Guide to Various Electronics Connectors


USB (Universal Serial Bus)
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USBs provide connection, communication, and power supply between computers and electronic devices.
usb dongle

Micro USB
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Micro USBs allow for the same type of connections as a regular USB but on smaller devices.
micro usb

Mini Display Port (Thunderbolt on Mac)
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Digital and analog computer video connector.
mini displayport dongle

HDMI
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Digital audio, video, and data connector.
hdmi dongle Property of State of Illinois University of Illinois U-C
hdmi male

VGA (Video Graphics Array)
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Computer analog video connector used for high definition video.
vga dongle female Property of State of Illinois University of Illinois U-C
vga dongle female


Mini DVI
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Digital and analog computer video connector.  Used on certain old Apple computers as a digital alternative to a Mini VGA connector.  Capable of carrying DVI, VGA, or TV signals through adapters.
mini dvi dongle

DVI-D (Dual link)
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Digital computer video connector. Used to connect a video source to a display device.
dvi dongle female
dvi dongle male

Lightning Connector
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Computer bus and power connector for Apple products. Used on newer iphones, ipads, and ipods.
lightning dongle

Apple 30-pin Dock Connector
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Data and power connector. Carries USB, FireWire, some controls, and line-level audio outputs. Used on older Apple products (iphones, ipads, and ipods).
apple pin dongle