BNC Connectors – What do they do?
The Bayonet Neill Concelman connector, commonly referred to as a BNC connector, is a cable used in applications where coaxial or screened cable is required. It is attached to the coaxial cable and are commonly used for connecting radio frequency signals or video signals on consumer electronics, aviation electronics, test equipment and military equipment.
The BNC connector was first developed when the need arose for a high quality, sturdy connector that had multi-use capabilities. Although BNCs are most commonly used in households as television cable connections, they can also be used for a wide range of other equipment including audio generators, avionics and power meters.
There are a few different BNC connector types:
- Compression gland – requires no specialized tools to assemble
- Crimp – requires greater accuracy when choosing the correct connector, because not all crimp types are practical for all cable sizes
- Twist-on connector – only requires a cable stripper to assemble.
- Require a separate power source – power cords were originally included but they were too bulky and made the BNC not as universal
- Can transmit videos but don’t support any audio – sometimes results in the need for an additional audio connector
- Applied to frequencies below 3GHz and voltages below 500v
- Come in 50 and75 ohm versions