On Mon 23-Mar-2009 13:44, Lostgallifreyan
wrote:
"fudgee logic" wrote in
:
OK, I think I've got it. An adapter (or "adaptor",
"coupler", "gender changer") should be described by the
connectors it actually contains rather than the connectors
which it mates with.
Can I now ask about another related usage which also confuses
me. As an example, let's say I have an adapter which has an
RCA-phono socket and a 3.5mm jack plug.
Some suppliers leave out the terms "socket" and "plug". So
in this example, what is the common usage:
(a) "RCA-phono to 3.5mm jack".
(b) "3.5mm jack to RCA-phono"
If context is not specified, all you have is convention. It's
like a binary digit. Instead of agonising over (usually lazy)
convention, just specify exactly what you want, explaining the
connectors it has to fit to. If people give you the look
askance, that's their problem. They'll soon wise up when they
find their lack of precision bites them from behind some day.
The queues at Maplin were reguarly haunted by people who had
bought the wrong plug because they failed to specify it right.
The smart ones brought their equipment in. Shlepping a couple
of largish boxes up the the shop looks daft but it surely
beats a return visit just for a few grams of wrong plug. Given
the subtle size difference in DC jacks centre pins, and poor
tolerance in some makes of plug, it's not just the techically
unsavvy who benefit from producing the business end to the
saleman so there's little risk of error.
Convention only makes sense of you're negotiating with people
who all understand it AND agree with it. That's rare.
Here's a UK example of an ambiguous mixed up description . It says
"3.5MM JACK PLUG, MONO"
http://cpc.farnell.com/AV15207/cable...s/product.us0?
sku=pro-signal-psg01659
And when the same supplier reverses the direction of the
illustration, they give a different description of effectively the
same item: "ADAPTOR, 3.5MM S TO PHONO P"
http://cpc.farnell.com/pro-signal/ps...or-3-5mm-s-to-
phono-p/dp/AV15537
What a muddle that first one is!
At least they both refer to A and B. Is there a convention for
which is A and which is B? (Without the photo it might be hard to
know which is which.)