These are conceptually plugs & sockets used by us in daily life. These are used for heavy duty applications. Plug means the part which bears the coupling nut and which is free when unmated. Receptacle is the mating component which is normally fixed to the equipment except for the cable connector where both mating parts are free.

It is difficult to determine all the applications for these circular shell threaded coupling connectors. They are available for many applications from commercial / industrial use to the most stringent, high reliability military and space applications. Since they provide for minimum effort in usage, they are high economy upgrades for existing applications and provide simplified design for new and interphase equipment.

In the past connectors simply passed voltage between two points. Today’s connectors must meet the complex needs of modern system by allowing the incorporation of multiple medias, such as power, singal, coax, eternet, fiber optics and pneumatics cabling into a single connector. A rectangular connector can easily combine multiple medias into a single connector using standard modules that can be easily arranged into a custom solution. Systems using circular connectors still require separate connector for ethernet, fiber optic, and coax power.

Design engineers have two choices for industrial electrical connectors: Circular and rectangular. Circular connectors have a long history in military applications and in food and beverage processing. Rectangular connectors are used widely in modular machine design, factory automoation, robotics, transportation and power generation. Both have benefits, for example, circular connectors are advantageours when a cable is passing through a cable tray. Rectangular connectors offer other benefits, such as easy customization with standard moudules and space saving.