Quick Reference Charts

Common connector pinouts, SDI standards, and broadcast reference information

XLR Audio (Balanced)

Ground/Shield

Cable shield, screen, or drain wire

Hot/Positive (+)

Signal positive (non-inverting)

Cold/Negative (-)

Signal negative (inverting)

TRS (1/4" Phone Jack)

Tip

Signal Hot (+)

Left channel (stereo) or hot (balanced)

Ring

Signal Cold (-)

Right channel (stereo) or cold (balanced)

Sleeve

Ground/Shield

Common ground/return

TS (2-conductor): Tip = signal, Sleeve = ground (unbalanced)

BNC (Video/SDI)

Center

Signal (+)

75Ω center conductor

Shield

Ground/Return (-)

Outer shield/connector body

Note: SDI uses 75Ω coaxial cable. Impedance mismatch causes reflections and signal loss.

RJ45 Ethernet (T568B Standard)

Pin 1: Orange/White

Pin 2: Orange

Pin 3: Green/White

Pin 4: Blue

Pin 5: Blue/White

Pin 6: Green

Pin 7: Brown/White

Pin 8: Brown

Pairs: 1-2 (Orange), 3-6 (Green), 4-5 (Blue), 7-8 (Brown)

HDMI Pinout

Pins 1-9: TMDS Data (3 channels + clock)

Pin 13: CEC (Consumer Electronics Control)

Pin 14: Reserved (HEC+ in v1.4+)

Pin 15: SCL (I²C Clock for DDC)

Pin 16: SDA (I²C Data for DDC)

Pin 17: Ground

Pin 18: +5V Power

Pin 19: Hot Plug Detect

DB9 RS-232 Serial

DTE (Data Terminal)

Pin 1: DCD (Data Carrier Detect)

Pin 2: RXD (Receive Data)

Pin 3: TXD (Transmit Data)

Pin 4: DTR (Data Terminal Ready)

Pin 5: GND (Signal Ground)

Pin 6: DSR (Data Set Ready)

Pin 7: RTS (Request to Send)

Pin 8: CTS (Clear to Send)

Pin 9: RI (Ring Indicator)

DCE (Data Comm)

Pins 2 & 3 swapped

Pins 4 & 6 swapped

Pins 7 & 8 swapped

Common Uses: Video router control, device configuration, legacy PTZ control

DB25 RS-422 (Sony 9-Pin Protocol)

Pin 1: Protective Ground/Shield

Pin 2: TXD- (Transmit Data Negative)

Pin 3: RXD+ (Receive Data Positive)

Pin 4: GND (Signal Ground)

Pin 5: No Connection

Pin 6: +12V Power (optional)

Pin 7: TXD+ (Transmit Data Positive)

Pin 8: RXD- (Receive Data Negative)

Pin 9: GND (Signal Ground)

Common Uses: VTR control, server control, legacy deck control

GPI/GPO (General Purpose Interface)

Common Implementation:

• Contact closure or voltage trigger

• Typically 5V TTL or 12V relay closure

• Pin assignments vary by manufacturer

• Check device manual for specific pinout

Common Uses: Tally, automation triggers, router control, device sync

SDI Standards Comparison

Standard	Data Rate	Video Formats	Max Distance
SD-SDI	270 Mbps	480i, 576i	300m (1000ft)
HD-SDI	1.485 Gbps	720p, 1080i	100m (330ft)
3G-SDI (Level A)	2.97 Gbps	1080p 60fps	70m (230ft)
3G-SDI (Level B)	2.97 Gbps	1080p 60fps (dual link)	70m (230ft)
6G-SDI	6 Gbps	2160p 30fps (4K UHD)	70m (230ft)
12G-SDI	12 Gbps	2160p 60fps (4K UHD)	70m (230ft)

Note: Distances shown are for Belden 1694A or equivalent cable. Premium cables may achieve longer distances.

Belden Recommended Transmission Distance at Serial Digital Data Rates

Serial digital interconnect standards are designed to operate where the signal loss at 1/2 the clock frequency does not exceed the approximate loss values. Maximum cable length is based on 30 dB loss at 1/2 the clock frequency.

Cable Part #	143 Mb/s (SMPTE 259M)	177 Mb/s (ITU-R BT. 601)	270 Mb/s (SMPTE 259M)	360 Mb/s (SMPTE 259M)	1.5 Gb/s (SMPTE 292M)	3.0 Gb/s (SMPTE 424M)
179DT	542 ft 165 m	498 ft 152 m	416 ft 127 m	362 ft 110 m	115 ft 35 m	81 ft 25 m
1865A*	686 ft 209 m	627 ft 191 m	517 ft 158 m	446 ft 136 m	134 ft 41 m	90 ft 27 m
1855P	986 ft 301 m	904 ft 276 m	746 ft 227 m	640 ft 195 m	190 ft 58 m	125 ft 38 m
1855A	1022 ft 312 m	932 ft 284 m	781 ft 238 m	680 ft 207 m	215 ft 66 m	149 ft 45 m
1505F	1173 ft 358 m	1060 ft 323 m	858 ft 262 m	732 ft 223 m	220 ft 67 m	147 ft 45 m
1506A***	1354 ft 413 m	1243 ft 379 m	1030 ft 314 m	887 ft 270 m	265 ft 81 m	177 ft 54 m
1694F	1460 ft 445 m	1312 ft 400 m	1066 ft 325 m	916 ft 279 m	280 ft 85 m	189 ft 58 m
1505A**	1440 ft 439 m	1317 ft 401 m	1105 ft 337 m	958 ft 292 m	304 ft 93 m	210 ft 64 m
1695A	1706 ft 520 m	1566 ft 477 m	1276 ft 389 m	1104 ft 337 m	322 ft 98 m	211 ft 64 m
1694WB****	1733 ft 528 m	1597 ft 487 m	1333 ft 406 m	1161 ft 354 m	363 ft 111 m	249 ft 76 m
1694A****	1791 ft 546 m	1650 ft 503 m	1371 ft 418 m	1188 ft 362 m	371 ft 113 m	256 ft 78 m
1694D	1791 ft 546 m	1650 ft 503 m	1371 ft 418 m	1188 ft 362 m	371 ft 113 m	256 ft 78 m
7732A	2575 ft 785 m	2335 ft 712 m	1929 ft 588 m	1638 ft 499 m	451 ft 137 m	283 ft 86 m
1794A	2276 ft 694 m	2078 ft 633 m	1746 ft 532 m	1510 ft 460 m	469 ft 143 m	320 ft 98 m
7732LL	2400 ft 732 m	2202 ft 671 m	1818 ft 554 m	1580 ft 482 m	515 ft 157 m	354 ft 108 m
7731A	2791 ft 851 m	2613 ft 796 m	2146 ft 654 m	1871 ft 570 m	580 ft 177 m	393 ft 120 m

Note: The bit error rate (BER) can vary dramatically as the calculated distances are approached. BER is dependent on receiver design and the losses of the actual coax used. Distribution and routing equipment manufacturers should be contacted to verify their maximum recommended transmission.

Maximum length = 30 dB loss at 1/2 the clock frequency: SMPTE 259M, PAL, Widescreen. Maximum length = 20 dB loss at 1/2 the clock frequency: SMPTE 292M and SMPTE 424M.

* Includes cables that use 1855A as a constituent, such as 7787A, 7788A, 7789A, 7790A, 7791A, 7792A, 1855S3, 1855S5, 1855S6

** Includes cables that use 1505A as a constituent, such as 7794A, 7795A, 7796A, 7798A, 1505S3, 1505S5, 1505S6

*** Includes cables that use 1506A as a constituent, such as 1283S3, 1283S5, 1283S6

**** Includes cables that use 1694A as a constituent, such as 7710A, 7711A, 7712A, 7713A, 1694S3, 1694S5, 1694S6, 1694WB, 1694D

Fiber TAC Cable Color Code

Standard fiber position and jacket color coding for tactical fiber optic cables

Position	Jacket Color	Color Sample
1	Blue
2	Orange
3	Green
4	Brown
5	Slate (Gray)
6	White
7	Red
8	Black
9	Yellow
10	Violet
11	Rose (Pink)
12	Aqua

Quick Reference:

This standard 12-color scheme is used for identifying individual fibers in multi-fiber tactical cables, making it easy to track and maintain fiber connections in the field.

Standard Video Resolutions

Format	Resolution	Aspect Ratio	Total Pixels
SD (NTSC)	720×480	4:3 / 16:9	0.35 MP
SD (PAL)	720×576	4:3 / 16:9	0.41 MP
HD 720p	1280×720	16:9	0.92 MP
HD 1080p	1920×1080	16:9	2.07 MP
2K DCI	2048×1080	1.90:1	2.21 MP
4K UHD	3840×2160	16:9	8.29 MP
4K DCI	4096×2160	1.90:1	8.85 MP
8K UHD	7680×4320	16:9	33.18 MP

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