What This Jack Does in the Assembly
The TE 1888250-2 is a shielded RJ45 jack with 8 positions and 8 contacts (8p8c), terminated via press-fit into the PCB. It mounts at a right angle to the board edge, with the tab oriented upward, making it a standard fit for a panel cutout in rack-mount switches, routers, or industrial Ethernet ports. The press-fit termination eliminates the need for a wave solder step — the compliant pin cold-welds into the plated through-hole, which is a common requirement in backplane assemblies where the connector is installed after the board is fully populated.
Shielding and Signal Integrity for Cat5e
Rated Cat5e, this jack supports 100 MHz signaling and 1 Gbps Ethernet — the standard for structured cabling in commercial and industrial LANs. The shielded shell with an integrated EMI finger provides a low-impedance path to chassis ground, bleeding common-mode noise before it reaches the magnetics.
Mounting and Termination Options
The jack supports three mounting methods: board-edge cutout (standard RJ45 bezel), panel mount (with the flange securing it to a front panel), and through-hole for the press-fit tails. The press-fit termination is the main differentiator from the solder-tail version (1888250-1): no solder means no thermal stress on the housing or nearby components, and the connector can be pressed in after reflow.
LED Status Indicators
The jack carries three LEDs — green, yellow-green, and yellow — for link/activity and speed indication. The LED colors are fixed per the part number; the 1888250-2 uses this specific color set, while the 1888250-1 uses a different LED arrangement. If your BOM calls for green/yellow-green/yellow, this is the version to order.