8P8C Jack, Vertical SMT, Cat3 Rated
The TE Connectivity 1-338088-3 is a vertical surface-mount modular jack with 8 positions and 8 contacts — the standard 8P8C (RJ45) interface. It sits in the 338088 series of unshielded jacks, built for basic Ethernet and voice applications where the Cat3 rating sets the performance ceiling: 10BASE-T and analog telephony, not Gigabit or PoE+. The vertical orientation and SMT termination let it mount flat on the board with the jack opening perpendicular to the PCB plane. Housing is glass-filled polyamide (PA9T, Nylon 9T), a high-temperature material that survives lead-free reflow profiles without warping. No LED, no shielding — this is a clean, basic jack for cost-sensitive builds where EMI is not a concern.
The Cat3 rating limits the jack to 10BASE-T Ethernet and voice-grade applications. It is not certified for Cat5e or Cat6 performance — do not spec it for 100BASE-TX or Gigabit Ethernet runs where crosstalk and return loss matter. For a simple control panel, serial link, or phone line, the Cat3 ceiling is fine; for any modern data network, you need a Cat5e or better jack. Because the jack is unshielded, it lacks the metal shell and ground tabs that shunt EMI to the chassis. In a noisy industrial cabinet or near a VFD, the unshielded body will radiate and pick up interference. Keep it in low-noise environments or behind a metal enclosure wall.