Card edge connector assembly with support structure

1. A card edge connector assembly comprising:

a card edge connector having a housing defining a card slot configured to receive a paddle card of a pluggable module, the housing having a base configured to be mounted to a host circuit board, the housing holding contacts in the card slot to electrically connect to the paddle card; and

support hardware coupled to the housing, the support hardware having a base including a cavity receiving the card edge connector, the support hardware having a support beam extending from the base, the support beam having a pocket receiving the pluggable module, the support beam having a support surface configured to support the pluggable module independent of the card edge connector such that the paddle card is oriented in the card slot relative to the contacts for electrical connection therewith, the support hardware having a latch coupled to the support beam latchably coupled to the pluggable module to secure the pluggable module in the support hardware electrically coupled to the card edge connector, wherein the latch includes a latch handle and a latch tab coupled to the latch handle, the latch tab having a latching finger extending into the pocket to engage the pluggable module to latchably secure the pluggable module in the support hardware, the latch being actuated to retract the latching finger out of the pocket to remove the pluggable module from the pocket.

2. The card edge connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the support hardware registers the pluggable module relative to the card edge connector and supports the pluggable module to hold the paddle card relative to the contacts.

3. The card edge connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the support hardware is registered to the housing of the card edge connector by a locating surface of the support hardware engaging a locating surface of the housing.

4. The card edge connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the base of the support hardware is secured to the host circuit board independent of the card edge connector.

5. The card edge connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the latch includes a latch handle at a first side of the support hardware.

6. The card edge connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the latch includes a latch handle and a latch tab coupled to the latch handle, the latch tab having a latching finger configured to engage the pluggable module to latchably secure the pluggable module in the support hardware.

7. The card edge connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the latch includes a latch handle and a latch tab coupled to the latch handle, the latch tab having a latching finger configured to engage the pluggable module to latchably secure the pluggable module in the support hardware, the latch handle having a tether coupled thereto configured to pull the latch handle and the latch tab to release the pluggable module.

8. The card edge connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the latch is pulled away from the support hardware in a release direction perpendicular to a mating direction of the pluggable module with the card edge connector.

9. The card edge connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the latch includes a biasing member biasing the latch to a latched position.

10. The card edge connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the latch includes a latching finger configured to directly engage the paddle card of the pluggable module to latchably secure the pluggable module in the support hardware.

11. The card edge connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the support beam is positioned vertically above the base of the support hardware to receive the pluggable module in a mating direction perpendicular to the host circuit board.

12. The card edge connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the support beam extends from the base of the support hardware generally parallel to the host circuit board.

13. The card edge connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the support hardware transfers forces from the pluggable module to the host circuit board independent of the card edge connector.

14. The card edge connector assembly of claim 1 , further comprising the pluggable module having a pluggable body holding the paddle card received in the card slot of the housing, the pluggable body having a rib at an end thereof, the rib being received in a guide channel in the pocket of the support hardware to position the pluggable module in the pocket.

15. The card edge connector assembly of claim 1 , further comprising the pluggable module having a pluggable body holding the paddle card received in the card slot of the housing, the pluggable body having a keying feature providing keyed mating of the pluggable module with the support hardware.

16. A card edge connector assembly comprising:

a card edge connector having a housing defining a card slot configured to receive a paddle card of a pluggable module, the housing having a base configured to be mounted to a host circuit board, the housing holding contacts in the card slot to electrically connect to the paddle card, the housing having a locating surface on an exterior of the housing; and

support hardware coupled to the housing, the support hardware having a base including a cavity receiving the card edge connector, the support hardware includes a locating surface in the cavity engaging the locating surface of the housing to register the location of the support hardware to the card edge connector, the support hardware having a support beam extending from the base, the support beam having a pocket receiving the pluggable module, the support beam having a support surface configured to support the pluggable module independent of the card edge connector such that the paddle card is oriented in the card slot relative to the contacts for electrical connection therewith, the support hardware having a latch coupled to the support beam latchably coupled to the pluggable module to secure the pluggable module in the support hardware electrically coupled to the card edge connector, wherein the latch includes a latch handle and a latch tab coupled to the latch handle, the latch tab having a latching finger configured to engage the pluggable module to latchably secure the pluggable module in the support hardware, the latch handle having a tether coupled thereto configured to pull the latch handle and the latch tab to release the pluggable module.

17. The card edge connector assembly of claim 16 , wherein the support hardware registers the pluggable module relative to the card edge connector and supports the pluggable module to hold the paddle card relative to the contacts.

18. The card edge connector assembly of claim 16 , wherein the support beam extends from the base of the support hardware generally parallel to the host circuit board.

19. The card edge connector assembly of claim 16 , wherein the latching finger extends into the pocket to engage the pluggable module, the latch being actuated to retract the latching finger out of the pocket to remove the pluggable module from the pocket.

20. A card edge connector assembly comprising:

a card edge connector having a housing defining a card slot configured to receive a paddle card of a pluggable module, the housing having a base configured to be mounted to a host circuit board, the housing holding contacts in the card slot to electrically connect to the paddle card; and

support hardware coupled to the housing, the support hardware having a base including a cavity receiving the card edge connector, the support hardware having a support beam extending from the base, the support beam having a pocket receiving the pluggable module, the support beam having a support surface configured to support the pluggable module independent of the card edge connector such that the paddle card is oriented in the card slot relative to the contacts for electrical connection therewith, the support hardware having a latch coupled to the support beam latchably coupled to the pluggable module to secure the pluggable module in the support hardware electrically coupled to the card edge connector, the latch being pivoted toward the pluggable module to release from the pluggable module.

21. The card edge connector assembly of claim 20 , wherein the latch includes a latch handle and a latch tab coupled to the latch handle, the latch tab having a latching finger configured to engage the pluggable module to latchably secure the pluggable module in the support hardware.

22. The card edge connector assembly of claim 20 , wherein the latch includes a latch handle and a latch tab coupled to the latch handle, the latch tab having a latching finger extending into the pocket to engage the pluggable module to latchably secure the pluggable module in the support hardware, the latch being actuated to retract the latching finger out of the pocket to remove the pluggable module from the pocket.

23. The card edge connector assembly of claim 20 , wherein the latch includes a latch handle and a latch tab coupled to the latch handle, the latch tab having a latching finger configured to engage the pluggable module to latchably secure the pluggable module in the support hardware, the latch handle having a tether coupled thereto configured to pull the latch handle and the latch tab to release the pluggable module.

24. The card edge connector assembly of claim 20 , wherein the support beam extends from the base of the support hardware generally parallel to the host circuit board.