An inline jack for Hirose Electric’s IX series lets you construct panel-mount or extension cables.

It seems that whenever a standard connector gains widespread use, the need for a smaller version arises. USB is a great example, where the “B” connector shrunk to mini-USB then Micro USB. The same happened several years ago with industrial Ethernet. The common RJ-45 is too large for industrial application such as robots.

In 2017 Hirose Electric introduced its IX Series of connectors that comply with IEC 61076-3-124. As applications have increased, the need for extension cables or panel-mount receptacles has emerged. In response, Hirose added an inline jack to it’s the IX series.

As the diagram shows, the inline jack can be paired with a plug for panel-mounted applications. In addition, you can assemble two inline jacks to make an Ethernet extension cable.

The IX series of industrial Ethernet connectors are rated for speeds up to 10 Gb/sec Cat6A cables. You can use it with wire size AWG 22, 24, 25, 26, and 28. It’s rated for up to 60 VDC at 3 A.