a pair of differential signal conductors and two associated ground conductors, the connector comprising: an electrically insulative housing, the housing having a plurality of terminal-receiving cavities disposed in said housing, the terminal-receiving cavities being disposed in a pattern within said housing for supporting electrically conductive terminals in at least first and second distinct rows within said housing; a plurality of electrically conductive terminals supported in some of said terminal-receiving cavities of said housing, said terminals including at least one distinct terminal set that includes a pair of differential signal terminals and at least two associated ground reference terminals, the pair of differential signal terminals of the one terminal set being disposed in terminal-receiving cavities in said first row and the two ground reference terminals of the one terminal set being disposed in terminal-receiving cavities in said second row, said two ground reference terminals of said one terminal set being further interconnected to cooperatively define a common ground path for said pair of differential signal terminals; and, said pair of differential signal terminals having a empty terminal-receiving cavity interposed between such that said differential signal terminals are spaced apart a first distance and said differential signal terminals are spaced apart from said two associated ground terminals a second distance, the first distance being greater than the second distance.