Cat 6A connector

Cliff Electronics has introduced a Cat 6A connector to its range of 24mm-diameter XLR Panel cut-out connectors.

The widely used Cat 6 standard is a long established standardised twisted pair cable and connector configuration for Ethernet and other network physical layers that is backward compatible with the Category 5/5e and Category 3 cable standards.



Cat 6 features more stringent specifications for crosstalk and system noise than earlier Cat 5 and Cat 5e versions and the latest version, Cat 6A (Augmented Category 6) is specified to 500 MHz and has improved crosstalk characteristics allowing 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GBASE-T) to be run for the same 100m maximum distance as previous Ethernet variants.

The new Cliff Cat 6A XLR format connector is available with a black plastic flange or a more robust cast aluminium version and can be bought as a single connecter or pre-assembled in 1U, 19″ rack panels with up to 16 XLR panel cut-outs offering systems integrators simplified assembly, reduced manufacturing time, component count and cost.

The Cliff range of XLR Format Standard and FeedThrough connector range allows designers to simply integrate audio, video, digital, optical, networking and data feeds into professional equipment for broadcast, lighting, audio, instrumentation and industrial applications.

Cliff’s XLR format connectors take advantage of the standard 24mm panel cut out widely used in audio and broadcast systems and which is finding increasing popularity instrumentation, medical and industrial applications due to the format’s flexibility, security and reliability.

By utilising the XLR chassis and standard panel cut-out Cliff’s wide range of standard and FeedThrough connectors can all be mounted on control panels with the same hole punched for every connector required.

This simplifies panel design and allows connectors to be mixed-and-matched during assembly as required by individual system requirements.

Versions available include GJ45, HDMI, BNC and USB3.0 compliant single and dual USB versions in addition to the existing range which provides Analogue, Digital and Optical Feed-Through connectivity in formats including Firewire, HDMI A-A and 50ohm BNC versions, USB2 A-to-B and B-to-A ‘gender change’ sockets high speed USB Type – C, USB3 to USB3 in all gender changing configurations – A-A, A-B and B-A.

Also available are all popular data and Ethernet connectors including USB 2.0 and 3.0, LC and SC fibre (Duplex & Simplex), UTP and FTP RJ45s in both Cat6 and Cat5e (shielded and unshielded), Toslink, RCA Phono and HDMI and blanking plates.

John Hall, Managing Director of Cliff Electronics, comments; “Cat 6A offers network installers the ever faster data transfer rates required by commercial and industrial systems. Our XLR format Cat 6A allows system integrators to mix and match connector solutions from our wide range of audio, opto, data and power connectors while only having to use one size of panel cut-out. Our very wide range of standard and FeedThrough connectors simplifies panel design and improves product aesthetics.”