The Berg connector is used to connect electrical circuits in computers, including the floppy drive and front panel lights. It has two or four pins and is often called P7 or mini-Molex. Improper connections can damage the computer. The best-known Berg connector has four pins and connects the floppy drive to a power supply. A two-pin Berg connector is often used to connect front panel lights to the motherboard or complete a circuit within the motherboard. Older computers also used two-pin Berg connectors to connect the turbo switch and reset button to the motherboard.
A Berg connector is a device used to join electrical circuits in computers. The better known Berg connector is used to connect the floppy drive to the power supply. This type of computer hardware can also be used to connect the front panel lights, turbo switch, or reset button to the motherboard.
Berg Electronics Corporation, located in St. Louis, Missouri, has manufactured the Berg connector for many years. In 1998 it became a division of a European manufacturing company, Framatome Connectors International. While the hardware is still called the Berg connector in some areas, many people took to calling it P7 or mini-Molex after the company transferred ownership.
These connectors typically have two or four pins and are used for many purposes. Computers in the late 1980s often had dozens of Berg connectors completing circuits in different areas. On the other hand, newer computers mostly use other types of connectors, such as Molex, SATA or P1.
Most connectors are keyed to prevent mismating. In other words, a physical component prevents people from plugging it backwards or into a different outlet. This is important because improper connections can break or bend pins or damage your computer. However, high amounts of pressure can break the key mechanism and force a bad connection.
The best-known Berg connector has four pins and connects a floppy drive to a power supply. A red pin handles five volts, a yellow pin handles 12 volts, and two black pins between them act as ground. Often called the floppy power connector, it can destroy the floppy drive if it is connected backwards.
A two-pin Berg connector is often used to connect front panel lights to the motherboard or to complete a circuit within the motherboard. A connector inside the motherboard is called a jumper, because it spans such a short distance. In the late 1980s, a computer might have a few dozen jumpers running across the motherboard, but manufacturers quickly began reducing the number of jumpers in each computer.
Older computers also used two-pin Berg connectors to connect the turbo switch and reset button to the motherboard. A turbo switch was used to change processor speed, while a reset button forced a computer to go through the shutdown process to clear its memory and restore its original settings. Eventually the reset button was integrated with the power button, using a different type of connector.
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