Patent ID: 7300307

Claim:
A universal multi-port jack assembly, comprising: a multi-port electrical connector housing having a plurality of housing ports adjacent a mating face of said connector housing; a plurality of electrical connection devices positioned with first mating contact portions adjacent said mating face, and adapted for mating engagement with a plurality of electrical connectors in said housing ports, and a plurality of second mating contact portions extending rearwardly in a common patterned configuration; a main board positioned adjacent to a rear of said connector housing and having a first common electrical interface, being electrically interconnected to said second mating contact portions, said main board further comprising a second common electrical interface being electrically connectable with a third common electrical interface on a motherboard; said main board having any one of a plurality of configurations, wherein said plurality of configurations include: a first configuration wherein said main board is circuit traces only, said main board functioning to electrically interconnect said plurality of electrical connection devices to said mother board through a first designated subset of said second and third common electrical interface; a second configuration wherein said main board has circuit traces for electrically interconnecting said plurality of electrical connection devices to said mother board through a first designated subset of said second and third common electrical interface, and said main board is enabled to receive conditioned electrical power signals for power over ethernet through a second designated subset of said second and third common electrical interface; and a third configuration wherein said main board has circuit traces for electrically interconnecting said plurality of electrical connection devices to said mother board through a first designated subset of said second and third common electrical interface, and said main board further comprises an electrical connector interconnected to said main board, and wherein a further power over ethernet conditioning board may be connectable directly therewith, whereby said main board is adapted to receive unconditioned electrical power signals for power over ethernet through said second designated subset of said second and third common electrical interface, and route them through the further power over ethernet conditioning board, and then through said first mating contact portions.