Molex
Encyclopedia
Molex serves a variety of industries, including the telecom, datacom, computer / peripheral, automotive, premise wiring, industrial, consumer, medical and military markets.
Molex connector
Molex originated a large variety of connector types, but only one is commonly used in microcomputers, and thus known unambiguously as a "Molex connectorMolex connector
Molex connector is the vernacular term for a two-piece pin and socket interconnection, most frequently disk drive connectors. Pioneered by Molex Connector Company, the two-piece design became an early electronic standard. Molex developed and patented the first examples of this connector style in...
" in that context. That connector type is the one pictured, which is used for power connections for disk drives
Hard disk
A hard disk drive is a non-volatile, random access digital magnetic data storage device. It features rotating rigid platters on a motor-driven spindle within a protective enclosure. Data is magnetically read from and written to the platter by read/write heads that float on a film of air above the...
and other computer components. An AT
AT form factor
In the area of IBM compatible personal computers, the AT form factor referred to the dimensions and layout of the motherboard for the IBM AT. Like the IBM PC and IBM XT models before it, many third-party manufacturers produced motherboards compatible with the IBM AT form factor, allowing end users...
or ATX
ATX
ATX is a motherboard form factor specification developed by Intel in 1995 to improve on previous de facto standards like the AT form factor. It was the first big change in computer case, motherboard, and power supply design in many years, improving standardization and interchangeability of parts...
standard power supply normally has multiple connectors of this type.
| Color | Function | |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | +12 V | |
| Black | Ground Ground (electricity) In electrical engineering, ground or earth may be the reference point in an electrical circuit from which other voltages are measured, or a common return path for electric current, or a direct physical connection to the Earth.... |
|
| Black | Ground Ground (electricity) In electrical engineering, ground or earth may be the reference point in an electrical circuit from which other voltages are measured, or a common return path for electric current, or a direct physical connection to the Earth.... |
|
| Red | +5 V | |
A connector that delivers power has female
Gender of connectors and fasteners
In electrical and mechanical trades and manufacturing, each half of a pair of mating connectors or fasteners is conventionally assigned the designation male or female...
pins in a male
Gender of connectors and fasteners
In electrical and mechanical trades and manufacturing, each half of a pair of mating connectors or fasteners is conventionally assigned the designation male or female...
housing, as pictured; a connector that receives power has male pins in a female housing.
History
The company began by making flowerpots out of an industrial byproduct plastic called Molex. Later they made connectors for General ElectricGeneral Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
and other appliance manufacturers out of the same plastic. http://www.reed-electronics.com/eb-mag/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6279564#Molex Most recently Molex acquired Woodhead Industries in the largest acquisition in its history.