COMPUTER CONNECTORS

COMPUTER Connectors

I see that many of us can only connect the various parts of the computer together but if we are asked to tell the name of these connectors, some find it difficult to even mention one. You need to understand the many types of connectors and ports used by different devices. Connectors are what a computer device uses to connect and communicate with the motherboard. The connectors are plugged to their respective ports such as USB connector to a USB port. All of these connectors have their own naming conventions that you should know. So you don’t go around saying mouse port or printer port but you can say that is a Mini DIN or Mini DB-25.

Although PCs use close to 50 different connectors, almost all the connectors fit into one of seven major types which are discussed below:

1.       DB Connectors – These have a slight D shape, which allows only one proper way to insert a plug into the socket. They have group of small pins and sockets (male/female) that insert as a group. DB connectors can have from 9 to 37 pins but major DB connectors carry 25 or less pins. It’s an old fashion in the PC world. E.g. DB mouse, DB gamepads, DB VGA (Monitor)

2.       DIN Connectors – All PCs carry round DIN connectors. It comes in two sizes: DIN and mini-DIN. The sockets are always female. E.g. PS/2 style mouse and Keyboard

3.       Centronics Connectors (Parallel) – These are similar to DB connectors in shape but use one large central tab covered with contacts instead of pins. A Centronic connector has 36 contacts and therefore called a 36-pin connector. They also possess wire (wings) that lock the plug to the socket to reduce accidental removal. Sockets are always female. E.g. printer Centronics or Parallel port

4.       RJ Connectors – You may be familiar with these as it is used in cybercafés for networking. It is of two types which are RJ-11 (for connecting telephone to the computer to be used as modem and called phone jack) and RJ-45 (for network cabling). Most network cards have an RJ-45 socket.

5.       BNC Connectors – These are also known as coaxial or coax connectors. They are also old fashion in the PC world. They are common on a type of network card called thinnet card. As they slowly fades from the PC world, some screw-type coax connectors may show up at the back of a PC. Even some cards still have them today. E.g. TV card

6.       Audio Connectors – The only one popular type is the mini audio connector which has been around for years. They are just like the plug you use to insert headphones into a Sony Walkman. They are used almost exclusively on sound cards.

7.       USB (Universal Serial Bus) – These seems to be the most popular connector seen on PCs. It is a general purpose connector as different versions of many different devices can be connected or disconnected through it without any stress of restarting the computer. With its rectangular shape it is easily recognizable. It supports ‘plug and play’ which makes it very easy for you to connect your devices anytime if the device driver is installed correctly.

One other connector worthy of mention is the amazing FireWire, also called IEEE 1394. Although rare, it moves data at high speeds, making the perfect connection for highly specialized devices such as streaming video. Nowadays, it is found only on USB to FireWire (check your techno or visafone cable or attachable devices such as external DVD)

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