For every power supply, there is a separate cord that supports its work. Server power cord plays an important role in connecting the servers and PDUs. It is vital to choose the suitable network systems as power cord standards differ on the basis of the countries.

In this article, we will discuss the server power cords and their applications.

You can use power cords or jumper cords to connect with the server. They consist of three necessary components i.e. plug, cord, and receptacle. There are different types of cords available across the globe. But, amongst all, the most common ones are the IEC60320 power cords and nema power cords.

IECs are available in North America and other countries have NEMA cords. Going further among these server power cables, the most common among the vendors like Dell, HP, and many others are C13 to C14 power cords. There are many different types in these two types of cords.

Let's understand the applications of these power cords in different cabling systems:

2. Cabling in Low Density System:

    

4. It is easy to install cords for low density systems. For example, you need to take a server in a tower configuration, it needs to use a country-specific cord for direct connection to a facility AC feed.

    

6. The server availability requires providing redundant AC power to the server in the form of a redundant AC bus or a UPS.

   Remember connecting with the local AC outlet requires you to have optional country-specific cords for each of the power supply.

8. Cabling for Medium Density:

    

10. Medium density system is a bit complex compared to the low density system. Hence, there are different types of accessories needed to achieve an effective connection.

    Some servers contain hot pluggable fans accessible for sliding the chassis out on rails. Make sure that the cords or jumper cables connect to the server at the adequate length and slack to allow chassis movement and stay connected and running.

12. Cabling for High Density System:

     

14. Power cords used in high density systems are short as cable movement is little. There are three ways to connect enclosures to AC power:

    • C13 to C14 cords are useful to connect a single supply server to a vertical mount PDU and it is suitable for low density installations.
    • C13 x4 to C20 fixed cord extension bars: it is a method recommended for extreme density installations which uses redundant power supplies.
    • In the third category, it uses C13 x2 to C20 Y cable. It is useful for connecting a server with dual 1200 watts power supplies directly to a PDU core with C19 outlets.

    There are many cables which are useful for high density systems and for systems like this, color coding is a useful method.

     

    Going further let's have a look at the best practices of these cords in the data centers and connecting with the power plug adapters.

     

16. While designing the data centers or mapping the racks, we often tend to forget the cords. But, choosing the correct cord helps you in lessening energy consumption, data center uptime, and service response times.

Without further ado, let's begin:

2. Length Cord:

    

4. The most important rule that you should have to build an efficient data center cord is choosing the right length. Shorter the length the better it is. Sometimes, there is power lost in the cords due to longer lengths, and this results in loss of hundreds of dollars annually.

    

6. The length of cords also plays a major role in the airflow within the data cabinets and longer cords cause a blockage.

8. Using the Correct Gauge:

    

10. It is important to select the correct gauge cord. The large diameter conductors carry electrical current more efficiently and it can be a fire hazard to use a cord using gauge that is too thin for the requirements.

12. Using color coded power cords:

     

14. Tracing a cord from source to equipment is foolproof if you are using different color cords. This can help you identify redundant power paths and can prevent unwanted disconnections while moving.

16. Use shielded pairs:

     

18. EMI is a serious issue in the data center. Usually, Ethernet cables have the connections made of unshielded twisted pair grade cable. If the unshielded twisted pair is within the proximity of an unshielded AC power cord, then EMI can occur. This results in performance degradation. Whereas, shielded cords can reduce the irregular data problems which can positively affect your organization.

Conclusion:

Server cords play a vital role in bridging the network device power supply system. One also needs to make sure about the power plug adapters they are using in data centers. Power cords are multipurpose and each of them has their own benefits.

Source: https://www.sooperarticles.com/shopping-articles/electronics-articles/all-about-power-cords-your-data-centers-1778156.html

One of the greatest innovations of the current time is Universal Serial Bus or USB. It allows for data to transfer, store, and access anytime and anywhere. Additionally, USB data cable are highly recommended while transferring or storing data among friends, families, or any other gatherings.

Let's understand how to use these data cables:

Most of the USB cables connect computer units directly to peripheral devices like mobile phones, cameras, camcorders, and printers/scanners. The main objective of these devices is to transfer data hassle-free, quickly, and effectively from one device to another.

For example, if you want to transfer images from your camera to a computer, all you need to do is connect the one end of the USB data to the camera and another to the computer or laptop.

Just with some simple clicks on the computer and camera, you will easily be able to transfer it. Your computer and camera both will notify you that the data cable is connected. All you need to do is click on OK and in just a few seconds or minutes depending on the size of the data, it will transfer your data.

USB cables are useful to connect a printer/scanner to your computer or laptop if you want to scan any documents. These cables are also useful to connect your mobile phone and your printer. Here, you just need to connect the USB data cable with your printer and you can easily print the images you want.

With the help of your camcorder, you can use USB cable and upload your video recordings in the computer for easy upload to social media sites or even simple storage purposes.

Simply this information of data cables is not enough; you even need to understand its benefits.

So, now let's discuss its benefits:

One of the major benefits of using USB cables is their ability to carry maximum information per second i.e. 12 Mbps in comparison to that parallel cables' 115kbps. This means a faster data transfer rate.

Another advantage of using a USB cable is that its port is smaller in comparison to parallel cable ports. This helps computer manufacturers to efficiently come up with thin and compact laptops or portable computers.

But, let's suppose that you are a multitasker and you need to connect two or more devices in your computer or laptop, then you will need a hub. It lets multiple devices connect to one USB port with your PC. Using this parallel cable, only one device can connect to the port.

Another advantage of the USB cable is that they are useful to charge mobile phones, tablets, iPads, and many such things. You just need to connect the right port to the phone and the other end to PCs or laptops. The charging process adds the right amount of power running from one computer to your phone or any device you have connected to.

There is one thing that is equivalently famous as data cable i.e. USB data adapters.

These adapters are useful for consumption, commerce, and industrial purposes. It is a protocol that is useful to USB data signals between other communication standards. This means that USB data can switch to standard serial port data or the other way around.

Some of the USB data adapters can convert to other proprietary standards or protocols, but these are not serial adapters.

The main purpose of these adapters is to enable USB based computers to access serial devices using DB9 and DB25 connectors. This ensures data transmission security.

The USB adapter can either isolate or not isolate. These isolated versions are onto couplers or surge suppressors to stop static electricity or high voltage enters into the data lines.

Talking about non-isolated versions of USB adapters, you cannot protect static electricity or any voltage power. This is one of the main reasons why it is useful only for unimportant devices and short communications range.

Final words:

When buying USB data cables or adapters you need to make sure of these specifications. Looking at the benefit they provide, they are here to stay and with time they will upgrade and will become more useful.

Source: https://www.sooperarticles.com/shopping-articles/electronics-articles/your-guide-usb-adapters-data-cables-1775354.html

The word adapt has been taken quite literally by the computer hardware industry. As connection standards evolved, we made adapters to connect the old and the new. Certain OEMs usually tend to adopt new standards immediately and leave behind old, popular ports. This means you need to use adapters if you want to connect devices that came out more than 2 years apart.

Why Does This Need Arise?

Well, that is a very basic question. OEMs of different devices are, well, different. And they make different choices. If a camera manufacturer chooses the mini HDMI port, but a projector manufacturer only uses DVI, how do you connect them? This is, of course, keeping in mind that the cable that comes in the box with your camera is a mini HDMI male to HDMI male. In order to plug in this cable into your projector, you can use HDMI to DVI adapter where the port is HDMI and the connector is DVI.

The whole industry simply does not adopt the same connection standards at the same time, so we have to adapt and use adapters.

One of the most popular, and ubiquitous connection standards is HDMI. And the device it is generally always found on is a TV. This made HDMI adapters also equally popular. The many forms they came in were HDMI to DVI adapter, HDMI to VGA adapter, HDMI to USB A adapter, etc.

I know it is supposed to be a wireless world, and everyone likes the convenience of using various casting technologies, but casting technologies have limitations that good old cables never have to deal with.

With cables, you don't have to worry about wireless connections that can get tricky. So what are the different HDMI adapters like this and where will you use them?

HDMI To USB Adapter:

If you want to connect an HDMI cable to your computer, it is possible that it doesn’t have an HDMI port. This can happen, if the computer is too old or too new! Yes, new computers sometimes don’t have any ports apart from USB C. This is when an HDMI to USB adapter comes into play. You should look for the specific HDMI version support in both, the adapter and the cable, to ensure you get the promised results.

HDMI To VGA Adapter:

It is quite unlikely that you will need a port from the 1980s, but in case you come across a unique, historic device, that is somehow still running, and the only display port on it is the VGA, then this adapter will definitely come in handy. But apart from such unique situations, there are VGA ports that might be on your old laptop on which you have your childhood videos which you want to project through a projector. This adapter can help you do that.

HDMI To DisplayPort Adapter:

This adapter is the easiest solution to use when you want to connect an external monitor to your laptop. The monitor may have a DisplayPort port.

HDMI To DVI Adapter:

This one can be used to transfer what you are watching on your computer to your TV. And the audio also passes through to the TV. You can also use the adapter on a gaming console.

The argument against this can be that you can just use an HDMI cable with the required connector at the other end. As opposed to that, adapters can help create an easier workflow because you can just keep them plugged into the device with the unique port and switch between your devices with a single HDMI cable!

Another thing that you need to keep in mind is the version of the cable you use. It affects the output you were expecting.

An adapter like this is an efficient way to put an HDMI port on devices that don’t have it. Especially if there is nothing else about the setup that you need to change. This solution disrupts none of your workflows and definitely adds to the convenience.

Not only are these adapters available at SF Cable, but they are also available in various form factors, some that extend with a short cable in between, some that swivel and some that are at specific angles. Whatever your unique cabling needs and adaptation needs are, we have you covered.

If you are not sure which version to get, or even if you need more ideas about how to make your setup easier to work with, reach out to us. We will not only consult on it but get you the best cables that work for you.

Source: https://www.sfcable.com/blog/hdmi-adapters-breathe-new-life-into-old-tech

The technology industry is known for disruption. Many in Silicon Valley live by the motto “live fast and break things”. This means that the minute tech launches something new, they are already inventing three new things in the background. These are not always new inventions, they can also be iterative inventions to what they launched the previous day. But the point is that nothing in tech remains new and latest for too long a time.

At the same time, new tech is often, if not always, expensive. So if you buy a $1000 computer today, then you are not likely to buy the new one that comes out tomorrow, or even for that matter, one that comes out next year. With each iterative update of gadgets, come new connection standards. Therefore with each iteration, we take both, a step forward and a step backward.

The backward step is when tech tries to make their new ways of doing things backward compatible. It’s a cha-cha!

In an average person’s life, they have a computer/laptop, TV, phone, power banks, hard drives, headphones, tablets, and a variety of other gadgets, give or take. With all these gadgets come to their unique life cycles. While we may change our phones every two years, we are not likely to change our TV as frequently. A contributing factor to this is also price. What price are you willing to pay to always be up-to-date? Especially acknowledging that new tech may not always work.

This is where computer cable adapters come in. They help the old connection adapt to the new one. Or the other way around.

Currently, there’s one example that comes to mind: USB C. It is everywhere. But not quite everywhere. So the adapter market has risen. If your latest laptop only has the USB C port, it might be difficult for you to connect your old HDD to transfer your data. Because old HDDs connect to a computer through a USB A port. One of the gadgets that we update perhaps even slower than a TV is our printer. You are probably still using a wired printer. And that was working fine in your older workflow where your computer had ports to accommodate it. Now with the USB C port, things are different. Your printer cable suddenly needs an adapter, until you phase it out, of course.

Let’s Go Through The Different Computer Cable Adapters You Will Need With This New Computer:

• USB C to HDMI:
  
  In order to connect your computer to your TV, you will need an HDMI cable. And therefore a USB C to HDMI adapter for your computer. Make sure to check that the version of the HDMI ports and cable is the same for promising results. It is the quickest way to bring entertainment to the biggest screen in your house.
  
  
• USB C to Ethernet:
  
  Of course, your fancy new computer uses Wi-Fi but so do three other people and ten other devices in your house. When you don’t want a connectivity issue, you know a wired connection is better. This is where the handy USB C to Ethernet adapter comes in. You can use your same old Ethernet cable to connect to your computer that doesn’t even have the port for it!
  
  
• USB C to USB A:
  
  Storage devices, printer cables, cameras, and a number of other gadgets use the USB A port. Your previous workflow was efficient because you always had the port to plug in your peripherals. The easiest replacement of this is a USB C to USB A adapter. Keep one in your bag and one on your desk so you never have to scramble for it in a pinch.
  
  
• USB C to SD card reader:
  
  An SD card is the easiest way to transfer photographs or videos from a camera. Nothing beats it. If your laptop cannot directly read an SD card, it makes your workflow cumbersome. If you are someone who takes a significant amount of photos you know the ease of an SD card reader. Not only does it make your life easier, but it also makes it easy to collaborate with other photographers. No matter what camera anyone uses, the SD card remains a common standard. This makes the USB C to SD card reader an essential tool in your kit.

At SF Cable, we believe in gadgets, old and new. If you have bought a new computer that makes computing difficult for you, browse our store to get adapters for a variety of connection standards in various form factors. Choose the ones that work the best for you.

We are always available to consult on the varying versions and standards that your particular workflow may require.

Source: https://www.sfcable.com/blog/computer-cable-adapters-old-adapting-to-new

The technology industry is known for disruption. Many in Silicon Valley live by the motto “live fast and break things”. This means that the minute tech launches something new, they are already inventing three new things in the background. These are not always new inventions, they can also be iterative inventions to what they launched the previous day. But the point is that nothing in tech remains new and latest for too long a time.

At the same time, new tech is often, if not always, expensive. So if you buy a $1000 computer today, then you are not likely to buy the new one that comes out tomorrow, or even for that matter, one that comes out next year. With each iterative update of gadgets, come new connection standards. Therefore with each iteration, we take both, a step forward and a step backward.

The backward step is when tech tries to make their new ways of doing things backward compatible. It’s a cha-cha!

In an average person’s life, they have a computer/laptop, TV, phone, power banks, hard drives, headphones, tablets, and a variety of other gadgets, give or take. With all these gadgets come to their unique life cycles. While we may change our phones every two years, we are not likely to change our TV as frequently. A contributing factor to this is also price. What price are you willing to pay to always be up-to-date? Especially acknowledging that new tech may not always work.

This is where computer cable adapters come in. They help the old connection adapt to the new one. Or the other way around.

Currently, there’s one example that comes to mind: USB C. It is everywhere. But not quite everywhere. So the adapter market has risen. If your latest laptop only has the USB C port, it might be difficult for you to connect your old HDD to transfer your data. Because old HDDs connect to a computer through a USB A port. One of the gadgets that we update perhaps even slower than a TV is our printer. You are probably still using a wired printer. And that was working fine in your older workflow where your computer had ports to accommodate it. Now with the USB C port, things are different. Your printer cable suddenly needs an adapter, until you phase it out, of course.

Let’s Go Through The Different Computer Cable Adapters You Will Need With This New Computer:

• USB C to HDMI:
  
  In order to connect your computer to your TV, you will need an HDMI cable. And therefore a USB C to HDMI adapter for your computer. Make sure to check that the version of the HDMI ports and cable is the same for promising results. It is the quickest way to bring entertainment to the biggest screen in your house.
  
  
• USB C to Ethernet:
  
  Of course, your fancy new computer uses Wi-Fi but so do three other people and ten other devices in your house. When you don’t want a connectivity issue, you know a wired connection is better. This is where the handy USB C to Ethernet adapter comes in. You can use your same old Ethernet cable to connect to your computer that doesn’t even have the port for it!
  
  
• USB C to USB A:
  
  Storage devices, printer cables, cameras, and a number of other gadgets use the USB A port. Your previous workflow was efficient because you always had the port to plug in your peripherals. The easiest replacement of this is a USB C to USB A adapter. Keep one in your bag and one on your desk so you never have to scramble for it in a pinch.
  
  
• USB C to SD card reader:
  
  An SD card is the easiest way to transfer photographs or videos from a camera. Nothing beats it. If your laptop cannot directly read an SD card, it makes your workflow cumbersome. If you are someone who takes a significant amount of photos you know the ease of an SD card reader. Not only does it make your life easier, but it also makes it easy to collaborate with other photographers. No matter what camera anyone uses, the SD card remains a common standard. This makes the USB C to SD card reader an essential tool in your kit.

At SF Cable, we believe in gadgets, old and new. If you have bought a new computer that makes computing difficult for you, browse our store to get adapters for a variety of connection standards in various form factors. Choose the ones that work the best for you.

We are always available to consult on the varying versions and standards that your particular workflow may require.

Source: https://www.sfcable.com/blog/computer-cable-adapters-old-adapting-to-new