Patent ID: 7004767

Claim:
A high-speed connector for connecting at least one cable to a mating connector, the cable having a plurality of signal conductors and at least one grounding conductors therein, comprising: a holder for holding a free end of the cable in a preselected position; a plurality of conductive signal terminals and one ground terminal, each signal and ground terminal including a termination end and a contact end disposed at opposite ends of the terminal for terminating to said cable signal and ground conductors; an insulative housing formed from interengaging upper and lower body portions, the housing having a mating face for mating with the mating connector and a cable face for engaging said cable, the upper and lower body portions cooperatively holding the cable holder and said terminals in place within the housing, the upper body portion having an upper grounding hole extending through said upper body portion, the lower body portion including a lower grounding hole extending through the lower body portion; said housing further including a plurality of mating openings formed along the mating face thereof, each of the mating openings communicating with a single terminal of said connector; and, a grounding shell substantially surrounding the upper and lower body portions of said housing and including a plurality of openings formed by connective bridges that extend between an upper plate and a lower plate of the grounding shell, the plurality of openings formed thereby corresponding to and aligned with said housing mating openings, said grounding shell further including grounding arms that electrically and mechanically contact said grounding terminal within said housing, thereby providing a grounded shell substantially enclosing said connector, at least one of the grounding arms of the grounding shell is in electrical and mechanical contact with the grounding terminal so as to maintain the grounding shell at a reference potential thereby providing an electrical shield that substantially surrounds signal terminals enclosed in said connector.