How Important are Right Angles in Connectivity?

Why Use a Right Angle Cable or Adapter?

(blogger@L-com.com)

L-com offers a lot of right angle products, including cable assemblies with right angle connectors at the ends, and adapters that allow cables to bend at 90°. And they're continuing to add more right angle equipment every month, as this recent press release shows. One question is: why? Why are right angle products so popular, and why is their popularity gaining? What is the problem that they are solving?

A Disconnect: System Design and the Real World

IT professionals and computer hardware technicians have known for years that straight connectors are a pain in the tight space within a computer chassis. For that reason, a variety of right angle header connectors, PCB connectors, and SATA cables have evolved. But many manufacturers have been slow to produce right angle products for outside the box.

Part of that is the disconnect between a system design and the real world. When an engineer sits down to create a system, they are thinking of dozens, maybe hundreds of factors. One thing they don't often (and perhaps shouldn't need to) think about is the space outside of a port for a connector to mate to it. In the real world, however, products are becoming smaller, more portable, and they're sharing space with more equipment than ever before. That means the carefully and artfully designed system will actually be shoved into a corner under or right next to other equipment, all of which needs space for cables to connect.

Perhaps it's time to realize that this scenario is more common than not, and so right angle cables, adapters, and connectors should be the norm. If you supply your department with cables and adapters in various angles, you make life much easier for the technicians that have to figure out how to bend the cable to fit the device it plugs in to. Also, you will extend the life of the cable and of the port by reducing the strain placed on them.

Quick note: L-com's right angle selection is without peer! From patent-pending technology to ensure high-quality right angle Ethernet cables, to a huge variety of right angle USB cables, L-com has you covered! Check out their wildly popular right angle D-Subminiature adapters with options for up-angle and down-angle, and all of their right angle audio/video equipment!