"ShadowTek" wrote in message
n
This is so damn weird that I just had to ask if anyone
else has seen this before. I was just looking at the user
manual for a 5.1 PC speaker system that I was thinking
about bidding on, and I noticed that while 4 of the
speakers connect to the amp with typical audio plugs, the
right-front speaker connects to the amp with a damn
parallel plug!
http://insigniaproducts.com/cms/docu...20EN_SP_FR.pdf
(page 8)
Why the hell would anyone ever do such a thing?
That's not a parallel plug (DB 25), it is a 9 pin plug (AKA DB-9) of a
standard variety that has been used for any number of different things over
the past several decades. The basic design dates back at least as far as
the Korean war if memory serves. It used to be used on only highly
expensive, highest tech equipment but it has long been commoditized so it is
now used on even very inexpensive, low tech equipment.
In the realm of PCs, historical applications for exactly this plug (DB-9)
have included serial communcations ports and EGA monitor ports.
The tooling for making and installing this plug has been bought and paid off
for a long time so it is inexpensive to tool and produce. The patents ran
out decades ago. There are probably one or more production facilities for
installing it in production quantities in most major cities in the world
because it is so widely accepted.
The DB family of connectors has a good reputation for durability when used
with reasonable care. It is designed for, and well known to be effective at
handling a wide range of voltage and power levels that includes this
specific application.
Why do such a thing? Why not?
If a designer has a 9 wire analog interface, why not use a well-known,
widely available realtively inexpensive connector that has a reasonably good
reputation for reliability?