Electric connector and assembly thereof

Abstract

An electric connector comprises a terminal module, the terminal module comprises an insulation body, a plurality of signal terminals, a grounding piece and a cable which is electrically connected with the signal terminals and the grounding piece and extends along a first direction, the plurality of signal terminals are arranged in pairs along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and are arranged in a row, the grounding piece comprises a plurality of grounding pieces arranged on the two sides of each pair of signal terminals respectively and a common grounding piece connected with the grounding pieces, and the cable comprises a signal conductor pair connected with each pair of signal terminals and a conductive layer electrically connected with the grounding pieces. Each grounding piece comprises a first grounding part which extends from one side of the insulation body to the matching direction and exceeds the signal terminal, and the signal terminal comprises a first contact part which is connected with a signal conductor of the cable and a second contact part which is connected with the matching connector. The first contact portion and the second contact portion are both located in a plane perpendicular to the first direction.

Description

[Technical Field] This invention relates to an electrical connector and its components, and more particularly to an electrical connector and its components capable of transmitting high-speed differential signals. [Background Technology] US Patent 11616313B discloses a structure for connecting cable conductors to signal pads disposed in a signal layer of a board, wherein each conductor is laser-welded to a support via, and the support via is connected to the signal pad via short traces. A base can be provided to connect the cable shielding layer to a grounding pad or ground plane on the board. US Patent 9735495B discloses a cable connector assembly including a cable connector, a complementary connector connected to the cable connector, and a substrate for mounting the complementary connector. The cable connector includes multiple lead frame assemblies, each lead frame assembly including a housing, multiple electrical contacts held within the housing, and a shield. The electrical contacts are elongated structures extending parallel to the cable direction, with one end connected to the cable and the other end mating with the complementary connector. US Patent 9455534B discloses a cable connector comprising an insulating base with multiple openings and multiple signal pair units housed within the base. Each signal pair unit includes a pair of elongated conductive terminals, a support frame supporting the conductive terminals, and a grounding shield connected to the support frame. The conductive terminals extend parallel to the mating direction, with one end connected to a cable and the other end connected to a mating connector. The connector in the aforementioned patent has limited space utilization. Therefore, an improved connector design is necessary. [Summary of the Invention] The main objective of this invention is to provide an improved electrical connector whose design effectively enhances space utilization, provides stable signal transmission, and effectively controls crosstalk.

[0001] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention can adopt the following technical solution: an electrical connector that can be connected to a mating connector, the electrical connector including an insulating shell and a terminal module disposed within the insulating shell, the terminal module including an insulating body, a plurality of signal terminals and a grounding element fixed to the insulating body, and a cable extending along a first direction electrically connected to the signal terminals and the grounding element, the plurality of signal terminals being arranged in pairs and in a row along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the grounding element including a plurality of grounding plates respectively disposed on both sides of each pair of signal terminals and a common grounding plate connected to the plurality of grounding plates, the cable including a signal conductor pair connected to each pair of signal terminals and a conductive layer electrically connected to the grounding plate, each grounding plate including a first grounding portion extending from one side of the insulating body toward the mating direction and extending beyond the signal terminal, the signal terminal including a first contact portion connected to the signal conductor of the cable and a second contact portion connected to the mating connector, the first contact portion and the second contact portion being located in a plane perpendicular to the first direction.

[0002] Another major objective of this invention is to provide an improved electrical connector that effectively enhances space utilization, provides stable signal transmission, and effectively controls crosstalk.

[0003] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention can adopt the following technical solution: an electrical connector, which can be connected to a circuit board, includes an insulating shell, a plurality of terminals fixed in the insulating shell, and a plurality of grounding shields fixed in the insulating shell. The terminals are arranged in pairs, including a first terminal and a second terminal for transmitting a pair of differential signals. The grounding shields are arranged around the first terminal and the second terminal. The insulating body includes a bottom wall and side walls disposed around the bottom wall. The bottom wall and the side walls together form a receiving space for accommodating the mating connector. The bottom wall has a plurality of through holes. The grounding shields include a plurality of first grounding shields extending from one side of the bottom wall in the mating direction and exceeding the first terminal and the second terminal. The first terminal includes a first elastic arm and a first connecting portion exposed at both ends of the through hole. The second terminal includes a second elastic arm and a second connecting portion exposed at both ends of the through hole. The ends of the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm are respectively provided with a first mating portion and a second mating portion that can contact the corresponding terminals of the mating connector. The first mating portion and the second mating portion are both located in the same plane parallel to the bottom wall.

[0004] Another major objective of this invention is to provide an improved electrical connector assembly that effectively improves space utilization, provides stable signal transmission, and effectively controls crosstalk.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention can adopt the following technical solution: an electrical connector assembly, comprising a circuit board, an electrical connector connected to the circuit board, and a first connector connected to the electrical connector. The electrical connector includes an insulating housing and mating terminals arranged in pairs in a plurality of rows and columns and fixed in the insulating housing. The first connector includes a plurality of stacked terminal modules. Each terminal module includes an insulating body, a plurality of signal terminals fixed to the insulating body, and a cable extending along a first direction connected to the signal terminals. The plurality of signal terminals are arranged in pairs and in a row along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The mating terminals of the electrical connector include an elastic arm exposed from one end of the insulating housing and a solder pad exposed from the other end of the insulating housing and connected to the circuit board. The free end of the elastic arm of the electrical connector is provided with a mating portion connected to the first connector. The mating portion is located in the same plane parallel to the circuit board. The signal terminals of the first connector include a first contact portion connected to the cable and a second contact portion connected to the mating portion of the electrical connector. The first contact portion and the second contact portion are both located in the same plane perpendicular to the mating direction of the first connector and the electrical connector.

[0006] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are as follows: The design of the first connector in the present invention improves space utilization, has a smaller terminal size, and can also meet the requirement of reducing the spacing between the two signal conductors according to design needs. At the same time, the design of the electrical connector is adapted to the design of the first connector, which also maximizes space utilization, and the signal transmission is stable and crosstalk can be effectively controlled. [Attached Image Description] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the electrical connector assembly of the present invention, wherein other connectors are also provided on the circuit board.

[0007] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of the first connector and the electrical connector in the electrical connector assembly shown.

[0008] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of the first connector.

[0009] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A further exploded view of the first connector shown.

[0010] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A perspective view of the two terminal modules of the first connector shown.

[0011] Figure 6 yes Figure 5A perspective view of the two terminal modules of the first connector from another angle.

[0012] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 A perspective view of one terminal module of the first connector shown.

[0013] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 An exploded view of one terminal module of the first connector shown.

[0014] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 An exploded view and a partial enlarged view of another terminal module of the first connector shown.

[0015] Figure 10 yes Figure 9 An exploded view of one terminal module of the first connector shown.

[0016] Figure 11 yes Figure 2 The diagram shows a 3D view and a magnified partial view of the electrical connector.

[0017] Figure 12 yes Figure 2 A perspective view and a magnified view of a portion of the electrical connector shown.

[0018] Figure 13 yes Figure 11 The diagram shows a perspective view and a partial enlarged view of the electrical connector, in which the insulating shell has been removed.

[0019] Figure 14 yes Figure 12 The diagram shows a perspective view and a partial enlarged view of the electrical connector from another angle, in which the insulating shell has been removed.

[0020] Figure 15 yes Figure 11 A perspective view of a pair of terminals of the electrical connector shown.

[0021] Figure 16 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a partial enlarged view of the electrical connector assembly, in which the insulating housings of the electrical connector and the first connector have been removed.

[0022] Figure 17 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a partial cross-sectional view of the electrical connector assembly along the AA direction.

Detailed Implementation Methods

[0023] Please see Figures 3 to 10 As shown, the first connector 100 includes an insulating shell 101 and a plurality of terminal modules 102 stacked vertically within the insulating shell 101. Each terminal module 102 includes an insulating body 110, a plurality of signal terminals 120 integrally formed with the insulating body 110, a grounding component 130, and cables 140 extending along a first direction corresponding to and connected to the signal terminals 120 and the grounding component 130. The plurality of signal terminals 120 are arranged in pairs along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, including a first signal terminal 121 and a second signal terminal 122 for transmitting a pair of differential signals. In this embodiment, the first connector 100 has 12 terminal modules stacked vertically, each terminal module 102 including 12 pairs of signal terminals. In other embodiments, the number of terminal modules 102 and the number of signal terminals 120 can be designed according to specific requirements. The grounding component 130 includes grounding plates 131 disposed on both sides of each pair of signal terminals 120 and common ground plates 132 connected to the plurality of grounding plates 131. The cable 140 includes a plurality of groundless biaxial cables 141 arranged in a row. Each biaxial cable 141 includes two signal conductors 1411 connected to each pair of signal terminals 120 and a conductive layer 1412 disposed outside the two signal conductors 1411 and electrically connected to the grounding plate 131.

[0024] The insulating body 110 includes a main body 111 holding the signal terminal 120 and the grounding piece 131, and side portions 112 disposed on both sides of the main body 111. The signal terminal 120 includes a first contact portion 1201 connected to the signal conductor 141 and a second contact portion 1202 disposed at an angle to the first contact portion 1201 and connected to the electrical connector 200. The first contact portion 1201 and the second contact portion 1202 are completely embedded in the main body 111 and are both located in the same plane perpendicular to the first direction. The first contact portion 1201 has a circular through-hole structure. After the signal conductor 1411 passes through the through-hole, the signal conductor pair 141 is mechanically and electrically connected to the first contact portion 1201 by welding. In this embodiment, the signal conductor pair is laser welded to the first contact portion. In other embodiments, other welding methods may also be used. The second contact portion 1202 is elongated. The second contact portions 1202 and 1203 of the two signal terminals 120 arranged in pairs are parallel to each other and extend obliquely from the corresponding first contact portion 1201 in opposite directions. In this way, the design of the signal terminal maximizes space utilization. The contact between the cable and the first contact portion 1201 of the signal terminal 120 is naturally matched. Moreover, if the spacing between the two signal conductors needs to be reduced according to design requirements, this design can also meet the requirements.

[0025] Each grounding plate 131 includes a first grounding portion 1311 and a second grounding portion 1312. The first grounding portion 1311 extends from one side of the insulating body 110 in the mating direction and extends beyond the signal terminal 120. The second grounding portion 1312 extends from the other side of the insulating body in the cable direction and connects to the common ground plate 132. The common ground plate 132 includes a first common ground plate 1321 and a second common ground plate 1322 respectively disposed on the upper and lower sides of the biaxial cable 141. The first common ground plate 1321 and the second common ground plate 1322 are respectively held by an insulating block and have the same structure. Each of them includes a plurality of spaced sub-common ground plates 1323 and a base 1324 connecting each of the sub-common ground plates. Each of the sub-grounding plates 1323 is disposed between two adjacent second grounding portions 1312. The base 1324 has outwardly protrusions 1325 on both sides. The two sides 112 of the insulating body 110 have grooves 113 that can receive the protrusions 1324. The first grounding plate 1321 and the second grounding plate 1322 are fixed to the insulating body 110 through the cooperation of the protrusions 1325 and the grooves 113. Each second grounding portion 1312 has two upper and lower sliding grooves 1313 on both its inner and outer sides. Each sub-grounding plate 1323 is fixedly connected between two adjacent second grounding portions 1312 through the sliding grooves 1313.

[0026] The biaxial cable 141 includes a first conductive sheet 1413 and a second conductive sheet 1414 connected to the conductive layer 1412. The first conductive sheet 1413 extends from the middle position of the upper side of the conductive layer 1412 toward the main body 111, folds upward, and continues to extend toward the cable, forming a U-shaped structure with a first opening 1423. The sub-ground sheet 1323 of the first ground sheet 1321 enters through the first opening 1423 to connect with the first conductive sheet 1413. The second conductive sheet 1414 extends from the middle position of the lower side of the conductive layer 1412 toward the main body 111, folds downward, and continues to extend toward the cable, forming a U-shaped structure with a second opening. The sub-ground sheet 1323 of the second ground sheet 1322 enters through the second opening to connect with the second conductive sheet 1414. The first conductive sheet 1413 and the second conductive sheet 1414 can be integrally manufactured with the conductive layer 1412, or they can be manufactured separately and then connected together. The conductive layer 1412, the first conductive sheet 1413, and the second conductive sheet 1414 are made of copper foil or aluminum foil. The connection between the sub-ground plate 1323 and the first conductive sheet 1413 and the second conductive sheet 1414 can be through abutment contact or laser welding. Thus, the second grounding portion 1312 of the grounding plate 131 and the first and second common ground plates 1321 and 1322 form multiple rectangular shielding spaces surrounding each pair of signal conductors 1411, reducing crosstalk at that location.

[0027] Each terminal module 102 has a structure on its side 112 of the insulating body 110 that can be fixed to the insulating bodies of adjacent terminal modules. Specifically, the upper side of the side 112 is provided with a positioning post 114 and a limiting block 115, and the lower side is provided with a positioning hole 116 and a limiting groove 117. When multiple terminal modules 102 are stacked on top of each other, the positioning post 114 and the limiting block 115 on the upper side are respectively fixedly installed in the positioning hole 116 and the limiting groove 117 of the adjacent terminal module on one side, and the positioning hole 116 and the limiting groove 117 on the lower side receive the positioning post 114 and the limiting block 115 of the adjacent terminal module on the other side. In this way, each terminal module 102 is tightly assembled together row by row and kept in the correct position. The main body 111 of the insulating body 110 has inward recessed structures on the upper and lower sides corresponding to the signal terminal 120. When multiple terminal modules 102 are stacked on top of each other, the recesses of two adjacent terminal modules 102 form a rectangular slot 118.

[0028] Please see Figures 11 to 15As shown, the electrical connector 200 includes an insulating housing 201, a plurality of terminals 210 fixed in the insulating housing 201, and a grounding shield 220 fixed in the insulating housing 201. The plurality of terminals 210 include a first terminal 211 and a second terminal 212 arranged in pairs for transmitting a pair of differential signals. The insulating housing 201 includes a bottom wall 202 and four side walls 203 disposed around the bottom wall 202. The bottom wall 202 and the four side walls 203 together enclose a receiving space 204 that can mate with the first connector. The bottom wall 202 is provided with paired through holes 205 for holding the terminals 210. The first terminal 211 and the second terminal 212 have the same structure and are arranged opposite to each other. The first terminal 211 includes a first main body portion 2111 held in the through hole 205, a second main body portion 2112 held in the through hole 205 and extending from the side edge of the first main body portion 2111, and a first elastic arm 2113 and a first connecting portion 2114 exposed from both sides of the first main body portion 2111 at both ends of the through hole. The first elastic arm 2113 extends upward at an angle to one side of the first main body portion 2111, and the first connecting portion 2114 extends upward perpendicular to the other side of the first main body portion 2111. The second terminal 212 includes a 2121 fixed to the first main body portion, a second main body portion 2122 bent and extended from the side edge of the first main body portion 2121 and fixed to the through hole 205, and a second elastic arm 2123 and a second connecting portion 2124 exposed from both sides of the first main body portion 2121 at both ends of the through hole. The second elastic arm 2123 extends downward at an angle to one side of the first main body portion 2121, and the second connecting portion 2124 extends downward perpendicular to the first main body portion 2121. Both the first elastic arm 2113 and the second elastic arm 2123 are exposed within the receiving space 204. The free ends of the first elastic arm 2113 and the second elastic arm 2123 are respectively provided with a first mating portion 2115 and a second mating portion 2125 that abut against and connect with the second contact portions 1202 and 1203 of the first connector 100. The first mating portion 2115 and the second mating portion 2125 are both located in the same plane parallel to the bottom wall 202. The first connecting part 2114 and the second connecting part 2124 are SMT (Surface Mount Technology) pads that are connected to the circuit board 500.

[0029] The perforations 205 are arranged in multiple rows and columns on the bottom wall 202, and multiple pairs of terminals 210 are arrayed in multiple rows and columns within the perforations 205. In this embodiment, the terminals 210 are arranged in a square, with 12 rows and 12 columns. In other embodiments, they can also be arranged in a 3*3, 6*6, or 8*8 pattern, and this application does not limit this. The grounding shield 220 includes multiple first grounding shields 221 and second grounding shields 222 arranged in rows and columns, and the multiple first grounding shields 221 and second grounding shields 222 form multiple shielding cavities surrounding each pair of terminals 210. In this embodiment, the grounding shield 220 includes 11 first grounding shields 221 arranged laterally and 13 second grounding shields 222 arranged longitudinally. Except for the terminals 210 in the first and last rows, which are surrounded by the first and second grounding shields 221 and 222 in three directions, the remaining terminals 210 are surrounded by the first and second grounding shields 221 and 222 in four directions. The first grounding shield 221 includes a pair of mating protrusions 223 extending into the receiving space 204. The bottom wall 202 has multiple channels 206 penetrating the bottom wall on both sides of each pair of terminals. The second grounding shield 222 has contact springs 224 exposed in the channels 206, each contact spring having a contact protrusion 225. The second grounding shield 222 also has multiple grounding feet 226 extending towards the circuit board 500 and connected to the circuit board 500.

[0030] Please see Figures 16 to 17 As shown, when the electrical connector 200 is mated with the first connector 100, the first mating portion 2115 and the second mating portion 2125 on one side of the electrical connector 200 abut against the second contact portions 1202 and 1203 of the first connector 100. The first grounding portion 1311 of the first connector 100 enters the channel 206 of the electrical connector 200 and contacts the contact protrusion 225 of the contact spring 224, establishing a longitudinal shielding wall between each pair of high-speed differential signals in the longitudinal direction. The mating protrusion 223 extends into the rectangular slot 118 between the two terminal modules 102 on the adjacent side of the first connector, establishing a transverse shielding wall between each pair of high-speed differential signals in the transverse direction. In this way, except for each pair of high-speed differential signals in the first and last rows which are surrounded by transverse and longitudinal shielding walls in three directions, each other pair of high-speed differential signals is completely surrounded by a shielding box formed by the combination of longitudinal and transverse shielding walls in four directions, effectively controlling crosstalk.

[0031] The design of the first connector in this invention improves space utilization, with smaller terminal sizes. Furthermore, this design can accommodate design requirements that necessitate reducing the spacing between the two signal conductors. Simultaneously, the design of the electrical connector, which is compatible with the first connector, further maximizes space utilization. The connection between the first and electrical connectors ensures stable signal transmission and effectively controls crosstalk.

[0032] However, it is understood that although many features and advantages of the invention have been mentioned in the foregoing description, including some structural and functional details, this disclosure is illustrative and many details may be changed, especially in terms of the shape, size and arrangement of components within the scope of the principles as indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electrical connector connectable to a mating connector, the electrical connector comprising an insulating housing and a terminal module disposed within the insulating housing, the terminal module comprising an insulating body, a plurality of signal terminals and a grounding element fixed to the insulating body, and a cable extending along a first direction electrically connected to the signal terminals and the grounding element, the plurality of signal terminals being arranged in pairs and in a row along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the grounding element comprising a plurality of grounding plates respectively disposed on both sides of each pair of signal terminals and a common grounding plate connected to the plurality of grounding plates, the cable comprising a signal conductor pair connected to each pair of signal terminals and a conductive layer electrically connected to the grounding plate, characterized in that: Each of the grounding plates includes a first grounding portion extending from one side of the insulating body in the mating direction and beyond the signal terminal. The signal terminal includes a first contact portion connected to the signal conductor of the cable and a second contact portion connected to the mating connector. Both the first and second contact portions are located in a plane perpendicular to the first direction.

2. The electrical connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The signal terminal and the grounding plate are integrally formed with the insulating body, and the first contact portion and the second contact portion are embedded in the insulating body.

3. The electrical connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The first contact portion is a circular through-hole structure. After the signal conductor passes through the through-hole, it is mechanically and electrically connected to the first contact portion by welding. The second contact portion is elongated. The second contact portions of the two signal terminals arranged in pairs are parallel to each other and extend obliquely from the corresponding first contact portions in opposite directions.

4. The electrical connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The grounding plate includes a second grounding portion extending from the side opposite to the first side of the insulating body toward the cable direction and connected to the common ground plate. The second grounding portion and the common ground plate are connected to form a plurality of rectangular shielding spaces surrounding each pair of signal conductors.

5. The electrical connector as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The common ground plate includes a first common ground plate and a second common ground plate, which are arranged perpendicularly to the second grounding portion and located on the other side of the insulating body. The first common ground plate and the second common ground plate each include a plurality of spaced sub-common ground plates and a base connecting each of the sub-common ground plates. The sub-common ground plates are engaged between two adjacent second grounding portions, and the two sides of the base are respectively fixed to the two sides of the insulating body.

6. The electrical connector as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The cable includes a first conductive sheet and a second conductive sheet connected to the conductive layer. The first conductive sheet extends from one side of the conductive layer toward the insulating body and is folded upward to form a U-shaped structure with a first opening. A sub-grounding sheet of the first grounding sheet enters through the first opening to connect with the first conductive sheet. The second conductive sheet extends from the other side of the conductive layer toward the insulating body and is folded downward to form a U-shaped structure with a second opening. A sub-grounding sheet of the second grounding sheet enters through the second opening to connect with the second conductive sheet.

7. An electrical connector connectable to a circuit board, comprising an insulating housing, a plurality of terminals held in the insulating housing, and a plurality of grounding shields held in the insulating housing, wherein the terminals are arranged in pairs, including a first terminal and a second terminal for transmitting a pair of differential signals, the grounding shields are disposed around the first terminal and the second terminal, the insulating housing includes a bottom wall and side walls disposed around the bottom wall, the bottom wall and the side walls together forming a receiving space for accommodating the mating connector, the bottom wall having a plurality of through holes, characterized in that: The grounding shield includes a plurality of first grounding shields extending from one side of the bottom wall in the mating direction and beyond the first terminal and the second terminal. The first terminal includes a first elastic arm and a first connecting portion exposed at both ends of the through hole. The second terminal includes a second elastic arm and a second connecting portion exposed at both ends of the through hole. The ends of the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm are respectively provided with a first mating portion and a second mating portion that can contact the corresponding terminals of the mating connector. The first mating portion and the second mating portion are both located in the same plane parallel to the bottom wall.

8. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: The first terminal and the second terminal are disposed opposite to each other. The first terminal and the second terminal each include a first main body portion fixed in the through hole. The first elastic arm and the second elastic arm extend obliquely from one side of the corresponding first main body portion. The first connecting portion and the second connecting portion extend vertically from the other side of the corresponding first main body portion. The first elastic arm and the second elastic arm extend obliquely in opposite directions after being exposed from one end of the through hole in the receiving space. The first connecting portion and the second connecting portion extend in opposite directions after being exposed from the other end of the through hole to be connected to the circuit board.

9. An electrical connector assembly comprising a circuit board, an electrical connector connected to the circuit board, and a first connector connected to the electrical connector, the electrical connector comprising an insulating housing and mating terminals arranged in pairs and columns and fixed in the insulating housing; the first connector comprising a plurality of stacked terminal modules, each terminal module comprising an insulating body, a plurality of signal terminals fixed in the insulating body, and a cable extending along a first direction connected to the signal terminals, the plurality of signal terminals being arranged in pairs and in a row along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, characterized in that: The mating terminal of the electrical connector includes an elastic arm protruding from one end of the insulating housing and a solder pad protruding from the other end of the insulating housing and connected to the circuit board. The free end of the elastic arm of the electrical connector is provided with a mating part that connects to the first connector. The mating part is located in the same plane parallel to the circuit board. The signal terminal of the first connector includes a first contact part that connects to the cable and a second contact part that connects to the mating part of the electrical connector. The first contact part and the second contact part are both located in the same plane perpendicular to the mating direction of the first connector and the electrical connector.

10. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that: The electrical connector includes a plurality of first grounding shields and second grounding shields arranged in multiple rows and columns around each pair of mating terminals. The first grounding shields extend in the mating direction and beyond the mating terminals. The first connector includes a plurality of grounding plates disposed on both sides of each pair of signal terminals. The grounding plates extend in the mating direction and beyond the signal terminals. A groove is provided between the insulating bodies of adjacent sides of adjacent terminal modules of the first connector. When the first connector is connected to the electrical connector, the first grounding shield of the electrical connector extends into the corresponding groove between adjacent terminal modules of the first connector, and the second grounding shield is connected to the corresponding grounding plate of the first connector.

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