External computer connectors (ports) and their types. Monitor interfaces - connector types

– these are connectors used to connect various peripheral devices to the system unit. Connectors for computer ports are located on the back and front panels, and in laptops they are located on the sides of the case.

The name “port,” as applied to a computer, is borrowed from electronics, where an input-output port is the hardware for data exchange between the controller (or processor) and the connected device. Likewise in a computer, ports receive and transmit information from a device located outside the system unit.

Any computer has a minimum set of computer ports, without which it will not function fully. It is necessary to connect , and , to the system unit, otherwise it will not be a computer, but an expensive iron box. If necessary, computer ports can be increased using expansion cards connected to. Let's look at the set of ports that are always present in an ordinary computer.

Minimum set of ports on a computer

Depending on the manufacturer of the system unit, its age and purpose, the number of ports varies, but almost always there will be connectors such as:

1. Ports that accept a mouse and keyboard, called PS/2 ports. Nowadays, computers are increasingly being manufactured without these connectors or with one combined for connecting both a keyboard and a mouse. At the moment, the PS/2 port is obsolete; you can connect a mouse and keyboard to a USB port.
2. Port connector for connecting a monitor.
3. RJ-45 connector used for network connection (LAN or Internet).
4. USB ports that are universal.
5. Audio connectors of the sound card. A microphone, speakers or headphones, and a line input are connected here.

Most of the connectors are already on the computer's motherboard. In cases where any connector is missing, external devices can be connected via universal ports.

Universal computer ports

Serial port

One of the oldest universal ports, developed at the beginning of the evolution of computers. It is a 9 or 25 pin (less common) connector called a COM port (or serial port). The transmission of information in it occurs in one stream, sequentially one after another, which determined its name. In the earliest computers, a modem or mouse was connected to it, but now it is rarely used because it has gradually been replaced by the USB port.

Parallel port

This is another rarity from the beginning of the computer era. It is called LPT - port or parallel computer port. At first it was developed for connecting, and then they began to connect other devices. Information through the LPT port is transmitted over several streams, which is reflected in the name “parallel port”. The parallel port has 25 pins, which is why it can be confused with a 25-pin serial port. However, there is a big difference between them: the LPT port is equipped with contacts in the form of holes, and the serial port has contacts in the form of plugs. Differs like dad from mom.

Universal USB computer port

Currently, old ports are being replaced by more powerful universal ports, one of which is USB. It appeared in the mid-90s of the last century and continues to develop to this day. Information transfer here occurs sequentially, as in a COM port, but its transmission speed is much higher. Most peripheral devices are connected via a USB port. For example, the one we are all familiar with connects directly to the USB port. USB connectors are located on the rear and front panels of the system unit.

Modern computers are equipped with 2 types of USB connectors: USB 2.0 and USB 3.0, which are compatible with each other, but differ in data transfer speed. USB 3.0 transfers information faster than USB 2.0. You can distinguish them by the color of the connector: USB 3 is blue or red.

In addition to the ports discussed above, there are also such universal high-speed ports as FireWare and eSata. For a novice user they are not of interest, because... their scope of application lies in professional computers, and even then they are increasingly being replaced by USB connections.

Monitor connectors

The connectors for connecting a monitor are located on the rear panel of the system unit and, depending on yours, may have one form or another.

VGA video card connector

This is one of the oldest and most common monitor connectors. It got its name from the abbreviated English Video Graphics Adapter - video graphics adapter. Motherboards with a built-in video card are most often equipped with this connector. The maximum resolution of the transmitted signal is 1280x1024 pixels.

DVI video card connector

A more advanced connector compared to VGA due to the ability to transmit the monitor signal directly in digital form, without additional conversions, unlike VGA, in which video is transmitted in analog format. Digital video transmission is not subject to interference, which has a positive effect on image quality. To connect a monitor via DVI output, it must also have a corresponding connector. The maximum resolution of the transmitted signal is 2560x1600 pixels.

HDMI video card connector

Another connector for a high-quality digital connection to a monitor, as its name suggests - High Definition Multimedia Interface. The HDMI port is significantly smaller in size compared to DVI, and is also capable of transmitting high-quality multi-channel audio. The maximum resolution of the transmitted signal is 2560x1600 pixels. Audio cards have 3 connectors colored green, blue and pink. Green color is a linear output for connecting speakers or headphones, a linear input for inputting sound from another source, a microphone is connected to the pink connector.

Expensive multi-channel audio cards have more connections and, in addition to the color marking of the connectors, they always add labels to designate the ports, thanks to which the correct connection of the audio system will not be difficult.

This article discusses the most common computer ports, which are required in any system unit. In fact, there are still a large number of other ports used in some professional areas, and they are unlikely to be of interest to a novice user.

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External devices are connected to connectors and sockets located on the outside of the PC system unit (back and front) or laptop (sides or back):

The response connectors look like this:

Power cables(220 V)

power unit ASUS laptop

PS/2 plugs for connecting a keyboard (purple) and mouse (green).

LPT cable. The LPT (parallel port) port was mainly used to connect printers. Modern printer models provide connection to a USB port.

COM cable. COM port (serial port) is mainly used to connect modems.

USB cable. The USB port was developed later than the above ports. Most peripheral devices are connected via the USB port: modems, printers, scanners, flash drives, portable hard drives, digital cameras, etc.

VGA cable. Used to connect a monitor. Cable for connecting to the Internet (Intranet) ( RJ-45 connector)

Slot connector types used on the motherboard (ISA or EISA, PCI, AGP):

Slots with PCI connector (female):

and sound card with PCI connector (male):

PCI connectors used to connect an internal modem, sound card, network card, SCSI disk controller.

ISA slots (Mother). The ISA interface is deprecated. In modern PCs, it is usually absent.

PCISA FlipPOST diagnostic board with connectors PCI and ISA (male) PCZWiz company

Slot with AGP connector(dad is at the top, mom is at the bottom).

The AGP interface is designed to connect a video adapter to a separate bus, with output directly to system memory.

UDMA connector slot(father is on the right, mother is on the left).
Hard drives and more are connected to it.

It should be noted that each slot type has its own color. By opening access to the motherboard, you can easily find your way around. But it’s better that you don’t need it. But the cables that connect external devices to the PC “you need to know by sight.” Remember that the mother and father of the connector must be the same color. Always remember to match the colors of the male and female connectors or know what the colors of the connectors on the PC (laptop) case indicate.

Take, for example, a standard sound card:

Linear audio output to the speaker is always green.

The line input for audio amplification is always blue.

The microphone connector is always pink.

Match them with plugs:

The color design of the connectors will help you. True, colors among PC manufacturers are not unified. For example, some may have a purple keyboard connector, while others may have a red or gray one. Therefore, pay attention to the special symbols that mark the connectors. In this case, it will not be difficult for you to find out.

Decoding computer connector symbols

Appearance of computer and laptop ports

The interface cables for external devices are unique. You cannot insert it into another connector on your PC (the design and number of sockets are different). All this will help you move your PC (laptop) from place to place without prompting from anyone. You will be able to connect devices and cables to your PC correctly. I hope that the material presented will help you with this.

Now let's look at each connector in more detail. Let's start from top to bottom in order. First on the list will be socket for connecting the power cable: Standard power cable, this cable connects all computer devices, from printers and scanners to faxes and monitors. A very convenient cable, differing only in the length of the wire and the thickness of the wire section. Accordingly, the thicker the cable, the greater the load it can withstand. PS/2 connector used for connecting mouse and keyboard. In their visual appearance they are absolutely identical, the only difference is in their coloring. The green port is for connecting a mouse, the purple port is for connecting a keyboard. In modern motherboards you can find one PS/2 port, which is painted in two colors at once, green and purple, this means that you can connect either a mouse or a keyboard to it. COM port– was once used to connect a mouse, modems, scanners. Now this port is practically not used. Over the past 7 years, I have had to use this port several times. To connect temperature sensors to it. It was through this port that the data accumulated on it was read. I also connected an attachment for satellite dishes through this port (updating the firmware). VGA port – for connecting a monitor. The port is very similar to the previous one, but has three rows of contacts and is always painted blue. This port has been used for connecting monitors for many years. Now new video cards with a DVI port are being actively introduced (photo on the right). When choosing a monitor with such a cable, I advise you to carefully check which DVI port you have on your motherboard, since there are at least five different types. LPT port– previously used to connect a printer or scanner. Now this port is obsolete and no one uses it. The outdated LPT port has been replaced by a new, more functional USB port. In modern motherboards this port is not installed as unnecessary. USB port- The most widely used connector in any modern computer. You can connect a mouse, keyboard, camera, flash drive, printer, scanner, video camera and much more to this connector. There are two types of USB ports – USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. The USB 3.0 port has a blue color inside; this port has a higher throughput speed. USB 2.0 ports are white and black. Network port – for connecting a network cable. A cable from the provider that provides you with Internet service is connected to this port. The same ports are present on your router (if you use one). This port can be used to connect audio devices. For connecting speakers, headphones, microphones, etc. Red connector for connecting a microphone, green connector for connecting speakers (headphones), blue connector for line output (for transmitting an audio signal to another device).

Hard drive connectors

In the process of computer development, HDD or hard drive changed several connector specifications; for many modern computer scientists, names such as IDE, SCSI and their modifications are already history. The dimensions of the hard drive have also changed significantly; the first bricks I had to work with weighed more than a kilogram!

At the moment, the following hard drive connectors are relevant:

The SATA connector is the most popular nowadays; hard drives with this interface are found in computers, laptops, servers, video recorders, and other computer equipment.

There are from 4 to 8 SATA connectors on the computer motherboard. Not only hard drives are connected through this interface. CD-ROM, DVD-ROM drives also use it.

MSATA connector— Variety SATA connector, designed specifically for solid state drives (SSDs), which have replaced mechanical hard drives. SSD drives with this interface are found in computers, laptops, servers, video recorders, and other computer equipment.

Currently, there are many video transmission standards. They were developed by different companies at different times and it is not surprising that different connectors and cables are used in different standards. If this does not cause problems within one device, then when expanding a multimedia system, sooner or later you will encounter problems when transmitting a video signal from one device to another. These problems can be divided into three types:

1. There is no standard cable or its length is not enough.
2. Paired devices use the same video signal transmission standard, but have different connectors.
3. The paired devices use different video signal standards.

The first problem is solved using video cables.

To solve the second problem, adapters are designed, which are a pair of connectors of different standards connected in a small housing. Here you need to have a good understanding of which connectors are used within the same video transmission standard and are, in principle, compatible with each other.

On the Internet you can easily buy an adapter from anything to anything – even HDMI to RCA. What is soldered to where and what might result from an attempt to use such an “adapter” - one can only guess.

To be fair, it should be noted that strange-looking adapters do exist and even work. But such adapters are always included with some kind of equipment that can recognize a non-standard signal on the connector and process it accordingly. Using such adapters on other devices may be fatal for those devices.

To solve the third problem, video signal converters are used. These should be used with caution, making sure that the converter is suitable for your equipment and does not spoil the image quality. This is especially true for digital to analog signal converters and vice versa.

Characteristics of video cables and adapters.

Type.

Video cables are intended to connect two elements of a video system. Typically, both sides of such a cable have connectors of the same type. However, it often happens that the video cable is also an adapter.

Adapter– a device designed to switch from one type of connector to another or, for connectors of the same type, from one type to another (from a plug to a socket or vice versa).

Cable length should be selected in such a way that it is sufficient for the required connection with a small margin. You should not take a cable that is too long unless necessary - even the best cables reduce the level of the useful signal, and the longer the cable, the more.

Ferrite rings or shielding cable is a way to protect the transmitted video signal from electromagnetic interference. It should be borne in mind that shielding as protection against interference will be ineffective if the equipment is not grounded.

The PVC insulation of conventional video cables is quite rigid; such cables have little flexibility, which can be inconvenient. Rubber insulation itself has poor resistance to mechanical stress, but placing it inside fabric braid protects the cable from mechanical damage, maintaining its flexibility. The aesthetic role cannot be denied - a fabric-braided wire looks more beautiful.

Connectors.
To understand which connectors can have adapters from which ones, let’s divide all connectors into groups that use compatible data transfer formats.

Component video is a method of transmitting an analog video signal over two or more channels, each of which carries some separate information about the color image.

Composite video is a method of transmitting an analog video signal over one channel.
Working adapters are only possible within one group.

TS, TRS, TRRS (Jack 3.5 mm) used for transmitting analog video signals. Typically, such a connector is installed in miniature devices (camcorders, cameras, recorders) due to its small dimensions. There is no single standard for wiring such a connector for transmitting a video signal, nor is there a standard for the video signal itself - both component and composite video signals can be transmitted through such a connector. It is strongly recommended to use adapters and video cables with a jack connector only with the equipment that came with it. Before purchasing a new adapter, you should find out exactly how the connector in the adapter is wired, how the signals on the connected device are routed; make sure that the wiring matches and that the video signal standards on the connected devices match. The most common adapters: TS – RCA, TRRS – 3 x RCA.

RCA (Phono) are used to transmit analog signals - component YPbPr and composite.

The YPbPr component video signal contains information about brightness, blue and red color levels. Of the common analog standards, YPbPr and VGA provide the best quality. To transmit such a signal, three RCA connectors are used, usually marked with colors and/or letters - green (Y), blue (Pb) and red (Pr).

A composite video signal contains all video information in one channel, which has a bad effect on image quality: of all video signal transmission standards, composite provides the worst quality. For such a signal, one yellow RCA connector marked “video” is used.

Despite the identical connectors, the standards are incompatible; it is impossible to connect a component output to a composite input (and vice versa) using an adapter.

The most common adapters: RCA - SCART, TRS - RCA, TRRS - 3 x RCA. For adapters of the last two types, you should make sure that the adapter is wired correctly in relation to the equipment used and that the signals on both sides of the adapter are consistent.

SVGA (VGA)– used to transmit a component analog RGB video signal containing information about the brightness level of three primary colors: red (R - Red), green (G - Green) and blue (B - Blue). Provides (together with YPbPr) the best quality of common analog standards.

The most common adapters: SVGA - DVI-I, SVGA - Displayport

DVI The connectors can be used to transmit an analog RGB signal (DVI-I), a digital signal (DVI-D), or both together (DVI). Because of this versatility, some confusion arises with adapters: the presence of SVGA-DVI-I adapters on sale leads many to believe that signals from SVGA and DVI connectors are fully compatible. This is not true - only the analog part will work in such an adapter and an attempt to connect a purely digital output to, for example, the analog input of a monitor will be unsuccessful.

The most common adapters: DVI-I – SVGA, DVI-D – HDMI, DVI – Displayport

HDMI, miniHDMI, microHDMI– used to transmit digital video and audio signals. Accordingly, the adapter can also only be for a connector that allows the transmission of a digital video signal. In an HDMI-DVI adapter, only the digital part will be used and such a device is not suitable for pairing analog and digital signals.

There are several versions of the HDMI format, but the connectors and their wiring are the same for all versions. When it comes to cables, older versions of HDMI have higher bandwidth, so they place higher demands on the quality of the cables. Cable standard HDMI speaks more about the quality of the cable than about its compatibility with a particular version of HDMI.

There are HDMI connectors with smaller dimensions - miniHDMI and microHDMI. They are all completely mutually compatible.

The most common adapters: HDMI-miniHDMI, HDMI-microHDMI, DVI-D – HDMI, HDMI – Displayport

Displayport (DP), miniDisplayport (miniDP)– a connector that is similar in appearance to HDMI, but is capable (like DVI) of simultaneous transmission of both digital and component analog RGB signals along with an audio signal. Another source of confusion, as both Displayport-to-SVGA and Displayport-to-HDMI adapters are commercially available. Of course, no signal conversion is performed in them, and it will not be possible to connect HDMI and SVGA using a pair of such adapters.

The most common adapters: HDMI - Displayport, DVI - Displayport, Displayport - miniDisplayport, Displayport-SVGA.

The standard provides simultaneous transmission of visual and audio information over a single cable; it is designed for television and cinema, but PC users can also use it to output video data using an HDMI connector.

HDMI is the latest attempt to standardize a universal connection for digital audio and video applications. It immediately received strong support from the giants of the electronics industry (the group of companies developing the standard includes companies such as Sony, Toshiba, Hitachi, Panasonic, Thomson, Philips and Silicon Image), and most modern devices high-resolution output has at least one such connector. HDMI allows you to transmit copy-protected audio and video in digital format over a single cable; the first version of the standard was based on a bandwidth of 5 Gb/s, and HDMI 1.3 expanded this limit to 10.2 Gb/s.

HDMI 1.3 is the latest standard specification with increased interface bandwidth, increased clock frequency up to 340 MHz, which allows you to connect high-resolution displays that support more colors (formats with color depths up to 48-bit). The new version of the specification also defines support for new Dolby standards for transmitting compressed audio without loss in quality. In addition, other innovations appeared; specification 1.3 described a new connector, smaller in size compared to the original.

In principle, the presence of an HDMI connector on a video card is completely optional; it can be successfully replaced by an adapter from DVI to HDMI. It is simple and therefore included with most modern video cards. Moreover, on video cards of the HDMI series, the connector is in demand primarily on mid- and low-level cards, which are installed in small and quiet barebones used as media centers. Because of the built-in audio, the Radeon HD 2400 and HD 2600 graphics cards have a definite advantage for builders of such multimedia centers.

Based on materials from the company's website iXBT.com

From this article you will learn about what external computer connectors are, where they are located and what they are needed for, and also get acquainted with such concepts as a female connector and a male connector. Before you start reading the article, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the following materials:

Devices in a computer exchange data; the “brain” and the data flow distributor are located in the system unit. In the article dedicated to it, you could see power cables and data cables that are used for internal devices. It's the same with external ones. In general, a cable is usually used to connect one device to another. Why usually? Because there are technologies for wireless data transmission: you may have already seen a computer mouse or keyboard that does not have a wire running from it. And if you haven’t seen it, then take a look at a computer store. However, the pleasure of not using wires is quite expensive at the moment. Therefore, the question arises where to connect these wires. On the back and front external panels of the computer system unit you can see a lot of different holes, some round or irregularly shaped with holes, some elongated - all of this connectors(or nests). They are needed in order to connect external devices. Let's use slang, but very useful to understand words, like female connector- with holes for pins male connector.

Of course, there are a lot of connectors, different types, but getting confused and connecting something in the wrong place is almost impossible. Firstly, the “male” pins must coincide with the “male” sockets, secondly, the shape of the socket itself often tells us how to do it so that we do not confuse the top and bottom, and thirdly, some female and male connectors marked with the same color to again make our lives easier. The latter usually include the old type keyboard and mouse connectors (round, we’ll talk about connecting the keyboard and mouse separately, just in case), as well as headphones and a microphone. Another feature of the connectors is that for each device they are located on their own metal strip. Let's take a look at the photo:

From bottom to top there are strips with connectors for different boards. First network, then video cards, those who have a sound card will have another bar. Remember when we looked inside and saw these boards? Then there is a large strip on top, there are clusters of connectors for the keyboard and mouse (on top), amplifiers (headphones) and a microphone on the bottom. There are also such flat connectors, somewhere I came across a comparison of them with a duck’s beak and I really liked it, so you can remember it that way.

From this article you learned:

• What is a computer connector
• Where are the connectors?
• What is a female connector and a male connector?