Patent ID: 7438556

Claim:
An electrical interconnection system comprising: a first printed circuit board; a second printed circuit board for cross connecting with the first printed circuit board, the second printed circuit board having a first row of conductive pads and a second row of conductive pads along a cross connecting direction of the two boards, the first and second rows of conductive pads being offset a first distance from each other along the cross connecting direction; and a connector mounted on the first board and actuatable to effectuate an electrical connection between the two boards, the connector comprising an insulative housing defining a plurality of passageways and a plurality of contacts inserted in corresponding passageways, the contacts comprising a plurality of first contacts each having a first contacting end arranged in a row along the cross connecting direction and a plurality of second contacts each having a second contacting end arranged in a row along the cross connecting direction, the two rows of first and second contacting ends being offset along the cross connecting direction a second distance shorter than the first distance, the row of first contacting ends being in contact with the first row of conductive pads prior to the row of second contacting ends being in contact with the second row of conductive pads, when the second printed circuit board is cross connected to the first printed circuit board.