Cat5e Shielded RJ45 Jack with Light Pipe Provision
The Hirose TM21R-5C-88-LP(50) is a right-angle, shielded modular jack from the TM21R series, terminated with 8p8c contacts for standard RJ45 Ethernet connectivity. Its Cat5e rating means it is qualified for 1000BASE-T gigabit Ethernet signal paths, with the shielding and EMI finger providing the noise rejection needed to maintain signal integrity in industrial or data-com environments. The jack is through-hole mounted for a robust mechanical bond to the PCB, and the housing includes a provision for a light pipe, though this specific variant does not contain an LED.
The shielded construction with an EMI finger is the defining feature for this jack. It provides a low-impedance path from the cable shield to the PCB ground plane, which is essential for containing radiated emissions and rejecting external interference. The Cat5e rating confirms the differential pair skew and return loss meet the standard for 100 MHz operation, so this jack is a fit for any design targeting Gigabit Ethernet over twisted-pair copper.
Board Layout: Right-Angle, Through-Hole, Light Pipe
The through-hole solder tails provide the mechanical retention that surface-mount jacks often lack under repeated mating cycles. The 'LP' suffix indicates a light pipe feature: the jack has a molded channel to accept a separate light pipe component, but no LED is populated on this variant.
Cat5e vs Cat5: The Peer Comparison
Both are 8p8c right-angle shielded jacks with board lock and light pipe provisions. The critical difference is the rating: the TM21R-5C-88-LP(50) is rated Cat5e, while the TM11R-5M2-88-LP(30) is rated Cat5. For a Gigabit Ethernet design, the Cat5e rating of this TM21R jack is the correct choice, as Cat5 is limited to 100BASE-TX. If your application is 100 Mbps or slower, the TM11R is a cost-effective alternative, but for any new build targeting 1000BASE-T, the TM21R is the part to spec.