PC Connections

Plugs and outlets in today’s PC

• This list is by no means complete

• It is designed to introduce you to the most common connectors in today’s PCs

• The exact configuration of your PC will vary from the examples shown here.

External

Typical Desktop

Power Outlet

Power (female)

Power (male)

Typical Built-In Outlets

Round Serial (male)• Keyboard

• Mouse

• Most have switchedover to USB

“Typical” Cards• Most items that used

to require a card arenow built into themotherboard.

• Networking cardsstill common.

VGA (male)• Video

• Connects tocomputer

VGA (female)• Video

• Connects to Monitor

RJ-15 Outlet• Modem

RJ-15• Connects modem

to phone outlet in wall or phone extension.

• Smaller than RJ-45 Ethernetconnector

RJ-45 Outlet• Ethernet netowrk

RJ-45• Connects Ethernet

outlet to wall jack, router or gateway.

• Larger than RJ-15phone connector.

CAT-5 Cable• Ethernet cable

• Has RJ-45connectors atboth ends

Audio Outlets• Mini audio jacks

• Microphone

• Speakers, headsets

• Don’t mix them up,watch for the icons.

Stereo Mini (male)• Typical connection

for microphones, headsets, and computer speakers.

• Two bands = stereoOne-bans = mono

RCA (male)• Typical connector

for audio and videoin non-computersystems.(i.e. stereos & TVs)

• In the PC world, typically used to connect the secondspeaker (and sub-woofers) to the first one.

USB Type A Outlets• Universal Serial Bus

• Most common peripheral connectortoday.

• Allows up to 127devices.

• Hot swapping

• Current version 2.0: 480Mbits/second

• 4.375V to 5.25V powered from the computer.

USB Type A• The end of the

cable that will pluginto the computer.

• Sometimes devices will also use this typeof outlet.

• Rectangular

USB Type B Full-Size Outlet• Typical connector

for the device beingused.

USB Type B Full-Size• Plugged into the

device.

• Square-ish

USB Type B Mini Outlet• Smaller devices

will have this type ofoutlet.

USB Type B Mini• Typically used to

connect to smallerUSB devices suchas card readers and digital cameras.

PCMCIA Slot• Personal Computer

Memory Card International Association

• People Can’tMemorize ComputerIndustry Acronyms

• Used in laptops

• Card inserted into slot

PCMCIA Card• Expansion cards for

laptops

• Modems, WiFi, wirednetworking, biometricsecurity.

• Mostly replaced by USB.

Parallel (male)• Older printers

• This end connectsto the computer.

• Mostly replaced byUSB.

Parallel (female)• Older printers

• This end connectsto the printer.

• Mostly replaced byUSB.

SCSI Port (female)• Small Computer

System Interface

• External hard disks, tape drives, scanners,printers.

• Popular with Apple &Sun systems.

• Never really caught on in the PC world but did get used in some systems.

• Mostly replaced by USB.

SCSI (male)• End that connected

to the computer.

SCSI (device end)• End that connected

to the device.

• Devices connected in a “chain”.

• Device #2 would beconnected to device#1 with a cable having this type of connector at both ends.

Internal

IDE Outlet on Motherboard (male)• Motherboard will

typically have severalof these.

• Use to connectstorage devices suchas hard-, CD/DVD- and floppy-drives.

IDE Ribbon Cable• Connects storage

devices to the motherboard.

• Solo end connects tomotherboard, dual end connects todevice(s).

• End connector must be used before a middle connector.

• Not all cables have middle connectors.

IDE (female end)• The plug at the far

end connects to themotherboard.

IDE (female middle)• Many IDE cables

have a connector inthe middle, but closerto one end than theother.

• This connector mustbe used last.

Hard Drive• IDE outlet (male)

• Power outlet (male)

• Jumpers– Master– Slave– Cable Select

CD-ROM/DVD Drive• IDE outlet (male)

• Power outlet (male)

• Jumpers– Master– Slave– Cable Select

• Digital and/or Analogaudio outlets (male)

P5 Power Plug (female)• Larger of the two

types of power plugs.

• Connects to devices that need more power such ashard drives and CD/DVD drives.

P7 Power Plug• Smaller of the two

types of power plugs.

• Connects to devices that need less power such asfloppy drives and Centurion Guard.

PCI Slots• Peripheral

Component Interconnect

• Slots for connectingcards to themotherboard.

• Mostly replaced byUSB.

PCI Connectors• “Break” in the board

allow the card to onlybe plugged in in onedirection.

PCI Networking Card• Example of one of

the few remaining cards that a PC willhave.

Memory Slots• If you have four slots

memory must be inserted in matchedpairs.

• If you have two slotsyou can fill them anyway you wish.

RAM• Break in card

prevents it from being plugged in backwards.

• Make sure you getthe right type for yourcomputer.– SIMM vs. DIMM (single vs. dual)– DRAM vs. SRAM (dynamic vs. static)– Parity vs. Non-Parity Modules

Internal Battery• Keeps the computer’s

clock running when the computer is off.