A wire is a single, usually cylindrical, flexible strand or rod of metal. Electrical wires are used to bear electricity and telecommunications signals. Wire is commonly formed by drawing the metal through a hole in a die or draw plate. Wire gauges come in various standard sizes, as expressed in terms of a gauge number. The term wire is also used more loosely to refer to a bundle of such strands, as in "multistranded wire", which is more correctly termed a cable in electricity.

Wire comes in solid core, stranded, or braided forms. Although usually circular in cross-section, wire can be made in square, hexagonal, flattened rectangular, or other cross-sections, either for decorative purposes, or for technical purposes such as high-efficiency voice coils in loudspeakers.

Electrical wires are usually covered with insulating materials, such as plastic, rubber-like polymers, or varnish. Insulating and jacketing of wires and cables is nowadays done by passing them through an extruder. Formerly, materials used for insulation included treated cloth or paper and various oil-based products. Since the mid-1960s, plastic and polymers exhibiting properties similar to rubber have predominated.

An electrical connector, is an electro-mechanical device used to join electrical terminations and create an electrical circuit. Electrical connectors consist of plugs (male-ended) and jacks (female-ended). The connection may be temporary, as for portable equipment, require a tool for assembly and removal, or serve as a permanent electrical joint between two wires or devices. An adapter can be used to effectively bring together dissimilar connectors.

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Hundreds of types of electrical connectors are manufactured for power, signal and control applications. Connectors may join two lengths of flexible copper wire or cable, or connect a wire or cable to an electrical terminal.

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In computing, an electrical connector can also be known as a physical interface (compare physical layer in OSI model of networking). Cable glands, known as cable connectors in the US, connect wires to devices mechanically rather than electrically and are distinct from quick-disconnects performing the latter.

SOUNDVIEWSI is an integrator of American-made electrical, data, transit, telephone, conduit, audio, video, fire alarm, security, and industrial wiring and connectivity systems. We provide quality products, competitive prices and excellent service with same day installation options, depending on the size of your project. At SOUNDVIEWSI, our knowledgeable sales team provides guidance and solutions. It’s what makes us a key integrator for all of your electrical, transit and data needs. At SOUNDVIEWSI we make it our business to create lasting connections.

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