Visual Guide to Audio/Video Connectors and Cables

Visual Guide to Audio/Video Connectors and Cables

Connectors

Cables

Connectors

"F" Connector	Combined Audio/Video	A connector used heavily in audio/video connections, and particularly for 75-ohm coax connections.
Phono (RCA) Plug	Audio or Video	This is the standard connector for audio/video signals. They are usually color-coded with Yellow for Video, Red for Right Audio and White for Left Audio. The image shows a four-slit plug. RCA stands for "Radio Corporation of America", which set this connector as a standard.
Phono (RCA) Jack	Audio or Video
Phono Plug, Right-angle	Audio or Video	This type of phono plug is used where space does not allow for easy connection with a standard phono plug.
Phono Plug, Piggy-back	Audio or Video	This phono plug is angled and has a phono jack in-line with the plug. It is used for specialized hookups where it is necessary to connect two phono plugs to the same jack.
IEEE-1394 or Firewire Plugs	Audio or Video or Computer	IEEE-1394 ("I triple-E 1394") is the technical name for what are more commonly called firewire cables. These cables end in two types of plugs, as shown at left.
Phone Plug, Mono (1/4", 1/8", 3/32")	Audio	This is the standard connector for headphones, microphones and musical instrument cords. The plugs come in two types (stereo and mono) and three sizes: 1/4" (6.35 mm), 1/8" (3.5 mm or mini) and 3/32" (2.5 mm or submini). The difference between a stereo and mono phone plug is the number of bands. A stereo plug has two bands, and a mono plug only has one.
Phone Plug, Stereo (1/4", 1/8", 3/32")
Phone Plug, Right-angle (1/4", 1/8", 3/32")
XLR Plug	Audio	XLR connectors are used in custom "pro" audio hookups to connect microphones to PA amplifiers, mixers or extension cords. These hookups are balanced, which helps cut out noise and hum pickup. These connectors are based on the 3-pin circular connectors invented by ITT Cannon. "XLR" is their series prefix. It is now used as a generic description.
XLR Jack	Audio
DIN Plug	Audio or Computer	DIN plugs are used in computer systems and European tape decks, recorders and audio components.
Toslink Plug	Audio	Toslink connectors are used to connect optical audio connections, such as on a DVD or CD player.
Speaker Terminals	Audio	Speaker terminals are used to connect bare wire or pin connectors to speakers, amplifiers or receivers. Connections are made by pressing down the lever, inserting the wire or pin, then releasing the lever.
Pin Connector	Audio	These two connectors are used to terminate the bare wire on either megacable or speaker wire in order to connect to speaker terminals.
Banana Plug	Audio
Spade Connector	Audio	These two connectors are used to terminate the bare wire on either megacable or speaker wire in order to connect to screw terminals.
Ring Connector	Audio
S-video or SVHS-video Plug	Video	S-video connectors are used for high-quality video connections.
S-video or SVHS-video Jack	Video
BNC Connector	Video or Communications	This connector is used in communications and some video applications. "BNC" stands for "Bayonet Neill Concelman" and is named after the inventors, Paul Neill and Carl Concelman.

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Cables

Cable Terminology

Cables can be described based on the number and type of conductors, the gauge number and the usage description.

The conductor is the metal part of the wire of cable that carries electricity. "Multi-conductor" indicates that there is either two or more conductors within a single insulated sheath, or that two or more conductors with separate insulated sheaths are fused together. "Stranded-conductor" indicates that the conductor is made up of a number of small strands of wire twisted together and has the advantage of being highly flexible, making it very popular for speaker and audio hookups. "Solid-conductor" indicates that the conductor is a single wire.

The gauge number (such as 12-gauge, 12 ga. or AWG-12) indicates the size of the conductor. A lower gauge number means a larger conductor size. Just as a large pipe can carry more water than a small one, a large wire conductor can carry more electrical current. "AWG" stands for "American Wire Gauge".

The other consideration when looking at cables is where the cable will be used.

If you are running the cable through or behind walls, you should use cables which are either labeled "in-wall" or "UL type CL2".
If you are running the cable outside, it should be rated as "outdoor" or "UV-resistant", as the ultraviolet light in sunlight will cause the insulator on non-UV-resistant cable to deteriorate more rapidly.
If you are needing to actually bury the cable, it should be rated as "buriable".

If the cable does not carry one of the designations above, then it is rated for indoor, non-in-wall use.

In addition, our top-end connectors (whether on a cable or sold separately) are gold-plated. The connector is gold-plated to provide better connectivity and corrosion-resistance. For coastal and other high-humidity areas, corrosion can be a serious problem.

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Pre-made Cables

75-ohm Coax A/V Cables	Combined Audio/Video	75-ohm coax A/V cables have an F connector on each end and are used to connect satellite and local broadcast antennas to receivers, monitors or televisions.
A/V Patch Cables Stereo Patch Cables	Audio or Video	Audio/Video patch cables consist of standard cables with an RCA plug on each end. They are available as a single cable or as a bundle of two, three or four cables.
IEEE-1394 Cables or Firewire Cables	Audio or Video	IEEE-1394 ("I triple-E 1394") is the technical name for what are more commonly called firewire cables. These cables are used to carry audio/video signals with virtually no signal loss.
Digital Audio Cables Digital Coax Cables	Audio	Digital audio cables are double-shielded, solid-conductor cables with gold-plated, 6-slit, high-performance phono plugs at each end.
Optical Cables	Audio	Optical cables have a Toslink connector on each end and are used to connect optical audio connections, such as on a DVD or CD player.
Component Video Cables	Video	Component video cables have three RCA plugs on each end and are generally color-coded Red, Blue and Green.
S-video Cables	Video	S-video cables have an S-video plug on each end.

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Bulk Cables

Some applications require a longer cable or one that has a connector configuration that is not available as a pre-made cable. RadioShack sells cables with a varying number of conductors, conductor types and gauges, allowing the consumer to construct a wide range of custom cables.

Coaxial Cable Coax Cable:	Combined Audio/Video	This cable consists of a center wire surrounded by insulation and then a grounded shield of thin metal and braided wire to minimize electrical and radio frequency interference. The maximum length before signal degradation is 100 feet.
Twin-lead Cable:	Combined Audio/Video	Literally, "twin-lead" simply means a cable which has two conductors. It is commonly used to describe the 300-ohm flat cable (with the two conductors encased in flat insulation) that is used with older antennas and televisions to carry separate UHF and VHF signals. The maximum length before signal degradation is 100 feet.
Speaker Cable, Megacable:	Audio	These cables are used to connect the speaker terminals on receivers and speakers. Megacable is RadioShack's high-end speaker cable.
Speaker Cable, Standard:	Audio
S-video Cable SVHS-video Cable:	Video	S-video cables can be combined with S-video Plugs to construct your own cable. The maximum length before signal degradation is 60 feet.
Audio Cable, Shielded	Audio	Shielded audio cable is a single-conductor cable and is most often used with either phono plugs or mono phone plugs. The maximum length before signal degradation is 150 feet.

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