Audio connector
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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An Audio connector is an electrical connector for carrying an audio signal in analog or digital format. Analog audio connectors often use Shielded cable to inhibit RF interference and noise.
Contents |
[edit] Audio Only
- 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 connectors
- S/PDIF, either over electrical coaxial cable (with RCA jacks) or optical fiber (TOSLINK).
[edit] Audio and Video
Some connectors can carry both audio and video signals simultaneously:
- DisplayPort digital connector
- Unified Display Interface (UDI)
- F connectors are used with RF modulators for televisions without direct inputs
- HDMI is a new digital standard
- 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)
[edit] 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 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.
