RJ45 and RJ49 network cable connectors are the main connector types for use with 4-pair twisted pair network cables.
Network cable connectors are used in local area network (LAN) applications to transport all types of data at high speeds.
They consist of a plastic body and 8 gold-plated pins that contact the 8 conductors that make up the network cables. They can also have a nickel-plated housing.
Construction and differences between RJ45 and RJ49 network cable connectors
This is precisely what differentiates the RJ45 from the RJ49. RJ45 connectors are used in UTP cables, they are 4 twisted pair cables that do not have a shield and therefore do not need a nickel-plated frame. RJ49 connectors, on the other hand, are used on FTP cables that do have a shield, so that the shield is required to make contact with the cable shield. The RJ49 connector is also commonly referred to as shielded RJ45 or RJ45 FTP.
RJ45/RJ49 network cable connector categories
Network cables are classified according to different categories depending on the frequency at which they can work properly without losses.
Currently, the categories that live together are:
- Category 5E, working at frequencies of 100 MHz.
- Category 6, working at frequencies of 250 MHz.
- Category 6A, working at frequencies of 500 MHz.
- Category 7, working at frequencies of 600 MHz.
- Category 7A, working at frequencies of 1000 MHz.
In order to achieve that the same type of cable can work at higher frequencies, the cable cross section has to be increased. It is in this process where problems begin to appear to design RJ45 connectors for high category cables. Having a large section means having an insulator per conductor of higher diameter but the size of the RJ45/RJ49 connectors cannot be increased because it is standardized, that makes it difficult to crimp the connectors for network cables due to the limited space available.
It is for this reason that there are RJ45 and RJ49 connectors designed to work with the different categories of cable with holes adapted to the size of their insulators.
Connectors for category 5E network cables, for example, are designed for LAN cables with smaller cross-section so they need not very large holes (1.00 mm) to place the insulators during crimping and that is why they can be aligned side by side.
On the other hand, connectors for category 6 network cables already need larger holes (1.15 mm) to leave enough space for the insulators of category 6 cables. In this case, there is not enough space to put the holes all lined up, so they must go in two groups of 4, one on top and the other on the bottom.
Today, with the rise of Category 6A, 7 and even 7A LAN cables, the hole size has had to be redesigned again to make room for insulators up to 1.36 mm in size. This has resulted in an increase in hole size to the point where the holes overlap and the insulators are already touching each other. There is no short circuit problem because the pins contacting the conductors are still properly separated but the standard RJ45/RJ49 design is already reaching its space limits.
Currently, the connectors for conventional RJ45/RJ49 network cables are being redesigned into new types, all compatible, but with a different structure. One example is the one shown in the picture below, where the crimp connection is replaced by a manual assembly, thus gaining more room for manoeuvre. In addition, the resulting connector is more robust than conventional RJ45 and RJ49 connectors.
Uses for multi-core or single-core cables
There are LAN cables with single-core and multi-core conductors, so connectors have been designed for both types of cables. Single-core cables allow signal transmission over longer distances than multi-core cables with the same cross-section, but this makes them more rigid. It is for this reason that the usual uses of single-core cables are fixed installations while the uses of multi-core cables are the construction of patch cords for mobile use.
In connectors for network cables, there are versions that can only be used in multi-core cables and others that can be used in both multi-core and single-core cables. This depends on how the teeth on the pins are constructed and how they make contact with the conductor. There are three types of pins classified according to the shape of their teeth.
- Three straight teeth - Use in multi-strand cables.
Two open teeth - Use in multi-strand and single strand cables.
- Three open teeth - Use in multi-strand and single strand cables.
Degree of gold plating of the pins
Depending on the demands placed on the connector, it is recommended to use a higher or lower degree of gold plating of the conductor pins. This degree can go from 1 micron to 50 microns of gold.
The common RJ45/RJ49 connector usually has a 3u gold-plated connector. To have a high performance connector, the 50u connector is used. There may be others with grades between 3 and 50 but they are not the most common.
RJ45/RJ49 Emelec VíasCom
To meet any need, Emelec has several models of RJ45 and RJ49 connectors for network cables, for all cable categories, already in stock.
Category 5E UTP - CL002 and CL502
- 8-pin Cat.5E RJ45 UTP UTP connector
- Gold plated contacts with 3u or 50u
- Pins with 3 open prongs for multi-stranded and single-stranded conductors
- Assembly by crimping
- Insulators up to Ø1.00mm
- Cables up to Ø 5,50mm
- Compatible Emelec ViasCom cables: Q18-716, Q18-726, Q18-732, Q18-736, Q18-715 and Q18-725.
- Compatible Emelec ViaCom Crimping Tool: HR110.
CL002 - RJ45 Category 5E UTP of 3u: VIEW PRODUCT
CL502 - RJ45 Category 5E UTP of 50u: VIEW PRODUCT
Category 5E FTP - CL004 and CL504
- RJ49 FTP 8-pin Cat.5E RJ49 FTP connector
- Gold plated contacts with 3u or 50u
- Pins with 3 open prongs for multi-stranded and single-stranded conductors
- Assembly by crimping
- Insulators up to Ø1.00mm
- Cables up to Ø 5,50mm
- Compatible Emelec ViasCom cables: Q18-718, Q18-728, Q18-734, Q18-717, Q18-727 and Q18-709.
- Compatible Emelec ViaCom Crimping Tool: HR110.
CL004 - RJ49 Category 5E FTP of 3u: VIEW PRODUCT
CL504 - RJ49 Category 5E FTP of 50u: VIEW PRODUCT
Category 6 UTP - CL006 and CL506
- 8-pin Cat.6 RJ45 UTP UTP connector
- Gold plated contacts with 3u or 50u
- Pins with 3 open prongs for multi-stranded and single-stranded conductors
- Assembly by crimping
- Insulators up to Ø1.15mm
- Cables up to Ø 6,50mm
- Compatible Emelec ViasCom cables: Q18-766, Q18-746, Q17-755 and Q18-765.
- Compatible Emelec ViaCom Crimping Tool: HR110.
CL006 - RJ45 Category 6 UTP of 3u: VIEW PRODUCT
CL506 - RJ45 Category 6 UTP of 50u: VIEW PRODUCT
Category 6 FTP - CL008 and CL508
- Connector Cat.6 RJ49 FTP 8 pins
- Gold plated contacts with 3u or 50u
- Pins with 3 open prongs for multi-stranded and single-stranded conductors
- Assembly by crimping
- Insulators up to Ø1.15mm
- Cables up to Ø 6,50mm
- Compatible Emelec ViasCom cables: Q18-768G300 and Q18-768BOX125.
- Compatible Emelec ViaCom Crimping Tool: HR110.
CL008 - RJ49 Category 6 FTP of 3u: VIEW PRODUCT
CL508 - RJ49 Category 6 FTP of 50u: VIEW PRODUCT
Category 6A, Category 7 and Category 7A STP - CL512
- Connector Cat.6A, 7 and 7A RJ49 STP 8 pins
- Golden contacts with 50u
- Pins with 3 open prongs for multi-stranded and single-stranded conductors
- Assembly by crimping
- Insulators up to Ø1.36mm
- Cables up to Ø 7,50mm
- Compatible Emelec ViasCom cables: Q18-748, Q18-768, Q18-776, Q18-778, Q18-780 and Q16-6000 series.
- Compatible Emelec ViaCom Crimping Tool: HR115.
CL512 - RJ49 Category 6A, Category 7 and Category 7A STP of 50u: VIEW PRODUCT
Category 6A, Category 7 and Category 7A FTP Toolless - CL016 and CL516
Connector Cat.6A, 7 and 7A RJ49 FTP Toolless 8 pins
- Golden contacts with 50u
- Pins with 2 teeth for multi-wire and single-wire conductors
- Manual assembly
- Insulators up to Ø1.36mm
- Cables up to Ø 7,50mm
- Compatible Emelec ViasCom cables: Q18-748, Q18-768, Q18-776, Q18-778, Q18-780 and Q16-6000 series.
- No crimping tool is required.
CL016 - RJ49 Category 6A, Category 7 and Category 7A FTP Toolless FTP Toolless 3u: VIEW PRODUCT
CL516 - RJ49 Category 6A, Category 7 and Category 7A FTP Toolless FTP 50u: VIEW PRODUCT
To find out more about RJ45 and RJ49 network cable connectors
RJ45 and RJ49 connectors
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