Patent ID: 7427218

Claim:
A communications connector having a plurality of signal carrying paths, the communications connector comprising: a printed circuit board that includes a plurality of contact pads, a plurality of output terminals, and a plurality of conductive paths that connect at least some of the plurality of contact pads to respective ones of the plurality of output terminals; and a plurality of contacts, each contact having a plug contact region, a pad contact region that is arranged to mate with a respective one of the plurality of contact pads, and a signal carrying segment that connects the plug contact region and the pad contact region; wherein a first of the plurality of signal carrying paths extends from the plug contact region of a first of the plurality of contacts to a first of the plurality of output terminals; wherein the first of the plurality of signal carrying paths includes the signal carrying segment of the first of the plurality of contacts, a first of the plurality of contact pads and a first of the plurality of conductive paths; and wherein the signal carrying segment of the first of the plurality of contacts is staggered with respect to the signal carrying segment of another of the plurality of contacts that is directly adjacent to the first of the plurality of contacts.