Connector Data, Please

Communication has become a key aspect of modern society, and the term covers not only communication between people, but also electrical and electronic equipment. In most instances, data exchange is effected via cables and connectors. Fair enough, but as technology progresses, so many different connectors and standards have evolved that it has become difficult to tell them all apart, not even mentioning recognising the shape, functions and pin-outs.Connector data is indispensable if you want (or need) to make your own connecting cable, or design a circuit that’s to be hooked up to some other piece of equipment. In that case, it’s not only essential to know which signals ought to be on the connector pins, but also their level and function. Are you dealing with an analogue or a digital signal? What is the ‘swing’ of the digital signal, or, in the case of an analogue signal, what is its impedance and typical level?