New “Ask the Cable Guy” Blog Question:
How do I Extend my Logitech Z623 Speaker System?
(Pictured: Rear Panel of a Logitech Z623 Satellite Speaker System)
Lou from Minnesota has approached us with an urgent question related to how to extend the connection on the back of his Logitech Z623 THX-Certified satellite speaker system. This topic comes up quite frequently because there is a lot of confusion out there about the connection type in question: d-subminiature or “d-sub” for short.
This question extends beyond any single particular brand or model. Many manufacturers will use this same High Density 15-pin d-sub interface (aka HD15 or DB15HD) in their own speaker and HTIB (Home Theater in a Box) designs. You can see the HD15 male connector in the picture above of the Logitech Z623, where it is labeled as “Right Speaker”.
(Left: Regular HD15 D-Sub) (Right: VGA HD15 D-Sub)
The speaker systems that use the HD15 d-sub interface tend to already come with some form of HD15 d-sub cable in the box, but what happens if you lose it or need to extend it in any way? A proper HD15 d-sub cable will solve that problem — but it has to be the correct choice for the application.
In the pictures above, can you really tell the difference between the regular HD15 d-sub on the left and the VGA HD15 d-sub on the right? They both have 15 pins. They both feature 3 rows of 5 pins each in a staggered arrangement. They both are contained within the same D-shaped housing. However, the similarities end there once you explore the insides of these cables.
![]() (Pictured Above: Internal Pin Arrangement of Regular D-Sub)
First, let’s look at the regular HD15 Cables presently available at Cables on Demand. The drawing above for our Deluxe Series HD15 15-pin D-Sub Cable shows that the inside features 15 identically sized wires, all connected in a “straight-thru” pin-to-pin configuration (i.e. pin 1 routes directly to pin 1 on the opposite end of the cable). This simple arrangement is primarily designed for the transfer of low-speed data, i.e. RS232 serial port communications.
(Pictured Above: Internal Pin Arrangement of VGA Monitor D-Sub)
Next, let’s take a look at the VGA Monitor HD15 Cable presently offered by Cables on Demand. The drawing above for one of our Premium VGA HD15 D-Sub Cables is radically different from the regular HD15 cable shown previously. First, you will notice that a VGA HD15 Cable is not made of 15 identically-sized wires.
Instead, it consists of three different coaxial cables (used for RGB video signals), surrounded by several smaller wires. Also, while this cable type does feature “straight=thru” pin-to-pin wiring, it is not wired in order, i.e. the center pin of one of the coaxial cables goes to pin 1 and the shield return line goes to pin 6.
![]() So now that we know the differences between the two HD15 D-Sub Cable types, which one is appropriate for extending a speaker system like the Logitech Z623 pictured above? The answer is the first cable profiled: the “regular” data-grade HD15 d-sub cable. While these regular d-sub cables are generally used for data transfer, one can think of audio as an analog form of data. A good rule of thumb: regular d-sub cables are generally beige or grey in color, whereas VGA d-sub cables are generally black in color.
The same wire used in our regular d-sub cable is also used in a variety of audio cables, such as speaker wire and instrument cables. As long as the d-sub cable is shielded, which all of our cables are, it can effectively transfer audio without the fear of noise entering the connection. The other HD15 d-sub cable type we profiled, the one designed for VGA video use, will simply not work because audio signals are not designed to transfer over coaxial cables!
Now that you know which cable type to get, head on over to www.CablesOnDemand.com today and search for part number CS-DSDHD15MF0. Alternately, you can simply click on the image above or link below to go directly to the product. Our 15-pin (HD15) Deluxe HD D-Sub Cable (Male/Female) can effectively extend your satellite speaker system by up to 25 feet — a vast improvement over the ~ 6 to 10-foot length cable included with the satellite speaker system!
For cases where the speaker system is installed in an environment more prone to interference, or in cases where you need to extend the speaker system by up to 50 feet, we highly recommend taking a look at our 15-pin (HD15) Premium HD D-Sub Cable (Male/Female) (pictured above). Our Premium HD15 D-Sub Cable (part number: CS-DSPMHD15MF) features double shielding (Aluminum Foil + Aluminum Braid), helping to preserve the audio signal over a longer distance. For extensions of 25 feet or less, our Deluxe D-Sub Cable with its Copper Foil Shielding will work just fine.
If you have any additional questions regarding the huge variety of genuine Amphenol brand d-sub cable products available at www.CablesOnDemand.com, please feel free to give us a call at 1-866-223-2860 or e-mail: [email protected].
To view all Amphenol brand d-sub cable products in one convenient location, please [click here].
Sincerely,
The Cable Guy
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Author Archives: cablesondemand
Questions About Fiber Optic Cables? Check Out the Fiber Optic Cable Guide!
Fiber Optic Cable Guide from www.CablesOnDemand.com
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Despite the fact that fiber optic technology has matured considerably in recent years, much confusion exists regarding its selection and integration into a modern day network. Our exclusive Fiber Optics User Guide helps demystify any confusion surrounding this amazing technology. Available for immediate download in PDF format below: | |||
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Fiber Optics User Guide by The Cable Guy
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CablesonDemand.com Technology Editor
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To Continue this Article, Please Click Here.
CAT5e/CAT6 Cable Questions? Check Out the Networking Cable Guide!
CAT5e/CAT6 Cable Guide from www.CablesOnDemand.com
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To Continue This Article, Please Click Here.
Questions About USB Cables? Check Out the USB Cable Guide!
USB Cable Guide from www.CablesOnDemand.com
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tt Speed The development of the Universal Serial Bus was an absolute necessity. The proliferation of the internet, MP3 players, PC peripherals, PDA’s, and other mobile devices increased the demand on a computer’s ports. For over 15 years, computers relied on serial and parallel ports for their connection to the outside world. These bulky interfaces relied on a standard known as RS-232 to transfer data. While RS-232 could handle basic I/O functionality for simple devices like mice and joysticks, it was never intended to handle the high speed data rates demanded by today’s devices. The maximum transfer speed for a serial port is roughly 115,000 bps (bits per second). The maximum transfer speed for a parallel port is roughly 2 Mbps (megabits per second). USB, by comparison, supports data transfer rates up to 480 Mbps; over 4,000 times faster than a serial interface. It is no wonder why nearly all notebook and desktop PC’s sold today fail to include serial and parallel ports in their designs. tt |
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Expansion Before the advent of USB, expanding ports on a PC was a daunting task. Most PC’s came equipped with at most two serial ports and one parallel port. If you needed to connect anything beyond a mouse and a printer, it would require opening up the computer and installing an expansion card. USB was designed to eliminate these expansion problems from the onset by supporting up to 127 different devices on a single port. Since an average PC comes equipped with four USB ports, one could potentially support over 500 devices from a single machine. tt |
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Ease USB was designed with ease in mind. Gone are the days of wasting hours on end trying to manually load software drivers to a new device up and running. USB devices are a breeze to set up thanks to Plug-and-Play technology. Plug-and-Play is a computer feature that allows the addition of a new device, normally a peripheral, without requiring reconfiguration or manual installation of software drivers. The computer will either install that new device automatically or will simply prompt you for the CD included with that device. Although early implimentations of Plug-and-Play for USB (then known as Plug-and Pray) were troublesome, the process has mostly worked itself out. tt |
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ttUSB is also an easy technology to work with from an Orignal Equipment Manufacturer’s point of view. USB connectors are extremely reliable and inexpensive. Since USB is an internationally adopted technology, specialized software is not required for its implementation. OEM’s have come up with some pretty interesting USB devices over the years based on the fact that it is easy to tap into the USB port’s power supply. USB lights, USB fans, USB air darts, even USB heated gloves are on the market.
tt USB Cable Overview USB cables are designated by the connector types used on each end. The Type A connector is flat and always goes to the computer whereas the Type B connector is more square-like and always goes to the device. Most USB cables use male connectors, with the exception of a USB extension cable, which features a female Type A connector on one end. tt |
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USB Type A USB Type B | |||||||||||
ttNeed help in finding the right USB cable for your particular device? Although some manufacturers elect to use a special proprietary USB cable that is only compatible with their device, most tend to use one of several standard cables. CablesonDemand.com has all of these standard cables in-stock and ready to ship. A quick overview of these standard cable varieties is provided below.
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USB Type A-A Transfer USB Type A-A Extensiontt |
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ttThere are two styles of Type A-A USB cables on the market today. The Type A-A Male to Male cable is used primarily to transfer data between two PC’s. They are commonly known as USB transfer cables and are often bundled with special computer back-up software. The type A-A Male to Female cable is used to extend the length of an existing USB cables. USB cables can be extended by up to 10 feet without the need for a booster. To view our selection of USB Type A-A cables, please click here.
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USB Type A-Mini B (4-Pin) USB Type A-Mini B (5-Pin) tt |
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ttWith the widespread proliferation of cell phones, PDA’s, digital cameras, and MP3 players, it was necessary to create a low profile USB interface. The USB Type A-Mini B cable was the solution offered by the latest USB 2.0 specification. These cables can interface with a PC and support the maximum USB transfer speed just like a standard USB cable, despite the reduced size. The first USB Type A-Mini B cables offered on the market featured a 4-pin connector on one end whereas most modern cables feature a 5-pin connector on one end. There are some subtle differences between the two. To browse our selection of USB Type A-Mini-B cables, please click here.
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ttThe 4-Pin Mini-B USB interface was introduced in 1999 with a nearly square connector that is essentially a scaled down version of the standard type B. These connectors are mostly found on early generation digital cameras and MP3 players. Sony uses a special version of the 4-pin for many of their cameras. Most of the USB compatible portable devices built before the year 2003 feature the 4-pin Mini-B as their interface of choice. To go straight to our selection of 4-pin Mini-B cables, please click here.
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ttThe 5-pin Mini-B USB interface is the most common type found on today’s popular portable devices. Essentially most of the digital cameras, cellular phones, MP3 players, and PDA’s sold since 2003 use this interface. The inclusion of an additional pin was established to support a new USB feature called USB-on-the-go. This allows the device itself to initiate the USB link rather than the computer, making installation a snap. To go straight to our selection of 5-pin Mini-B cables, please click here.
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Special Tip To properly identify the type of cable needed for your device, simply take a look at some of the features of the connector. The 4-pin connector is square shaped whereas the 5-pin connector is more rectangular. In the picture above, you can clearly distinguish 5 gold colored dots in the center of the connector. These are the “pins” of the connector, and therefore the 5-pin Mini-B cable is the proper choice. Please feel free to compare the interface on your device to the diagrams above for reference purposes. |
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Questions About Cables for Your HDTV? Check Out the HDTV Cable Guide!
Guide to HDTV Cables from www.CablesOnDemand.com
Questions About 10GbE CX4 Cables? Check Out the CX4 Cable FAQ!
10GbE-CX4 Cable Frequently Asked Questions
Network Engineers have a plethora of cabling options when it comes to installing a 10-Gigabit Ethernet compliant backbone, but which solution is truly optimal under the circumstances? 10-Gigabit Ethernet CX4, aka 10GbE-CX4 or 10GBASE-CX4, combines low cost, low latency, and low power consumption for the ultimate short-distance link. Although CX4’s popularity has grown rapidly in recent years, there is still a great deal of confusion and misinformation regarding this technology. Our exclusive Guide to CX4 Cables will help with all of your CX4 related questions.
- Question 1: What is CX4?
CX4, also known by its IEEE designation, 802.3ak, supports 10-Gigabit Ethernet data transfer over 4-lanes of copper cabling in each direction (8-lanes total). In order to rapidly bring this technology to market, the IEEE workgroup designed CX4 to utilize field-proven InfiniBand type cabling and connectors. Nearly one quarter of the world’s Top 500 super computers utilize InfiniBand interconnects for mission-critical applications, making it an ideal choice for CX4 use. While InfiniBand is more proprietary in nature and requires licensing fees, CX4 is based on an Open Source MSA (Multi-Source-Agreement), allowing any manufacturer to develop CX4 products at significantly lower costs.
- Question 2: What is CX4 Used For?
- CX4 is primarily used as a 10-Gigabit Ethernet interconnect for backbone applications. With the rapid rise of Gigabit Ethernet at the desktop level (1000BASE-T), a broader data pipeline is required on the back-end to aggregate data between servers. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see CX4 capable switches installed in nearly any environment, including data centers, enterprise networks, or even HD video distribution hubs.
- Question 3: Are there any Limitations to CX4?
CX4 interconnects offer the advantages of low-cost, low-latency, and low-power consumption at the expense of range. The length limitation for CX4 is 15m (49ft) when using passive cable assemblies. Some novel solutions exist which use active signal boosters or fiber optics to achieve lengths beyond 15m, but these solutions negate the cost, latency, and power benefits inherent to CX4 technology. Fortunately, lengths beyond 15m are rarely needed, since most switches reside in close proximity within a wiring closet.
- Question 4: What do I Need to Integrate CX4 into my Network?
Depending upon your particular requirements, several upgrade paths exist to integrate CX4 into your network. Many switches from companies such as HP, Cisco, and Intel can be upgraded with a CX4 plug-in module. These CX4 modules are available in XENPAK, X2, and XFP configurations. Another option is to purchase a new CX4 capable switch. These high performance switches often feature a combination of CX4 ports and standard RJ45 ports for Gigabit Ethernet. Nearly all servers with PCI-Express slots can be upgraded with a CX4 enabled PCI-E NIC card. Finally, you will need quality CX4 Cables to connect to your gear.
Question 5: What Types of Connectors are used on CX4 Cables?
A properly designed CX4 cable should feature die-cast SFF-8470 InfiniBand type latching connectors. These connectors are easy to engage and will maintain continuity even if significant strain or vibration exists along the body of the cable. SFF-8470 thumbscrew style (i.e. SAS) connectors should be avoided since most equipment does not support them. Amphenol CX4 cables utilize the best connector on the market today, the Fujitsu microGiGaCN™. The microGiGaCN is the market’s original high-speed, differential-signal, copper interconnect for high-performance (data I/O) applications.
Question 6: How Does CX4 Compare with 10GBase-R & 10GBase-T?
CX4 has numerous advantages over 10GBase-R (Fiber) and 10GBase-T (Cat-6). An optical connection would require (2) 10-Gig optical modules and a fiber patch cord to function. This has significant cost and power budget implications. Running 10-Gigabit Ethernet over UTP cabling like Cat-6 may sound promising, but it is plagued by power consumption and latency issues. Today’s 10GBase-T chipsets are power hogs, as they require several Watts just to separate out signal noise. Here’s a comparison of how CX4 stacks up in terms of power-consumption in a 50-server datacenter. Essentially, CX4 consumes 6x-20x less power.
Question 7: What is SpectraStrip SKEWCLEAR Cable?
SKEWCLEAR® is a proprietary shielded parallel pair wire technology designed and built by Amphenol SpectraStrip. When transferring high-speed data over copper, signals will often arrive out of sync. This problem, known as skew, can lead to the complete collapse of signal integrity. SKEWCLEAR®,cable utilizes a novel manufacturing approach directed towards reducing within-pair and pair-to-pair time delay/amplitude-skew, critical for today’s high bandwidth applications. All Amphenol CX4 cables feature SKEWCLEAR® wire.
Question 8: Why Choose Amphenol Brand CX4 Cables?
As one of the world’s top three manufacturers of CX4 Cables, Amphenol is ready to meet the stringent demands of any potential 10-Gig network install, large or small. Assembling 10-Gig capable interconnects is often more of an art than a science. By using premium grade components and Amphenol-pioneered manufacturing techniques, Amphenol brand CX4 cables are simply the best cabling option on the market today. Best yet, Amphenol brand CX4 cables are always in-stock and ready for same-day shipping at CablesOnDemand.com.
Question 9: Are Amphenol CX4 Cables Compatible with InfiniBand?
Absolutely. Since CX4 cables share the same core architecture as InfiniBand cables, we took the liberty of dual qualifying our CX4 cables for both SDR and DDR InfiniBand. Therefore, Amphenol CX4 cables will function as drop-in replacements for InfiniBand applications. In addition to InfiniBand compatibility, Amphenol CX4 cables can be used in place of any competing CX4 cable from Gore, Tyco, Belkin, QLogic, HP, IBM, Cisco, and 3COM. Click below to download the Amphenol CX4 Cable Cross Reference Chart:
Question 10: What If I Need Cables Longer than 15m (50ft)?
Well you’re in luck! Cables on Demand has established a partnership with industry leader 3M and is now offering their extensive line of Active Optical InfiniBand/CX4 Cables in lengths up to 50m (164 ft), Also available are QSFP to CX4 Hybrid Active Optical Cables; allowing the linkage of newer 40G QSFP/QSFP+ equipment with legacy 10G CX4 platforms. Check them out now at the following links:
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CX4-CX4 Active Optical Cables CX4 to CX4 Active Optical Cables from 3M™ Interconnect Solutions Now In-Stock! Available in lengths ranging from 10m (32.8′) to 30m (98.4′), 3M’s Active Optical Cables offer the best power consumption in their class and connect between hardware with SFF-8470 ports (CX4/DDR InfiniBand). Please click here to view our entire selection of CX4-CX4 Active Optical Cables. |
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QSFP-CX4 Active Optical Cables QSFP to CX4 Active Optical Cables [$50 OFF SALE] from 3M™ Interconnect Solutions Now In-Stock! Available in lengths ranging from 10m (32.8′) to 50m (164′), 3M’s Active Optical Cables offer the best power consumption in their class and help bridge the gap between gear with SFF-8436 ports (QSFP and QSFP+).and SFF-8470 ports (CX4/DDR InfiniBand). Please click here to view our entire selection of QSFP-CX4 Hybrid Active Optical Cables. |
Have More Unanswered CX4 Cable Questions? Ask the Cable Guy @ [email protected]
The Cables on Demand Blog: Ask the Cable Guy
Welcome to the Official Amphenol Cables on Demand Blog: Ask the Cable Guy
Cables can be a confusing topic capable of confounding even the most technically inclined minds. As the world’s communications infrastructure grows, the corresponding demand for interconnect products such as cables, connectors and modules will expand exponentially. With such an immense variety of cables to choose from and conflicting advice as to what combination of cables are needed for a particular application, wouldn’t it be nice to have an authoritative source to rely upon that can answer your questions? Well now there is! The Cables on Demand Product Manager, a.k.a. “The Cable Guy”, will answer your questions and offer advice in an easy-to-follow blog format here at http://www.CablesOnDemandBlog.com.
Ask the Cable Guy Today – Simply E-mail Your Question to: [email protected]
Cables on Demand (http://www.CablesOnDemand.com) is a division of Amphenol Corporation, the second largest manufacturer of cable and connector products in the world. With over 3,000 products available for same-day shipment in their New York warehouse, Amphenol Cables on Demand can provide the perfect cable for your project at factory-direct prices. Call today @ 1-866-223-2860 or contact [email protected].