1. Connectors & Cables
© D. J. McMahon rev

2. 1/4” TRS connectors – (Tip, Ring, Shield) or 1/4” ‘Phone Plug’
Usually for audio or
low-voltage signal applications
Tip Ring Shield (usually ground)

3. 3.5mm TRS connectors --

4. TRS connector
comparison
3.5 mm
1/4”
2.5 mm “sub-mini”

6. Coaxial power connectors --
or “Barrel Connectors”
Used almost entirely for power connection from AC-DC adapters for
low-power, low voltage devices.
Over 20 variants on the same design, set by the Electronics Industry
Association of Japan (EIAJ).

7. Typical variants --
2.35 mm
3.00 mm
4.75 mm
5.50 mm

8. Banana plugs --
.75” spacing

9. D-subminiature connectors –
Most commonly 9-, 15-, and 25-pin types pin HD for VGA connections.

10. Phono Plug
or ‘RCA Connector’

11. Deutsche Institut für Normung
DIN Connectors:
Deutsche Institut für Normung
Used in a large variety of analog, digital, and computer applications
DIN: mm diameter:
Mini-DIN: mm diameter:

12. S-Video (or Y/C) Connector --
( 4-pin Mini-DIN )

14. Multi-pin ‘Cannon’ connectors --
ITT-Cannon Corp.
many applications

15. Molex© connectors --

19. Jones Connectors (Cinch-Jones) --
Preferred for low voltage, high current signals

20. Lemo Connectors –
High density, low voltage; very robust

22. Lemo variants -

23. XLR connectors – Audio applications - very robust
( Cannon Corp: X-Type, Locking, Rubberized insulation )
Audio applications very robust

24. HDMI connector --
( High Density Media Interface )

25. DVI connectors –
( Digital Visual Interface )

26. DVI connector pin-outs:

27. Coaxial Cable --

28. Coaxial Cable --

29. ‘Characteristic Impedance’ for coax (Z0) –
A complex number with a resistive and reactive component. It is a function of the
frequency of the applied signal, and is unrelated to length. The characteristic
impedance of any cable is directly determined by the conductor sizes, the
spacing between them, and the type of insulation used.
Most coaxial cables have an impedance of 50 or 75 Ohms at high frequencies.
where
R is the resistance per unit length,
L is the inductance per unit length,
G is the conductance of the dielectric per unit length,
C is the capacitance per unit length,
j is the imaginary unit
ω is the angular frequency 2πF

30. In order to have maximum signal transfer, the impedance of a coax line
should match that of the devices it connects.
Video signals, cable TV, closed-circuit TV, etc all have a 75Ω impedance.
RG6, RG79, and RG179 are most often used for video, depending on the
type of signal, the distance, power, etc.

32. F-connectors –
Video - almost exclusively for cable TV

33. BNC Connector (Bayonet Neill-Concelman)
Widely used for RF & video applications

35. Attaching a BNC – Read the instructions !

37. BNC’s on RG-179 coax

38. Various BNC adapters --
‘Barrel’ connectors
for BNC

39. UHF connectors for coaxial cable –
PL-259
SO-329
RF applications - esp radio at medium to high power