The connector receptacles employed by embodiments of the present invention may be formed in various ways of various materials. For example, a receptacle may include a flexible circuit board. The flexible circuit board may include various layers having traces or planes on them, where the various traces and planes are connected using vias between layers. The flexible circuit board may be formed as part of a larger flexible circuit board that may form a logic or motherboard in an electronic device. In other embodiments of the present invention, these flexible circuit boards may be formed of conductive or metallic traces and planes in or on a nonconductive body. The nonconductive body may be formed of plastic or other materials.

In various embodiments of the present invention, enclosures (in some cases), contacts, brackets, power and ground planes, traces, fasteners, and other conductive portions of connector receptacles may be formed by stamping, metal-injection molding, machining, micro-machining, 3-D printing, or other manufacturing process. The conductive portions may be formed of stainless steel, steel, copper, copper titanium, phosphor bronze, or other material or combination of materials. They may be plated or coated with nickel, gold, or other material. The nonconductive portions, such as the enclosures (again, in some cases), silicone gaskets, fasteners and other portions, may be formed using injection or other molding, 3-D printing, machining, or other manufacturing process. The nonconductive portions may be formed of silicon or silicone, rubber, hard rubber, plastic, nylon, liquid-crystal polymers (LCPs), ceramics, or other nonconductive material or combination of materials. Flexible circuit boards may be replaced by other substrates, such as printed circuit boards, in many embodiments of the present invention.