EXTERNAL PORTS AND CABLES

A video port connects a monitor to a computer using a cable. Video ports and monitor cables
transfer analog signals, digital signals, or both. Computers are digital devices that create digital
signals. The digital signals are sent to the graphics card where they are transmitted through a
cable to a digital display. Digital signals can also be converted to analog signals by the graphics
card and transferred to an analog display. Converting a digital signal to an analog signal usually
results in lower image quality. A display and a monitor cable that support digital signals should
provide higher image quality than those supporting only analog
signals. There are several video ports and connector types:

• Digital Visual Interface (DVI), as shown, has 24 pins for digital

signals and 4 pins for analog signals. DVI-I is used for both
analog and digital signals. DVI-D handles digital signals
only, while DVI-A handles only analog signals.

• Displayport, as shown, has 20

pins and can be used for audio,
video, or both audio and video
transmission.

• RCA connectors, as shown, have

a central plug with a ring around it
and can be used to carry audio or
video. It is common to find RCA
connectors in groups of three, where a yellow connector
carries video and a pair of red and white connectors carry left
and right channel audio.

• DB-15, as shown,
has 3 rows and 15
pins and is
commonly used for
analog video.

• BNC connectors, as
shown, connect
coaxial cable to
devices using a
quarter-turn connection scheme. BNC is used with
digital or analog audio or video.
• RJ-45, as shown, has 8 pins and can be used with digital or
analog audio or video.

• MiniHDMI, also
called Type C, as
shown in Figure 7,
has 19 pins, is
much smaller than
an HDMI connector,
and carries the
same signals as an
HDMI connector.

• Din-6, has 6 pins and is commonly used for analog

audio, video, and power in security camera applications.

Display cables transfer video signals from the computer to display devices. There are several
display cable types:

• High-Definition Multimedia Interface

(HDMI) - Carries digital video
and digital audio signals. Digital
signals provide high-quality
video and high resolutions.

• DVI - Carries analog, digital, or both

analog and digital video signals.

• Video Graphics Array (VGA) -

Carries analog video signals.
Analog video is low quality and
can be interfered with by
electrical and radio signals.

• Component/RGB - Carries analog video signals over three shielded cables (red, green, blue).
 • Composite - Carries analog audio
or video signals.

• S-Video - Carries analog video

signals.

• Coaxial - Carries analog, digital, or

both analog and digital video or audio
signals.

• Ethernet - Carries analog, digital,

or both analog and digital video or
audio signals. Ethernet can also carry
power.

EXTERNAL PORTS AND CABLES

Input/output (I/O) ports on a computer connect peripheral devices, such as printers, scanners,
and portable drives. The following ports and cables are commonly used:

• Serial

• USB

• FireWire

• Parallel

• SCSI

• Network

• PS/2
• Audio

Serial Ports and Cables

A serial port can be either a DB-9 or a DB-25 male

connector. Serial ports transmit one bit of data at a
time. To connect a serial device, such as a modem or
printer, you must use a serial cable. A serial cable has
a maximum length of 50 ft (15.2 m).

Modem Ports and Cables

In addition to the serial cable used to connect an

external modem to a computer, a telephone cable
connects the modem to a telephone outlet. This cable
uses an RJ-11 connector, as shown below. A
traditional setup of an external modem using a serial
cable and a telephone cable is shown below.

USB Ports and Cables

The Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a standard interface that connects peripheral devices to a
computer. It was originally designed to replace serial and parallel connections. USB devices are hot-
swappable, which means that users can connect and disconnect the devices while the computer is
powered on. USB connections can be found on computers, cameras, printers, scanners, storage
devices, and many other electronic devices. A USB hub connects multiple USB devices. A single
USB port in a computer can support up to 127 separate devices with the use of multiple USB
hubs. Some devices can also be powered through the USB port, eliminating the need for an
external power source. Figure 4 shows USB cables with connectors.

USB 1.1 allowed transmission rates of up to 12 Mb/s in full-speed mode and 1.5 Mb/s in low-speed
mode. A USB 1.1 cable has a maximum length
of 9.8 ft (3 m). USB 2.0 allows transmission
speeds up to 480 Mb/s. A USB 2.0 cable has
a maximum length of 16.4 ft (5 m). USB
devices can only transfer data up to the
maximum speed allowed by the specific port.
USB 3.0 allows transmission speeds up to 5
Gb/s. USB 3.0 is backward-compatible with
previous versions of USB. A USB 3.0 cable
does not have a maximum defined length,
although a maximum length of 9.8 ft (3 m) is
generally accepted.

FireWire Ports and Cables

FireWire is a high-speed, hot-swappable interface that connects peripheral devices to a computer.

A single FireWire port in a computer can support up to 63 devices. Some devices can also be
powered through the FireWire port, eliminating the need for an external power source. FireWire
uses the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 standard and is also known as
i.Link. The IEEE creates publications and standards
for technology. Figure 5 shows FireWire cables with
connectors.

The IEEE 1394a standard supports data rates up to

400 Mb/s for cable lengths of 15 ft (4.5 m) or less.
This standard uses a 4-pin or 6-pin connector. The
IEEE 1394b and IEEE 1394c standards allow for a
greater range of connections, including CAT5 UTP
and optical fiber.
Depending on the
media used, data
rates are
supported up to
3.2 Gb/s for
distances of 328
ft (100 m) or less.
Parallel Ports and Cables
A parallel port on a computer is a standard Type A DB-25 female
connector. The parallel connector on a printer is a standard Type
B 36-pin Centronics connector. Some newer printers may use a
Type C high-density 36-pin connector. Parallel ports can
transmit 8 bits of data at one time and use the IEEE 1284
standard. To connect a parallel device, such as a printer, you
must use a parallel cable. A parallel cable, as shown in here, has
a maximum length of 15 ft (4.5 m).
eSATA Data Cables

The eSATA cable connects SATA devices to the eSATA interface using a 7-pin data cable. This
cable does not supply any power to the SATA external disk. A separate power cable provides
power to the disk.

SCSI Ports and Cables

A SCSI port can transmit parallel data at

rates in excess of 320 Mb/s and can
support up to 15 devices. If a single SCSI
device is connected to a SCSI port, the cable
can be up to 80 ft long (24.4 m). If multiple
SCSI devices are connected to a SCSI port,
the cable can be up to 40 ft (12.2 m). A
SCSI port on a computer can be a 25-pin,
50-pin, or 80-pin connector, as shown in
Figure 7.

NOTE: A SCSI device must terminate at the endpoint of

the SCSI chain. Check the device manual for termination
procedures.
CAUTION: Some SCSI connectors resemble parallel
connectors. Be careful not to connect the cable to the
wrong port. The voltage used in the SCSI format may
damage the parallel interface. SCSI connectors should be
clearly labeled.
Network Ports and Cables
A network port, also known as an RJ-45 port, has 8 pins
and connects a computer to a network. The connection
speed depends on the type of network port. Standard
Ethernet can transmit up to 10 Mb/s, Fast Ethernet can
transmit up to 100 Mb/s, and Gigabit Ethernet can
transmit up to 1000
Mb/s. The maximum
length of network cable is 328 ft (100 m). A network
connector is shown on the right.

PS/2 Ports
A PS/2 port connects a keyboard or a mouse to a computer.
The PS/2 port is a 6-pin mini-DIN female connector. The
connectors for the keyboard and mouse are often colored
differently, as shown on the left. If the ports are not color-
coded, look for a small figure of a mouse or keyboard next to
each port.
Audio Ports

An audio port connects audio devices to the computer. Some of the following audio ports are
commonly used:

• Line in - Connects to an external source, such as a stereo system

• Microphone - Connects to a microphone

• Line out - Connects to speakers or headphones

• Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format (S/PDIF) - Connects to coaxial cable using RCA
connectors or fiber-optic cable using TosLink connectors to support digital audio

• Gameport/MIDI - Connects to a joystick or MIDI-interfaced device