Electrical connector and electrical connector assembly

Abstract

An electrical connector is configured to mate with a mating connector along a mating direction and includes a housing. The housing includes an upper housing half removably assembled to a lower housing half. The upper and lower housing halves define a housing cavity therebetween. The electrical connector includes a circuit board. Each of the upper and lower housing halves includes an inner major surface facing the circuit board including a structured surface portion that, in a first plan view along a thickness direction of the electrical connector, extends longitudinally along the mating direction and laterally substantially across an entire width, and between lateral sidewalls, of the housing. The structured surface portion has an actual surface area that is greater than by at least a factor of 1.2 than a projected surface area of the structured surface portion onto a plane that is orthogonal to the thickness direction.

Description

PA103177W002ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLYTechnical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to an electrical connector and an electrical connector assembly.Background

[0002] An electrical connector assembly is generally used to connect a cable or a cable assembly from one device (e.g., a server, a network switching system, a client device, etc.) to another device (e.g., another server) for various applications, such as data processing, data transmission, and data reception.Summary

[0003] In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides an electrical connector. The electrical connector is configured to mate with a mating connector along a mating direction. The electrical connector includes a housing. The housing includes an upper housing half removably assembled to a lower housing half. The upper and lower housing halves define a housing cavity therebetween. The electrical connector further includes a circuit board at least partially disposed in the housing cavity. The circuit board includes a mating end for being inserted inside the mating connector, and a cable end opposite the mating end. The cable end is disposed inside the housing cavity. The circuit board further includes a plurality of conductive front pads disposed near the mating end of the circuit board. The circuit board further includes a plurality of conductive rear pads disposed between the front pads and the cable end. The plurality of conductive rear pads is electrically connected to the front pads. Each of the upper and lower housing halves includes an inner major surface facing the circuit board. The inner major surface includes a structured surface portion that, in a first plan view along a thickness direction of the electrical connector, extends longitudinally along the mating direction between the front pads and the conductive rear pads. The structured surface portion extends laterally substantially across an entire width, and between lateral sidewalls, of the housing. The structured surface portion has an actual surface area that is greater than by at least a factor of 1.2 than a projected surface area of the structured surface portion onto a plane that is orthogonal to the thickness direction.

[0004] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides an electrical connector assembly. The electrical connector assembly includes an upper housing half removably assembled to a lower housing half. The upper housing half and the lower housing half define a housing cavity therebetween. The electrical connector assembly further includes a circuit board at least partially disposed in the housing cavity. The circuit board includes a plurality of electrically conductive pads on each of opposing major surface thereof. The electrical connector assembly further includes stacked first through fourthflat cables terminated at the electrically conductive pads disposed on one of the opposing major surfaces of the circuit board. The electrical connector assembly further includes stacked fifth through seventh flat cables terminated at the electrically conductive pads disposed on the other one of the opposing major surfaces of the circuit board. The electrical connector assembly further includes a thermal pad disposed between the circuit board and each of the upper and lower housing halves. The thermal pad has a major surface facing the circuit board and an opposing major structured surface facing the corresponding housing half. The major structured surface includes a two-dimensional array of cavities. Each of the cavities has a shape of a truncated cones having a substantially flat bottom surface. The electrical connector assembly is configured as an octal small form factor pluggable extra dense (OSFP-XD) connector.

[0005] The details of one or more examples of the disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.Brief Description of Drawings

[0006] Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description in connection with the following figures. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Like numbers used in the figures refer to like components. However, it will be understood that the use of a number to refer to a component in a given figure is not intended to limit the component in another figure labelled with the same number.

[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic sectional perspective view of an electrical connector assembly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0008] FIGS. 2 A and 2B illustrate different schematic views of an electrical connector, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0009] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic front view of a mating connector, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0010] FIGS. 4 A and 4B illustrate schematic perspective views of an upper housing half and a lower housing half, respectively, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0011] FIGS. 5 A and 5B illustrate different schematic views of a circuit board, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0012] FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic perspective view of the circuit board and cables, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] FIG. 7 illustrates a schematic sectional perspective view of the electrical connector with a structured surface portion, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0014] FIG. 8 A illustrates a schematic sectional view of the electrical connector assembly with a thermal pad, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0015] FIG. 8B illustrates a schematic perspective view of the electrical connector assembly of FIG. 8A with some components removed, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.Detailed Description

[0016] In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying figures that form a part thereof and in which various embodiments are shown by way of illustration. It is to be understood that other embodiments are contemplated and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the present disclosure. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense.

[0017] In the following disclosure, the following definitions are adopted.

[0018] As used herein, “a,” “an,” “the,” “at least one,” and “one or more” are used interchangeably.

[0019] As used herein as a modifier to a property or attribute, the term “generally,” unless otherwise specifically defined, means that the property or attribute would be readily recognizable by a person of ordinary skill but without requiring absolute precision or a perfect match (e.g., within + / - 20 % for quantifiable properties).

[0020] The term “substantially,” unless otherwise specifically defined, means to a high degree of approximation (e.g., within + / - 10% for quantifiable properties) but again without requiring absolute precision or a perfect match.

[0021] As used herein, all numbers should be considered modified by the term “about.” The term “about,” unless otherwise specifically defined, means to a high degree of approximation (e.g., within + / - 5% for quantifiable properties) but again without requiring absolute precision or a perfect match.

[0022] As used herein, the terms “first” and “second” are used as identifiers. Therefore, such terms should not be construed as limiting of this disclosure. The terms “first” and “second” when used in conjunction with a feature or an element can be interchanged throughout the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0023] As used herein, when a first material is termed as “similar” to a second material, at least 90 weight % of the first and second materials are identical and any variation between the first and second materials comprises less than about 10 weight % of each of the first and second materials.

[0024] As used herein, “at least one of A and B” should be understood to mean “only A, only B, or both A and B.”

[0025] As used herein, the term “between about,” unless otherwise specifically defined, generally refers to an inclusive or a closed range. For example, if a parameter X is between about A and B, then A < X < B.

[0026] An electrical connector assembly is generally used to connect a cable or a cable assembly from one device (e.g., a server, a network switching system, a client device, etc.) to another device(e.g., another server) for various applications, such as data processing, data transmission, and data reception.

[0027] The electrical connector assembly may support hyper-bandwidths signal or data exchanged between computing equipment. The high-speed data processing may cause the electrical connector assembly to emit huge amount of heat from electronic components of the electrical connector assembly.

[0028] Therefore, a new design of the electrical connector assembly to enhance heat dissipation is desired.

[0029] The present disclosure relates to an electrical connector. The electrical connector is configured to mate with a mating connector along a mating direction. The electrical connector includes a housing. The housing includes an upper housing half removably assembled to a lower housing half. The upper and lower housing halves define a housing cavity therebetween. The electrical connector further includes a circuit board at least partially disposed in the housing cavity. The circuit board includes a mating end for being inserted inside the mating connector, and a cable end opposite the mating end. The cable end is disposed inside the housing cavity. The circuit board further includes a plurality of conductive front pads disposed near the mating end of the circuit board. The circuit board further includes a plurality of conductive rear pads disposed between the front pads and the cable end. The plurality of conductive rear pads is electrically connected to the front pads. Each of the upper and lower housing halves includes an inner major surface facing the circuit board. The inner major surface includes a structured surface portion that, in a first plan view along a thickness direction of the electrical connector, extends longitudinally along the mating direction between the front pads and the conductive rear pads. The structured surface portion extends laterally substantially across an entire width, and between lateral sidewalls, of the housing. The structured surface portion has an actual surface area that is greater than by at least a factor of 1.2 than a projected surface area of the structured surface portion onto a plane that is orthogonal to the thickness direction.

[0030] Therefore, the electrical connector assembly of the present disclosure may enhance the heat dissipation from electronic components, such as the circuit board, by increasing the actual surface area of adjacent components (i.e., the inner major surface of the upper and lower housing halves) through which heat may be transferred. Specifically, a heat conductivity may be enhanced by increasing a cross-sectional area of the adjacent components.

[0031] Referring now to the figures, FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic sectional perspective view of an electrical connector assembly 300, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The electrical connector assembly 300 includes an electrical connector 200.

[0032] FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate schematic views of the electrical connector 200, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, FIG. 2A illustrates a schematic top perspective view of the electrical connector 200 and FIG. 2B illustrates a schematic bottom perspective view of the electrical connector 200.

[0033] The electrical connector 200 defines mutually orthogonal x, y, and z-axes. The x-axis is defined along a width of the electrical connector 200, while the y-axis is defined along a length of the electrical connector 200. The z-axis is defined along a thickness of the electrical connector 200.

[0034] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2A-2B, the electrical connector assembly 300 includes an upper housing half 10 removably assembled to a lower housing half 20. The upper and lower housing halves 10, 20 define a housing cavity 30 therebetween. Specifically, the electrical connector 200 includes a housing 10, 20. The housing 10, 20 includes the upper housing half 10 removably assembled to the lower housing half 20

[0035] In some embodiments, at least one of the upper and lower housing halves 10, 20 is electrically conductive. In some embodiments, at least one of the upper and lower housing halves 10, 20 is electrically insulative.

[0036] The electrical connector assembly 300 further includes a circuit board 40 at least partially disposed in the housing cavity 30. Specifically, the electrical connector 200 includes the circuit board 40 at least partially disposed in the housing cavity 30.

[0037] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic front view of a mating connector 250, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the electrical connector 200 is configured to mate with the mating connector 250 along a mating direction. The mating direction is substantially along the y-axis.

[0039] The circuit board 40 includes a mating end 41 for being inserted inside the mating connector 250 and a cable end 42 opposite the mating end 41. The cable end 42 is disposed inside the housing cavity 30.

[0040] In some embodiments, an outer, opposite an inner, major surface 16, 26, 11, 21 of at least one of the upper and lower housing halves 10, 20 includes a plurality of alternating ridges and channels 17a, 17b, 27a, 27b extending longitudinally along the mating direction.

[0041] In some embodiments, the outer major surface 16, 26 of each of the upper and lower housing halves 10, 20 facing away from the circuit board 40 includes the plurality of alternating ridges and channels 17a, 17b, 27a, 27b extending longitudinally along the mating direction of the electrical connector assembly 300.

[0042] Specifically, in some embodiments, the outer major surface 16 of the upper housing half 10 includes the plurality of alternating ridges and channels 17a, 17b extending longitudinally along the mating direction and the outer major surface 26 of the lower housing half 20 includes the plurality of alternating ridges and channels 27a, 27b extending longitudinally along the mating direction.

[0043] The alternate ridges and channels 17a, 17b, 27a, 27b may act like heat sink and provide heat dissipation from the electrical connector 200. The alternate ridges and channels 17a, 17b, 27a, 27b may further facilitate an airflow therethrough.

[0044] In some embodiments, the electrical connector 200 further includes a pull tab 80 releasably assembled to the electrical connector 200. When the electrical connector 200 mates withthe mating connector 250, pulling the pull tab 80 rearwardly away from the mating connector 250 releases the electrical connector 200 from the mating connector 250. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, pulling the pull tab 80 along the y-axis releases the electrical connector 200 from the mating connector 250 (shown in FIG. 3).

[0045] FIG. 4 A illustrates a schematic perspective view of the upper housing half 10, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4B illustrates a schematic perspective view of the lower housing half 20, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] Referring to FIGS. 4 A and 4B, each of the upper and lower housing halves 10, 20 includes the inner major surface 11, 21 facing the circuit board 40 (shown in FIG. 1). Specifically, the upper housing half 10 includes the inner major surface 11 facing the circuit board 40 and the lower housing half 20 includes the inner major surface 21 facing the circuit board 40.

[0047] The inner major surface 11, 21 includes a structured surface portion 12, 22. Specifically, the inner major surface 11 includes the structured surface portion 12 and the inner major surface 21 includes the structured surface portion 22.

[0048] FIGS. 5 A and 5B illustrate different schematic views of the circuit board 40, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, FIG. 5 A illustrates a schematic top view of the circuit board 40 and FIG. 5B illustrates a schematic bottom view of the circuit board 40.

[0049] Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the circuit board 40 includes a plurality of electrically conductive pads 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d, 44e, 44f, 44g on each of opposing major surface 18a, 18b thereof. Specifically, the circuit board 40 includes the electrically conductive pads 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d on the first major surface 18a and the electrically conductive pads 44e, 44f, 44g on the second major surface 18b.

[0050] The electrically conductive pads 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d, 44e, 44f, 44g may be interchangeably referred as “the conductive rear pads 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d, 44e, 44f, 44g”. The major surface 18a may be interchangeably referred as “the first major surface 18a” and the major surface 18b may be interchangeably referred to as “the second major surface 18b”.

[0051] The circuit board 40 further includes a plurality of conductive front pads 43a, 43b disposed near the mating end 41 of the circuit board 40. Specifically, the plurality of conductive front pads 43a is disposed on the first major surface 18a and the plurality of conductive front pads 43b is disposed on the second major surface 18b.

[0052] The plurality of conductive rear pads 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d, 44e, 44f, 44g is disposed between the front pads 43a, 43b and the cable end 42. Specifically, the conductive rear pads 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d are disposed between the front pads 43a and the cable end 42 and the conductive rear pads 44e, 44f, 44g are disposed between the front pads 43b and the cable end 42.

[0053] The plurality of conductive rear pads 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d, 44e, 44f, 44g is electrically connected to the front pads 43 a, 43b. Specifically, the conductive rear pads 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d areelectrically connected to the front pads 43a and the conductive rear pads 44e, 44f, 44g are electrically connected to the front pads 43b.

[0054] Referring to FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5A, and 5B, the structured surface portion 12, 22, in a first plan view 50, 51 along a thickness direction (i.e., substantially along the z-axis) of the electrical connector 200, extends longitudinally along the mating direction (i.e., substantially along the y-axis) between the front pads 43a, 43b and the conductive rear pads 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d, 44e, 44f, 44g.

[0055] Specifically, the structured surface portion 12, in the first plan view 50 along the thickness direction of the electrical connector 200, extends longitudinally along the mating direction between the front pads 43 a and the conductive rear pads 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d and the structured surface portion 22, in the first plan view 51 along the thickness direction of the electrical connector 200, extends longitudinally along the mating direction between the front pads 43b and the conductive rear pads 44e, 44f, 44g.

[0056] Further, the structured surface portion 12, 22 extends laterally substantially across an entire width (i.e., substantially along the x-axis), and between lateral sidewalls 13a, 13b, 23a, 23b, of the housing 10, 20.

[0057] Specifically, the structured surface portion 12 extends laterally substantially across the entire width, and between the lateral sidewalls 13a, 13b of the upper housing half 10 and the structured surface portion 22 extends along laterally substantially across the entire width, and between the lateral sidewalls 23a, 23b of the lower housing half 20.

[0058] The structured surface portion 12, 22 has an actual surface area that is greater than by at least a factor of 1.2 than a projected surface area of the structured surface portion 12, 22 onto a plane that is orthogonal to the thickness direction (i.e., substantially along the z-axis).

[0059] In some embodiments, the structured surface portion 12, 22 has the actual surface area that is greater than by at least a factor of 1.3, a factor of 1.4, a factor of 1.5, a factor of 1.7, a factor of 2, a factor of 2.5, a factor of 3, a factor of 3.5, a factor of 4, a factor of 4.5, a factor of 5, or a factor of 10 than the projected surface area of the structured surface portion 12, 22 onto the plane that is orthogonal to the thickness direction. As is apparent from FIGS. 4A and 4B, the projected surface area of the structured surface portion 12, 22 lies in a x-y plane.

[0060] FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic perspective view of the circuit board 40, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] Referring to FIGS. 5A-5B and 6, the electrical connector assembly 300 (shown in FIG. 1) further includes stacked first, second, third, and fourth flat cables 70a, 70b, 70c, 70d. The first through fourth flat cables 70a, 70b, 70c, 70d are terminated at the electrically conductive pads 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d 44e, 44f, 44g disposed on one of the opposing major surfaces 18a, 18b of the circuit board 40.

[0062] In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 6, the stacked first through fourth flat cables 70a, 70b, 70c, 70d are terminated at the conductive rear pads 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d disposed on the first major surface 18a of the circuit board 40.

[0063] The electrical connector assembly 300 further includes stacked fifth, sixth, and seventh flat cables 70e, 70f, 70g terminated at the electrically conductive pads 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d, 44e, 44f, 44g disposed on the other one of the opposing major surfaces 18a, 18b of the circuit board 40.

[0064] In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 6, the fifth through seventh flat cables 70e, 70f, 70g are terminated at the conductive rear pads 44e, 44f, 44g disposed on the second major surface 18b of the circuit board 40.

[0065] In some embodiments, each of at least a majority of the first through seventh flat cables 70a, 70b, 70c, 70d, 70e, 70f, 70g includes a plurality of differential pairs 71.

[0066] FIG. 7 illustrates a schematic sectional perspective view of the electrical connector 200 with the structured surface portions 12, 22, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0067] Referring to FIGS. 4A-4B and 7, in some embodiments, the structured surface portion 12, 22 of the inner major surface 11, 21 of each of the upper and lower housing halves 10, 20 includes a two-dimensional array of truncated cones 14, 24 having substantially flat top surfaces 15, 25 facing the circuit board 40.

[0068] Specifically, the structured surface portion 12 includes the two-dimensional array of truncated cones 14 having the substantially flat top surfaces 15 and the structured surface portion 22 includes the two-dimensional array of truncated cones 24 having the substantially flat top surfaces 25.

[0069] The electrical connector assembly 300 is configured as an octal small form factor pluggable extra dense (OSFP-XD) connector. In some embodiments, the electrical connector 200 is the OSFP-XD connector. In some embodiments, the electrical connector 200 is an octal small form factor pluggable (OSFP) connector.

[0070] FIG. 8 A illustrates a schematic sectional view of the electrical connector assembly 300 with thermal pads 60, 61, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the electrical connector 200 includes the thermal pad 60, 61.

[0071] The electrical connector assembly 300 further includes the thermal pad 60, 61 disposed between the circuit board 40 and each of the upper and lower housing halves 10, 20. Specifically, the thermal pad 60 is disposed between the circuit board 40 and the upper housing half 10 and the thermal pad 61 is disposed between the circuit board 40 and the lower housing half 20.

[0072] FIG. 8B illustrates a schematic perspective view of the electrical connector assembly 300 with the thermal pad 60, 61, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, FIG. 8B illustrates a schematic view of the electrical connector assembly 300 with the upper and lower housing halves 10, 20 removed.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 8B, the thermal pad 60, 61 has a major surface 60a, 61a facing the circuit board 40 and an opposing major structured surface 60b, 61b facing the corresponding housinghalf 10, 20 (shown in FIG. 8A). Specifically, the thermal pad 60 has the major surface 60a facing the circuit board 40 and the opposing major structured surface 60b facing the upper housing half 10. Further, the thermal pad 61 has the major surface 61a facing the circuit board 40 and the opposing major structured surface 61b facing the lower housing half 20.

[0074] The major structured surface 60b, 61b includes a two-dimensional array of cavities 60c, 61c. Each of the cavities 60c, 61c has a shape of the truncated cones 14, 24 having a substantially flat bottom surface 60d, 61d.

[0075] Specifically, the major structured surface 60b includes the two-dimensional array of cavities 60c and each of the cavities 60c has the shape of the truncated cones 14 having the substantially flat bottom surface 60d. Further, the major structured surface 61b includes the two- dimensional array of cavities 61c and each of the cavities 61c has the shape of the truncated cones 24 having the substantially flat bottom surface 61d.

[0076] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8A-8B, in some embodiments, the thermal pad 60, 61 substantially conforms to the structured surface portion 12, 22 of the inner major surface 11, 21 of the corresponding housing half 10, 20.

[0077] Specifically, the thermal pad 60 substantially conforms to the structured surface portion 12 of the inner major surface 11 of the upper housing half 10 and the thermal pad 61 substantially conforms to the structured surface portion 22 of the inner major surface 21 of the lower housing half 20.

[0078] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 8A-8B, the electrical connector assembly 300 may enhance the heat dissipation from electronic components, such as the circuit board 40, by increasing the actual surface area of adjacent components (i.e., the inner major surface 11, 21 of the upper and lower housing halves 10, 20) through which heat may be transferred. Specifically, a heat conductivity may be enhanced by increasing a cross-sectional area of the adjacent components.

[0079] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing feature sizes, amounts, and physical properties used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified by the term “about”. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the foregoing specification and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by those skilled in the art utilizing the teachings disclosed herein.

[0080] Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and / or equivalent implementations can be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that this disclosure be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An electrical connector configured to mate with a mating connector along a mating direction and comprising: a housing comprising an upper housing half removably assembled to a lower housing half, the upper and lower housing halves defining a housing cavity therebetween; and a circuit board at least partially disposed in the housing cavity and comprising: a mating end for being inserted inside the mating connector, and a cable end opposite the mating end and disposed inside the housing cavity; a plurality of conductive front pads disposed near the mating end of the circuit board; and a plurality of conductive rear pads disposed between the front pads and the cable end and electrically connected to the front pads; wherein each of the upper and lower housing halves comprises an inner major surface facing the circuit board and comprising a structured surface portion that in a first plan view along a thickness direction of the electrical connector extends longitudinally along the mating direction between the front pads and the conductive rear pads and extends laterally substantially across an entire width, and between lateral sidewalls, of the housing, the structured surface portion having an actual surface area that is greater than by at least a factor of 1.2 than a projected surface area of the structured surface portion onto a plane that is orthogonal to the thickness direction.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the structured surface portion of the inner major surface of each of the upper and lower housing halves comprises a two-dimensional array of truncated cones having substantially flat top surfaces facing the circuit board.

3. The electrical connector of claim 1 further comprising a thermal pad disposed between the circuit board and each of the upper and lower housing halves and substantially conforming to the structured surface portion of the inner major surface of the corresponding house ng half.

4. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein an outer, opposite the inner, major surface of at least one of the upper and lower housing halves comprises a plurality of alternating ridges and channels extending longitudinally along the mating direction.

5. The electrical connector of claim 1 being an octal small form-factor pluggable (OSFP) connector.

6. The electrical connector of claim 1 being an octal small form factor pluggable extra dense (OSFP-XD) connector.

7. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein at least one of the upper and lower housing halves is electrically conductive.

8. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein at least one of the upper and lower housing halves is electrically insulative.

9. The electrical connector of claim 1 further comprising a pull tab releasably assembled to the electrical connector so that when the electrical connector mates with the mating connector, pulling the pull tab rearwardly away from the mating connector releases the electrical connector from the mating connector.

10. An electrical connector assembly comprising: the electrical connector of claim 1; stacked first through fourth flat cables terminated at the conductive rear pads disposed on a first major surface of the circuit board; and stacked fifth through seventh flat cables terminated at the conductive rear pads disposed on an opposing second major surface of the circuit board.

11. The electrical connector assembly of claim 10, wherein each of at least a majority of the first through seventh flat cables comprises a plurality of differential pairs.

12. An electrical connector assembly comprising: an upper housing half removably assembled to a lower housing half and defining a housing cavity therebetween; a circuit board at least partially disposed in the housing cavity and comprising a plurality of electrically conductive pads on each of opposing major surface thereof; stacked first through fourth flat cables terminated at the electrically conductive pads disposed on one of the opposing major surfaces of the circuit board; stacked fifth through seventh flat cables terminated at the electrically conductive pads disposed on the other one of the opposing major surfaces of the circuit board; and a thermal pad disposed between the circuit board and each of the upper and lower housing halves, the thermal pad having a major surface facing the circuit board and an opposing major structured surface facing the corresponding housing half, the major structured surface comprising a two-dimensional array of cavities, each of the cavities having a shape of a truncated cones having a substantially flat bottomsurface, wherein the electrical connector assembly is configured as an octal small form factor pluggable extra dense (OSFP-XD) connector.

13. The electrical connector assembly of claim 12, wherein an outer major surface of each of the upper and lower housing halves facing away from the circuit board comprises a plurality of alternating ridges and channels extending longitudinally along a mating direction of the electrical connector assembly.

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