DIN and MIDI Wiring

This page gives information on wiring various Din connectors for various purposes including MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) connections.

Leads Direct sell and manufacture cables using a wide range of DIN standard connectors which you can view and purchase by visiting our secure online shop which has literally thousands of products each with two sizes of image. The most common of these are MIDI and Keyboard and Mouse leads and cables.

DIN is short for Deutsches Insitut für Normung eV, the standards setting organization for Germany. A DIN connector is a connector that conforms to one of the many standards defined by DIN. DIN connectors are used widely in Hi-Fi, Audio Visual, Music and in Computers. For example, the keyboard connector for a PC is a DIN connector, as is the connector on a MIDI lead and an S-Video lead.

Whilst professionally made cables normally give better results than home made, if you wish to make or repair your own cables the information below should help:

DIN 41612 connectors are used widely to connect network equipment, such as routers and switches.

5 Pin Din Midi Connections
Midi cables use a 180º 5 pin DIN connector with a single locating lug in the body, but only uses three of the pins. The cable should be screened with an overall Lap Screen. Pin 2 is connected to the Shield (also known as Screen or Earth) and the other pins are connected straight through:
5 pin din MIDI connection diagram
1
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 Not Connected
2
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 2 (Earth)
3
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 Not Connected
4
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 4
5
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 5

Our Standard Midi Cables are manufactured using this pin layout. Note that a few Midi products use an additional pin for their own purposes, and which case you should use a Standard 5 pin DIN pinout instead. There is no problem with having the extra connections if they are unused.

Standard 5 Pin DIN Connections
Standard 5 pin DIN cables use a 180º 5 pin DIN connector with a single locating lug in the body. Pin 2 is connected to the Shield (also known as Screen or Earth) and the other pins are connected straight through:
5 pin din connection diagram
1
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 1
2
bullet
 2 (Earth)
3
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 3
4
bullet
 4
5
bullet
 5

Our Moulded Midi Cables use this layout with all pins connected.

If you are seeking information on Din wiring but cannot find it here, please email info@leadsdirect.co.uk and we will try to both answer your question and make sure that the information is made available through these pages for future reference.

Leads Direct makes great efforts to provide accurate and complete information. However, portions of the information contained in this website and any documents viewed on it or downloaded from it may be incorrect or not current. Any errors or omissions should be reported for investigation and correction. The information provided in any documents whether on our website or otherwise is provided "as is." No warranty of any kind, implied, expressed, or statutory, including but not limited to the warranties of non-infringement of third party rights, title, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from computer virus, is given.

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