An
RCA connector, sometimes called a
phono connector or
cinch connector, is a type of
electrical connector commonly used to carry audio and video signals. The connectors are also sometimes casually referred to as
A/V jacks. The name "RCA" derives from the
Radio Corporation of America, which introduced the design by the early 1940s for internal connection of the pickup to the chassis in home radio-phonograph consoles. It was originally a low-cost, simple design, intended only for mating and disconnection when servicing the console. Refinement came with later designs, although they remained compatible.