Patent ID: 8287322

Claim:
An electrical connector system comprising: a backplane connector comprising a housing and a plurality of contacts held by the housing of the backplane connector, the housing of the backplane connector being configured to be mounted to a backplane circuit board, the contacts of the backplane connector having mounting ends being configured to be terminated to the backplane circuit board, the contacts of the backplane connector having mating ends opposite the mounting ends; a daughtercard connector comprising a housing and a plurality of contacts held by the housing of the daughter card connector, the housing of the daughter card connector being configured to be mounted to a daughtercard circuit board, the contacts of the daughter card connector being configured to be terminated to the daughtercard circuit board; and interface contacts separately provided from, and mounted to, the contacts of either the backplane connector or the daughtercard connector, the interface contacts having bases mounted to the corresponding contacts, the interface contacts having spring beams extending from the bases, the spring beams being configured to engage corresponding contacts of the other backplane connector or daughtercard connector when the backplane connector and daughtercard connector are mated together.