<s>
A	O
patch	B-Device
cable	I-Device
,	O
patch	B-Device
cord	I-Device
or	O
patch	B-Device
lead	I-Device
is	O
an	O
electrical	O
or	O
optical	O
cable	O
used	O
to	O
connect	O
(	O
"	O
patch	O
in	O
"	O
)	O
one	O
electronic	O
or	O
optical	O
device	O
to	O
another	O
for	O
signal	O
routing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Devices	O
of	O
different	O
types	O
(	O
e.g.	O
,	O
a	O
switch	B-Protocol
connected	O
to	O
a	O
computer	O
,	O
or	O
a	O
switch	B-Protocol
to	O
a	O
router	B-Protocol
)	O
are	O
connected	O
with	O
patch	B-Device
cords	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Patch	B-Device
cords	I-Device
are	O
usually	O
produced	O
in	O
many	O
different	O
colors	O
so	O
as	O
to	O
be	O
easily	O
distinguishable	O
from	O
each	O
other	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Types	O
of	O
patch	B-Device
cords	I-Device
include	O
microphone	B-Application
cables	O
,	O
fiber	B-Architecture
optic	I-Architecture
spectroscopy	O
cables	O
,	O
headphone	B-Device
extension	O
cables	O
,	O
XLR	B-Device
connector	I-Device
,	O
Tiny	O
Telephone	O
(	O
TT	O
)	O
connector	B-Device
,	O
RCA	B-Protocol
connector	I-Protocol
and	O
¼	B-Device
"	I-Device
TRS	I-Device
phone	I-Device
connector	I-Device
cables	O
(	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
modular	B-Architecture
Ethernet	O
cables	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
thicker	O
,	O
hose-like	O
cords	O
(	O
snake	O
cable	O
)	O
used	O
to	O
carry	O
video	O
or	O
amplified	O
signals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
patch	B-Device
cords	I-Device
typically	O
refer	O
only	O
to	O
short	O
cords	O
used	O
with	O
patch	B-Protocol
panels	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
reconnection	O
was	O
done	O
via	O
patch	B-Device
cords	I-Device
and	O
patch	B-Protocol
panels	I-Protocol
,	O
like	O
the	O
jack	B-Protocol
fields	I-Protocol
of	O
cord-type	O
telephone	O
switchboards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Analog	O
music	O
synthesizers	O
typically	O
use	O
patch	B-Device
cables	I-Device
to	O
interconnect	O
functional	O
sections	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
oscillators	O
,	O
filters	O
,	O
etc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
patch	B-Device
cord	I-Device
cable	O
differs	O
from	O
a	O
standard	O
structured	O
cabling	O
in	O
that	O
a	O
patch	B-Device
cable	I-Device
is	O
stranded	O
for	O
flexibility	O
,	O
whereas	O
a	O
standard	O
cable	O
is	O
solid	O
copper	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
the	O
patch	B-Device
cord	I-Device
is	O
stranded	O
copper	O
construction	O
the	O
attenuation	O
(	O
signal	O
loss	O
)	O
is	O
higher	O
on	O
patch	B-Device
cords	I-Device
than	O
solid	O
cable	O
so	O
short	O
lengths	O
should	O
be	O
adhered	O
to	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
can	O
be	O
as	O
short	O
as	O
,	O
to	O
connect	O
stacked	O
components	O
or	O
route	O
signals	O
through	O
a	O
patch	B-Protocol
bay	I-Protocol
,	O
or	O
between	O
for	O
snake	O
cables	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Patch	B-Device
cords	I-Device
are	O
often	O
made	O
of	O
coaxial	O
cables	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
signal	O
carried	O
through	O
a	O
shielded	O
core	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
electrical	O
ground	O
or	O
earthed	O
return	O
connection	O
carried	O
through	O
a	O
wire	O
mesh	O
surrounding	O
the	O
core	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
cable	O
is	O
attached	O
to	O
a	O
connector	B-Device
so	O
that	O
the	O
cord	O
may	O
be	O
plugged	O
in	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Connector	B-Device
types	O
may	O
vary	O
widely	O
,	O
particularly	O
with	O
adapting	O
cables	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Patch	B-Device
cords	I-Device
may	O
be	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
patch	B-Device
cord	I-Device
is	O
always	O
fitted	O
with	O
connectors	O
at	O
both	O
ends	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
pigtail	O
is	O
similar	O
to	O
a	O
patch	B-Device
cord	I-Device
and	O
is	O
the	O
informal	O
name	O
given	O
to	O
a	O
cable	O
fitted	O
with	O
a	O
connector	B-Device
at	O
one	O
end	O
and	O
bare	O
wires	O
(	O
or	O
bare	O
fibre	O
)	O
at	O
the	O
other	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
context	O
of	O
copper	O
cabling	O
,	O
these	O
cables	O
are	O
sometimes	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
blunt	O
patch	B-Device
cords	I-Device
and	O
the	O
non-connectorized	O
end	O
(	O
"	O
the	O
pigtail	O
"	O
)	O
is	O
intended	O
to	O
be	O
permanently	O
attached	O
to	O
a	O
component	O
or	O
terminal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Optical	B-Architecture
fiber	I-Architecture
pigtails	O
,	O
in	O
contrast	O
to	O
copper	O
pigtails	O
,	O
can	O
be	O
more	O
accurately	O
described	O
as	O
a	O
connector	B-Device
than	O
a	O
cable	O
or	O
cord	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
fiber	O
pigtail	O
is	O
a	O
single	O
,	O
short	O
,	O
usually	O
tight-buffered	B-Device
,	O
optical	B-Architecture
fiber	I-Architecture
that	O
has	O
an	O
optical	B-Device
connector	I-Device
pre-installed	O
on	O
one	O
end	O
and	O
a	O
length	O
of	O
exposed	O
fiber	O
at	O
the	O
other	O
end	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
fiber	O
pigtail	O
is	O
stripped	B-Device
and	O
fusion	O
spliced	O
to	O
a	O
single	O
fiber	O
of	O
a	O
multi-fiber	O
trunk	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microphones	B-Application
are	O
typically	O
connected	O
to	O
mixing	O
boards	O
or	O
PA	O
systems	O
with	O
XLR	O
microphone	B-Application
cables	O
which	O
use	O
three-pin	O
XLR	B-Device
connectors	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
huge	O
range	O
of	O
electric	O
or	O
electronic	O
instruments	O
use	O
1/4	O
inch	O
mono	O
patch	B-Device
cords	I-Device
to	O
connect	O
the	O
instrument	O
to	O
the	O
amplifier	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
electric	O
guitar	O
,	O
electric	O
bass	O
,	O
synthesizer	O
,	O
electric	O
piano	O
,	O
or	O
electronic	O
drum	O
machine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Musicians	O
playing	O
electric	O
or	O
electronic	O
instruments	O
often	O
use	O
longer	O
cables	O
(	O
from	O
10	O
to	O
20	O
feet	O
)	O
between	O
their	O
instrument	O
and	O
their	O
amplifier	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
use	O
shorter	O
patch	B-Device
cords	I-Device
(	O
from	O
a	O
few	O
inches	O
to	O
one	O
or	O
two	O
feet	O
long	O
)	O
to	O
connect	O
chains	O
of	O
effects	O
devices	O
,	O
"	O
stomp	O
box	O
"	O
pedals	O
,	O
or	O
other	O
signal	O
processors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
DJs	O
using	O
record	O
players	O
connect	O
their	O
turntables	O
to	O
mixers	O
or	O
PA	O
systems	O
with	O
stereo	O
RCA	B-Protocol
connectors	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
DJs	O
sometimes	O
have	O
to	O
use	O
equipment	O
with	O
multiple	O
cable	O
types	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
create	O
connection	O
difficulties	O
;	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
the	O
DJ	O
's	O
record	O
players	O
and	O
DJ	O
mixers	O
all	O
use	O
RCA	B-Protocol
connectors	I-Protocol
,	O
but	O
if	O
they	O
use	O
a	O
drum	O
machine	O
or	O
a	O
bass	O
synthesizer	O
,	O
it	O
may	O
have	O
a	O
1/4	O
inch	O
mono	O
connector	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
¼	B-Device
"	I-Device
TRS	I-Device
phone	I-Device
connector	I-Device
cables	O
can	O
carry	O
stereo	O
signals	O
,	O
so	O
they	O
are	O
used	O
for	O
stereo	B-Device
headphones	I-Device
and	O
for	O
some	O
patching	O
purposes	O
(	O
e.g.	O
,	O
inserting	O
an	O
effect	O
into	O
an	O
insert	O
connection	O
in	O
a	O
mixer	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Music	O
venues	O
,	O
concert	O
halls	O
,	O
and	O
recording	O
studios	O
also	O
use	O
a	O
thicker	O
,	O
hose-like	O
cord	O
called	O
a	O
snake	O
cable	O
(	O
or	O
a	O
"	O
snake	O
"	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
consists	O
of	O
a	O
bundle	O
of	O
many	O
individual	O
cables	O
with	O
patch	B-Protocol
bays	I-Protocol
at	O
either	O
end	O
so	O
that	O
audio	O
gear	O
can	O
be	O
connected	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
patch	B-Protocol
bay	I-Protocol
is	O
a	O
flat	O
panel	O
of	O
audio	O
connectors	O
where	O
XLR	B-Device
cables	I-Device
(	O
often	O
both	O
"	O
male	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
female	O
"	O
)	O
and	O
1/4	O
inch	O
jacks	O
can	O
be	O
plugged	O
in	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
"	O
snake	O
"	O
cable	O
makes	O
setup	O
more	O
convenient	O
,	O
because	O
if	O
a	O
sound	O
engineer	O
did	O
not	O
have	O
a	O
"	O
snake	O
"	O
,	O
she	O
or	O
he	O
would	O
have	O
to	O
run	O
20	O
or	O
30	O
individual	O
microphone	B-Application
and	O
instrument	O
cables	O
from	O
the	O
stage	O
to	O
the	O
mixing	O
booth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
cables	O
could	O
get	O
tangled	O
or	O
mixed	O
up	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
hard	O
to	O
know	O
,	O
when	O
faced	O
with	O
20	O
connectors	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
cable	O
run	O
,	O
which	O
cable	O
was	O
associated	O
with	O
which	O
microphone	B-Application
or	O
instrument	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
patch	B-Protocol
bay	I-Protocol
is	O
numbered	O
,	O
so	O
that	O
the	O
engineer	O
can	O
note	O
which	O
microphone	B-Application
or	O
instrument	O
is	O
plugged	O
into	O
each	O
numbered	O
connection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Patch	B-Device
cables	I-Device
can	O
also	O
be	O
used	O
on	O
video	O
synthesizers	O
.	O
</s>
