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RJ45 modular plug design

[Q] Why are there different designs of RJ45 modular plugs? Does the design effect performance?

[A] RJ45 modular plugs are made in several different designs, and there are a few major characteristics that can be discussed:

  • Pin Capture Design - On most RJ45 plugs, the end of the plug has a flat surface that the individual wires are pressed into, until they "dead-end". The person inserting the wires holds a bit of pressure on the pairs until the crimper is used to press the copper forks downward into the wires, making a solid connection and helping secure the CAT 5 Cable in the plug. There are other plugs designed with holes in the end, requiring that the operator push additional length of wire through the plug, then a specialized crimper will utilized a built-in cutting blade to slice the excess wire even with the end of the modular plug that inserts to the jack. In order to gain the extra material needed for this operation, you must strip more of the outer jacket, thus using more material to make each cable. The amount is slight, but it does need to be compensated for in order to ensure that your finished cable length is exact.
  • Plug Length - The overall length of the plug is not a factor in how the RJ45 plug will fit into the jack, so some plug designers will make the plug with a slightly larger total length. This is usually to allow for more distance between the insertion point of the cable where the crimper will lock the plug onto the jacket, down to the very end of the plug where the copper forks press into the actual wires and form a connection.
  • Location and number of crimp points - Most RJ45 plugs have a single crimp point slightly forward of the insertion end of the plug. That crimp point, along with the actual insertion into the wires is what secures the cable into the plug. The are some specialized designs on the market that have additional crimp points that are supposed to lock the cable more securely into the plug. This is not a big factor to worry about, as most plug designs will hold a cable very securely using just the standard two crimping locations common to modern plug design. The pulling strength required to remove the cable from the jacket will well exceed the recommended pulling tension of the wire specified by the cable maker.

The design of the plug does not directly relate to the performance you can expect from the cable. Any of the plug designs described above can give poor performance if it is crimped improperly. If crimped to specifications, all plugs designs should deliver the same overall performance.

RELATED FAQ QUESTION: What is pulling tension of CAT 5 Cable? Should I be concerned about it?

Keywords: RJ45, CAT 5 Cable, RJ45 plugs



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