W3 COMMON COMPUTER

CONNECTOR TYPES
W3 Objectives
At the end of this lesson, the students should be
able to:
 Identify the various computer connector types and its functionalities
TOPIC

INTRODUCTION
A computer connector is a physical interface that allows you to connect a
device to a computer. There are many different types of computer
connectors, each with its own purpose.
 TOPIC

What is a
PORTS?
A port is a hardware interface that you can use to connect devices to a computer. The port
transfers electronic signals between the device and the system unit. The port is either an
electrically wired socket or plug, or it can be a wireless transmission device.
Ports can vary by: shape; color according to coding standards; the number and layout of the
pins or connectors contained within the port; the signals the port carries; and the port’s location.
Ports exist for both internal and external devices.
A computer port is also called as a “Communication Port” as it is responsible for communication
between the computer and its peripheral device.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR Computer Back Panel TOPIC
TYPES

Although the connectors on the computer's back

panel may appear to be a jumbled mess, they follow a
standard structure. The "ATX form factor" is the
current industry standard. You may see that your
computer's back is separated into three portions if you
look at it. The expansion board slots are at the
bottom, the I/O port connectors are in the middle, and
the power supply is at the top.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
Connector Gender TOPIC

In computer connectors, the term "gender"

refers to the physical shape of the connector. A
male connector has a protruding pin or pins,
while a female connector has a hole or holes to
receive the pins. The two genders are designed
to mate together to create an electrical
connection.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
Connector Shapes TOPIC

Ports can have different physical shapes, such

as round, rectangular, square, and oblong,
although there is some standardization of
physical properties and functions. Most
connectors are keyed in some way to restrict
connecting devices into the wrong port.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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Computer Connections TOPIC

Computer connections are the physical links between a

computer and other devices. They allow the computer to
communicate with other devices and share data.
The specific connection that is used for a particular
connection will depend on the devices that are being
connected and the type of signal that is being
transmitted.
In addition to the physical connections, there are also
software connections that allow computers to
communicate with each other. These software
connections are often used to share files, printers, and
other resources.
Computer connections are essential for allowing
computers to function and communicate with each other.
They are the backbone of the modern computing world.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
PS/2 PORTS AND CONNECTORS TOPIC

PS/2 connector is developed by IBM for connecting

mouse and keyboard. It was introduced with IBM’s
Personal Systems/2 series of computers and hence the
name PS/2 connector. PS/2 connectors are color coded
as purple for keyboard and green for mouse.

PS/2 is a 6-pin DIN connector. The pin out diagram of a

PS/2 female connector is shown below.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
Serial Ports Connectors TOPIC

A serial port is a physical interface that allows a computer to

communicate with other devices one bit at a time. It is one of the
oldest types of interfaces and was once commonly used to connect
printers, external modems, and other peripherals to a PC.

Serial ports are also known as RS-232 ports, and they are
standardized by the EIA/TIA-232-F standard. This standard defines
the electrical characteristics, timing, and pinout of the connectors.

Serial ports are usually identified on IBM compatible computers as

COM (communications) ports. For example, a mouse might connect
to COM1 and a modem to COM2.

The serial port uses a 9-pin (DE-9) connector or a 25-pin (DB-25)

connector. Originally, the standard used 25 pins. Because many of
the pins were unused and were quite bulky, the smaller DE-9
connector became popular.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
Parallel Port Connector TOPIC

A parallel port is a type of interface found on early computers (personal and otherwise) for connecting
peripherals. The name refers to the way the data is sent; parallel ports send multiple bits of data at once
(parallel communication), as opposed to serial communication, in which bits are sent one at a time. To do
this, parallel ports require multiple data lines in their cables and port connectors and tend to be larger than
contemporary serial ports, which only require one data line.
Parallel ports are also known as Centronics ports, after the company that originally designed them. They are
typically identified on IBM compatible computers as LPT (line printer) ports. For example, LPT1 might be
used for a printer and LPT2 might be used for a scanner.
The parallel port uses a 25-pin (DB-25) connector. The pins are numbered 1 to 25, starting at the top left
corner of the connector. The most commonly used pins are 2 through 9, which are used to send data.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
Power Supply Port Connectors TOPIC

There are a lot of different Power Supply connectors out there. Luckily they are designed in such a way
that you cannot go wrong when installing them. The cable simply won’t fit in the connector slot when you
try to connect the wrong header.
P1 (PC Main / ATX connector)
The primary task of the Power Supply Unit (PSU) is to provide your motherboard with power. This is done
via the 20-pins or 24-pins connector.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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Power Supply Port Connectors TOPIC

Berg connector
Used to supply power to floppy disk drives and some tape drives
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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Power Supply Port Connectors TOPIC

P4 (EPS connector)
At some point in time the motherboard’s pins were no longer sufficient to provide the processor (cpu) with
power. With overclocked cpu’s drawing as much as 200W a need to provide power directly to the CPU was
created. Nowadays it is the P4, or EPS connector, to provide the cpu with power.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
Power Supply Port Connectors TOPIC

PCI-E connector (6-pin en 6+2 pin)

The motherboard can provide a maximum of 75W through its PCI-E interface slot. Faster dedicated
graphics cards require much more power. To solve that issue the PCI-E connector was introduced.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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Power Supply Port Connectors TOPIC

Molex (4 Pin Peripheral Connector)

Molex connectors have been around for a very long time and can deliver 5V (red) or 12V (Yellow) to
hardware peripherals. In the past these guys were often used to connect Hard drives, CD-ROM players,
etc. Even some graphics cards like the Geforce 7800 GS were equipped with Molex.
However their power draw is limited so nowadays most of their purpose has been replaced by PCI-E
cables and SATA cables. All that is left is powering case fans.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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Power Supply Port Connectors TOPIC

SATA Connector
The SATA connector is the guy that made the Molex obsolete. All modern DVD-players, hard disk drives
and SSD’s are powered by SATA power.

e-SATA Connector
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
USB Port Connector TOPIC

A USB port connector is a type of connector that is

used to connect USB devices to a computer or other
host device. USB stands for Universal Serial Bus,
and it is a standard interface that allows devices to
be connected and disconnected easily.
USB Type-A port is a 4 pin connector. There are
different versions of Type – A USB ports: USB 1.1,
USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. USB 3.0 is the common
standard and supports a data rate of 400MBps.
USB 3.1 is also released and supports a data rate up
to 10Gbps. Usually, but not all the times, the USB 2.0
is Black color coded and USB 3.0 is Blue. The
following image shows USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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USB Standard TOPIC

USB 2.0, released in April 2000, is the most commonly implemented standard. It can communicate at up to
480 Mbps. The original USB 1.1 standard is still commonly found in devices and systems. It can
communicate at up to 12 Mbps. A USB 2.0 device connected to a USB 1.1 hub or port will communicate at
only USB 1.1 speeds, even though it might be capable of faster speeds. Generally, the operating system will
inform you of this when you connect the device.
USB 3.0, also called SuperSpeed USB, is the latest USB standard released in November 2008. It features a
maximum transfer rate of 5.0 Gbps. It is 10 times faster than the USB 2.0 standard, has enhanced power
efficiency, and is backward compatible with USB-enabled devices currently in use.
USB cables have a maximum distance before performance suffers. To work around this, one or more hubs
can be used to create a chain to reach the necessary cable length. USB 1.1 has a maximum cable length of 3
meters, while USB 2.0’s maximum length is 5 meters. In each case, a maximum of five hubs can be used to
extend the cable length. The maximum cable length is not specified in the USB 3.0 specification.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
Common Types of USB Connector TOPIC

USB-A connector:
This is the most common type of USB connector. It
is rectangular in shape and has four pins. USB-A
connectors are typically found on computers, hubs,
and other devices that provide USB ports.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
Common Types of USB Connector TOPIC

The pinout diagram of USB Type – A port is shown below. The pinout is common to all standards of Type – A.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
Common Types of USB Connector TOPIC

USB-B connector:
This type of connector is often used for printers,
scanners, and other devices that require more
power than a USB-A connector can provide. USB-B
connectors are rectangular in shape and have five
pins.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
Common Types of USB Connector TOPIC

USB-C connector:
This is a newer type of USB connector that is
becoming increasingly common. It is reversible, so
you don't have to worry about plugging it in the
wrong way. USB-C connectors can be used for both
data transfer and power delivery.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
Common Types of USB Connector TOPIC

The port of USB Type – C consists of 24 pins. The pinout diagram of USB Type – C is shown below. The
latest USB Specifications (USB4) is an USB-C only specification i.e., only USB type C devices can be used
with USB4 specifications.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
Common Types of USB Connector TOPIC

Micro USB connector:

This type of connector is often used for mobile
devices such as smartphones and tablets. Micro
USB connectors are smaller than USB-A and USB-B
connectors.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
Common Types of USB Connector TOPIC

Mini USB connector:

This type of connector is similar to a micro USB
connector, but it is slightly larger. Mini USB
connectors are often used for cameras and other
devices.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
USB Connector TOPIC
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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Firewire Connector TOPIC

FireWire is a high-speed serial bus interface standard developed by Apple Computer. It was originally
known as IEEE 1394, but is now more commonly referred to as FireWire.
FireWire is used to connect a wide variety of devices to a computer, including:
• Digital video cameras
• External hard drives
• Scanners
• Printers
• Audio devices
• Musical instruments
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
Firewire Terminology TOPIC

Apple was the primary vendor to promote the IEEE 1394 Standard and used the FireWire name
as a trademark for the IEEE 1394 implementation included in its Macintosh® systems. FireWire
has since become the common name for all IEEE 1394 devices.

• FireWire 400: This is the original version of FireWire, and it can transfer data at speeds of up to 400 Mbps.
• FireWire 800: This is a newer version of FireWire, and it can transfer data at speeds of up to 800 Mbps.
• IEEE 1394: This is the formal name of the FireWire standard.
• 1394a: This is an extension to the FireWire standard that adds support for daisy chaining up to 63 devices.
• 1394b: This is an extension to the FireWire standard that adds support for higher data transfer rates.
• 1394c: This is an extension to the FireWire standard that adds support for power over FireWire.
• Daisy chaining: This is the ability to connect multiple devices to a single FireWire port.
• Hot-swappable: This means that devices can be connected or disconnected from a FireWire port without
having to power down the computer.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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Thunderbolt Connector TOPIC

Thunderbolt is a high-speed interface that is designed to

connect a wide variety of devices to a computer. It was
developed by Intel and Apple, and it is based on the PCI
Express (PCIe) and DisplayPort standards.
Thunderbolt connectors are reversible, so you don't have
to worry about plugging them in the wrong way. They can
be used for both data transfer and power delivery.
Thunderbolt can transfer data at speeds of up to 40
Gbps, which is much faster than USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 and
FireWire 800. It can also be used to connect multiple
devices to a single port, using a daisy chain configuration.
Thunderbolt is supported by a wide variety of devices,
including computers, external hard drives, displays, and
docks. It is a good choice for connecting devices that
require high data transfer rates, such as external hard
drives and high-resolution displays.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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Audio Ports Connector TOPIC

Audio ports are used to connect speakers or

other audio output devices with the computer.
The audio signals can be either analogue or
digital and depending on that the port and its
corresponding connector differ.
Surround Sound Connectors or 3.5 mm TRS
Connector
It is the most commonly found audio port that can be
used to connect stereo headphones or surround
sound channels. A 6 connector system is included on
majority of computers for audio out as well as a
microphone connection.
The 6 connectors are color coded as Blue, Lime, Pink,
Orange, Black and Grey. These 6 connectors can be
used for a surround sound configuration of up to 8
channels.
 Three Main Types of Audio
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
Connector TOPIC

3.5mm audio jack:

This is the most common type of audio connector. It
is used for headphones, microphones, and
speakers.
The 3.5mm audio jack is a small, round connector
with two or three rings. The two-ring connector is
used for headphones and speakers, while the three-
ring connector is used for microphones.
 Three Main Types of Audio
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
Connector TOPIC

RCA connector:
This type of connector is used for connecting audio
devices to home theater systems and other audio
equipment.
The RCA connector is a set of two connectors, one
for audio and one for video. The audio connector is
the smaller of the two and is usually colored red or
white. The video connector is the larger of the two
and is usually colored yellow.
 Three Main Types of Audio
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
Connector TOPIC

Optical audio connector:

This type of connector is used for connecting audio
devices to digital audio receivers and other audio
equipment.
The optical audio connector is a small, rectangular
connector with a plastic tab on one side. It is used to
transmit digital audio signals.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
3-Pin XLR Connector TOPIC

3-Pin XLR Connector

Three-pin XLR connectors are by far the most
common style, and are an industry standard for
balanced audio signals. The great majority of
professional microphones use the XLR connector. In
previous years, they were used for loudspeaker
connections, for instance by Trace Elliot in its bass
enclosures.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
VGA Connector TOPIC

VGA stands for Video Graphics Array. It is a standard analog video interface that was introduced in 1987 by
IBM. VGA is still widely used today, but it is gradually being replaced by digital interfaces such as HDMI and
DisplayPort.
VGA connectors are trapezoidal in shape and have 15 pins. The pins are arranged in three rows of five
pins. The first row of pins is used for the horizontal sync signal, the second row of pins is used for the
vertical sync signal, and the third row of pins is used for the video data.
VGA can support resolutions up to 1920x1200 pixels. It is a relatively simple and inexpensive interface,
which is why it is still widely used today. However, it is not as versatile as digital interfaces and it does not
support high resolutions or refresh rates.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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VGA Connector TOPIC
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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DVI Connector TOPIC

DVI stands for Digital Visual Interface. It is a standard digital video interface that was introduced in 1999.
DVI is still widely used today, but it is gradually being replaced by newer standards such as HDMI and
DisplayPort.
DVI connectors are rectangular in shape and have 24 pins. The pins are arranged in four rows of six pins.
The first row of pins is used for the horizontal sync signal, the second row of pins is used for the vertical
sync signal, the third row of pins is used for the video data, and the fourth row of pins is used for the
auxiliary data.
DVI can support resolutions up to 2560x1600 pixels. It is a versatile interface that can be used with a
variety of devices, including computers, monitors, projectors, and TVs.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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DVI Connector TOPIC

There are three types of DVI connectors based on the signals it can carry: DVI-I, DVI-D and DVI-A. DVI-I
is a DVI port with integrated analogue and digital signals. DVI-D supports only digital signals and DVI-A
supports only analogue signals.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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Mini-DVI Connector TOPIC

Mini-DVI port is developed by Apple as an alternative to Mini-

VGA port and is physically similar to one. It is smaller than a
regular DVI port.
It is a 32 pin port and is capable of transmitting DVI, composite,
S-Video and VGA signals with respective adapters. The
following image shows a Mini-DVI port and its compatible
cable.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
Micro-DVI Connector TOPIC

Micro-DVI is a proprietary video output port introduced by Apple in 2008 on the original MacBook Air. It is a
smaller version of the standard DVI connector and has 17 pins. Micro-DVI can support resolutions up to
1920x1200 pixels.
Micro-DVI connectors are not widely used and are being phased out by Apple in favor of the newer
Thunderbolt standard. If you have a device with a Micro-DVI port, you can use an adapter to connect it to a
standard DVI monitor or TV.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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Display Port Connector TOPIC

Display Port is a digital display interface with optional multiple channel audio and other forms of data.
Display Port is developed with an aim of replacing VGA and DVI ports as the main interface between a
computer and monitor.
The latest version DisplayPort 1.3 can handle a resolution up to 7680 X 4320.

The Display Port has a 20 pin connector, which is a very

less number when compared to DVI port and offers better
resolution. The pin out diagram of a Display Port is shown
below.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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Display Port Connector TOPIC

DisplayPort 1.4a is the latest (in production) version of DisplayPort Specification with support for 4K (3840
x 2160) at 120 Hz or 8K (7680 x 4320) at 60 Hz. An improved DisplayPort version 2.0 specification is
released in June of 2019 with an increased bandwidth of 77.37 Gbps (approximately).
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
Mini-Display Port Connector TOPIC

Mini DisplayPort (mDP) is a miniaturized version of the DisplayPort standard. It was introduced in 2008
and is used on a variety of devices, including laptops, external monitors, and projectors.
Mini DisplayPort connectors are rectangular in shape and have 12 pins. The pins are arranged in two rows
of six pins. The first row of pins is used for the data, the second row of pins is used for the clock, and the
third row of pins is used for the ground.
Mini DisplayPort can support resolutions up to 4096x2160 pixels and refresh rates up to 60Hz. It can also
support audio, including surround sound.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
TYPES
RCA Connector TOPIC

RCA Connector can carry composite video and stereo audio signals over three cables. Composite video
transmits analogue video signals and the connector is as yellow colored RCA connector.
The video signals are transmitted over a single channel along with the line and frame synchronization
pulses at a maximum resolution of 576i (standard resolution).
The red and white connectors are used for stereo audio signals (red for right channel and white for left
channel).
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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Component Video Connector TOPIC

Component Video is an interface where the video signals are split into more than two channels and the
quality of the video signal is better that Composite video.
Like composite video, component video transmits only video signals and two separate connectors must be
used for stereo audio. Component video port can transmit both analogue and digital video signals.
The ports of the commonly found Component video uses 3 connectors and are color coded as Green, Blue
and Red.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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S-Video Connector TOPIC

S-Video or Separate Video connector is used for transmitting only video

signals. The picture quality is better than that of Composite video but
has a lesser resolution than Component video.
The S-Video port is generally black in color and is present on all TVs
and most computers. S-Video port looks like a PS/2 port but consists of
only 4 pins.
Out of the 4 pins, one pin is used to carry the intensity signals (black
and white) and other pin is used to carry color signals. Both these pins
have their respective ground pins.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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HDMI Connector TOPIC

HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface. It is a standard digital video and audio interface that
was introduced in 2002. HDMI is the most popular video interface in use today and is supported by a wide
variety of devices, including computers, televisions, Blu-ray players, and game consoles.
HDMI connectors are rectangular in shape and have 19 pins. The pins are arranged in three rows of six
pins. The first row of pins is used for the data, the second row of pins is used for the clock, and the third
row of pins is used for the ground.
HDMI can support resolutions up to 8K (7680x4320 pixels) and refresh rates up to 120Hz. It can also
support audio, including surround sound.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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HDMI Connector TOPIC

The HDMI connector consists of 19 pins and the latest

version of HDMI i.e. HDMI 2.0 can carry digital video
signal up to a resolution of 4096×2160 and 32 audio
channels. The pinout diagram of an HDMI port is as
follows.

Update: The latest version of HDMI is 2.1 with much

improved bandwidth, resolution and support from video
card manufacturers. While HDMI 2.0 has a data
bandwidth of 18 Gbps, the HDMI 2.1 has a staggering
48 Gbps of bandwidth. Coming to the display
resolution, HDMI 2.1 supports 4K and 8K at 120 Hz
refresh rate. Most modern (at least high end) graphics
cards like Nvidia RTX 3090 provide at least a couple of
HDMI 2.1 Ports to connect with monitors and TVs.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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Micro & Mini-HDMI Connector TOPIC

Mini HDMI
With HDMI 1.3 Version, a new HDMI Port and Connector combination is released called the Mini HDMI.
Physically, it is smaller than a regular HDMI Port but has same 19 Pin. Intended for portable devices like
laptops, cameras, camcorders, the Mini HDMI Port isn’t that popular.

Micro HDMI
HDMI developers introduced a new HDMI Connector and Port called Micro HDMI with HDMI Version 1.4.
Micro HDMI also has 19 pins (just like regular HDMI and Mini HDMI) but the pinout is different.
Micro HDMI is often used in cameras, single board computers (like Raspberry Pi 4), etc. where physically it
is difficult to include a regular HDMI port.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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Micro vs Mini HDMI TOPIC
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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Rj-45 Connector TOPIC

Ethernet is a networking technology that is used to connect your computer to Internet and communicate
with other computers or networking devices.
The interface that is used for computer networking and telecommunications is known as Registered Jack
(RJ) and RJ – 45 port in particular is used for Ethernet over cable. RJ-45 connector is an 8 pin – 8 contact
(8P – 8C) type modular connector.
The latest Ethernet technology is called Gigabit Ethernet and supports a data transfer rate of over
10Gigabits per second. The Ethernet or a LAN port with 8P – 8C type connector along with the male RJ-45
cable is shown below.
The un-keyed 8P – 8C modular connector is generally referred to the Ethernet RJ-45. Often, RJ-45 ports
are equipped with two LEDs for indicating transmission and packet detection.
COMPUTER CONNECTOR
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Rj-11 Connector TOPIC

RJ-11 is another type of Registered Jack that is used as an interface for telephone, modem or ADSL
connections. Even though computers are almost never equipped with an RJ-11 port, they are the main
interface in all telecommunication networks.
RJ-45 and RJ11 ports look alike but RJ-11 is a smaller port and uses a 6 point – 4 contact (6P – 4C)
connector even though a 6 point – 2 contact (6P – 2C) is sufficient. The following is a picture of an RJ-11
port and its compatible connector.
TAKE AWAYS!
The objective of computer connector types is to provide a physical interface for connecting two or
more electronic devices. Computer connectors come in a variety of shapes and sizes, each
designed for a specific purpose.

The objective of each computer connector type is to provide a reliable and efficient way to connect
two or more electronic devices. The type of connector that is used will depend on the specific
devices that need to be connected and the type of signal that needs to be transmitted.

There are many other types of computer connectors. Some of these connectors are specialized
for specific devices or applications, while others are more general-purpose. The objective of each
connector type is to provide a way to connect two or more devices and transmit the desired signal.