1. An electrical connector comprising:
an elongated insulative housing extending in a longitudinal direction;
a plurality of sets of contacts disposed in at least one side of the insulative housing along the longitudinal direction, each set of contacts comprising three adjacent contacts; wherein
each set defines a first pitch internally between outermost contact and interim contact, every adjacent two sets defines a second pitch externally between two adjacent outermost contacts of the adjacent two sets, and the second pitch is larger than the first pitch;
wherein the outermost contacts of one set are used to transmit desired signals, and wherein the interim contact of the one set is grounded;
wherein the two outermost adjacent contacts of the adjacent two sets are used to transmit a differential pair of signals.
2. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a metallic shell enclosing the insulative housing, and wherein the interim contact of at least one set electrically and mechanically connects with the metallic shell.
3. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second pitch is twice of the first pitch.
4. An electrical connector assembly comprising:
a first connector comprising:
a first housing defining a longitudinal direction;
a plurality of pairs of first signal contacts disposed in at least one side of the housing along the longitudinal direction;
a plurality of first grounding contacts each being disposed between every two adjacent pairs of the first signal contacts;
a second connector for mating with the first connector, comprising:
a second housing defining a longitudinal direction;
a plurality of pairs of second signal contacts, electrically connecting with corresponding first signal contacts, disposed in at least one side of the housing along the longitudinal direction;
a plurality of second grounding contacts, electrically connecting with corresponding first grounding contacts, each being disposed between every two adjacent pairs of the second signal contacts; and wherein
each connector defines a first pitch between the grounding contact and either of the two signal contacts adjacent thereto and a second pitch between two adjacent signal contact of two adjacent pairs, the first pitch is different from the second pitch.
5. The electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein the second pitch is larger than the first pitch.
6. The electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein the pair of signal contacts is used to transmit a differential pair of signals.
7. The electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein the first connector further comprises a metallic shell enclosing the first housing, and wherein at least a grounding contact electrically and mechanically connects with the metallic shell.
8. An electrical connector comprising:
an elongated insulative housing extending in a longitudinal direction; and
a plurality of contacts disposed in the housing along said longitudinal direction, said contacts being categorized with at least first and second groups contacts wherein the first group contacts include differential pairs of signal contacts and the second group contacts include grounding or shielding contacts, said first group contacts and said second group contacts being alternately arranged with each other along said longitudinal direction; wherein
a first distance defined by an inner pitch of each differential pair of the first group contacts is larger than a second distance defined by an outer pitch between each of the first group contacts and each of the second group contacts adjacent thereto;
wherein said first distance is twice of the second distance;
wherein the housing defines a plurality of passageways to receive the corresponding first group contacts and the second group contacts respectively.
9. The electrical connector as defined in claim 8, wherein some of said second group contacts are electrically connected to a metal shield enclosing the housing.
10. The electrical connector as defined in claim 8, wherein said both said first distance and said second distance are invariable.
11. The electrical connector as defined in claim 8, further includes third group contacts each disposed between every corresponding differential pair of the first group contacts.
12. The electrical connector as defined in claim 8, wherein the housing further defines a dummy passageway between each differential pair while without receiving any contact therein.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-36. (canceled)
37. A multiplex assay detection apparatus, comprising:
an excitation energy source configured to excite a plurality of spectrally labeled bodies bound to a surface of a solid support, wherein the spectrally labeled bodies are spatially resolved and comprise a plurality of fluorescent labels used to encode discrete and different emission spectra wherein each emission spectrum has a plurality of signals at differing wavelengths;
a sensor configured to detect the emission spectrum of each spectrally labeled body; and
a processor configured to utilize machine-readable code including a library of identifiable substances and their associated emission spectra to identify the identifiable substance associated with each spectrally labeled body.
38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein each of the plurality of spectrally labeled bodies includes a capture moiety that has an affinity for a particular identifiable substance.
39. The apparatus claim of 38, wherein the identifiable substance is a biomolecule.
40. The apparatus claim of 39, wherein the biomolecule is an oligonucleotide.
41. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the surface of the solid support is substantially planar.
42. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the solid support is a bead.
43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the bead is comprised of spectrally labeled bodies with the same emission spectrum.
44. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the bead is comprised of spectrally labeled bodies with two or more emission spectra.
45. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the solid support is an assay plate.
46. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the processor is configured to provide a count of the detected spectrally labeled bodies.
47. An assay detection system, comprising:
an assay detection apparatus, comprising:
an excitation energy source configured to excite a plurality of spectrally labeled bodies bound to a surface of a solid support, wherein the spectrally labeled bodies are spatially resolved and comprise a plurality of fluorescent labels used to encode discrete and different emission spectra wherein each emission spectrum has a plurality of signals at differing wavelengths; and
a sensor configured to detect the emission spectra of each spectrally labeled body;
a computing device in communication with the assay detection apparatus, comprising:
a memory for storing machine-readable code including a library of identifiable substances and their associated spectral barcodes, and
a processor in communication with the memory and configured to utilize the machine-readable code to identify the identifiable substances associated with the spectrally labeled bodies.
48. The system of claim 47, wherein each of the plurality of spectrally labeled bodies includes a capture moiety that has an affinity for a particular identifiable substance.
49. The system claim of 48, wherein the identifiable substance is a biomolecule.
50. The system claim of 49, wherein the biomolecule is an oligonucleotide.
51. The system of claim 47, wherein the surface of the solid support is substantially planar.
52. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the solid support is a bead.
53. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the solid support is an assay plate.
54. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the processor is configured to provide a count of the detected spectrally labeled bodies.
55. An assay detection method, comprising:
exciting a plurality of spectrally labeled bodies with an energy source, wherein the spectrally labeled bodies are bound to a surface of a solid support in a spatially resolved configuration and comprise a plurality of fluorescent labels used to encode discrete and different emission spectra wherein each emission spectrum has a plurality of signals at differing wavelengths;
detecting emission spectra with a sensor;
providing a memory for storing machine-readable code including a library of identifiable substances and their associated emission spectra; and
identifying identifiable substances from the emission spectra using a processor, wherein the processor is in communication with the memory and configured to utilize the machine-readable code to identify the identifiable substances associated with the spectrally labeled bodies.
56. The method of claim 55, further comprising the step of counting the detected spectrally labeled bodies using the processor.