Cables To Go - Audio/Video Connector Guide

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Connector types:
Audio/Video • Centronics • DB Style • Din • DVI • Fiber • Firewire®
Internal • Modular • Power • Projector • SCSI • Specialty • USB

See All A/V Cables Audio/Video Connector Guide

Audio/video devices use a variety of different interfaces. One similarity that most A/V connector types share is their ease of pluggability. Manufacturers of consumer electronics prefer to use simple interfaces that average users can plug and unplug without having to tighten thumbscrews, or release tabs or latches. This preference can prove challenging to manufacturers who must balance convenience with performance.
1/4-inch	The 1/4-inch connector is commonly called a phone connector because it was used for years by telephone operators to patch telephone connections together. It has a tip/ring/sleeve design, like the 3.5mm connector, but it is larger in length and diameter. The 1/4-inch connectors may have only a tip and sleeve, or a tip, ring and sleeve (TRS). A TRS connection is used for balanced audio lines, or depending upon the equipment, for stereo sound. The 1/4-inch connectors are very common on musical instruments (especially guitars), and other staging devices such as effects pedals, mixing consoles, speakers, and amplifiers. Cables

3.5mm	The 3.5mm connector is commonly called a 1/8-inch connector or a mini-plug. It is a small, thin metal plug that can be used to carry one, two, or even three signals. The tip of the plug is separated from the sleeve of the connector by a concentric band of insulating material. For stereo or audio/video versions of the plug, there may be one or two additional metal bands, called rings, placed between the tip and the sleeve. 3.5mm connectors are commonly used for computers and portable devices. A computer’s sound card uses these connectors for speakers, line-in/line-out connections, and also for microphones. Portable devices use the 3.5mm interface as a line-out connection for headphones or for connection to an auxiliary input on an amplifier. The “three-pole” version of the 3.5mm plug is often used on camcorders. This plug has a tip and two rings, which can carry video as well as right/left stereo audio. Cables

BNC	BNC connectors are round plugs with a bayonet-style locking system, used on coaxial cables. BNC plugs have good impedance characteristics, and their locking mechanism keeps them securely in place once connected. Because they are more expensive and harder to connect than RCA plugs, they are often used for higher-end and/or professional audio/video equipment. They are very common in CCTV and surveillance camera applications. There are many popular theories explaining the acronym “BNC”, but the most likely is “Bayonet-Neill-Concelman”, which refers to the two gentlemen that developed it years ago (Paul Neill from Bell Labs, and Carl Concelman from Amphenol). Cables

DVI-D Dual-link	This connector contains 24 pins arranged in three horizontal rows of eight pins. To the side of this grouping of 24 pins is a wide, flat pin called a ground bar. A dual-link interface provides two TMDS links, or groups of data “channels” that can carry more than 10 Gbps of digital video information. A dual-link cable is backwards-compatible with single-link applications. DVI interfaces in the A/V world are found on HDTVs and on HD sources such as DVRs or satellite receivers. Check manufacturer specifications before connecting PC equipment to a DVI interface on an A/V device. Cables

HDMI	HDMI™ stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. This technology carries the same video information as DVI but adds the capacity for digital audio and control signals as well. The current version of HDMI carries one TMDS link of digital video. Found on many home-theater/consumer electronics devices, HDMI uses a 19-pin connector that is held in place by friction. This connector is technically described as a Type A HDMI connector. The Type B connector is larger (28 pins), but it is not currently used by any devices in the marketplace. HDMI is the interface of choice for most newer HD A/V devices. Not only does it provide outstanding audio and video performance, but it also supports High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP), a technology built into consumer electronic equipment that prevents illicit duplication of copyrighted material. Cables

HD15	A very common connector used mostly as a video interface for computers and monitors. It can also be found on HD displays, and on older HD source devices such as satellite receivers and cable boxes. The HD15 is a High Density DB-style connector, so it can also be called an HD DB15. Another popular name is “VGA connector”, although it is used in video applications that support much higher resolutions (SVGA, XGA, UXGA, etc.). An HD15 connector is the same size as a DB9 connector, but it has three rows of 5 pins. On most HD15 male connectors, there is one pin (pin 9) missing in the middle row. Cables

RCA	The venerable RCA plug gets its name from the RCA Corporation, which popularized its use on radios and phonograph players as far back as the 1940s. The RCA connector is a round plug with a central tip and a metal ring, separated by insulating material. The tip has a smooth, domed shape. The shape and design makes the connector extremely easy to plug and unplug into equipment. RCA connectors are often used with coaxial cables, where the center conductor terminates to the tip, and the coaxial shield is in contact with the metal ring of the plug. Even though they are used for video applications, most RCA connectors do a poor job of maintaining a precise impedance. As such, they are rarely used for broadcast or professional applications. The RCA plug is sometimes referred to as a Cinch or phono connector. RCA interfaces are very common on consumer electronics devices, for applications such as composite video, component video, line-level audio, and S/PDIF digital audio.

S-Video (4-pin Mini-DIN)	The 4-pin mini-DIN connector is most often used for S-video applications. It has 4 pins arranged in 2 rows, and a keying block to make certain the plug cannot be inserted improperly. Even though an S-video connector has 4 pins, it only carries two signals—luminance and chrominance. The other 2 pins are used for signal ground connections. Cables

TOSLINK™	TOSLINK is the name of an optical interface for digital audio signals. The interface was developed by Toshiba, and TOSLINK is their registered trademark. The TOSLINK (or EIAJ optical) connector is a small, round optical conductor housed in a squarish connector body. Originally intended for use solely with Toshiba CD players, it has been adopted by many other manufacturers and is standard equipment on many A/V sources and receivers. Even though TOSLINK uses fiber optic cable, it is limited to a maximum cable length of about 5 meters, due to the low power of the LEDs used in TOSLINK transceivers. Cables

F-type	The F-type connector is used on coaxial cable, and is widely used for cable TV, satellite TV, and off-air TV antenna applications. The connector is round with the conductor of the cable itself poking through the center of the connector body. Most F-type connectors are threaded, so that they can be screwed into place. Some F-types don’t have threads, and are merely pushed onto the mating connector. F-type fittings can be terminated in a few different ways: crimp, twist-on, or compression. A compression fitting is the preferred method, because it offers the most secure termination, with the lowest amount of RF leakage. The origin of the name of F-type connector is not widely known. Connectors

Banana plugs	Banana plugs are often used to make speaker wire connections on amplifiers, speakers, and audio wallplates. A banana plug has a metal pin that “bows” out in the middle, resembling the shape of a banana. Banana plugs are normally used in pairs and mate with binding posts, which are typically found on higher-end amps and speakers. Plugs, wallplates and binding posts.

Speaker pins	Speaker pins are also used to terminate speaker wire connections. Instead of a wide body like a banana plug, a speaker pin has a straight, narrow shape. These pins are used to connect to push-on speaker connections found on many CE devices, and to 5-way binding posts. Speaker pins.

XLR	XLR is a type of connector used for many professional audio applications. Originally designed by ITT Cannon, the most common configuration is a 3-pin connector for “balanced” audio signals. When male and female XLR connectors are mated, the design of the connector makes contact on pin 1 (ground) before any other pins. This prevents potential damage to the system. A balanced audio signal offers great protection against EMI noise, and can travel a long distance. For this reason, balanced lines using XLR connections are often used for microphones, mixers, amplifiers, and other pro audio devices. Cables and connectors.
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