Disclosed herein are various implementations of communications connectors. In some implementations, a communications plug may include a housing and a body positioned in the housing. A flexible printed circuit board (PCB) may be wrapped at least partially around the body, a and a plurality of metal contact pads may be positioned on the flexible PCB to mate with plug interface contacts (PICs) of a communications jack when the communications plug is inserted into the communications jack.

A testing unit including a substrate, a plurality of vias located in the substrate, a plurality of pin traces having a height and a width and each extending from a respective via towards an edge of the substrate and terminating at an end point, a plurality of termination points adjacent to the end points of the pin traces, a plurality of end traces having a height and a width with each end trace extending from an end point of a respective pin trace towards to a corresponding termination point near to the pin trace, a plurality of traces extending from the end of a respective end point or termination point to the edge of the substrate.

A testing unit including a substrate, a plurality of vias located in the substrate, a plurality of pin traces having a height and a width and each extending from a respective via towards an edge of the substrate and terminating at an end point, a plurality of termination points adjacent to the end points of the pin traces, a plurality of end traces having a height and a width with each end trace extending from an end point of a respective pin trace towards to a corresponding termination point near to the pin trace, a plurality of traces extending from the end of a respective end point or termination point to the edge of the substrate.

A data line includes a first data cable, a second data cable and a connecting element connecting the first and second data cables to one another. A connecting element interconnects a first parallel pair data cable and a second star quad data cable. The connecting element has multiple connecting lines which transition mutually adjacently disposed cores of a respective transmission pair of the first data cable to diagonally oppositely disposed cores of a transmission pair of the second data cable.

Connector inserts and receptacles that provide signal paths having desired impedance characteristics. One example may provide a connector system having a connector insert and a connector receptacle. Contacts in the connector insert may form signal paths with corresponding contacts in the connector receptacle. Additional traces in the connector insert and receptacle may be part of these signal paths. The signal paths may have a target or a desired impedance along their lengths such that the power paths electrically appear as transmission lines. Constraints on physical dimensions of the connector insert and connector receptacle contacts may result in variations in impedance along the signal paths. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may provide structures to reduce these variations, to compensate for these variations, or a combination thereof.

Connector inserts and receptacles that provide signal paths having desired impedance characteristics. One example may provide a connector system having a connector insert and a connector receptacle. Contacts in the connector insert may form signal paths with corresponding contacts in the connector receptacle. Additional traces in the connector insert and receptacle may be part of these signal paths. The signal paths may have a target or a desired impedance along their lengths such that the power paths electrically appear as transmission lines. Constraints on physical dimensions of the connector insert and connector receptacle contacts may result in variations in impedance along the signal paths. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may provide structures to reduce these variations, to compensate for these variations, or a combination thereof.

A communication plug having a plug body and a plurality of contact pairs at least partially within the plug body, the contact pairs including an inherent asymmetric coupling between individual contacts of one of the contact pairs and other individual contacts of another of the contact pairs. Second asymmetric coupling elements are connected between the individual contacts of one of the contact pairs and the other individual contacts of another of the contact pairs. The second asymmetric coupling elements, when combined with the inherent asymmetric coupling, provide a balanced symmetric coupling between the individual contacts of one of the contact pairs and the other individual contacts of another of the contact pairs.

A communication plug having a plug body and a plurality of contact pairs at least partially within the plug body, the contact pairs including an inherent asymmetric coupling between individual contacts of one of the contact pairs and other individual contacts of another of the contact pairs. Second asymmetric coupling elements are connected between the individual contacts of one of the contact pairs and the other individual contacts of another of the contact pairs. The second asymmetric coupling elements, when combined with the inherent asymmetric coupling, provide a balanced symmetric coupling between the individual contacts of one of the contact pairs and the other individual contacts of another of the contact pairs.

A testing unit including a substrate, a plurality of vias located in the substrate, a plurality of pin traces having a height and a width and each extending from a respective via towards an edge of the substrate, a plurality of end traces having a height and a width with each end trace extending from an end of a respective pin trace towards the edge of the substrate, a plurality of branch traces having a height and a width and each extending from a side of a respective pin trace, a plurality of traces extending from the end of a respective end trace, branch trace or pin trace to the edge of the substrate.

A testing unit including a substrate, a plurality of vias located in the substrate, a plurality of pin traces having a height and a width and each extending from a respective via towards an edge of the substrate, a plurality of end traces having a height and a width with each end trace extending from an end of a respective pin trace towards the edge of the substrate, a plurality of branch traces having a height and a width and each extending from a side of a respective pin trace, a plurality of traces extending from the end of a respective end trace, branch trace or pin trace to the edge of the substrate.