Coaxial cable, or coax, is a type of electrical cable consisting of an inner conductor surrounded by a concentric conducting shield, with the two separated by a dielectric ; many coaxial cables also have a protective outer sheath or jacket. The term coaxial refers to the inner conductor and the outer shield sharing a geometric axis.
Components of an electrical circuit are electrically connected if an electric current can run between them through an electrical conductor. An electrical connector is an electromechanical device used to create an electrical connection between parts of an electrical circuit, or between different electrical circuits, thereby joining them into a larger circuit. Most electrical connectors have a gender – i.e. the male component, called a plug, connects to the female component, or socket. The connection may be removable, require a tool for assembly and removal, or serve as a permanent electrical joint between two points. An adapter can be used to join dissimilar connectors.
The N connector is a threaded, weatherproof, medium-size RF connector used to join coaxial cables. It was one of the first connectors capable of carrying microwave-frequency signals, and was invented in the 1940s by Paul Neill of Bell Labs, after whom the connector is named.
In telephony, the demarcation point is the point at which the public switched telephone network ends and connects with the customer's on-premises wiring. It is the dividing line which determines who is responsible for installation and maintenance of wiring and equipment—customer/subscriber, or telephone company/provider. The demarcation point varies between countries and has changed over time.
A phone connector, also known as phone jack, audio jack, headphone jack or jack plug, is a family of electrical connectors typically used for analog audio signals. A plug, the "male" connector, is inserted into the jack, the "female" connector.
A registered jack (RJ) is a standardized telecommunication network interface for connecting voice and data equipment to a service provided by a local exchange carrier or long distance carrier. Registration interfaces were first defined in the Universal Service Ordering Code (USOC) system of the Bell System in the United States for complying with the registration program for customer-supplied telephone equipment mandated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the 1970s. They were subsequently codified in title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 68. Registered jack connections began to see use after their invention in 1973 by Bell Labs. The specification includes physical construction, wiring, and signal semantics. Accordingly, registered jacks are primarily named by the letters RJ, followed by two digits that express the type. Additional letter suffixes indicate minor variations. For example, RJ11, RJ14, and RJ25 are the most commonly used interfaces for telephone connections for one-, two-, and three-line service, respectively. Although these standards are legal definitions in the United States, some interfaces are used worldwide.
SMC connectors are coaxial RF connectors developed in the 1960s. The interface specifications for the SMC and many other connectors are referenced in MIL-STD-348. They use a #10-32 UNF threaded interface. They offer electrical performance from DC to 4 GHz. Some extended performance versions are rated to 10 GHz The normally free part of a SMC connector have a socket for the center contact so are Female.The normally fixed part SMC connectors have a pin for the center contact so are Male. This is the reverse of most RF connectors. SMC jack connectors have an external thread while SMC plug connectors have the mating hex nut. The contact dimensons are identical to the snap-fit SMB. Available in 50-Ohm and 75-Ohm characteristic impedance, they provide an interconnect means for small form factor coaxial cables and printed circuit boards where small footprint is important.
A telephone jack and a telephone plug are electrical connectors for connecting a telephone set or other telecommunications apparatus to the telephone wiring inside a building, establishing a connection to a telephone network. The plug is inserted into its counterpart, the jack, which is commonly affixed to a wall or baseboard. The standards for telephone jacks and plugs vary from country to country, though the 6P2C style modular plug has become by far the most common type.
In electrical wiring, a light switch is a switch most commonly used to operate electric lights, permanently connected equipment, or electrical outlets. Portable lamps such as table lamps may have a light switch mounted on the socket, base, or in-line with the cord. Manually operated on/off switches may be substituted by dimmer switches that allow controlling the brightness of lamps as well as turning them on or off, time-controlled switches, occupancy-sensing switches, and remotely controlled switches and dimmers. Light switches are also found in flashlights, vehicles, and other devices.
In electrical and mechanical trades and manufacturing, each half of a pair of mating connectors or fasteners is conventionally assigned the designation male or female. The female connector is generally a receptacle that receives and holds the male connector. Sometimes the terms plug and socket or jack are used, particularly in reference to electrical connectors. In some cases, the pins on the connector may have the opposite nominal gender to the mounted connector, such as the RCA connector.
In telecommunications, structured cabling is building or campus cabling infrastructure that consists of a number of standardized smaller elements called subsystems. Structured cabling components include twisted pair and optical cabling, patch panels and patch cables.
A 110 block is a type of punch-down block used to terminate runs of on-premises wiring in a structured cabling system. The designation 110 is also used to describe a type of insulation displacement contact (IDC) connector used to terminate twisted pair cables, which uses a punch-down tool similar to the type used for the older 66 block.
A discone antenna is a version of a biconical antenna in which one of the cones is replaced by a disc. It is usually mounted vertically, with the disc at the top and the cone beneath.
A modular connector is a type of electrical connector for cords and cables of electronic devices and appliances, such as in computer networking, telecommunication equipment, and audio headsets.
British telephone sockets were introduced in their current plug and socket form on 19 November 1981 by British Telecom to allow subscribers to connect their own telephones. The connectors are specified in British Standard BS 6312. Electrical characteristics of the telephone interface are specified by individual network operators, e.g. in British Telecom's SIN 351. Electrical characteristics required of British telephones used to be specified in BS 6305.
Keystone wall plates are used in commercial and industrial buildings to cleanly attach telecommunication cables etc. to a junction box, surface mount box, or a mud ring mounted in the drywall of a building. Keystone wall plates are made to work with many different types of cabling solutions, including coaxial, twisted pair, HDMI, optical fiber, etc. Keystone wall plates are made of plastic and have one to twelve ports. A keystone port is a hole in the wall plate which allows the insertion of a keystone module or other male or female cabling connectors. The most common colors of keystone wall plates are beige and white. Keystone wall plates are commonly made to be compatible with NEMA standard openings and boxes.
Mass interconnect systems act as the connector interface between test instruments and devices/units under test (D/UUT) and are most often used in defense, aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, and other applications. By mating a receiver on the tester side with an interchangeable test adapter (ITA) on the UUT, a mass interconnect enables the entire system to mate together at one time. Mass interconnect systems are available in multiple sizes and configurations to accommodate virtually any testing requirement.
ANSI/TIA-568 is a technical standard for commercial building cabling for telecommunications products and services. The title of the standard is Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard and is published by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), a body accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
Solarlok is a largely obsolete electrical connector used to connect solar panels together. Solarlok was introduced by Tyco International in order to meet new National Electrical Code (NEC) standards that required panel connectors to lock together and only be separated again using a tool. Solarlok became very common in the United States where the code first came into effect, but had varying degrees of market success outside the US. Due to the connector only being available from Tyco, the connectors are almost always referred to simply as Tyco connectors.
