Two ends that cannot meet
A cable has a plug on each end. The device has a plug too, not a socket. The two plugs cannot join. Somebody ordered the wrong gender.
A small set of features decides whether two connectors work together and whether they stay together. Learn them and you can choose well.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Male | a connector with pins or a plug that sticks out |
| Female | a connector with holes or a socket that takes a male |
| Mating | joining two connectors together |
| Latching | locking with a clip that clicks into place |
| Bayonet | locking with a push and a twist |
| Screw down | locking with a screw or thumbscrew |
| UPC | ultra physical contact: a fibre end polished to a smooth dome |
| APC | angled physical contact: a fibre end polished at a slant |
| Strain relief boot | a soft sleeve that stops the cable bending sharply at the plug |
| Durability | how long a part lasts with use |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can describe how connectors mate and lock, and explain polish, size, durability and strain relief.
Starter: connectors
Have a go
Starter: connectors
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Mating type
Connectors have a gender. A male end has pins or a plug. A female end has holes or a socket. Two ends mate when one male meets one female.
Male to male or female to female will not join on their own. An adapter or a coupler can bridge the gap: a gender changer for pins, a fibre adapter for two plugs.
Mating types
| Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Male to female | A plug meets a socket | A DB-9 cable into a computer port |
| Male to male | Two plugs: needs a joiner | Two cable ends joined by a gender changer |
| Female to female | Two sockets: needs a joiner | Two cables joined with a coupler |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Locking and ease of connection
A connector must stay joined. Latching uses a clip and is quick: RJ-45, LC and SC. Bayonet is a push and a short twist: BNC and ST. Screw down is slow but very firm: F-type and DB-9 thumbscrews.
Fast to connect is not the same as safe from being pulled out. Choose by where it will be used.
Locking methods compared
| Method | Speed | Hold | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latching | Fast | Good, if the clip is whole | RJ-45, LC, SC |
| Bayonet | Medium | Firm | BNC, ST |
| Screw down | Slow | Very firm | F-type, DB-9 |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.