Radio Corporation of America Connector

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What Does Radio Corporation of America Connector Mean?

A Radio Corporation of America (RCA) connector is a type of electrical connector that is used to carry audio/video (A/V) signals. It is the oldest type of connector in use, dating back to the early 1940s. Although the design of the RCA connector has changed slightly, it is still compatible with the previous model. The connector comes with coaxial cables.

An RCA connector is also known as an A/V jack or phono connector.

Techopedia Explains Radio Corporation of America Connector

The RCA connector is sometimes called phono connector because it was originally used for the internal connection of the pickup to the framework in home radio-phonograph consoles. It was originally a low-cost connector with a simple design that was used for connection and disconnection when servicing console equipment. The connector has two plugs: male and female. The male plug has a center pin surrounded by a band, whereas the female plug has a slightly smaller band surrounding a hole for the pin. Connection is established by simply pushing the plugs into the socket. These come in various colors, but the following colors, however, are the most commonly used:

  • Yellow — video
  • Red — right channel audio
  • White or black — left channel audio

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.

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