Can you ID this mystery plug?
February 17, 2010 7:37 PM Subscribe
Once again, I turn to AskMeFi to answer the question: what kind of cable is this? I just bought a digital camera, and it came with a cable that seems to have been included by mistake. The plug on it looks sort of like a mini-USB connector, but isn't. Here's a photo. Here's another. Any ideas?
The camera has a mini-USB jack on it, but this plug won't fit into it -- it's a little too wide, and has that funny bump on top. The other end of the cable is split between 2 RCA plugs, 1 yellow and 1 black; it's obviously intended to send video and sound to a TV.
I bought the same model of camera a few years ago, and it came with a cable that had the yellow and black RCA plugs on 1 end, and a 1/8" plug on the other; the 1/8" plug fits into an A/V output jack on the camera.
I think I was supposed to get another of those cables with the camera I just bought, and they gave me the wrong cable. But I'm curious to know what this cable is, and whether I might find some other use for it.
The camera has a mini-USB jack on it, but this plug won't fit into it -- it's a little too wide, and has that funny bump on top. The other end of the cable is split between 2 RCA plugs, 1 yellow and 1 black; it's obviously intended to send video and sound to a TV.
I bought the same model of camera a few years ago, and it came with a cable that had the yellow and black RCA plugs on 1 end, and a 1/8" plug on the other; the 1/8" plug fits into an A/V output jack on the camera.
I think I was supposed to get another of those cables with the camera I just bought, and they gave me the wrong cable. But I'm curious to know what this cable is, and whether I might find some other use for it.
(oh, though of course, I presume the wiring to your RCA end is non-standard...)
posted by pompomtom at 7:43 PM on February 17, 2010
posted by pompomtom at 7:43 PM on February 17, 2010
Response by poster: pompomtom: Nope, it's not USB mini b. I can plug a mini b cable into my camera -- I've got one right here. The mystery plug has a bump on top that the mini b lacks.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 7:50 PM on February 17, 2010
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 7:50 PM on February 17, 2010
Best answer: My Canon camera uses the same jack for USB (mini-B) and for A/V out, and the A/V cable looks exactly like that. The A/V connector has that little bump so you don't go sticking it in places it shouldn't go. (BTW I'm fairly certain they're proprietary, so it's fairly useless. Try eBay?)
posted by wsp at 7:57 PM on February 17, 2010
posted by wsp at 7:57 PM on February 17, 2010
Response by poster: Here's another photo I just took, comparing the mystery plug to a USB mini b. You can see that they're similar, but not identical.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 7:59 PM on February 17, 2010
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 7:59 PM on February 17, 2010
Best answer: I read over my post and realized I wasn't clear: The jack on the camera that cable goes with has extra clearance for the bump. Both USB mini-b and the A/V cable can go in, but the A/V cable can't be plugged into a regular mini-b jack.
posted by wsp at 8:04 PM on February 17, 2010
posted by wsp at 8:04 PM on February 17, 2010
Response by poster: wsp: I think you've solved it.
The first photo on this page looks identical to my mystery plug. It's supposed to fit into a mini USB port... but it doesn't seem to want to fit into the one on my camera, and I don't want to force it.
Maybe I will put it up on eBay... thanks for the tip, and thanks for the idea.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 8:06 PM on February 17, 2010
The first photo on this page looks identical to my mystery plug. It's supposed to fit into a mini USB port... but it doesn't seem to want to fit into the one on my camera, and I don't want to force it.
Maybe I will put it up on eBay... thanks for the tip, and thanks for the idea.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 8:06 PM on February 17, 2010
Seconding wsp; it's a Canon AV cable. It and a USB Mini-B fits in the socket on the camera, but it won't fit into a USB Mini-B socket as it has all the wrong signals.
I have one on my PowerShot SD790is.
posted by scruss at 8:07 PM on February 17, 2010
I have one on my PowerShot SD790is.
posted by scruss at 8:07 PM on February 17, 2010
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posted by pompomtom at 7:42 PM on February 17, 2010