Audio and video connector
RCA connectors are commonly used for home stereo & video equipment.
Audio connectors and video connectors are electrical connectors (or optical connectors) for carrying audio signal and video signal, of either analog or digital format. Analog A/V connectors often use shielded cables to inhibit radio frequency interference (RFI) and noise.
Audio only
Audio connectors are electrical connectors designed and used for audio frequencies. They can be analog or digital. Common audio connectors include:
- Single-conductor connectors:
- Banana connectors
- Five-way binding posts and banana plugs for loudspeakers
- Fahnestock clips on early breadboard radio receivers.
- Multi-conductor connectors:
- DB25 is for multi-track recording and other multi-channel audio, analog or digital
- DIN connectors and mini-DIN connectors
- Euroblock "European-style terminal block" or "Phoenix connectors", screw terminal connectors used for audio and control signals
- RCA connectors, also known as phono connectors or phono plugs, used for analog or digital audio or analog video
- Speakon connectors by Neutrik for loudspeakers
- Phone connector also known as tip-ring-sleeve (TRS) or tip-sleeve plug, phone plug, jack plug, mini-jack, and mini-stereo. This includes the original 6.35mm (quarter inch) jack and the more recent and standard 3.5mm (miniature or 1/8 inch) and 2.5mm (subminiature) jacks, both mono and stereo (balanced) versions.[1]
- XLR connectors, also known as Cannon plugs, used for analog or digital balanced audio with a balanced line
- Digital audio interfaces and interconnects:
- ADAT interface (DB25)
- AES/EBU interface, normally with XLR connector
- S/PDIF, either over electrical coaxial cable (with RCA jacks) or optical fiber (TOSLINK).
Color codes
| white RCA/TS | analogue audio, left channel; also mono (RCA/TS), stereo (TRS only), or undefined/other |
| black RCA/TS/TRS | |
| grey RCA/TS/TRS | |
| red RCA/TS | analogue audio, right channel |
| orange RCA | SPDIF digital audio |
For computers:
| green TRS 3.5mm | stereo output, front channels |
| black TRS 3.5mm | stereo output, rear channels |
| grey TRS 3.5mm | stereo output, side channels |
| gold TRS 3.5mm | dual output, center and subwoofer |
| blue TRS 3.5mm | stereo input, line level |
| pink TRS† 3.5mm | mono microphone input |
† Although the mic input is usually mono, the input is still a TRS phone socket. Many mono 'computer' mics are fitted with TRS plugs.
There are exceptions to the above:
- Hosa cables use grey and orange for left and right analogue channels.
- RadioShack cables sometimes use grey and black for left and right.
- Older sound cards had non-standard colour codes until after PC99, prior to that there were no colours at all.
Video only
Main article: List of video connectors
Video connectors carry only video signals. Common video-only connectors include:
- Component video aka YPbPr (3 RCA or BNC; or D-Terminal)
- Composite video (1 RCA, Antenna socket, or BNC)
- DB13W3 ("13W3" computer video connector)
- DMS-59, single connector carrying two DVI and two VGA
- Musa, British connector used in broadcasting and telecommunications
- PAL connector, common in Europe as an antenna connector
- S-Video (1 Mini-DIN)
- SDI - Broadcast grade digital interface over BNC cables
- VGA connector A type of D-sub connector standard on most video cards
- Mini-VGA Found on some laptop computers
- 5 BNC Connectors can also be used to carry the VGA signal as R, G, B, HSync, VSync
- Digital Visual Interface (DVI) A hybrid analog/digital connector commonly found on PC graphics cards and LCD monitors
- Mini-DVI Found on some Apple laptops
- Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA)
- RGBI interface
- RGB interface
Color codes
| yellow RCA/BNC | composite video |
| red RCA/BNC | red or Pr/Cr chrominance |
| green RCA/BNC | green or luminance |
| blue RCA/BNC | blue or Pb/Cb chrominance |
| white BNC | horizontal sync |
| black BNC | vertical sync |
Multiple signals
Some connectors can carry both audio and video signals simultaneously:
- HDMI combines DVI-compliant uncompressed video data with compressed or uncompressed audio, and supports other protocols.
- FireWire is used on Camcorders, commonly ones using MiniDV tapes, and high-end audio equipment.
- Digital Media Port a connector proposed by Sony on its audio/video products
- DisplayPort carries digital audio and video, as well as auxiliary information
- Mini DisplayPort smaller form factor of display port that performs the same function
- Thunderbolt
- Unified Display Interface (UDI)
- Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL)
- F connectors are used with RF modulators for televisions without direct inputs
- SCART, now the most common in Europe
- TRS phone connectors with more than one ring, or Sony's hybrid RCA with a TRS pin
- Coaxial cable/RG-6/RG-59/Cable television (CATV)
Other composite connectors that carry video, audio, power, and USB:
- ADC, now-defunct Apple Display Connector
- Apple 30-pin dock connector, a docking cradle for Apple iPod, iPhone and iPad
- Portable Digital Media Interface (PDMI) - includes DisplayPort for digital video and audio, analog audio, USB 3.0, and power
See also
- High-end audio cables
- Audio and video interfaces and connectors
- List of video connectors
- Category:Digital display connectors
- Category:Telecommunications standards
References
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