Lightweight, low cost, high density electrical connectors are disclosed
that provide impedance controlled, high-speed, low interference communications,
even in the absence of shields between the contacts, and that provide for a variety
of other benefits not found in prior art connectors, such as low insertion loss.
Signal contacts and ground contacts within the connectors can be scaled and positioned
relative to one another such that a differential signal in a first differential
signal pair produces a high field in the gap between the contacts that form the
signal pair and a low field near an adjacent signal pair. Consequently, cross talk
between adjacent signal contacts can be limited to acceptable levels for the particular
application. In such connectors, the level of cross talk between adjacent signal
contacts can be limited to the point that the need for (and cost of) shields between
adjacent contacts is unnecessary, even in high speed, high signal integrity applications.