In the past, two main termination specifications were used. One was for UTP data cable infrastructure and the other for phone cable infrastructure. Today, structured cable systems are in use. 568A is one such standard. 568A is a standard for the pin arrangements of RJ-45 connectors on Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) wire. The cryptic number 568 refers to the order in which the individual wires inside a CAT 5 cable are terminated. The 568 standards were actually developed by the TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association) and the EIA (Electronics Industry Association) Read More

A fiber optic connector (optical fiber connector) is a small glass or plastic device that is placed at the end of a fiber optic cable in order to allow light from the cable to enter another device. Fiber optic connectors are often spring-loaded and align the core of each fiber so that they are all directly touching the receiver. This allows light to be contained within the fiber optic cable rather than being let out into the air, in which case data would be lost. While fiber optic connectors are Read More

A single mode fiber is a fiber optical cable that uses only one ray of light known as a “mode”. A single mode fiber can be used to transfer data in either direction at incredibly fast speeds and may stretch along hundreds or even thousands of kilometers. These factors allow single mode fibers to provide large office buildings, warehouses, and other areas with large numbers of computers to maintain fast speeds and reliable connections on all computers connected to the network.   How Single Mode Fiber Works A mode of Read More

This cable can be used to connect a parallel printer to the parallel port on a PC. The phrase parallel cable can be ambigous as it shelters numerous different specifications, not all of which are simple PC to printer type. The parallel port socket on a computer uses 25 pins. There are two types of parallel printer cable that are widely used for PCs.  The old "standard" IBM Printer cable and the newer IEEE 1284 bi-directional cable commonly sold today. 25 pin male connector 36 pin Centronics male connector Parallel Read More

An Ethernet crossover cable can be used to directly connect two network devices through Ethernet. These can either be single computers or they can be networks. Ethernet crossover cables are commonly used for temporarily networking two devices in the absence of a network router, switch, or hub. The principle is the same, but the connection speeds and methods are different. The crossover cable’s function is to send and receive data. Ethernet crossover cables enable complex data transfers between computers, routers, and networks. Unlike standard Ethernet cables, the internal wiring of Read More

This adapter will enable you to connect a 25 pin male serial cable to a 9 pin female serial connector on your computer. 9 pin female connector 25 pin male connector 9-Pin to 25-Pin Adapter Pinout Signal 9-Pin 25-Pin Carrier Detect 1 8 Receive Data 2 3 Transmit Data 3 2 Data Terminal Ready 4 20 System Ground 5 7 Data Set Ready 6 6 Request to Send 7 4 Clear to Send 8 5 Ring Indicator 9 22 This data was contributed by the team at The Hardware Book.

The FC connector is a fiber optic connector with a threaded body which was designed for use in high-vibration environments. It is widely used with both single-mode and multi-mode fiber. The fiber’s ending point is implanted in a 2.5 mm ferrule (metal cap or band placed on a wooden pole to avoid splitting) made of Zirconium Oxide ceramic or stainless steel. The tip is then furnished to create a rounded surface, called "physical contact". This surface profile means that when the fibers are connected they come in contact only at Read More

An MTRJ connector is a type of fiber optic cable that has an endpoint similar to the RJ-45 connector endpoint found in Ethernet connections. MTRJ connectors are designed to snap into the Ethernet port of a computer, modem, or wireless router and provide that computer or network with extremely fast data transfer rates. MTRJ connectors are usually designed for multi-mode optical fibers but can be used for single mode optical fibers as well. MTRJ connectors are approximately 2.45 mm x 4.4 mm in size and are standardized by the International Read More

First strip the jacket from the cable, being very careful not to cut into the individual conductors. It is wise to take a few practice tries to make sure you are not stripping too deep before you end up cutting too much off. The four twisted pairs. Next untwist the pair to make them workable. Try not to untwist to far as the twisting helps eliminate crosstalk and provides for a better quality cable. Next, arrange the eight conductors according the 568b wiring specifications. This next step can take some Read More

A printed circuit board (PCB) is a thin board "printed" with electrical wires and made from fiber glass or similar material. PCBs are commonly used in computer devices such as motherboards, network interface cards, and RAM chips. They are relatively cheap and quite fast. When the PCB is fabricated with several layers placed over one another, it is known as a multilayer PCB. The multiple layers establish a reliable set of predetermined interconnections for the electronic circuits. There are several techniques that can be used to accomplish this task. Some Read More