Pinout

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Pinout is a term used in electronics to describe how an electrical connector is wired. An electrical connector typically consists of several electrical contacts or pins that can be used to carry electrical power or signals. Due to the wide variety of applications and manufacturers, a wide selection of electrical connectors exists with different types and numbers of contacts or pins. The pinout of a connector identifies each individual pin. Identification of each pin is critical when creating cable assemblies and adapters. Proper identification of pins and wires ensures that the signals and power are transmitted across cables and connectors.

The pinout can typically be shown as a table or diagram. It is necessary to clarify how to view the diagram, stating if it shows the backside of the connector (where wires are attached) or the "mating face" of the connector. Published pinouts are particularly important when different manufacturers want to interconnect their products using open standards. A wide variety of existing connectors and the corresponding pinouts can be found under the external links section below, where for example, pinouts.ru contains an extensive range of connectors in one page. More commonly, pinouts are typically provided by the connector manufacturer.

While repairing electronic devices, an electronics technician uses electronic test equipment to "pin out" each component on a PCB. The technician probes each pin of the component in turn, comparing the expected signal on each pin to the actual signal on that pin.