Yes, this is largely biased to the stuff I deal with.
Ideally 'common' is true enough. Suggestions are welcome.
Mixed use (analog, digital, home electronics, audio)
TRS (Tip, Ring, Sleeve) and variations
3.5mm (1/8") TRS plug (bottom left),
'TRS' may be clearer when distinguishing it from plugs in similar use, but the everyday names we use are more specific - and somewhat regional.
The 3.5mm is often known as headphone jack, stereo jack , mini jack, or 3.5mm jack, and sometimes things like mini-phone.
The 6.35mm was classically called phone connector (2-lead, TS) though perhaps the largest use today is guitars.
The history of plugs like these is complex[1], and there are some leftovers today that use less usual variants.
But what you're most likely to meet is primarily:
On units - The 1/4 size is standardized in inches because of its phone network origins(verify),
TS, TRS, TRRS, etc.
The original 1/4" had two contacts, so had a tip and sleeve (TS).
It grew more bands over time, so e.g. 3.5mm is frequently seen in TS, TRS, and occasionally TRRS. TRRRS exists but is rare.
3.5mm TRRS is
Not-really-compatible variants
A few synthesizers (Buchla and clones(verify)) use tini-jax which is .141" (~3.6mm) and basically incompatible with 3.5mm
I've also seen a variant of 3.5mm that can be screwed down, which is quite useful for use on stage where you don't want a yank to stop the music - yet e.g. in the image on the right the screw-thread ring on this plug doesn't pull back so this particular plug won't plug properly into most other 3.5 sockets.
See also:
Headphone buttons
The buttons don't need extra wires in a TRRS plug because they'll be using different resistor values between mic and ground pins.
For Android[2]:
0..70 ohm Function A, play/pause/takecall 110..180 ohm Function D, typically voice commands 210..290 ohm Function B, volume up 360..680 ohm Function C, volume down
(The impedance of the microphone itself is considerably higher, and sense-wise acts as the default)
For Apple,
~0 ohm is play/pause/takecall
Everything else seems to be proprietary signaling, which allows them to add functionality over time. And piss of imitators and DIYers.
RCA
RCA socket and plug
Bunch of RCA sockets
Used for audio, video (often composite, now also component), some simple data (like non-optical digital audio)
Named for its introduction by the Radio Corporation of America.
Other names include cinch connector, phono connector, and some odd ones out like the Dutch calling it a tulpstekker (after tulips, because of course).
See also:
DIN
Left: the 180-degrees 5-pin DIN.DIN refers to a whole standardization body. Only with a number does it refer to a specific standard, which includes connectors.
But no one remembers those numbers, so we say "DIN connector" and leave it to context.
Around consumer devices it most commonly refers to the members of a specific series of circular plug/sockets of similar design, that have a 13.2mm-diameter round metal friction locking shield.
This set includes:
Being an existing, relatively sturdy, relatively versatile, and relatively cheap style of connector, these once saw a lot of varied use, be it digital (e.g. MIDI, AT keyboard connector), audio/video (e.g. tape decks, microphones), and sometimes power.
Many of them were fairly specific to brands or devices .
Many such uses have since grown more specific connectors.
Which is probably good, to avoid smoky mistakes from too many distinct uses sharing a plug.
The only one that survived a lot longer in wide use is MIDI, with its 180 degree 5-pin din plug.
Other DIN you may well have seen includes:
Note that some of these have since been effectively moved into international (IEC) standards.
See also:
Look a bit like
Mini-DIN
Mini-DIN is a similar-looking variation also from DIN ((verify), I can't easily find the number), with a 9.5mm round metal shield. Additionally uses plastic slots that makes plugging into other variants hard without a hammer.
These include:
PS2 mouse and PS/2 keyboard (here on adapters from USB) (6-pin mini-DIN)
S-video on the back on a SCART adapter (4-pin mini-DIN)
Apple Desktop Bus (4-pin mini-DIN)
Probably best known for
Other uses include audio, video, some communication, and some fairly one-off video card adapters back when analog video was still a thing we wanted.
I've also seen some used for power.
You should assume each connector has multiple, unrelated uses before you plug something in.
See also:
Mini-DIN lookalikes
Not a standard 7-pin mini-DIN plug.There are a number of have the same 9.5mm housing as mini-DIN, but are not standardized or approved by DIN.
These include:
Some are designed to be compatible with specific standard mini-DIN (e.g. to have a video card socket that accepts both standard S-Video plug but also its own connects-more-stuff variant).
Others are designed to be specifically incompatible with standard mini-DIN.
Video cables/plugs
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.
Composite video
Female and male RCA. Yellow is associated with video use (much like red and black (or red and white) are with stereo sound)Composite video (not to be confused with component video).
Usually plugs around in a one-yellow-RCA-plug way, sometimes using a BNC plug.
Carries Y, U, and V signals with sync pulses, and is also easy to broadcast - it is almost entirely the same as analog TV's format.
...in a baseband way, without modulation.
The main upsides to composite is probably that it is easy to transfer video between devices with a single, simple, common plug.
The main downside is that it somewhat susceptible to various visual artifacts, including noise/interference, dot crawl.
It arguably varies mostly with the quality of the encoding/decoding hardware, which indeed has varied, and which is internal so you have no control over.
The only thing you could change is cable length. Shorter cables sometimes help a little.
Composite video is sometimes called CVBS. Depending on who you ask, that's short for
"Color, Video, Blank and Sync",
"Composite Video Baseband Signal",
"Composite Video Burst Signal", or
"Composite Video with Burst and Sync".
RF modulators
Being so similar to TV signals, and there once being a time at which TVs only took antenna inputs, it was once a reasonable choice to have local devices like video tape recorders, early game consoles, and and some early computers modulate their video a signal onto a local video channel.
S-Video
S-video plug, the wire carrying two pairsS-Video (also Super Video or Separated Video, and also sometimes called Y/C) carries luma (Y) and chroma (C) signals on separate wire pairs, using standard 4-pin mini-DIN plugs.
It carries the same information as composite video, but avoids shoving the Y and C information together onto one wire.
This helps in that the cheapest hardware to separate the two was one reason composite could look worse. At the same time, with good hardware and fairly ideal conditions for composite, S-Video is no better than composite.
S-Video-to-Composite-video converter cables can just join the wires (although this may mean the colors are less saturated - something about the voltage amplitudes of these two signals?(verify)).
Because it's just wires connected together, you can not use that same wire to go from composite input to S-Video output. Sure you can connect it, but that puts a mixed Y+C channel on both the Y and C pairs. The S-video decoder hardware will only partially understand this, and it usually results in a black and white image(verify).
S-Video-like
Not a standard 7-pin mini-DIN plug. This one is one end of a computer video card adapter cableYou may find some Mini-DIN_lookalikes that resemble the 4-pin mini-DIN S-Video plug. This includes:
Component video (YPbPr)
Red, Green, Blue RCA (...which suggests component video)Component video could in theory refer refer to any system that sends video in multiple separated channels.
...but it quite usually refers specifically to a Y,Pb,Pr setup, typically on three RCA connectors (and sometimes on other things, like D-terminal), and for YPbPr these connectors are frequently red, green, and blue.
...not to be confused with RGB video, which also exists, in multiple forms
See also Color_notes_-_color_spaces#YCbCr_and_YPbPr
SCART
Plug from a general purpose SCART interconnector cable Two specific-purpose SCART plugs, with only the pins they need for audio and composite video in a specific directionSCART (a.k.a. Euro AV, EIA Multiport) combines a bunch of analog audio and video formats used by various common plugs, making it somewhat easier to connect various common home devices.
SCART can carry:
You can easily find adapters to one or more specific things, like RCA audio, composite video and/or and S-Video, and sometimes versions with a switch that selects whether you want to use the converter plug to act as input or output.
RGB is higher quality, but was non-standard and added later
See also:
VGA
DE-15, also named HD-15 , used for VGA monitor connectionsVGA technically refers to Video Graphics Array, a specific video card from the late eighties that set a graphics standard, including the 640x480 resolution (though any VGA card did more than that), also interesting in the detail that it loosely resembles an NTSC TV signal(verify))
Later it mainly referred to the connector it uses (DE-15) and the way it carries image signals,
which stuck around for a long time and which supports much higher resolutions (over short cables).
While it's a 15-pin connector, there's a lot of redundancy in there. Most important are five signals, and ground:
Four further pins were reserved for DDC (Display Data Channel) to help PCs identify monitor capabilities.
On ground: Pinouts may show the center row all grounds and interconnected, but in most cables these are individual paths, a separate ground - e.g. red and 'red ground' in a twister for lower interference(verify), etc.
💤 Limits
VGA made sense when monitors were CRTs and their scanning beam made them all-analog in nature - you had to convert it to analog somewhere, and they chose to do it in the graphics card.
Connecting flatscreens via VGA makes less sense electronically: We have a digital image with discrete pixels in the PC, the eventual screen pixels are discrete, but we convert it to analog, to carry as analog, then convert analog back to digital. Yes, the timing is usually pretty good, but it's an unnecessary intermediate step, asking for mild analog signal losses, and a little ghosting and similar such issues, particularly for the faster speeds required for higher resolutions and/or longer cables. We moved on to digital communication for our monitors for a reason.
Also, it can be a fun to mess with those analog voltages - see also VGA hacking
D-Terminal
D-terminal plug This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.D-Terminal is probably most common in Japan, and seen elsewhere mostly in specific applications, e.g. digital satellite tuners.
The wires carry component video, and also signal lines that use logic-level voltages to signal the video's resolution, ratio, and whether it is interlaced/progressive.
Has five modes, carrying analog 480i through 1080p, varying with the actual devices,
and sockets may be labeled with D1 through D5 as indication of what a device is capable of, which seems to include:(verify)
Breakout cables to component video over RCA and BNC exist.(verify)
I'm not clear on how/whether this is related to (mini)-centronics.(verify) - might this effectively be mini-MDR14?
See also:
Digital video cables (high speed and/or uncompressed)
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Such as:
DVI
DVI pinout chart (click for details)On digital and/or analog
DVI can carry both analog and digital video, but specific wires and interfaces can choose to do just one.
DVI connector variants (male)
There are roughly four variants. To tell them apart,
There are some other connectors that look roughly like DVI but are incompatible, such as:
And two different many-pin connectors, often seen for many-monitor graphics cards, as each connector can be used for two monitors:
Needs an adapter for things like DVI or VGA (doesn't carry them directly). The absence of pin 58 in DMS-59 seems to be just for keying. It isn't used in LFH either(verify), so you can use DMS-59 cables where you would otherwise use LFH.(verify)
See also:
MiniVGA, MiniDVI, MicroDVI, Mini DisplayPort
Mini-VGA (socket circled, plug on top)Mini VGA
Mini DVI
MicroDVI, again mostly Apple, was used on some Macbook Airs.
All of the above were discontinued circa 2010, in favour of Mini DisplayPort.
Mini DisplayPort
Other Apple connectors
Thunderbolt socketIntel and Apple developed Thunderbolt, which uses the same plug as Mini DisplayPort.
...which is intentionally backwards compatible.
But, for the same reason, also potentially confusing,
It's safe to connect and will display, but any feature beyond that won't work.
You can tell by the logo:
Note that Thunderbolt 3 uses the standardized USB-C (which is now entering general use),
so mini-DP-style thunderbolt is now sometimes referred to as Thunderbolt 2 connector.
This at least is expected to be a generic interconnect.
Thunderbolt is, by name, confusable with Lightning (introduced 2012, now being displaced by USB-C ).
Lightning is the thin flat reversible plug with little strips of connector.
There are eight pins, carrying
It is almost exclusive to iPhone, iPad, iPod, and a handful of Apple accessories. Lightning replaced the earlier dock connector (and e.g. lightning headphones made sense to make where 30-pin dock headphones didn't really).
30-pin dock connector (since 2003, and mostly disappeared since Lightning in 2012).
which seems to carry:
HDMI
Typical HDMI plug (Type A, 19 pins)High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) [3]
Can carry digital video, and digital audio.
There are plug variants.
HDMI variants
CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) is for simple commands between a set of interconnected devices, e.g.
allowing your TV remote to control some common functions of a set-top or DVD player, have a device turn the TV on and to it as a source, control volume, transfer a preferred device name, things like that.
CEC is mostly known under names like Anynet+ (Samsung), 1-Touch Play (Roku), and various names involving 'Link' (lots of brands).
Electrically it is a one-wire bidirectional serial bus, separate from HDMI communication so that everything but this can sleep, and is very slow (~400bit/s) because it doesn't need to be faster.
See also:
DisplayPort
DisplayPort plug
Digital transfer; can carry video, audio, data, and a little power (for adapters?).
Because it was aimed to be a replacement of HDMI, DVI, VGA, and things like FPD-Link, it was made with compatibility in mind.
The signaling is not directly compatible with DVI or HDMI, but adapters are not complex.
While VGA adapters have to be active, they can be powered through the DP cable (if short(verify), which most are).
Cable length
Specs say 2 or 3 meter max.
This is a cautious figure and decent cable quality may go a little longer, in part because it's only higher speeds that run into trouble.
But don't count on more than 10-20m, and then only for for lower(-data-rate) resolutions.
Active cables could go up to 15-30m at somewhat higher rates/resolutions in a more compliant, less fragile way. (Note that active cables must be connected in the right direction - passive cables don't care).
If you want more than that, you probably want fiber DP instead of copper DP (at high enough rates and distances, the issue is capacitance and sort of unavoidable).
A Dual-mode DisplayPort output (a.k.a. DP++) supports the use of an adapter to single-link DVI or HDMI.
Without this, only an active adapter (something that does a conversion between different video formats inside it) would work.
Other conversion formats (e.g. to VGA) always require this.
Bandwidth
A single lane (differential pair) in a DP cable can be run at one of four speeds,
Cables made for higher speeds will often be 4-pair, which means:
Your average monitor will just work on most any cable. Making 1080p fail on a short cable would take effort.
You would only care about these numbers if you use a combination of 4K, deep color, 120fps, and 3D, e.g.
Mini-DisplayPort
Actually thunderbolt, but it's the same socketLike it says - a smaller plug that carries DisplayPort.
Seen used on laptops in general, and Apples in general, for monitors
Also used on Apples for Thunderbolt (1 and 2)
See also:
GVIF
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Gigabit Video Interface (GVIF), carried by a single twisted pair of wires, also allowing a data channel.
Plugs vary.
Used mostly in a few automotive uses, and then largely video-only. Up to 10 meters, up to ~2GBit.
(Not to be confused with GSIF, GigaSampler InterFace)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigabit_Video_Interface
UDI
UDI (Unified Display Interface) [4] [5]
Seems to never have made it out the door, apparently deprecated in favour of DisplayPort(verify)
SDI
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.SDI (Serial Digital Interface) is an uncompressed digital video (and audio) signal, originating around 1989 and to this day mostly seen in professional use.
Electronically:
Speed variants over time:
SD-SDI: ~170..360 Mbit, allows 480i, 576i
ED-SDI: ~500 Mbit, allows 480p, 576p
HD-SDI: ~1.5GBit, allows 720p, 1080i (common for a long time?)
Dual link HD-SDI (2002): ~3GBit, allows 1080p60
3G-SDI (2006): ~3 GBit, allows allows 1080p60 (and can be easier than dual-link HD-SDI)
6G-SDI (2015)
12G-SDI (2015)
See also:
HDBaseT
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDBaseT
NDI
Network Device Interface (NDI) is a protocol that amounts to video over IP (with mDNS for discovery).
It's not a connector - but that said, things that speak NDI includes hardware devices (cameras, monitors), and varied PC software,
tend to have a gBit ethernet interface (8P8C connector).
The protocol focuses on being fairly low latency
See also Local_and_network_media_routing_notes#NDI for a few more implementation details.
See also
Specialized or internal display connectors
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.SlimPort (an implementation of Mobility DisplayPort)[6]
MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link)[7]
PDMI (Portable Digital Media Interface)[8]
Display Serial Interface (DSI)[9] \:aimed at being a simpler thing for mobile use.
LVDS LCD - ?
FPD-Link (Flat Panel Display Link)[10]
OpenLDI - based on FDP-Link[11]
iDP - fewer wires than FDP-link
Audio(-only)
TOSLINK, mini-TOSLINK
RC-5720, often referred to as TOSLINK. What looks like copper is only there to protect and guide the fiberWhile TOSLINK specifies a few plugs, it is mostly associated with the optical EIAJ/JEITA RC-5720 plug, a.k.a. JIS F05 and CP-1201 - optical, mating with a square-ish shape.
In most contexts, this plug carries S/PDIF protocol (which itself can carry raw PCM, DTS, and AC-3).
Note that the exact same S/PDIF signal can also be carried over copper, then often connected via RCA or BNC, which involves fewer components and is really no more sensitive to EM noise - and avoids any conductor so cannot introduce ground loop issues.
You could argue lasers and fibers are cool, but really it's just a LED (because cheap and short-range), and something more akin to fishing wire (because more robust). That said, it was ahead of its time, and still not really replaced by another well known standard.
Mini-TOSLINK looks like a stereo jack (3.5mm TRS style) but carries the light to its tip.
This allows laptops (and other size-restrained devices) to have one small socket that provides either consumer 3.5mm analog audio, or SPDI/F style digital audio. It was seen e.g. on some portable MiniDisc players, some Apple laptops, and while it still exists it was was never hugely common.
There are physical adapters from TOSLINK to mini-TOSLINK.
See also:
Computer
Power supply
AMP/Molex power and Berg power connectors
AMP Mate-n-Lok / Molex 8981, plug (top) and socket (bottom) This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.tl;dr: In the context of computers, calling something a Molex connector typically points to this one.
Like other plugs, this is a connector named for a company - Molex is a large company that makes many types of plugs.
The Berg plug (apparently named after its designer) was mainly used on 3.5 inch floppy drives.
While sometimes called 4-pin mini-Molex, this one is also an AMP plug, specifically AMP 171822-4 for the cable socket, AMP 171826-4 for the right Angle PCB header.
These plugs are becoming as rare as floppy drives themselves.
See also:
PCIe power, EPS power, etc.
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.These connectors seem to come from the Molex Mini-Fit family - most resembling a Mini-Fit Jr though actually seems to use a different keying(verify)
The 'PCIe' naming seems to come from the fact that PCIe video card power draw is high enough that it is not sensible to get it through mainboard traces / the PCIe bus, so we decided to get it through a plug like this instead.(verify)
PCIe 6-pin
PCIe 8-pin - an expansion of the 6-pin
There seems to now also be a 12-Pin variant for nVidia RTX 3xxx series, apparently for space reasons, because it's barely larger than an 8-pin but can carry more power.
4-pin ATX 12V
8-pin ATX 12V
EPS 12V [13]
4+4 EPS/ATX
See also:
Fan connector
3-pin fan plug in 4-pin (intel-style) connector This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.PC fans are often connected with a three-pin connector which supplies 12V, ground, and a sensor wire that the computer can use to count revolutions.
There were a few not-so-standard variation, such as Dell's.
You now commonly see Intel's variation, with a fourth pin to the side.
3-pin:
4-pin adds
6-pin (seen in servers) add:
As the larger sockets are physically an extension on the simper ones, this is often fairly compatible -- as long as you know which one is pin 1, which bits of keying plastic usually help with.
"Can I put a 3-pin fan on a 4-pin socket?"
Yes.
Because that controller most likely does PWM on that extra pin only and leave 12V be 12V, the fan is likely to run at full speed.
"Can I put a 4-pin fan on a 3-pin socket?"
Usually, because many 4-pin fans are designed to work fine on a 3-pin header.
If they were not, they will probably not function at all - so if it spins up at all, it's probably fine.
Lower speeds, in general
Without PWM involved anywhere, you could undervolt a fan with a ghetto-ish fix: splice a fan between the +12V and +5V (e.g. from a molex plug) giving 7V.
However, not all fans reliably spin up at voltages like 7V (even if they will continue to run at 7V), so check that it does, always, or you'll sometimes have very little cooling.
This is is also why using an inline potentiometer for speed control is less predictable than PWM.
Using PWM is the preferred method of speed control over lowering voltage e.g. with a potentiometer,
because PWM will typically work down to lower speeds than undervolting (for an combination of reasons that is a little complex).
Motherboards officially just put 12V on the power pin. In the 3-pin-fan days some motherboards would PWM the 12V power pin, which works even on 3-pin fans, but has some footnotes - the 4-pin way is a more standard and somewhat more reliable way of doing PWM.
You can buy little speed control boxes that you plug between motherboard and fan.
Which are often but not always PWM based.
Storage
IDE, EIDE, PATA
You can reasonably distinguish PATA from various other 40-pin IDC plugs from that one filled hole. The plastic alignment notch is also fairly common)IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) a hardware bus primarily a ssociated with ATA and its protocol.
IDE can however also refer to some pre-ATA and other not-ATA things.
Once ATA was standard, IDE and ATA were used more or less interchangeably.
Once SATA existed, a distinction between SATA and IDE(-as-in-parallel) became convenient, so both IDE and ATA became a bit vague, and we started using SATA and the retronym PATA (Parallel ATA) became a clearer way to refer to this 40-pin connector.
Notes:
ATAPI
'ATA with Packet Interface Extension' is actually about protocol, not plug - it can be carried over PATA or SATA.
ATAPI is an extension based on SCSI protocol features, that made it more useful for certain (additional) drive types, such as CD, DVD, and tape drives.
In this context, ARMD ('ATAPI Removable Media Device') is practically use mainly used to refer to ATAPI drives other than CD/DVD drives. Often meaning tape drives.
Early CD drives: Panasonic, Sony, and Mitsumi
Before ATAPI caught on as the standard for CD drives (and having multiple ATA controllers was a given on motherboards), these three companies created proprietary interfaces (sometimes called AT-BUS and other things) to connect CD drives of their own styles.
the relevant end of a Sound Blaster 16 cardCertain expansion cards, e.g. the Sound Blaster 16, exposed these connectors as a simple way to connect these pre-ATAPI drives without needing to buy a specific separate interface card. (TODO: look up the details)
Sony used a 34-pin IDC/ribbon connector.
Panasonic and Mitsumi used 40-pin IDC/ribbon connectors (that were potentially confusable with PATA connectors, particularly when PATA (speaking ATAPI) later became the standard for CD drives).
Side note on ATA
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.ATA is short for "Advanced Technology Attachment", effectively a set of standards that now encompasses Parallel ATA, ATAPI, Serial ATA (SATA), and more.
ATA versions and introduced features:
SATA has its own versioning: [14]
SATA
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.SATA data sockets variant with shroud that makes it a little sturdier and accepts a clip
SATA data plug (without clip)
SATA power connector (15-pin)
SATA: Serial ATA, is part of ATA-6 and later. Has basically replaced PATA.
There are variants, but most of us care about the 7-pin data cable (and the 15-pin power cable).
The data socket can be as minimal as just the plastic to hold the contacts, but most sockets are a variation with a plastic shroud (see first image), making it harder to break. This will also accept the clip present on some cables.
Basic SATA's basic power connector has so many pins for scalability reasons - it provides three voltages (3.3V, 5V, 12V), with three pins each to be able to meet requirements of power hungry drives (while not exceepding 1.5A per wire), plus one signalling cable.
This cabling is often not necessary, and there are slimline and micro versions of the power connector, which use simpler wiring, and are good enough for the drives they're meant for.
For external use there is eSATA, which is pin-compatible and functionally identical. The main differences lie in electronic, cable length, and physical specs, and the connector and socket are different enough so that you can't plug SATA cables meant for internal use onto external ports.
There is also eSATAp (often marked eSATA+), which is a connector that adds power, and the ability to plug in USB into this same socket. Keep in mind that this may be either USB2 or USB3 (you can usually tell by the color).
eSATAp is a variant of eSATA that carries also carries power -- and also USB.
Only SATA's 5V line is guaranteed on this plug, the 12V line is optional.
Desktop computers typically provide 12V, while laptops often don't(verify).
This means eSATAp sockets can typically power 2.5" drives (which only need +5V), but only the desktop variants can power external 3.5" drives (which also need 12V).
eSATApd unofficially refers to having both voltages.
See also:
SAS
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.SAS and SATA are quite similar, and in many areas broadly compatible.
This is by design.
You could see
The protocol is also very similar, though SATA's requires command is a subset of SAS's(verify)), both are switched, point-to-point, serial, full-duplex, can transfer approx. 300MByte/sec per port , and can be hot-plugged .
The SAS drive interface is SFF-8482.
It looks a lot like SATA, and can indeed connect SATA as well as SAS drives.
The SAS and SATA drive connections are closely related, and in fact pin-compatible. You can physically plug SATA drives onto SAS controllers, the SAS drive connector (SFF-8482) allows it, and SAS can tunnel SATA. This means server backplanes are easily designed to take SAS and SATA alongside each other.
SATA cannot tunnel SAS, and for this reason you cannot use SATA cabling on a SAS drive. Physically because of the extra plastic, but even if you find a physical adapter (they exist, though I'm not 100% on why), it probably won't work(verify).
Because of varied use cases, there are a whole bunch of internal connectors standardized by SAS, e.g. to carry a handful of channels between drive bay backplane and controller.
Many of them are used more in servers, but some of them are obvious choices in handful-of-drives consumer RAID hardware as well.
See e.g. [15]
See also:
mSATA
mSATA (left) and M.2 (right)Uses the more general PCI Express Mini Card ('mPCIe') connector as a small drive connector (data+power). ...which caused some confusion, because some sockets were mPCIe, and some mSATA-only (verify) (similar confusion exists around M.2 keyings, actually)
in laptops, mSATA has mostly been displaced by M.2.
See also:
M.2
A form factor spec for expansion cards in general, standardized around 2013
Can carry include NVMe, SATA 3, USB 3, and (multiple lanes of) PCIe 3.
Consumers mainly see this used for storage, in which case you can consider it a replacement of PCI Express Mini Card connector (and its use for mSATA). Note that M.2 storage can communicate either via SATA or NVMe.
If your PC doesn't have M.2 on-board, there are PCIe plug-in cards with M.2 sockets. If your laptop doesn't, you probably can't use it.
Also keep in mind that it's new enough that not all current systems can boot off M.2 - in which case you can't (easily) use it for your system drive. So you want to check that, because in this aspect there is no upgrade path other than upgrading at least half your computer's hardware.
Widths include 12mm, 16mm, 22mm (typical for storage) and 30 mm.
Lengths include 16, 26, 30, 38, 42, 60, 80 and 110 mm
The size shorthand is those two appended, e.g. 2280 for 22mm by 80mm
There a longer shorthand with more dashes, like WWLL-HH-K-K or WWLL-HH-K, encodes more details (like single/double-sided, maximum thickness of components, and more)
The notchings (specific gaps in the socket/connectors) seem intended to plug in things that almost certainly won't work. This also makes them loosely correlated with function. For example:
There are about a dozen specific notch combinations, but half of them are currently reserved. If you can plug it in, it should not damage anything, but it is also not guarantee to function.
For more practical reasons, notchings are also somewhat correlated to sizes, e.g.
See also:
M.2's relation to NVMe
NVMe is storage over PCIe communication.
At the same time, NVMe allows certain parallelism that SATA doesn't.
This means NVMe is often interpreted to point to the subset of SSDs that are connected this way and (ideally) designed to benefit from the added parallelism.
Pluggable storage that speaks NVMe currently correlates strongly to M.2 connectors.
So M.2 and NVMe are often seen as roughly the same thing, and used as near-synonyms by some.
When M.2 carries NVMe, it allows higher bandwidth (which even most SSDs don't need yet),
and also has queues that makes it easier to use the parallelism of fancier SSD designs (e.g. allowing parallel reads), which makes it potentially faster and lower latency than SATA SSD.
How much faster is frequently overstated, at least for most current devices. It's much more a "potentially better", and headroom to be a good interface for a good number of years, much less a guaranteed to be better right now.
More to the point, even if it would for best-case benchmarks, in practice it depends a lot more on the actual workload than the marketing graphs would like you to realize (which is the point of these graphs, of course) because those were made on very specific workloads.
Rather than five times faster everything, you may find increase on most everyday use is more like a few percent to a few dozen percent. Cases that may see a little more may include some servers, some video editing, some games see a modest difference (in loading time, and then only to the degree it is not bound by something else).
So whether the price/performance is worth it depends the same way.
That said, NVMe it is preferable for SSD so is likely the preferred interface for SSD in the future(verify).
See also:
Apple's SSD connectors
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.
Apple has used various different connectors over time.
None of them are M.2 - which is half fair because half of them predate M.2.
They include:
There are often physical adapters from M.2 (the protocols these things speak don't seem to differ),
letting you use more generic SSDs, but you must do the research both on compatibility and whether it will fit.
https://beetstech.com/blog/apple-proprietary-ssd-ultimate-guide-to-specs-and-upgrades
USB
First years's most common set:USB3 A plug: the four classical pins, and 5 new ones further in
USB3 B plug
Roughly from most to least common (a guess at that, anyway):
Notes:
See also:
8P8C / Ethernet cable
Ethernet cable (8P8C plug, with colors indicating TIA/EIA-568-B wiring)For the series of connectors, see #Modular_connector_.28and_Registered_Jack.29.3B_.3FP.3FC
For the use of 8P8C in ethernet, see 8P8C / RJ45
Firewire (IEEE 1394)
The 6-lead plug The larger 6-lead connector and smaller 4-lead connector
IEEE 1394 is better known as FireWire (Apple), and sometimes i.LINK (Sony), and Lynx (Texas Instruments).
It was meant as a successor to parallel SCSI, and is also commonly used for some digital cameras, and for high-end audio and video devices. Was a potential competitor to USB in many areas, but while USB is somewhat slower , USB is more popular for many things.
Connectors include:
Standards:
See also:
Thunderbolt
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Fast peripheral interconnect by Intel and Apple.
Thunderbolt (1/2) socket
USB-C plug. If it's got a bolt near it, or you'd expect it in context, it's thunderbolt 3.
Thunderbolt 1 reuses the Mini DisplayPort connector; thunderbolt capability is indicated by a lightning symbol.
Thunderbolt 2
Thunderbolt 3 uses USB-C connectors. Plugs and sockets should bear the thunderbolt logo to lessen confusion.
On Thunderbolt 3, USB3, and USB-C
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.USB-C is a physical connector more than anything else, in that it is intentionally protocol-agnostic, and there are already a handful of protocols that can be negotiated on top, including
It is context-dependent which protocols the endpoints care to speak.
Which is both nice and potentially confusing.
Say, Thunderbolt 3 chose USB-C plugs/cable (previous versions used mini-DisplayPort), so TB3 can in many contexts be seen as an extension of USB3. But a Thunderbolt3 device will do nothing on a USB3-only host. Probably.
USB-C cables are created roughly equally.
...well, that was the plan, anyway. Sure, most combinations will function, but there are footnotes that mostly technicians and gearheads will care for - except when not.
In practice,
PS/2
PS/2 plugs, on USB-mouse-to-PS/2 adapter and USB-keyboard-to-PS/2 adapters, respectively This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Uses the 6-pin mini-DIN connector. For keyboards, this replaced the larger DIN plug used on AT style computers before PS/2. For mice, this became an alternative to serial port mice, though USB is now also quite common for keyboards and mice.
D-sub (D-subminiature)
The sizes (widths) of various D-sub plugs DE-15 , used for VGA monitor connections Back of a computer withDB-25F (parallel port)
,DE-15F (VGA connector)
,DE-9M (serial port)
.D-subminiature have a keystone-shaped shell for seating and earthing, and typically fastened with screws.
Most have two rows of pins, some three.
Spacing of pins within a row is 2.76mm, rows are 2.84mm apart.
Coding:
Given the shell size and pin spacing, there is a typical amount of pins for each size of shell when there are 2 rows: 15 for A, 25 for B, 37 for C, 50 for D, 9 for E.
There are however exceptions, like the three-row variants (e.g. DA-26, DD-50, DE-15), and sometimes other things in there (e.g. DB13W3).
Some common examples:
Some people abuse specific letter codes thinking that anything just refers to the D-sub plugs in general, and started patterns of misleading use for those that do know what they mean, e.g. DB15 to refer to DE15 (VGA) or DA15 (gameport).
There are smaller variants called Micro-D and Nano-D, mostly seen in military and space use.
Micro D-sub
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Smaller and denser variants of the D-shell and pins idea.
Smaller pitches (at least 1.27mm/.050"),
and may have pins aligned grid-like rather than in a triangle,
though there are probably various distinct series that fit this vague description.
I'm not sure what series these are officially part of - sites now tend to categorize them under SCSI connectors, or computing miscellany.
Ones I've come across:
Adapters exist to e.g. Micro ribbon for SCSI
Ribbon-cable-and-IDC
34-pin floppy cable plug on the left, a 40-pin parallel ATA plug on the right (the latter recognizable by the one filled hole, and the plastic alignment notch is also fairly common)
The plug is called an insulation-displacement connector, IDC (see also DIN 41651)
The name name that refers to the fact that you can press these connectors onto ribbon cables - the connectors have blades that cut through the insulation.
The pin headers can be very basic, so this is a cheap yet solid thing to connect something low-pin-count, low speed, that doesn't need to be changed very often.
The IDC pitch (hole spacing) is often 2.54mm (0.1 inch), though there are variations - for example, parallel ATA connectors for laptop disks often had 2.0mm pitch.
IDC were once common in computers, now largely replaced.
Some that remain:
Once common, no longer:
See also:
Micro ribbon connector
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Micro ribbon connector or miniature ribbon connector and some other names
The shell's shape is much like that in D-sub, but the connectors are strips instead of pins, and fastening can be clips or screws (though there can be a strong correlation with any one connector. Also, I have seen sockets accepting both).
I think I've found pin counts like 14, 20, 26, 36, 50, and 68(verify), but it seems there are a few specific selections for specific uses. Most are now rarely seen anyway.
There are actually two sizes of this connector,
The 'micro ribbon connector' name now seems somewhat odd
Example uses:
See also:
Internal bus
Mobile devices
Phone (landline)
Modular connector (?P?C); Registered Jack
8P8C plug, 6P6C plug, 6P4C plug, 4P4C plug, 6P6C socketModular connector (when it refers to a specific connector) were developed for phone uses, though have also found uses as e.g. board-to-board connectors when space is not cramped.
Variations of socket and plug are named by
For example, 6P2C has 6 positions and two conductors, 8P8C has 8 positions and has conductors in all positions.
The 2, 4, 6, 8 positions/lead connectors are mostly standard, 10P10C and further variations also exist.
RJ meaning analog phone
Registered Jack refers to a handful of analog telephone pinouts / wiring standards, most of them on these modular connectors .
Once you get into the details and specific plugs, there is only loose association between specific connectors and likely uses.
This can be useful to know because you often have more luck finding these plugs and sockets by the associated RJ uses.
Consider for example
Of that, the ones familiar to consumers are mostly 4P on phone handsets, 6P for analog phone lines, and 8P for networking.
Notes:
RJ45 meaning ethernet?
When a few variants of Ethernet started using the 8P8C plug (this wiring), and became popular, RJ45 shifted to mean "Computers using Ethernet".
...even though
The ethernet association is now strong enough that searching for RJ45 pinout shows you the TIA/EIA-568-B pinout instead,
and even some proprietary pinouts, before you get anything mentioning a phone.
It's actually hard to do a web search for the original phone wiring, and you'll even get hits titled "Could RJ45 be used for telephone?"
To add to the confusion, 8P8C was for a time seen connecting networking and phones -- because a single analog phone line (middle pins) and 100MBit ethernet (which avoided the middle pins) could coexist on the same plug, which some offices used to reduce the amount of wiring and sockets to install. (Today, the same offices would use VOIP phones and only care about networking)
Less standard ?P?C uses
Many. It's a fairly convenient connector that won't just fall out, cheap, and the wires are easy enough to get.
See also:
Landline wallplug
Dutch phone plugA lot of countries have switched to RJ11 within the house (and sometimes RJ45).
Countries that still haven't fully shed themselves of older plugs (often just in older houses) include...
Also, some countries had a distinct plug used only for ISDN (which now barely exists) or ADSL (now often also RJ)
Memory cards
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_memory_cards
SD and MMC
Sizes and basic pinsPhysical size: There's mainly
The variants are pin-compatible (some footnotes on the faster ones with extra pins), so adapters to larger sizes exist, and the choice of which you want relates more to the device. For example, cameras and laptops and generic card readers often prefer SD, which is a little sturdier and less fiddly to move around, smartphones use microSD because of the smaller size and it being more or less permanently in there anyway.
Storage size:
When released around 2000, they were tens of megabytes large (apparently allowed for up to 2GB(verify))
SDHC (~2007) allowed up to 32GB
SDXC (2009 and later) allowed sizes up to 2TB, and optionally allowed designs that go at higher speeds.
Speed:
Basic speed is 12MB/s, or 25MB/s when clocked at double rate
UHS variants go up to 100MB/s or a few multiples of that, depending on the variant, and on card and reader support.
Notes:
See also:
On MMC
In today's context, MultiMediaCard (MMC) (since roughly 1997) was the predecessor for SD cards (since 1999).
Because SD builds on MMC both physically and in terms of protocol, many SD controllers will still accept MMC cards.
Variants of MMC (some of them specialized or local) have come out until recently, but MMC is generally much less common than SD cards.
Like SD, MMC had some size variants (see e.g. MMCplus, MMCmicro). More than the later SD, in part because it was an open standard so let companies roll their own.
Worth mentioning is eMMC, basically a flash chip meant for internal use, that happens to be built on MMC.
It was in common use for internal storage in phones and tables until it was displaced by UFS.
See also:
CompactFlash (CF)
Type 1 Compact Flash (CF) This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Basically a PATA bus, and talking ATA, directly on the side of a memory card.
Often contained flash (which was initially fairly small), though initially also for very small hard drives (microdrives).
It offered good features early on (compared e.g. to SmartMedia), but was later displaced by smaller and faster formats - though the sturdiness let it hold on in certain uses, e.g. photography where huge storage size is less important.
Physical size: 36m high, 43mm wide
Type II was mostly used by microdrives, also because II is allowed to draw more current than I. As microdrives were fairly quickly displaced by flash-based storage, most CF cards are Type I, and not all devices do not fit Type II cards(verify).
There are derivations, like CFast (SATA bus) and CFexpress (PCIe bus) but these are essentially different formats.
Storage size
Initially, sizes were dozens to hundreds of MByts, because when it was design (mid-nineties) a GByte was more storage than a lot of PCs had. In the 2000s they grew to dozens of GBytes.
Recent CF5.0 allows much larger, though in a lot of uses a hundred GByte or so is more than you need, and larger may be better served by a more modern, faster format.
Speed
Because it's really just ATA, the maximum speed varies with ATA version.
Original specs were limited to PIO modes, which top out around 25MB/s.
Later UDMA modes supported up to 166MB/s, and some CF is actually that fast, which is still on par with modern SD cards.
Yet regular CF didn't go much faster than 20MB/s or 30MB/s from decent cards(verify), and maybe single digits from cheap ones (note: like cheap SD today).
The x speed rating is multiples of 150KB/s (like in CDs), so e.g.
Note that the listed speed is usually the read speed, not the write speed.
See also:
Memory Stick (Duo, Pro, Micro (M2), etc.)
Physical sizes: 'standard', Duo, and Micro/M2 This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.The three sizes are electronically largely identical, and adapters from M2 to Duo-size and standard-size exist.
Seen on mobile phones, cameras, The PlayStation Portable, etc. Competed mainly with SD and CF at the time.
Maximum space:
There are three physical sizes (which you could call Standard, Duo, and Micro):
If you haven't seen them before
See also:
xD
A few types, sizes up to 512MB and 2GB varying with them.
Apparently quite similar to SmartMedia
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=xD+card&title=Special:MediaSearch&go=Go&type=image
SmartMedia (SM)
SmartmediaSee also:
RF/coax connectors
Plugs desiged (mostly in terms of shielding and impedance) to carry radio frequencies, associated with carrying video, data, and more.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RF_connector
Belling-Lee (IEC 169-2)
Both ends of a Belling-Lee extender cableUsed for TV (and radio) connectors in some European countries, and Australia.
Diameter is around 9.5mm.
Some people seem to call this a PAL connector, which is apparently mostly an association with the countries this is mostly seen in.
Some call it a coax plug, which is even vaguer.
Note that on houses with more serious installations, it's not unusual to see these only in the eventual wall-plug and the cable that goes to the TV, and something like F collectors on cabling (and signal boosters) before that. This because the Belling-Lee plugs are not ideal for VHF and UHF frequencies (but fine for MW and Shortwave) so you really don't want them more than once in your chain if you can help it.
See also:
F Connector (IEC 169-24)
F ConnectorDiameter: ~14.5mm
Often used for cable television / cable modems, satellite television, and (American) TV aerial connections.
A little less lossy for VHF and UHF than Belling-Lee is, so is seen in more places in infrastructure(verify).
See also:
BNC
BNC connector (socket/inner) on an old network card (verify))
BNC connector (outer)
BNC, Bayonet Neill-Concelman was once common for networking (e.g. 10BASE2, others).
Still used for some antennae, video (then often composite video), oscilloscopes, occasionally audio and other things, for the ability to carry higher bandwidth analog signals, the shielding, or both.
The plug is designed for a particular characteristic impedance, often 50 or 75 Ohm,
and while there are two different plugs, they have only slightly different dimensions and doesn't require a lot of force to mate them,
and while they often look different there is no simple definitive way to tell which is which.
This makes little difference under order of 10MHz, but high bandwidth applications will care about mismatches.
The dimensions vary a little between these two, but order of magnitude, the barrel is roughly 10mm and the plug's outer dimensions roughly 15mm
See also:
TNC
TNC connectorTNC, Threaded Neill-Concelman, is a variation on BNC with a screw thread system .
Reverse TNC is reverse in that the inward/outward threading is switched between male and female plugs. This is seen e.g. in older/larger WiFi antennas, an area where the smaller R-SMA is also regularly seen for the smaller ones(verify).
See also:
C connector
C connector (left), beside a BNC connector (right) for an impression of size This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.
The Type C Connector looks like BNC, but is bigger.
(BNC was developed as a smaller version of this [27])
See also:
Some smaller RF connectors
SMA (male) SMA (female)SMA is short for for SubMiniature version A (There are also SMB and SMC connectors)
Rated to 12 GHz or sometimes more.
Diameter: ~6mm for the thread/female, ~8mm for the male/outside
RP-SMA / RSMA (male) (on a PCI WiFi card)
RP-SMA / RSMA (female) (on an antenna for that same card)
A variation called RP-SMA ('reverse polarity') is seen used in WiFi antenna connectors .
SMB is similar in purpose to SMA (though only rated up to 4 GHz), but
SSMB is a smaller variant (2.7mm?(verify))
MCX is similar to SMB (also snap-on rather than threaded, rated to 6 GHz), but smaller (3.05mm?)
MMCX is an even smaller variant (2.5mm)
See also:
U.FL / MHF / I-PEX / IPAX / IPX / AMC / UMCC
Some size reference This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits. Close-up; U.FL connector on the left (top right of the PCB), and plug held in the calipers on the right.
These various names all refer to tiny (2.0mm) connectors for high-frequency RF signals (up to approx 6GHz), and seem mostly interchangeable(verify).
Seen in various mobile and wireless applications.
There are adapters to things like (RP-)SMA sold for applications such as WiFi, mobile modules (particularly machine-to-machine hardware), and others.
See also:
Unsorted RF connectors
CRC-9 (3mm)
TS-9 (3mm)
MC-Card (2mm)
Power - device side
Low/medium voltage, device side
...e.g. adapters, battery packs, solar panels, and such.
Meaning up to a dozen volts, generally up to an amp or two.
DC connectors, EIAJ power, coaxial and more
A bunch of them (see list on the left) This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.
A lot more plugs get used for this - because particularly under 20V there are few requirements,
so a lot of plugs are fine to use in physical terms.
Perhaps the most recognizable is the concentric barrel-style (some of them within the EIAJ set, some not), which is probably also the subset least likely to be used for other things.
Most are not so much standardized as they are used by convention.
Low-voltage power, usually DC.
The image on the right is a selection of connectors from one of those "20 in one DC adapter kit".
From top to bottom:
Terms, standards, plugs:
Telling which one you have or need is sometimes be a bit of a challenge.
Small mismatches on the slightly-smaller side tend to be okay, because these are often held by spring contacts.
Barrel sockets often don't have a solid inside but two (spring?) contacts.
However, a socket with a 2.5mm pin won't accept a 2.1mm inner-diameter.
The polarity for DC barrel type is typically tip-positive, i.e. the pin-inside is positive, the outide is negative.
The main notable exception is audio effect pedals.
See also:
3-Pin and 4-Pin DC Plugs
Apparently KPPX-4P This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.
When you see pins thick enough to do more than signal, you are often looking at DC power plugs.
There seem to be a bunch of these, most probably unrelated in origin, probably unified mostly in "seems solid, had has the two/three/four thick-enough pins I need", some of which seem to be niche de facto standards.
Many don't seem to have any singular standard, name, or pinout, though I've seen various with specific keying shapes that do make them a very specific plug.
I've not made a selection of these to show here - you're on your own for now.
Everyday names seem to include:
Often used to deliver two different voltages, possibly at a little more current than basic DC plugs are comfortable with.
Seen in cars or RC
Cigarette lighter plug
Known as cigar(ette) lighter plug, vehicle receptible, and others. Also called a 12V plug, since this is usually what is provided (some exceptions).
Note that there are actually three variations of this plug, with mildly different sizes.
Since many have plugs with multiple millimeters of spring on the side, they tend to be more or less interchangeable, though some combinations may be too loose, or too tight.
See also:
Vehicle chargers
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits. Type 1 (SAE J1772), Tesla proprietary, Type 2 (Mennekes).
Interestingly, those boxes on the wall that we call chargers (and are actually called 'electric vehicle supply equipment', EVSE) are typically little more than
...and almost nothing more. It's the car that does the actual charge management, decides how much to draw, does any any necessary rectification of AC, and voltage conversion.
...that is, as long as we're talking about the AC chargers - which is all that Type 1 and Type 2 can do.
AC charging was meant to be simple and convenient, because it amounts to just plugging it into the wall -- if often on a separate circuit.
IEC Type 1, SAE J1772
IEC 62196 Type 1, a.k.a. SAE J1772, J plug, Yazaki
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAE_J1772
IEC Type 2, a.k.a. Mennekes
IEC 62196 Type 2, a.k.a. Type 2, Mennekes
Used e.g. in Europe, can carry 1-phase AC, 3-phase AC, or DC.
(And this makes little sense in the US because 3-phase power is rare in domestic settings. You see the plug, but it will )
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_2_connector
IEC Type 3, a.k.a. Scame
Refers to two distinct variants.
Briefly used, mostly in France and Italy, but replaced by Type 2 (and Type 1)
Combined Charging System (CCS)
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.For context: Type 1 and type 2 as mentioned above are AC charging, which means that charger on your wall can be nothing more than just feeding through your regular wallplug power with little more than a few contactors for safety (the actual conversion is done in the car).
DC charging involves more complexity and a more expensive box on your wall -- but can be faster, so we added that later.
Since Type 1 and Type 2 plugs already existed, we just added separate DC lines, to both, for easier backward compatibility.
"CCS Combo 1" a.k.a. CCS1
"CCS Combo 2" a.k.a Combo 2, CCS2,
Notes:
Tesla
Tesla has a plug that used to be very proprietary.
It allows both AC charging and DC charging, and over the same pins, so can be a smaller plug, at the cost of the car and charger being a little more complex and expensive.
This is in part Tesla doing their own thing -- but to be fair, but the plug was planned when the others (particulary CCS) barely existed, so it makes sense.
NACS
💤 For context
The EU had mandated a universal thing (Type2, or Type2 Combo2 (verify)), so everything sold in the EU used that (incuding Tesla), so Tesla's proprietary plug was mostly just used in the US.
Then the US noticed that without standardization, they had more of a mess of variations of both plugs, and the capability of things behind that wire, and called for a #North American Charging Standard.
The outcome is that manufacturers now all seem to be committing to the Tesla plug.
That Tesla plug and protocol was previously proprietary (which was why their charging stations were unusable by anyone else),
but opened up the standard for the occasion.but opened up the standard for the occasion.
The plug is physically the same as it was on Teslas, but it does more things now,
and moved to become more compatible with CCS,
so in theory things will become more compatible, though in practice there are some exception cases.
See also:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Charging_Standard
CHAdeMO
DC charging, Japan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CHAdeMO
GB/T
GB/T 20234.3
DC charging, China
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GB/T_charging_standard
ChaoJi
Proposed DC-only standard to replace CHAdeMO and GB/T
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChaoJi
Avcon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avcon
More specific, less standard (car, low voltage/data)
OBD-II
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits. OBD-II plugOn-Board Diagnostics, while it is only actually required is to transmit emission-related data(verify), typically exposes a bunch of information useful for mechanics to give clues to problems - mostly live values from the engine, and logged errors[29].
There were a few mostly-proprietary things that had that functionality.
OBD-II was the first wider standardization of the idea.
Aside from power (12 or 24V battery, and chassis ground)
It can carry three different standard things:
...plus seven pins of "whatever the manufacturer thinks up"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On-board_diagnostics#OBD-II_diagnostic_connector
OBD-II pinout
SAE connector
SAE connector (and a die for size reference)DC power.
Mates with an identical plug. Seen in motorcycles, cars, batteries for such, some solar panels, and such.
Meant to be wired so that the exposed lead from the power source may safely touch the car chassis.
See also:
Mostly seen in RC applications
Deans ultra
Deans ultra
The Deans Ultra is a polarized connector made to carry serious current for its size (smaller than e.g. Tamiya), largely because of the connector shape.
I've seen connectors called "T plug" that seem to be knockoffs.
Flat contacts, one side with springs that push the other side for good contact area.
Rated up to 60A. (but there are some cheap imitations that you don't want to push that high - I recall some rated at 10A(verify))
There is also a smaller micro Deans, rated for a dozen amps.
Powerpole
PP30(verify).The plug mates with another copy of itself, and shields its contacts from direct touch, and e.g. touching a car chassis.
Powerpoles are somewhat larger than other choices - but unless you don't have the space, that can be a feature in that it makes it mechanically easier to pull apart (than some other high-amp choices), and may last somewhat longer.
Due to the shape of the contacts they should never fall apart, but if you're worried (e.g. in moving mechanisms) there are retention clips.
Anderson Powerpole (also known as sermos(verify)) refers to a family of connectors, apparently mostly:
Spec-wise
When people say 'powerpole' they often mean PP15/45 - which are three(verify) variants that share the same housing.
The number relates to amperage spec, which has slightly different contacts good for 15A, 30A, or 45A(verify), and takes different thicknesses of wire more easily.
Combinations
The plastic can also slot into the next side by side, horizontally and/or vertically.
There seem to be variants that amount to two of these already bonded side by side (either direction)
There are also shells without plugs, that let you collect individual and/or bonded variants(verify) into a larger sort of plug.
See also:
Tamiya
Tamiya connectorTamiya is regularly seen in RC battery packs. Seems to refer to the plastic's plug/hole shapes that make this a polarized connection (the square one is positive, the rounded-on-one-side one is ground).
Tamiya seems to be considered a cheapish choice that is good enough for up to a few amps. Or more, depending on the shape and material of the actual connectors(verify).
Also exists in mini variation.
EC3
EC2, EC3, EC5 and EC8EC3 is a polarized plastic plug around banana-style connectors, and rated to approx 60A. They're relatively cheap(verify), so are handy all-round plugs.
People report them being a little easier to separate than Deans. The plastic may deform when things do heat up, though.
Of the variants, EC3 seems most common, but there seem to be at least a EC5, a small EC2, and a chunky EC8 as well.
XT60
XT60 and XT90XT60 is a polarized bullet-based plug rated for ~60A, and uses plastic that deals well with temperature (...though 60A is a bunch).
There are more variants of this, like XT30 and XT90
See also
Mains power, device side
IEC connectors
Refers to IEC 60320 (IEC 320 before the renumbering), the plug/socket system commonly used on devices which can use various socket-to-device wires.
The male and female versions of a type connector have different numbers.
C1 through C24 are defined.
For a few there are variations (e.g. C7/C8), and some are variants of other IEC plugs (e.g. C17/C18 is unearthed variant of C13/C14).
The most common are probably:
Variants with higher temperature rating include:
Less common
See also:
Mains power - wire-to-wire connectors
Screw terminals
Screw terminalsScrew terminal blocks, terminal strips and others names are used interchangably, making some ambiguous with others.
Not all types are rated for mains voltages, though the ones with separators often are(verify)
Often refer to a screw-and-nut through a flat strip - which are not always the easiest to use on braided wire, and you may prefer to attach forked spade lugs (or loop lugs)
Luster terminals
Luster terminalsLuster terminals, a.k.a. lustre terminals, which seems to come from the german Lüsterklemmen, seem to be mostly used around Europe.
Luster terminals's actual contacts look something like this (varies, not always this solid)
Originally porcelain and of larger and simpler design (screw clamping two wires together), intended to be heat isolation as well, now plastic intended to be used within its rating.
The typical sizes are rated for 10A or 15A.
There are smaller and larger variants, with ratings like 3A and maybe 100A or so, but both extremes are less common.
You still sometimes see a ceramic version, of the newer design, but only for specific uses, e.g. in saunas.
There are a few local names, like kroonsteen (Dutch), suikertje (Flanders).
Spade connectors
Spade connectorsSpade connectors are a solid bit of metal, and the female part a good amount of area clamping down so these tend to connect very sturdily. (Some also have a clip to make it harder to slide unintentionally)
Various sizes may be rated something between 3 and 24A (order of magnitude).
The female type is frequently shrouded, for isolation.
You see spade connector bars to connect various circuits together in this style.
Related are the eye and fork variants, which are easier to screw down.
Push-in connectors
Push-in style connectors will often push a pushing into a flat contact that is also a spring construction, that tends to dig in a little
Tend to not let you pull out solid core without a bunch of force and/or twisting, which is a feature in that it retains the wire.
You can often find these rated for something on the order of 24A.
Lever locks
3-terminal WAGO 222Lever locks clamp a spring down on a wire (varied designs, various of which are smarter than a basic basic pressure plate).
There are a few models and brands, but WAGO's is probably best known (note they make other things as well).
Many are made for wires of sizes like 22AWG to 12AWG, and rated for at least 20A (usually listed on them), e.g:
Wire nuts
Wire nuts
"quick wire connector"
butt connectors
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Butt splices, or butt connectors, come in a few variants
On circuit currents
Power - wall plugs
The types are a less formal(verify) way of indicating the common plugs to use around the world.
See:
Some of the more common plugs are listed below
(lettering system as used by some US document on worldwide power)
Some practical knowledge before traveling: https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/guidance/advice-for-you/when-travelling/travel-adaptors/
Type F / Schuko / CEE 7/4
(Europe)
Type F plug
Type F wall socket
Type F plugs/sockets, also known as Schuko , and standardized in CEE 7/4, are round sockets/plugs with two earth clips on the side, and two guides for a more robust fit in the embedded socket.
It is used in much of (western) Europe, commonly seen in wall sockets and power strips.
Not polarized, though there is an Argentinian variant that apparently is.
The Russian Gost 7396 looks and is similar, but has thinner prongs, so while you can often plug Gost into Schuko sockets, Schuko plugs often don't fit into Gost sockets(verify).
CEE 7/7 plugs
CEE 7/7 plugWorth mentioning because it is designed to work in multiple distinct earthed sockets:
Seen in wires that must be earthed (so can't be europlugs) and meant for wide sales (that is, catching both type E and type F countries with the same plug).
One good example is computer power supply cables, which are usually CEE 7/7 to C13.
Other, non-earthed European plugs: Type C, Europlug, CEE 7/16, CEE 7/17
Type C exists in round and flat variants.
flat type C, also formalized as CEE 7/16, and regularly called 'Europlug' , is an unearthed plug that fits most European-style sockets (Type C, E, F, others).
Some power strips have a few thin-type-C sockets (and Schuko otherwise), because you'll always have a few devices with these and it saves space in that case (and in that case only, as these sockets accept nothing else).
See also:
CEE 7/17 plugThe CEE 7/17 plug is a something of an unearthed adaptation of 7/16 to mate with Type E, Type F, and round type C sockets.
Round type C plug (CEE 7/2)
Round type C (CEE 7/1) sockets, on an old power strip
There is also an unearthed round Type C. This is typically considered old, and rarely seen sold anymore, for a few reasons.
socket is CEE 7/1, plug is CEE 7/2.
While the socket (7/1) will accept most any European-style plugs (C, E, F; 7/4, 7/7, others), the round type C plug (7/2) will only really plug into the 7/1 socket, and roughly nothing else, notably not the Schuko socket - it will not plug into Type E or F sockets (blocked by the plastic that guides the earth).
New installations will very typically use only earthed sockets, so the 7/1 socket is harder to find now.
Type E
Type E socket (CEE 7/5) and plug (CEE 7/6)Seen mostly in France, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Denmark(verify)
Looks much like Type C, except for the male ground pin that sticks out.
While it has a fixed orientation, there is no polarization standard.
Also compatible with others, including
Type A, Type B, household NEMA variants, JISC C 8303 Class II
(North America, Japan, some other places)
Type A (NEMA 1-15) plug Type B (NEMA 5-15) plughttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEMA_connector
NEMA 5-15 wall socket (a.k.a. Type B) 5-20 socketMainly:
...both rated for 15 amps .
NEMA actually defines a lot more plugs than that
See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets#North_American_and_IEC_60906-2
Polarity
US socket polarization was once central to basic safety, so basically all sockets are polarized.
At the same time, apparently the oldschool 2-pin plug was symmetrical (and the 3-pin wallsocket wasn't required until the seventies)
Many modern devices won't care, and when they use an unearthed (2-pin) 1-15 plug, they can allow it to be plugged in both ways. When they do care about polarization, they do so by having one of the plug's prongs be wider (that's neutral) than the other (that's hot), which will only plug into typical 2-pin or 3-pin sockets one way.
The 3-pin plugs often don't need to bother(verify) with these different sizes, because the presence of the ground pin enforces the polarity.
So yes, you can wire a socket wrong, which is technically unsafe, though practically only for very old devices that connect the chassis to neutral(verify).
Holes?
Various plugs have holes in the prongs. This is not, as some believe, for more friction, or to slot into anything.
It's a manufacturing side effect. In fact, NEMA seems to intentionally spec that if they're there, they should specifically be away from the actual mating part of the surface, so that it doesn't reduce contact area. [30]
Type G, BS 1363 (UK)
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Used in the UK and a dozen other countries[31]
Safety features:
Other apparent design considerations:
See also:
BS 1363 replaced the earlier BS 546 in the 1940s, 1950s. BS 546 is still in use elsewhere, see Type D, M
There is also a distinct shaver socket, BS 4573, which looks like a thicker variant of europlug.
Type I
Type I plug and sockets(Australia, New Zealand, China, Argentina)
Type N
South Africa, and a variant seen in Brazil
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets#Type_N
Type H
Israel
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Israeli-type-H-plugs-and-socket.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets#Israel_SI32_(Type_H)
Type J
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Switzerland, also seen in Lichtenstein
Europlug will plug into this, earthed variants (or other variants) from elsewhere in europe will not.
Not to be confused with type N
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets#Swiss_SN_441011_(Type_J)
Type L
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Italy mostly sees type L, C, and F
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets#Italy_(Type_L)
Type K
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Denmark
Phase and neutral distance and pins compatible with Schuko/europlug.
Earth is a half-round pin on the plug,
Danish grounded plugs will only fit into a grounded socket.
However, non-Danish european plugs (type E, type F) plugs will mate, but without connecting ground.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=type+K+plug&title=Special:MediaSearch&go=Go&type=image
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets#Danish_Section_107-2-D1_earthed_(Type_K)
Less-common Danish variants include
https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/Danish2.html
Type D, M
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.
BS 546 is the older british plug,
and also seen in India, Pakistan, some East African countries, South Africa,
Note that these countries may have other plugs. For example, it seems that:
Three round pins.
There are three different plugs, with larger pins spaced further apart, each with their own current rating.
Because of the three distinct sizes, the three varied plugs will only plug into a socket rated for the same current, although there are sockets that take multiple variants.
The 2 A and 5 A plug are considered Type D, the 15 A plug Type M.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets#BS_546_and_related_types_(Type_D_and_M)
https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/OldBritish1.html
Type O
When does wall polarity matter?
Power - industrial and multiphase interconnects
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_and_multiphase_power_plugs_and_sockets
IEC 60309 (Europe)
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.
See also:
Lighting sockets
Edison screw
Edison screw (E27, E14)Typical for lightbulb/pear shapes.
The number is the outer diameter of the metal screw part in mm.
There's quite a few of them, but by far most common are:
There are a handful of other diameters in use, e.g.
There are also a whole bunch of adapters,
because within the same country it's the same voltage, and you might want a different style of lamp,
deal with specific or chandeliers, etc.
See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison_screw#Fittings
bi-post / bi-pin
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Many bi-post are IEC 7004 (verify)
You may like overviews from image searches for terms like light bulb socket types diagram
The number specifies the pin distance.
Each distance tends to have a unique socket/plug design, in part to make them more easily identifiable.
Variants with smaller distances are typically small spots (classically halogen), for example:
These may be easy to find in supermarkets and such - though the exact set varies a little with where you live.
Larger variants like
On relations to the bulbs
A few further details/associations are specified by the letters, e.g. G, GU, GX, GY, GZ.
For example, GZ bulbs use dichroic glass, which means the glass conducts and dissipates heat, so lets out much of the heat at the back.
Power and beam angle may wel be specified [32] though have some inconsistencies in specification.
While endless combinations between socket, bulb, and voltage could exist, there is a lot of consistency in what is actually produced at all - what type of bulb, reflector, and voltage is used on each connector
...so in practice most most further details are (only) implied from most specific references being unique(verify).
For example:
But don't count on this, because there are exceptions
Shapes and reflectors
Refers to a shape - just the small halogen bulbs, no reflector. Can be 12V, 24V, or mains voltage.
Comes in a few base sockets, often one of G6.35, G4, G8(verify)
Apparenly frequently semi-permeable glass, which is why you shouldn't touch it with your oily fingers.
MR (e.g. in MR11, MR16) refers to a Multifaceted Reflector, which produces a more focused beam than simple parabolic reflectors. (see also PAR, which is more specifically an anodized reflector)
MR bulbs are mostly associated with G-style bases, including GU10, GX5.3, and G4.
The number in MRsomething is the bulb diameter - in eighths of an inch, so MR16 bulbs are 5.1cm in diameter, MR11 are 3.5cm.
The combinations of diameter and socket aren't unique - which means it's fairly easy to walk into a store and buy a MR16 and discover you needed one with a GU10 and GU5.3 base and got the other.
You sometimes see specifications of diameter as well as power and beam angle - see [33].
Different MR bulbs may be 12V (most) or higher voltage (some), so never blindly assume.
12V may still be AC, though are often DC in practice.(verify)
LED-based MR-series often won't care since they need to rectify anyway.
Some of the 12V (switch-mode) adapters designed for a string of halogen MRs will not like the low power draw of LED variants. You need a transformer that is not trying to be clever, one designed for lower draw, attach more lights on a single adapter, or get one designed with LEDs in mind.
Other notes
See also DIY_optics_notes#Stage_lighting.
Specialist
XLR
XLR3, XLR4, XLR6
Diameter:
Exists in a number of variations
...and various others, some of which are considered obsolete.
The two most recognisable uses are probably in the event industry:
(also note that audio cables and DMX cables, while they look similar, are not interchangeable for other reasons. It'll work fine on a test-bench scale, but will have issues on large scale)
There are also some lesser-seen and specific variants, such as
See also:
See also The_XLR_pin_1_problem
Kleintuchel
DIN 41524, a.k.a. kleintuchel , or something slightly more descriptive like "DIN with a screw ring".
Seen around some older microphones.
Three pins, for differential output and a shield, so basically the same idea as XLR.
Apparently easily adapted to XLR, though note that some companies were inconsistent with polarity on kleintuchel plugs, so when you use more than one mic in a setup, you may want to make these adapters microphone-specific if you care about phase mistakes.
In that (slightly distorting macro) image, the top is the cable, bottom is the microphone. That center hole is not functional or typical(verify).
Grosstuchel
DIN 41624, a.k.a grosstuchel
Seen around some older microphones.
Small mic plugs
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.
There are a few different small, XLR-looking plugs and sockets,
mostly seen on worn wireless microphones, some field recording kits, and otherwise fairly rare.
These seem to be used for being a locking plug that is fairly solid.
It seems that plugs can vary per manufacturer,
pinouts can vary even if the same connectors are used (varying a little by brand and context),
and some aren't even differential (not as necessary for short cables).
This seems to frequently be the plug called Switchcraft TA3 (The female TA3F on the microphone end).
"Mini XLR" doesn't really exist(verify), and seems to often refer to Switchcraft TA3(verify)
There is also a variant that uses TA4 connector (4-pin, TA4F on the microphone end), also with slightly varying pinouts.
I've seen TQG and Tiny-QG refer to both TA3 or TA4. Presumably this is Switchcraft trying to apply a brand name (or rather, trademark).
Audio Technica seems to use a Hirose 4-Pin connector
I've also seen mention of LEMO plugs, and even just reuse of TRS.
The wiring link below seems a decent list.
See also:
XLR+TRS combo
Neutrik combo, accepts both XLR and 6.35mm TS/TRSA single socket that accepts both XLR, and 1/4" (6.35mm) TS/TRS jacks.
I'm unsure whether Neutrik developed these, but there seems to be no singular name or singular producer(verify) (anymore),
yet 'Neutrik Combo' seems to be one of the better-understood references.
Mainly used to save some space on audio devices that want to accept both of these pro-audio inputs in less (rack) space.
https://www.neutrik.com/en/neutrik/products/plugs-jacks/jacks/combo-i-series
Speakon
SpeakonNeutrik Speakon is used in some professional audio, as a amp-to-speaker connection of an already amplified speaker signal.
It seems to have been introduced to be a unique, non-confusable plug, because it was (and still is) not uncommon to use TS plug that could carry either a voltage signal or already-amplified audio, which has the issue that plugging a powered output into a signal input would probably damage that input.
See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speakon_connector
powerCON
Neutrik's powerCON is a few related connectors that connect 3-pole mains power (20A or 32A).
Rated for a little more current than typical wallplug interconnects, and smaller than most of them.
There is no standardized voltage(verify). Connectors are rated for 250V, but in 120V countries they'll typically connect that(verify).
There are variants that are rated IP65 while connected, which makes them useful for outdoor events.
powerCON blue / grey [34]
Type 1 and 2 are intentionally different, so that it should be impossible to plug a short.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerCon
Fiber
Low power or signals
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Sure, there are many things you can abuse the other way, but there are also things that are more designed (or more accidentally quite fit) to carry both low current power, or signals.
Testing things
Banana plugs
Banana plug (4mm) on the black plug on the left (these happen to be stackable, which they only sometimes are).
The banana plug is named for the curvy lengthwise springs that friction-lock the plug.
Shapes vary, and not all such 4mm plugs have a friction-lock design, or the same one if they do.
Length was typically 20mm, though e.g. the US seems to use 15mm, and there's more variation.
They might be rated for something like 30V, 15A -- BUT products vary and some are much flimsier and will not be rated like that.
The 4mm version often carries lowish-current power or occasionally audio - it is seen on things like
There is a 2mm plug seen in similar situations - seemingly mostly multimeters, probably because it's a nice tradeoff in study enough to not break, and thin enough to poke at many smaller components.
It's not really referred to as a (variation of) banana plug, because the lengthwise springs are not there, but I haven't found a better place to group it under.
See also:
Crocodile clips / Alligator clips
There are many variations in look and quality, these are three of themCrocodile clips are useful for making a temporary electrical connection that will be decent and stay on.
The ones in the image here are a few cm large and don't carry much current.
Two of these plug onto banana plugs, for ease of use with multimeters.
There are large ones, seen e.g. around car batteries, that are much beefier.
See also:
IC clips
Test hooks / pincer clips / IC grabbers
Test hooks on 2.54mm-spaced pins...and probably other names.
Details vary, but generally these are small grabby springy things that extend and separate when pushed by hand, and pull in and close when you let go.
This gives comfortable temporary connections on pins down to 2mm pitch or so, where alligator clips would already be troublesome due to their thickness.
The image shows a very cheap variant (one extended), but even they still work pretty well.
Pogo pins
Spring loaded conductive connectors.
Mostly used in automated testbeds, where a PCB often needs to be pressed into a handful of these,
and in some other places where you want many points of non-permanent contact.
See also:
Smaller JST connectors
JST refers to a company that makes many series of plugs.
The below are mostly used as PCB (inter)connectors useful for data signalling, though many are rated for (on the order of) 1, 2, or 3A, so also useful to transfer some power.
A few of the series:
JST RCY
JST RCY,Pitch: 2.5mm pitch
Pins: 2 (not a series)
keying/mating: round shape that guides into shell
Seen in RC vehicle applications, there known as JST connector, BEC connector(verify), P connector(verify)
Rated for 3A (with AWG22(verify)).
See also:
JST XH series
3, 4, 5, 6, and 7-pin XH sockets on a LiPo balance charger; one 3-pin XH plugPitch: 2.5mm
Pins: 2 to 20
Keying/mating: two slits near the side of one long end, with some slight bayonetting (works out more as a friction thing)
Rated for: 3A (with AWG22)
Perhaps most recognized as a connector commonly on lithium batteries
See also:
JST EH series
JST EHPitch: 2.5mm pitch
Pins: 2 to 15
Keying/mating: socket one side unshrouded, plug one side wider; slits on short edges
Rated for: 3A (with AWG22)
See also:
JST SM series
JST SM, 2-pin and 6-pin variants2.5mm pitch
Pins: 2 to 18
Keying/mating: locking clip in the middle (on 2-pin it's the entire width) and keying on middle of one long side, 'wings' on the short sides
Rated for: 3A
"SM2 connectors" seem to refer to the 2-pin variant(verify)
See also:
JST PH series
9-pin male PH-series connector Plugged 2-pin PH-series connectorPitch: 2.0mm pitch
Pins: 2 to 16
Keying/mating: plug has two slits on the one side long, socket is open between them (one slit and nothing open on the 2-pin variant)
Rated for: 2A (with AWG24)
See also:
JST ZH series
JST ZH (left), with SH on the right for contrastPitch: 1.5mm
Pins: 2 to 13
Keying/mating: two slits on the sides (the shortest ends)
Rated for: 1A (with AWG26)
See also:
JST SH series
JST SH (right), with ZH on the left for contrastPitch: 1.0mm
Pins: 2 to 20
Keying/mating: slits on short end(verify)
Rated for: 1A (with AWG28)
See also:
JST VH series
JST VHPitch: 3.96mm
keying/mating: slots to the side, clip
Rated for 10A (with AWG16)
See also:
Smaller molex connectors
Molex KK
Pitch: 2.54mm (the most common that I've seen)
Pins: 2 .. 36
Pitch: 3.96mm
Pins: 2 .. 24
Pitch: 5.08mm
Pins: 2 .. 12
Keying/mating: slits around socket's wall, ridge along wall for friction
See also:
Micro and pico variants
https://www.molex.com/molex/products/group/micro_connectors
Smaller AMP connectors
MTA
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.
MTA 100 connector
MTA 156 connector
mta-156 OR MTA-100
https://www.te.com/usa-en/products/connectors/pcb-connectors/intersection/mta-100-mta-156-connectors.html?tab=pgp-story
Circular metric
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Circular metric and circular industrial don't refer to any one connector or standard, but informally to connectors that are round.
Metric seems to refer to a metric screw barrel, industrial to 'it looks sturdy' and probably to a few specific series of plugs that I'm not aware of yet.
It's a basic idea implemented in different ways by various companies,
which is why they exist in snap-in, bayonet, push-pull variants; metal and plastic barrels; various types of internal keying, and more variations.
In my (very biased) recollection I've seen the metal variants more around larger and industrial machines,
probably because they're a way to have a sturdy, many-pin, and somewhat isolated control signal interconnection.
Device producers may favour one of them internally, so you probably see some of these more consistently than others.
And some are largely convention. Say, some specific LEMO plugs are seen around cameras -- but with varying pinouts .
Some are even standard.
Say, there's the GX series connectors seen fairly consistently around aviation, usually smaller and fewer pin (I see mention of GX16, GX20, GX12, the number is the barrel diameter in mm)
Down to some cheap plastic (but waterproof) connectors seen around garden/christmas lighting, distinctly keyed (which in a few examples I found correlated with the voltages used).
...and seemingly everything inbetween.
Mounts, chip carriers, packages, board connectors
Mounts, chip carriers
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Packages refer to the specific design and size of something a particular component is housed in.
You will often see specific component types (and particularly specific models) in certain specific packages/mounts. For example, transistors are often seen in SOT or TO, diodes often in DO, LEDs often in what seems to be called T1, and so on.
Surface mount which may seem recent but has been around since the sixties. Surface mount has introduced a lot of specific smaller packages.
It's hard to summarize them and give a decent impression of which are more common.
On pitch
Pitch refers to the spacing of pins (more often mentioned in through-hole components, as those are fairly wide-purpose, while suface mount components tend to be more specialized packages)
Common pitches include
There are a number of different measures that can be relevant in addition to pitch.
See for example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_electronics_package_dimensions#Through_hole_pin_dimension_reference
SMD/SMT versus though-hole
There is a noticable distinction in through-hole versus surface mount:
SMD and SMT often means leads that end flat on the circuit board, to be soldered in place (often with reflow soldering, wave soldering, or such).
SMD seems to have become popular since approximately the eighties. There are SMT variants of ICs, resistors, capacitors, and various other sorts of packages.
SMD/SMT can also be seen as the top of a hierarchy of a load of specific packages.
The style it is replacing has been (retroactively) named though-hole, occasionally abbreviated to THT (though-hole technology).
See also:
Packages, roughly from fewer to more leads
TO, SOT, SC, some small SMD
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.TO, SOT, SC, SOD refer to a style of making packages, all with quite a few variants, and usually with a small pin-count (often between 2 and perhaps 7, usually between 3 and 6).
While they have names referring to specific uses and sizes , most of these packages end up seeing many other uses - particularly those packages that handle more than average power (heat).
Note that a number of specific packages have names in more than one of these series.
Many of these are THT, some SMT, some usable as both as they have long pins (some bending involved for THT).
TO ('transistor outline')
TO is often used when there is more-than-negligible current involved (mostly because of the package's thermal capacity), e.g. for transistors, regulators, darlingtons, power resistors.
Specific TO packages include:
File:SOT-23.png
SOT-23 with 3 pins
SOT ('Small Outline Transistor')
A surface-mount package, used for transistors, but also rectifiers, regulators, and more.
There are quite a few variations, many with pins that are wider for better heat transfer.
SC looks like SOT, but has thinner leads (verify)
DO
THT-style diodes are often seen in DO-xx, for example
LEDs often in [39]
seems to be called T1(verify) (but more commonly mentioned just by its radius)
SIP
SIP
You can use pin headers as SIP package
Pitch: 2.54mm
Single Inline Package. Regularly 0.1" pitch. Hardly a package at all.
DIP
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Pitch: 2.54mm (most variants)
16-pin DIP socket; 14-, 6-, and 4-pin DIP ICs
(all 0.3" row spacing)
DIP-24 with 0.3" row spacing
DIP-24 with with 0.6" row spacing
DIP : dual in-line package, usually for ICs which need relatively few pins (up to 64 or so, usually fewer).
DIP often implies 0.1 inch (2.54 mm) pitch.
Most DIP chips have a row spacing of either 0.3 inch (7.62 mm) or 0.6 inch (15.24 mm). DIP is now often assumed to be 0.3" (which is also sometimes called skinny DIP(verify)).
Since DIP is largely about pin spacing, many things besides ICs can use or be compatible with DIP, or make DIP sockets useful for other things than DIP ICs.
For example:
SO
SOIC (Small-Outline Integrated Circuit)
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Pitch: 1.27mm
Pin count variation:
There are wider variants.
See also:
SOJ
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Pitch: 1.27mm (verify)
SOIC with J-type leads (instead of gull-wing leads).
SOP
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Pitch: 1.27mm, and also 0.80mm, 0.65mm, 0.5mm, 0.4mm
Followed SOIC(verify)
PLCC (Plastic Leaded Chip Carrier)
PLCC44 IC (1.27 mm pitch) in socket This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.
PLCC chips have J-shaped leads that wrap around the side and under the IC.
Pitch: 1.27mm
PLCC sockets have slots across one diagonal, for a specific PLCC extractor tool that eases removal.
Was also used in early CPUs, after DIP and before more specialized sockets.
Actually sits in a group called JLCC (J-Leaded Chip Carrier), subdivided into:
See also:
Flat no-leads package, Micro Leadframe
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.
Chip Scale Package
QFP
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.
Quad Flat Package is a number of related packages that use gull wing leads (out, down, and out again parallel with the SMD pad it's intended for)
There are a dozen named specifics, which mostly just vary in things like
Pitch: 0.80mm, 0.65mm, 0.5mm, 0.4mm, 0.3mm (more?)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quad_flat_package
PGA
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Pitch: 2.5mm, 1.27mm
Plastic or ceramic (PPGA, CPGA)
BGA
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Pitch: 1.5mm, 1.27mm, 1.00mm, 0.8mm, 0.5mm
See also
Unsorted chip mounts
PCB connectors
('PCB connectors' is probably not the best name, I'll think of another)
Headers
Basic pin headers (male), here on the back of a small PCBKnown variably as pin headers, just headers, as breakaway headers, as and under various other names.
Often 2.54mm (0.1") pitch.
Also the things that jumpers (sometimes known as shunts) sit on.
And you could call a row of headers a Single In-Line package (SIP) without too much of a stretch.
PCB headers are a fuzzy, wider concept, and can refer to pin headers as well as many more specific deivations, then often seen in shrouded and/or keyed (notched) form.
One simpler example is KK-family molex, which mostly add bits of plastic as polarity protection but will fit on basic headers as long as they have the same pitch.
PCB mount screw terminals
Screw terminals in general may be little more than screw to fasten down a wire to a metal plate.
The variant for PCBs, with pins underneath you can solder, is usually also shrouded.
Available in varied pitches, though mostly larger, like 2.54mm, 3.5mm, 3.96mm, 5.08mm, (verify)
Combining these with bootlace ferrules tends to look like fairly neat work.
See also:
Bootlace ferrules
Bootlace ferrules, also known under a few other names (and comparable to a few variants of crimp pin) are sleeves meant to crimp onto stranded wire.
They wrap a shell around all strands (so avoid some issues with a single strand making contact you don't want),
and mean that screw terminals won't damage the strands, so a are a little more reusable, and give less risk of a barely-visible strand going off to the side and touching something it shouldn't.
The wider plastic part means they're not great for the smallest of uses - they're still fine in most sizes of screw terminals, but smaller than that can be an issue.
Compare also to butt splices
Euroblock
Euroblock, also known as Phoenix connector, has screw terminals on one side and a snap-in connector on the other.
It can be convenient and fast working on semi-permanent setups.
It seems mainly used around few-wire control signals (e.g. RS-485), and audio setups (often for balanced audio(verify)).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euroblock
DIN 41651
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.DIN 41651 (image search) includes various series of fairly common insulation-displacement connectors, including IDC.
Usually two-by-many pins, also seen in four-by-many.
Often 2.54mm (0.1") pitch, smaller variants exist.
Variations:
DIN 41612 / IEC 60603-2
"DIN 41612" OR "IEC+60603-2" (image search) resembles DIN 41651 (IDC and such), but applications are more specialized, and often has more connections (dozens is not unusual, up to over a hundred).
Commonly two-by-many or three-by-many pins.
Used by some pluggable rack systems, e.g. VMEbus, which is why a lot of image hits will be the 3x32 variant.
Flexible flat cable (FFC)
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Could refer to any cable that is flat and flexible (and is thinner than ribbon cable), but FFC usually refers to a fairly specific type commonly seen used as pluggable interconnects in tight spaces such as inside laptops and phones.
Seen in various colors - white, transparent brown/orange, gray, black, and others (color can correlate somewhat with size/pitch).
Common pitches include 0.5mm, 1 mm, 1.25mm, 2 mm.
FFC connectors often refer to the PCB sockets that accept the end of these cables (though a few designs opt for specific connectors that take less space).
See also:
Related are Flexible Printed Circuits (FPC), which are circuits built fairly directly onto these cables (often using small SMD components, and often fairly simple circuits) - image search
(Card) Edge Connectors
back of a 5.25" floppy drive with a card edge connector, notched to match the connector on the bottom
Refers to connections where one side is part of the PCB itself, with traces going to the edge in regular spacing, meant to plug into a spring connector socket,
That socket is often either fixed on a PCB (consider RAM, PCIx and similar), or sometimes in the middle of a cable (consider 5.25" floppy drive connectors)
Consider e.g.
May be one-sidede or two-sided.
See also:
Board-to-Board connectors
This article/section is a stub — probably a pile of half-sorted notes and is probably a first version, is not well-checked, so may have incorrect bits.Broadly refers to anything that does many-channel signaling between distinct circuit boards.
Can refer to
...and more
Elastomeric connectors
Elastomeric connectors, a.k.a. ZEBRA strips,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elastomeric_connector
Unsorted
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