Audio and video connector

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Audio and video
interfaces and connectors. (Discuss)

RCA connectors are commonly used for home stereo and video equipment.

Audio connectors and video connectors are electrical connectors for carrying audio signaland video signal,
of either analog or digital format. Analog A/V connectors often use Shielded cable to inhibit radio frequency
interference (RFI) and noise.

Contents
[hide]

• 1 Audio Only

○ 1.1

Colo

code

• 2 Video Only

○ 2.1

Colo

code

• 3 Multiple
 signals

• 4 See also

[ edit]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

 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

 TRS connector also known as tip-ring-sleeve plug, phone plug, jack plug,
mini-jack, and mini-stereo. This includes the original 6.35mm (quarter
inch) jack and the more recent 3.5mm (miniature or 1/8th inch) and
2.5mm (subminiature) jacks, both mono and stereo (balanced) versions.

 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).
[edit]Color codes

white RCA/TS analogue audio, left channel;

black RCA/TS/TRS also mono (RCA/TS), stereo (TRS only),
or undefined/other

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

dual output, center

gold TRS 3.5mm
and subwoofer

blue TRS 3.5mm stereo input, line level

pink TS 3.5mm mono microphone input

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.

[ edit]Video Only
Main article: List of video connectors

A VGA connector

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
[edit]Color codes
yellow RCA/BNC composite video

red RCA/BNC red or Pr/Cr chrominance

green RCA/BNC green or luminance

blue or Pb/Cb
blue RCA/BNC
chrominance

white BNC horizontal sync

black BNC vertical sync

Newer connectors are identified by their shape and not their colour.

[ edit]Multiple signals
Some connectors can carry both audio and video signals simultaneously:

 HDMI is a new digital standard

 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

 Unified Display Interface (UDI)

 F connectors are used with RF modulators for televisions without direct inputs

 SCART, now the most common in Europe

 TRS 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 - includes DisplayPort for digital video and
audio, analog audio, USB 3.0, and power

[ edit]See also
 High-end audio cables

 Audio and video interfaces and connectors

 Category:Digital display connectors

 Category:Telecommunications standards

 RCA connector, the red, white and yellow plugs commonly used in home
stereo and video equipment.
[show]v · d · eAudio and video connectors

[show]v · d · eAudio and Video Interfaces and Connectors

Categories: Audiovisual connectors | Color codes

• Log in / create account

• Article
• Discussion
• Read
• Edit
• View history
Top of Form

Bottom of Form
• Main page
• Contents
• Featured content
• Current events
• Random article
• Donate to Wikipedia
Interaction
• Help
• About Wikipedia
• Community portal
• Recent changes
• Contact Wikipedia
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages
• Català
• 한국어
• Bahasa Indonesia
• Italiano
• 日本語

• This page was last modified on 8 March 2011 at 12:11.

• Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional

terms may apply. See Terms of Use for details.

Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit
organization.
• Contact us

• Privacy policy

• About Wikipedia

• Disclaimers

Audio and video interfaces and connectors

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has been suggested that this article or section

be merged with Audio and video connector. (Discuss)

This article needs additional citations for verification.

Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may
be challenged and removed.(February 2009)

The existence of many different audio and video standards necessitates the definition of hardware interfaces,
which define the physical characteristics of the connections between electrical equipment. This includes the
types and numbers of wires required along with the strength and frequency of the signal. It also includes the
physical design of the plugs and sockets.

An interface may define a connector that is used only by that interface (e.g., DVI) or may define a connector
that is also used by another interface; for example, RCA connectors are defined both by the composite
video and component video interfaces.
 Contents
[hide]

• 1 Interfaces and their

connectors

• 2 Interfaces

○ 2.1 PC System Design

Guide Audio

○ 2.2 S/PDIF

• 3 Connectors

○ 3.1 Audio Connectors

 3.1.1 TRS

 3.1.2 DIN

 3.1.3 BNC

 3.1.4 TOSLINK

 3.1.5 XLR

○ 3.2 Video Connectors

 3.2.1 Mini DIN

 3.2.2 D-

subminiature

 3.2.3 Video In
Video Out

 3.2.4 DVI

Connector

○ 3.3 Audio and Video

Connectors

 3.3.1 RCA Jack

 3.3.2 HDMI

 3.3.3 Display

Port
  3.3.4 IEEE 1394

"FireWire"

• 4 See also

• 5 References

• 6 External links

[ edit]Interfaces and their connectors

Interface

Audio Digital Connectors

or or Description
Video Analog

PC System Design Guide. Audio Colour

Analog 3.5 mm TRS
Coding
Audio
Only RCA Jack (Coaxial),
S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect
Digital TOSLINK (Optical),
Format). Via Coaxial or Optical cables.
BNC (Rare)

Video Video Graphics Array (VGA) D-subminiature 15 pin

Only
RCA jack, normally yellow
Composite. Often designated by the
(often accompanied with red
CVBS acronym, meaning "Color, Video,
and white for right and left
Blank and Sync".
audio channels respectively)

S-Video aka Separate Video. Carries

standard definition video and does not Mini-DIN 4 Pin
Analog
carry audio on the same cable.

Component. In popular use, it refers to

a type of analog video information that is
3 RCA Jacks
transmitted or stored as three separate
signals. Either RGB Interfaces or YPbPr

VIVO = Mini-DIN 9 Pin with

Composite, S-Video, and Component
breakout cable.

Digital Digital Visual Interface (DVI) DVI Connector

And
 Analog

High-Definition Multimedia
HDMI connector
Interface (HDMI)
Video
and Digital
DisplayPort DisplayPort connector
Audio

IEEE 1394 "FireWire" FireWire or i.LINK connectors

[ edit]Interfaces
[edit]PC System Design Guide Audio
The PC System Design Guide (also known as the PC 97, PC 98, PC 99, or PC 2001 specification) is a series
of hardware design requirements and recommendations for IBM PC compatible personal computers, compiled
by Microsoft and Intel Corporation during 1997–2001.

PC 99 introduced a color code for the various standard types of plugs and connectors used on PCs.

The color code for audio plugs follow[1]:

orange TRS
output, subwoofer
3.5 mm

blue TRS
input, line level
3.5 mm

pink TS 3.5 mm microphone input

lime TRS
output, front channels
3.5 mm

brown TRS output, 'Right-to-left

3.5 mm speaker'

gold TRS
MIDI/game
3.5 mm

[edit]S/PDIF
The electrical coaxial cable (with RCA jacks) or optical fibre (TOSLINK).

Note that there are no differences in the signals transmitted over optical or coaxial S/PDIF connectors—both
carry exactly the same information. Selection of one over the other rests mainly on the availability of
appropriate connectors on the chosen equipment and the preference and convenience of the user.
Connections longer than 6 meters or so, or those requiring tight bends, should use coaxial cable, since the high
light signal attenuation of TOSLINK cables limits its effective range.

[ edit]Connectors
[edit]Audio Connectors
[edit]TRS

2.5 mm (3/32") mono (TS), 3.5 mm (1/8") mono and stereo (TRS), and 6.3 mm (1/4") stereo (TRS) jack plugs

A TRS connector (tip, ring, sleeve) also called an audio jack, phone plug, jack plug, stereo plug, mini-jack, or
mini-stereo.

Note: In the USA, the connectors illustrated are never called "jacks", but in other languages and countries they
might well be, apparently using "jack" as a short form of "jack plug". The sockets that these plugs mate with are
called "jacks" in the USA.

For special applications, plugs with two ring contacts have been made in both 3.5 mm and 6.3 mm sizes.

[edit]DIN
Five-pin male 180° DIN connector

A DIN connector is a connector that was originally standardized by the Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN).

[edit]BNC

Male 50 ohm BNC connector

The BNC (Bayonet Neill Concelman) connector is a very common type of RF connector used for terminating
coaxial cable.

[edit]TOSLINK

Clear TOSLINK cable with a round connector

TOSLINK or Optical Cable is a standardized optical fiber connection system.

[edit]XLR

XLR3 cable connectors, female on left and male on right

The XLR connector is an electrical connector design. XLR plugs and sockets are used mostly in professional
audio and video electronics cabling applications.

[edit]Video Connectors
[edit]Mini DIN

mini-DIN 4 pin for S-Video

The Mini-DIN connectors are a family of multi-pin electrical connectors used in a variety of applications. Mini-
DIN is similar to the larger, older DIN connector. Both are standards of the Deutsches Institut für Normung, the
German standards body.
[edit]D-subminiature

DA, DB, DC, DD, and DE sized connectors

D-subminiature or D-sub is a common type of electrical connector used particularly in computers. Calling them
"subminiature" was appropriate when they were first introduced, but today they are among the largest common
connectors used in computers.

[edit]Video In Video Out

A graphics card with VGA, VIVO and DVI outputs

A 6-connector VIVO splitter cable. From left to right: S-Video In, Component Pb out, Component Pr out, Component Y
out/Composite out, Composite in, S-Video Out
Video In Video Out, usually seen as the acronym VIVO(commonly pronounced vee-voh), is a graphics card
port which enables some video cards to have bidirectional (input and output) video transfer through a Mini-DIN,
usually of the 9-pin variety, and a specialised splitter cable (which can sometimes also transfer sound).

VIVO is found predominantly on high-end ATI video cards, although a few high-end NVIDIA video cards also
have this port. VIVO on these graphics cards typically supports Composite, S-Video, and Component as
outputs, and composite and S-Video as inputs. Many other video cards only support component and/or S-Video
outputs to complement Video Graphics Array or DVI, typically using a component breakout cable and an S-
Video cable.

[edit]DVI Connector

Male DVI connector pins (view of plug)

Male M1-DA connector pins (view of plug)

The Digital Visual Interface (DVI) is a video interface standard designed to maximize the visual quality of digital
display devices such as flat panel LCD computer displays and digital projectors. It is designed for carrying
uncompressed digital video data to a display.

There are four basic connectors:

 DVI-D (digital only)

 DVI-A (analog only)

 DVI-I (integrated, digital & analog)

 M1-DA (integrated, digital, analog & USB)

The connector also includes provision for a second data link for high resolution displays, though many devices
do not implement this. In those that do, the connector is sometimes referred to as DVI-DL (dual link).

So we need to know two things about the connector:

1. Whether it carries analog, digital, or both; and

2. For connectors that carry digital links, if it is single or dual link, and if it carries USB
[edit]Audio and Video Connectors
[edit]RCA Jack

RCA Plugs for composite video (yellow) and stereo audio (white and red)

An RCA jack, also referred to as a phono connector or Cinch connector. These were first used inside pre-
World-War-II radio-phonographs to connect the turntable pickup to the radio chassis. They were not intended to
be disconnected and reconnected frequently, and their retaining friction was quite sufficient for their original
purpose. Furthermore, the design of both cable and chassis connectors was for minimum cost.
[edit]HDMI

HDMI Type A socket

High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is a compact audio/video standard for transmitting uncompressed
digital data.

There are three HDMI connector types. Type A and Type B were defined by the HDMI 1.0 specification. Type C
was defined by the HDMI 1.3 specification.

Type A is electrically compatible with single link DVI-D. Type B is electrically compatible with dual link DVI-
D but has not yet been used in any products.

[edit]Display Port

DisplayPort is a digital display interface standard (approved May 2006, current version 1.1a approved on
January 11, 2008). It defines a new license-free, royalty-free, digital audio/video interconnect, intended to be
used primarily between a computer and its display monitor, or a computer and a home-theater system.

The video signal is not compatible with DVI or HDMI, but a DisplayPort connector can pass these signals
through. DisplayPort is a competitor to the HDMI connector, the de facto digital connection for high-definition
consumer electronics devices.
[edit]IEEE 1394 "FireWire"

The 6-circuit and 4-circuit alpha FireWire 400 connectors

IEEE 1394 FireWire is a digital data transfer protocol commonly used for digital cameras (common on MiniDV
tape camcorders), but also used for computer data and audio data transfers. In the United States, cable TV
converter set top boxes by law[2] also have the connection for transferring content directly to a TV (if equipped
with a port) or computer for viewing. 1394 can also use coaxial cable as a medium for longer runs.

Unlike Point-to-Point connections listed above, IEEE 1394 is able to host several signals on the same wire, with
the data delivered and shown on the destination set. It is also fully bi-directional, with its full bandwidth used in
one direction or the other, or split directions up to its maximum.[3]