Identifying ports makes adding peripherals easier

Did you recently get a computer? Or you have had it a while, but still aren't sure what all those ports are for on the back of the system. This will help you to know exactly what they are, how to identify them, and what you can add to your system using them.

Some terms we will be using include:

male connector - has "pins" on it.

female connector - has a flat face with holes which the pins fit into.

D-shaped - just like it says, this connector is shaped like the letter "D", and resembles a rectangle with

one of the long sides shorter than the other.

Card edge connector - a piece of circuit board with metal "traces" (they look like painted-on lines).

HD- high density - a connector with HD pinout has smaller pins to allow more wires in the same size connector.

Now, for a list of the ports usually found on the back of a standard computer system.

Serial port - This is usually a 9 or 25 pin D shaped male connector. This port could be used for a mouse, external modem, or a digital camera.

Parallel port - This is a 25 pin D shaped female connector. It is most commonly used for your printer, and is sometimes called the printer port. Other devices have been designed to use the parallel interface such as scanners, external cd rom drives, and zip drives. It is called parallel because data is sent over several communications lines simultaneously.

Joystick or MIDI port - You'll recognize this as a 15 pin D shaped male connector on the back of the system. This is most commonly used for a joystick, although with special cables you can plug a MIDI compatible keyboard into it. If you wish to use its MIDI capabilities, understand this is not going to be studio quality.

Keyboard port - ATstyle is a round, 5 pin female connector, about 1/2" in diameter, and is used only for the keyboard or a barcode scanner (home users will probably not be using one of these).

PS/2 style connector - Another round connector which is a 6 pin female plug about 5/8" in diameter. Newer systems will usually have this type for the keyboard and mouse. They should be labeled, and the system will not function properly if the keyboard and mouse cables are plugged into each other's ports.

USB - This is a card edge type connector approximately 1/2" in width, which is enclosed in a metal rectangular casing. Some systems just beginning to roll off the assembly lines are being scaled down, and only have USB connectors for your keyboard, mouse, and printer.

RJ11 ports - This is the proper term for your telephone jack connectors. These are found on the modem, and allow you to connect to the internet over the phone lines.

RJ45 - This is a type of network cable connector used most commonly today. It looks like an oversized telephone connector, and plugs in the same way.

Mini-din - There are from 1 to 4 jacks on the back of your system for audio connection. They are 1/8" female ports with a hole in the center about the size of a nail. The connector from your speakers will plug into this port. Again, some new models do not have all these standard ports and may require USB speakers instead. Some modems will have these same connectors which are used only for some voicemail applications so be sure to plug your speakers into the correct card.

HD-15 Video - This is a high density 15 pin D connector similar to the 9 pin serial port. Your monitor will plug into this port. It is also sometimes called the monitor port. Virtually all monitors made within the past 5 years should plug into one of these ports.

F-type - This is commonly called a "coaxial" connector, and is the same as your TV cable connector. These are used on video capture cards to permit recording of data into digital format. They are also on TV cards to allow you to watch television on your computer.

S-video - This 1/4" round connector has 4 pins, and is referred to as "mini4" by some companies. It is usually found on a video card, video capture, or TV card. It allows you to connect your camcorder up to the computer for either input or output (depending on the card you have purchased).

Does your system have a port not described here? It could be a SCSI interface, or a connection for an older piece of hardware no longer used on computers today. BNC is an older networking interface that you may see alongside your RJ45 connector on your network card.

Now that you are able to identify the ports on your system, write them down. Take this list with you when you want to purchase external add-ons for your computer. As a last resort, if you're still not sure, take your owner's manual or the computer along with you. Adding accessories can be much easier when you know what interfaces your system will support.