SF Cable Blog - Get Expert Tips & Advice on Cables & AccessoriesIn our blog, we educate customers on the various types of cables, components and accesscories for computer, laptops and mobiles. Find More Blog
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SF Cable Blog - Get Expert Tips & Advice on Cables & AccessoriesIn our blog, we educate customers on the various types of cables, components and accesscories for computer, laptops and mobiles. Find More Blog
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Originally known as ‘D-subminiature’ DB style connectors are common UFD connectors or say monitor cables which operate in computing devices, audio/video, and data applications. DB25 and DB9 serial cables are the renowned types of D-sub connectors, used in PCs for serial and parallel ports.
The High-Density DB style is another type of D-sub connector which looks like a regular DB connector. Often called ‘HD’ connectors they have three rows of pins instead of two. HD15 is the most common type of connector used for video cards and monitors. Micro DB connector comes with smaller pins than the HD connector pins. It is commonly known as a ‘half-pitch’ DB connector. Majorly, SCSI applications use them. MD50 and MD68 are the most popular connections types. The D-sub connectors’ names are equivalent with the total number of pins that they can hold. For example, DB9 Series Cables contain 9 pins. However, in some cases, a DB25 connector has 4 to 5 loaded pins. Another product is the HD15 connector used by monitors. In most cases, monitor cables contains 14 pins but still called an HD15 connector. To know all about the ins and outs of the DB connectors, you can refer the detailed guide we have prepare for you. Scroll down to learn more! DB9 Connectors These types of connectors have 9 pins arranged in two rows. The first 5 pins are in the top and 4 pins in the bottom row. Each shell size is related to a certain number of pins or socket. Hence, DB9 denotes sub with a 9-position shell size and 9-position contact configuration. Rs-232 applications commonly use this interface. For several years, these ports have been standard equipment on PCs. The serial port on usual Computer system is DB9 male. This connector supports full-duplex data transfer. DB25 Connectors In DB25 connector, the top row has 13 pins and the lower row has 12 pins. SCSI applications or RS-232 serial uses DB25 connectors. In parallel applications, the DB25 connector is sometimes known as IEEE-1284 Type A Connector. In older systems normally, there was one DB25 female parallel port. Even you will find male DB25 serial port instead of DB9 sometimes. The DB25 SCSI connections are female and are available on older Apple computers as well as on expansion cards for SCSI devices. Just like the DB9 connectors, serial connections with the transmission of data provided by standard RS-232 uses these connectors. Initially they were used to connect printers. Hence, they are also known as ‘Printer Port’. DB15 Connectors With 15 pins arranged in two rows, the top row has 8 pins and a lower row has 7. Make sure that you don’t get confused with HD15 connectors which include three rows. The DB15 connector has two rows of pins found on sound cards, older AUI network cards and devices, legacy Macintosh® monitors. The most common peripheral for this port was a joystick or video game controller, therefore, it is known as a ‘Game Port’. This VGA socket is one of the typical examples of DB15 connectors. You can find the same on Windows-based laptops and entry-level PCs. DB37 Connectors This type of connector has 37 pins arranged in two rows. The top row has 19 pins and rest of the 18 pins arranged in two rows. Cisco® networking hardware and other applications that use RS-449 serial communication often uses these type of connectors. Another various models of sensors, switches, satellite antennas, control systems, video hardware, security control systems, and so on utilize these connectors. HD15 Connectors As mentioned above this connector has 15 pins arranged in three rows. Each of the row divided into 5 pins with the middle row slightly offset from the top and bottom. This connector is a High-Density DB-style connector. Another popular name is ‘VGA connector’ mostly used in video applications that support high resolutions like SVGA, XGA, UXGA. On most HD15 male connectors, there is one pin missing from the middle row. This is a commonly used connector as a video interface for computers and monitors. You can also find them on HD displays, satellite receivers, and cable boxes. Applications You can often find D-sub connectors on communication ports to create communication between different monitors, printers, and power supply devices. Token ring network and other controller area networks also use DB9 serial cables. Other applications include video output, game controller ports, multi-channel analog, and AES digital audio. Over the years, there have been additions of new connectors with the evolution of technology. However, you can still consider using them. The DB connectors are still popular because of their usage, form factor, size, density, and cost which offers significant value to the end users. This Blog is originally posted here; A Complete Guide to DB Style Connectors & Cables If you found this article useful, here are some others that may be of interest What are DB9 Serial Cable and how to select the right one ? DB9 Cables, Their Types, and Working Simplified! Use of Modem and Null Modem Cables Pros and Cons of DB9 D-Subminiature Connectors Benefit of Computer Adapters and Connectors
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Remember the time when your father bought the first ever computer in the house? You used to observe him set up the whole system him and imagined yourself setting up the system in the same way. If you are a tech nerd you will surely relate to such situations. Unwrapping the new computer set, reading its user guides, spending hours setting up your systems is what all tech nerds love. Although it’s been never been easy. You can easily screw it up by messing up with your computer adapters, cables, and other components if you’re not careful. Here are five mistakes explained in detail that we all make and how to avoid them.
A Web Of Power Cables Your computer plugs do not support equal usage. For example, your computer’s internal power supply has two different kinds of 8-pin power cables. One for the graphics card and another one for the motherboard. But sometimes we make a mistake to forcefully plug the cables into the wrong pins even if the pins are of different shape. Tip: Squeeze the little 6-pin and 2-pin together to create an 8-pin connector. In many GPU cards, they need more than 6-pin or 8-pin connector. And make sure to connect all the required pins. Hanging Graphics Card When we connect GPU with the case and plug into power, make sure not to leave it hanging there. You need to plug in your graphics card into a slot on the motherland. Remove the rubber shield from the GPU, so that you would find a slot to plug it into a marching PC-Express lane on the motherboard. Tip: Don’t rely on the motherboard to carry all the weight. Push the graphics card into the slot and make sure to connect it with your card. Plugging The Motherboard Cables Wrong Way A motherboard is an important and sensitive component for the computer system. And if you are confused while plugging its cables, it might cause damage. The problem here is to see where to plug cables on the motherboard to make the system buttons work. Therefore, it is advisable to plug in the cables accordingly. Tip: On the back of each tiny computer cable, there's a black arrow. Plug in the tiny motherboard cables in the slots before you insert other components. Not Pressing Power Cables There are several reasons for pressing power cables. Even if your motherboard or the graphics card powers up; and your system still remains off, you won’t be able to figure out what’s wrong there to make your computer work. But if you dig through the root cause, before calling the hardware expert or stressing out about it, give a tiny little push to your cables. In most cases, it works and starts your computer system. Though these cables looked like perfectly plugged in, it is important to make sure by pushing them towards the connector. This might damage your computer system if not plugged in correctly. Tip: Once you complete the setup of your system, make sure to check the computer cable connections properly before switching on the power button. Squishing Your Drive Cables The hard drive cables sometimes don’t fit inside your case. And you continue squishing them inside enough to close the doors of the computer case together. But a mistaken step here is that you might have plugged them the wrong way! Most large computer cases contain the hard drive ports facing away from the motherboard. And there’s a room beside the computer case for the hard drive cables. This way, you can close the computer case without stuffing them inside it. Tip: Use right-angle drive cables. They come with your motherboard and doesn’t bend your cables. One end goes into your motherland and the right-angle connector into your drive. Installing Ram, The Wrong Way A modern RAM has a notch in it that makes it nearly impossible to install from backward. However, beginners try to insert their RAM into their motherboards from the backward side. So, whenever you install the RAM into your motherboard, it is important that you line up the notch in your RAM with the related ridge in DIMM slots. It takes some sort of pressure to get your RAM to click into place. It is important to not to take such efforts that looks like it might break your memory. In most cases, it is easy to avoid but be aware of it so that you don’t accidentally force your RAM in a wrong direction. Conclusion Mistakes are common. And sometimes they happen regardless of our preparations and planning. The key point here is to be aware and not to repeat the mistakes you have been doing until today. Choosing the correct computer adapters, cables, installation guide will minimize the number of mistakes and your set up would not go wrong. This Blog Post is Originally Posted here; Mistakes You Make While Setting Up a Computer System If you found this article useful, here are some others that may be of interest.Computer Accessories that will Make Your Life Easier A Step by Step Guide to Installing a New Monitor to the Computer Cables/cords Used For Electrical Purposes We often overlook the importance of choosing the right kind of power cord for the tools we are using. This might be the post that could save you big bucks and your health as well. Whether you are a tradesman or a weekend fabricator, consider the task of choosing the right extension power cord as important as you check your financial records. Even when you put these cords to their actual use, such as for temporary lighting, you often forget basic safety formalities. Therefore, when you are choosing a power cord for your workshop or home you need to be a little aware of your product use.
Like every now and then we’ve all had this thought in our mind of buying one long cord and use it for every purpose. Let’s clear out on this and understand why is it a bad idea? Wrong Uses Of Power Cords For example, you have got a 4 ½ angle grinder plugged into the old 16-gauge, 100ft extension cord you usually use for the lamp lights. It’ll work in a proper way, but there might be chances that the body of the grinder heats up more than the usual. And it can get worst than this, the whole thing might just stop working. Giant equipment like electric motors have to pull more power to cover long distances; with a cord in perfect condition, if it’s thin, then the length will not carry the amperage needed to keep the grinder’s motor running in an ideal way. Let’s consider another instance where you need only 50ft. You put the other 50 out of the way. The reason behind this is the half of the cord wouldn’t be exposed. But electric current is still running through it, and the heat built up from the wire’s resistance would further drop its actual capacity. If the wires get extremely hot, the heat generated from coiled-up power cords is prone to fire. In such a situation, the resistance of the cord’s small gauge, the rolled-up length, and then draw of the grinder’s motor generates heat. These situations are not the ideal ones and might harm your equipment. Knocked and partially cut portions of your right-angle power cord cause more than just damages. They block the flow of electricity with added resistance and heat which lowers the capacity to carry the power over the full length. Therefore, keep in mind that a cut that exposes wire is like an electric shock waiting to happen to you. The solution to this problem is to buy a new male and female connector to make two smaller connections. Talking about the ideal situations, you should have multiple extension cords available of various lengths, thick enough to supply power to your tools in a safe way. If you accidentally step into any of the shops, you will find the keeper normally running their equipment with a 100-ft, 16-gauge. But the truth is that whatever tool they use always heats up and is vulnerable to cause a serious accident. There are many instances of power cord uses which reduce the power you expect from a cord. For example, multi-colored cords plugged into each other draped over and through toolboxes, cabinets, and tables held together with electrical tape. After this, there comes the power strips and splitters. These all type of situations are responsible for low power supply. The Solution You should store at least 2 to 3 cords for use. Like the collection of 14/3 and 10/3-gauge power cords. The 14 gauge tends to be super short and comes handy when you need a little extra to hit the wall socket. The 10/3 is around 25ft, heavy duty that can be handy for heavy power consumptions tools. But when it comes to choosing a specific power cord like right angle power cords for your workshop, running multiple extension cords can be a little tricky task to handle. That’s why there is a reason behind using a thinner gauge cord here. If you go with a 14-gauge cord, it will power most tools. Now, that you are aware of the correct usage of these power cords in your workshop, read ahead to know when you need to toss out and buy new power cords:
Concluding The Power Cords are products that are easily misused, something that can turn into a major safety hazard. The uses of Power cords are varied by the equipment choice. But the dangerous situations arise when you substitute a longer, thinner, higher gauge cord than the recommended gauge. To eliminate such situations, you should consider investing in high-quality, thick-gauge power cords in different lengths for your workshops. This Blog Post is Originally Posted here; Things to Keep in Mind When Using Power Cords for Workshops If you found this article useful, here are some others that may be of interest. What are Power Cords? Which Cord Powers Your Computer? A Safety Guide to Handling Power Cords What are the Uses of Hospital Grade Power Cords Setting up an Ethernet system is challenging. While different industries have their own set of requirements, it is a vital thing to choose a Network Ethernet Cable that is flexible to confront industrial obstacles. Its uses are different. For example, the cable of your office’s desk would not be able to handle the industrial usage. Considering the latest market scenario, Cat 6A cables are perfectly suitable for industrial use. If you still use cat5e cables, they may not be able to fulfill performance standards.
Let’s look out for some situations wherein a low-quality, not standardize cables fail to provide an expected performance. Installation While you install the network ethernet cable in the system, a commercial-grade with excessive force might stretch the cable. According to commercial standards, the maximum pulling tension should be 25-pound. Means, if the cable’s length is 100 feet, you will end up with the cable length of 100 feet and 2 inches. Eventually, it results in signal loss and performance delay. Such type of effects limits the distance that your cable can suffice. Furthermore, when you settle up the cables, the twisted pair may open up. It causes coupling from pair-to-pair, returns loss and susceptibility to ambient EMI/RFI. Eventually, it becomes high maintenance providing slower speed, crosstalks, and gapping effects. UV Effects Temperature plays a vital role when it comes to cable performance. And that too for industrial environments. For example, extreme cold makes your cable stiff and brittle to work with. On the other hand, extremely hot temperatures can affect the plastic used in it. That’s why it’s important to select the bulk network cables which are resistant to ambient temperatures. Cat5e cable expands at a rate of 0.4% per degree Celsius above 20° C. At 60° C, it may expand by 16%. Therefore, it is critical to select a network ethernet cable that offers industrial-strength, high-temperature performance. Oil Contacts When you select a cable for the industrial use, make sure that they are resistant to fluids. The problem with the low-quality cable is that they soak in the petroleum-based fluids. As a result, it might impact your mechanical strength, leaving the inner core prone to pollution. While choosing cables for industrial use, make sure to check oil-resistant jackets that combat with such challenges. Rough Usage Network cables especially used for industries might experience harsh usage on a daily base. The productivity and speed of the cable are depended on data transmission. And to ensure the network performance, check if your cable is qualified for such industrial-grade jackets. And in the market, there are cables like bulk network cables which provides an extra measure of protection, combining bonded-pair technology with interlocked components to provide the protection against such rough uses. Grounding This is the most important step for effective shielding. A proper grounding can degrade the shield effect. Ideally, it is considered to ground the shield at only one point. When there is combined interference on the shield, the current might drain into the ground. That too before the pairs which are already underneath and affected. This combination of unbonded versus bonded UTP cable reflects the potential gaps that occur within unbonded cables. It might slow down the installation. Therefore, the ground currents passing on the shield can actually make the shield a source of interference on the signal-carrying pairs. Noise When you select a balanced cable, it performs stably against loud noise instances. The bonded-pair cables provide the approximation of balance. Even after the installation and daily harsh use! Therefore, the cables with such features can either make or break an Industrial Ethernet application in the presence of any type of noise. Industry Standards A standard for every cable is the main benefit when it comes to Ethernet systems. Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) associated with the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) manages the current standard for the commonly used cables.
In a Nutshell Environmental uses affect your networking system if your network ethernet cables are not up to industry standards. Although it is critical to render reliable performance to your uses. Therefore, make sure to install cables that provide high-level strength and stability. This Article is originally posted here; How Strong Your Ethernet Cables Should be? If you found this article useful, here are some others that may be of interest. 7 Factors to Choose the Right Industrial Ethernet Cable Selecting the Right Bulk Network Cables: How to Go About It? Things to Keep in Mind while Installing Network Cables Choosing the right Ethernet cable is an essential thing to build up a system which is capable to deliver high speed and most importantly on-time data. To do so, it is advisable to choose the current in trend Ethernet products that is Cat 6A cables. These are the high-tech cables with advanced performance standards for twisted pair cable systems. Although, Cat5e and Cat6 Ethernet cables are still in use for installations as they cost less than the Cat6A. When we are heading towards Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology era, Category 6A cables will be the most suited products and are here to stay.
A wrong choice of cables for your system might demand you re-cabling. And according to industry reports, it consumes a lot of time and resources to re-cable the network of an entire building. This way, less expensive products might end up costing you more than its pricing. Instead, you should opt for better quality products as a one-time investment. Here are some factors which explain why Cat 6A cables are the perfect solution which can be compatible with future technologies and your network systems: Cat 6A Supports The Emergency Transfers We need bandwidth-intensive applications at a speed of 100Mb/s to 1000Mb/s when it comes to transferring large data files like medical files containing high-quality videos and graphics. Now if your systems use Cat5e or Cat 6 cables, these transactions might create a great amount of load on them. Overall, one can say that using cables like CAT5e or CAT 6 take a minute to download the 5000 MB files at 1000 Mb/s. Whereas Cat6A cables can offer bandwidth up to 10G/bs. High GBPS Delivery Speed Cat5e cables transmit the Gigabit signals at 1Gbps speed for the distances up to 100m. These cables are a 24 gauge twisted pair. The Cat6A cables are thicker. They are a 23 gauge twisted pair which transmits signals at the speed of 10Gbps for the distances up to 100m. Gauge It is important that the Ethernet cable is wide enough to support electron currents while they pass through the wire. Because the thin cables slow down the flow and the signals might get scattered. Cables with wider diameter reduce the resistance so that the electrons have enough space to pass. Cat 6A (23 AWG) cables are wider than the Cat5e(24 AWG) cables. They ensure that electrons pass through the cables at a standard speed. Distance The major advantage of Cat 6A cables is the high-speed data transfer. They deliver at 10 Gbps speed which covers the distances up to 328 feet. If you opt for the Cat6 cables, they deliver at the same speed but only up to the distance of 164 feet. That’s not going to be a problem when you connect small footprints like an office, building or college lab. But when you want to cover larger areas, you will need to embrace these cables. Shielding Shielding is another factor that affects performance. Cables have the shielding or plastic sheets which prevent crosswalk. The crosswalk is an interface which slows down the signal passing. Cat 6A are shielded cables specially designed to prevent crosswalks. Important Applications Which Require Cat 6A Cables Wave 2 Wi-Fi Devices: In order to support the fast data transfer, the Next-generation Wave 2 Wi-Fi devices would require data transfer rates which are close to 2Gb/s, and in a near future 4Gb/s. Nearly all enterprise businesses will adopt Next-generation Wi-Fi for high data transfer rates. Cat 6A cables are a viable solution to support such type of advancements. HDBaseT: The HDBaseT is an evolving technology that transmits the uncompressed full high definition video, audio, and other data files up to 100m with balanced twisted pair cabling. It also supports the power transfer up to 100 watts over 4-pair cables to powering HDTVs and other displays up to 100m. The Category 6A cables can handle such type of large data transfers for long distances. IP Convergence: Category 6A cables have the ability to handle the data load requirements. Therefore, they can support the IP Convergence which serves the big enterprises, from security to lighting and building automation systems which are connected with the network. Why You Should Upgrade To Cat 6A? In the future, all phone systems are likely to upgrade to VoIP. And your old cables would not be able to support the new technology. They cannot be compatible with the new speed standards in your systems. Although Cat6A is more expensive than the Cat5e and Cat6 cables, it can be your future solution and will stay longer to fulfill future requirements. Before opting for other relatively cheap options, you should also consider the maintenance value, which might cost you a lot more than the actual Cat 6A cable price. If you go with Cat5e or Cat6, you will need to replace them and upgrade your system sooner. This Blog is originally Posted here; Why Cat 6A Cables Are Considered As Future Proof Products? DMI 2.1 enables new features and a lot more bandwidth to the cable and connections. Announced more than a year ago, these cables have finally arrived this year with the televisions supporting HDMI 2.1 ports represented at CES. And it’s not too soon to plan for an upgrade as the current-generation cables don’t have the bandwidth to support many of the new features of it.
One of the first High-Speed HDMI adapters and cables for the new version is the first cable officially announced by the official forum. These official forums are the organization responsible to set up the HDMI standards. One of the major specifications of these HDMI cables is the increased bandwidth. While the older version 2.0 supports 18Gbps; HDMI 2.1 cables support up to 48 Gbps. It’s a massive increase of more than 150% which is enough bandwidth to carry any uncompressed 4K video at 120fps and 8k at 60 fps. What’s New with HDMI 2.1 Cables? The new HDMI cables have an Ethernet channel shielded to produce a low electromagnetic interface with nearby Wifi devices. Plus, these cables support the complete specification which supports eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) along with video features. The current generation cables can handle some of the features of 2.1. Maximum, they can handle 4K at 60fps. Which means that they won’t be able to support the high resolution, fast frame rate combinations possible with new versions. According to HDMI forums, Ultra-High-Speed cable is capable enough to ensure that high-bandwidth dependent features including the enhanced video and audio performance, and accounting for new EMI features. Everything in the video chain, including the HDMI adapters and cables, you will need certified products for 2.1 in order to take full advantage of the new specification. That may seem like bad news, but it’s not as complex as it sounds. The transition to the new cables will be easy and there’s no rush. ‘Dynamic HDR’ is a known name for a big improvement. Nowadays, everyone likes the High dynamic range for improved picture quality. At present the most common HDR format is HDR10. HDMI 2.1 enables Dynamic HDR, but it is important to be present in the content to work. Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and certain other devices already use dynamic metadata and can pass an existing HDMI connection. This way, HDMI 2.1 ensures that in future this will be possible without a proprietary format. Another feature of these Ultra-High-Speed HDMI cable is certified support to a broad range of video features which are not bandwidth intensive such as variable refresh rate, automatic low latency mode, quick frame transport and a range of HDR formats. While the current generation cables probably handle most of these features, they might lack in terms of performance. When to Upgrade? Considering the current scenario, most of HDMI2.1's high-bandwidth applications lie in the future. 8K TV at any frame rate should not be a starter because most people would not be able to find any difference between 8K and 4K. Additionally, there’s no 4K/120fps content at present. There has been enough buzz around the tech market to rush out to buy HDMI 2.1 cables as soon as possible today. But the fact is that you cannot begin the upgrade process for now because there is no officially Ultra-High-Speed Difference between an RCA, DVI and HDMI cable available in the market at present. The reason behind this is the HDMI forums have not yet released the compliance test specifications for the cable. Although you will find many manufacturers in the market selling products labeled as “Ultra-High-Speed HDMI Cable”. Make sure you don’t end up buying a wrong set of cables. The Good News is that the upgrading will be easy because the upcoming and current generation connectors are of the same size and HDMI 2.1 is compatible backward so you can use the new cables with your current hardware. Make sure to purchase the officially licensed cables when they will be available in the market to get the best possible performance from your future HDMI 2.1 system! This article is originally Posted here Know The Right Time To Adopt HDMI 2.1 Cables If you found this Article useful, here are some others that may be of interest. Difference between an RCA, DVI and HDMI cable Choosing Between HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4: What Should You Know? DisplayPort or HDMI: Which Cable Should Gamers Choose? |
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