Modular Jack

New RJ-45 Modular Jack with Keep Out Feature Eliminates

Mis-mating to RJ-11 Plug

Eliminating the insertion and mis-mating of an RJ-11

(6 circuit) plug into an RJ-45 (8 circuit) modular jack is a

concern for many telecommunication, networking, and

computer manufacturers. For example, PC manufacturers have

frequent calls from customers who do not realize they are

inserting a typical RJ-11 phone line plug into an RJ-45

Ethernet modular jack port. This mis-mating not only causes

the user frustration since the intended connection is not made,

but the modular jack can be damaged by the insertion of the

wrong size plug.

Molex has designed an RJ-45 modular jack with an RJ-11 plug

keep out feature that prevents mis-mating. This unique design

incorporates an integrally molded lever inside the modular

jack that blocks the insertion of an RJ-11 plug to fully mate

with the modular jack. The lever does not interfere with an

RJ-45 plug, however. When an RJ-45 plug is inserted into the

RJ-45 modular jack, the keep out lever moves out of the way,

allowing the plug to fully mate with the modular jack.

This design is incorporated into the Molex inverted modular

jack that meets Category 5 for Fast Ethernet. The top latch

feature on the modular jack provides easy access to the plug

latch during unmating. The modular jack is offered in both

unshielded and shielded configurations.