<s>
An	O
insulation-displacement	O
contact	O
(	O
IDC	O
)	O
,	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
insulation-piercing	O
contact	O
(	O
IPC	O
)	O
,	O
is	O
an	O
electrical	B-Protocol
connector	I-Protocol
designed	O
to	O
be	O
connected	O
to	O
the	O
conductor(s )	O
of	O
an	O
insulated	O
cable	O
by	O
a	O
connection	O
process	O
which	O
forces	O
a	O
selectively	O
sharpened	O
blade	O
or	O
blades	O
through	O
the	O
insulation	O
,	O
bypassing	O
the	O
need	O
to	O
strip	O
the	O
conductors	O
of	O
insulation	O
before	O
connecting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initially	O
,	O
IDCs	O
were	O
seen	O
only	O
in	O
extra-low	O
voltage	O
applications	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
telecommunications	O
,	O
networking	B-Architecture
and	O
signal	O
connections	O
between	O
parts	O
of	O
an	O
electronic	O
or	O
computer	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
some	O
types	O
of	O
telephone	O
and	O
network	O
plug	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
BS	O
6312	O
and	O
the	O
registered	B-Protocol
jack	I-Protocol
(	O
RJ	O
)	O
family	O
,	O
generally	O
separate	O
wires	O
in	O
a	O
sheath	O
are	O
used	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Modular	O
connectors	O
used	O
with	O
Category	B-Protocol
5	I-Protocol
twisted	O
pair	O
cable	O
require	O
careful	O
arranging	O
of	O
the	O
conductors	O
by	O
hand	O
before	O
inserting	O
them	O
into	O
the	O
connector	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Punch-down	B-Protocol
blocks	I-Protocol
are	O
intended	O
to	O
connect	O
individual	O
conductors	O
punched	O
down	O
into	O
each	O
position	O
in	O
the	O
block	O
with	O
a	O
special	O
punch-down	O
tool	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Punch-down	O
terminations	O
are	O
also	O
generally	O
seen	O
in	O
telephone	O
and	O
network	O
connectors	O
,	O
in	O
patch	B-Protocol
panels	I-Protocol
and	O
distribution	O
frames	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
telephone	O
equipment	O
such	O
as	O
PBXs	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
above	O
connectors	O
,	O
the	O
computer	O
manufacturer	O
typically	O
attaches	O
a	O
female	B-Protocol
IDC	I-Protocol
connector	I-Protocol
onto	O
one	O
end	O
of	O
a	O
ribbon	O
cable	O
,	O
and	O
later	O
slides	O
that	O
connector	O
onto	O
a	O
matching	O
male	O
box	B-Protocol
header	I-Protocol
or	O
pin	B-Protocol
header	I-Protocol
on	O
the	O
computer	O
motherboard	O
.	O
</s>
