TAE Connector Pin Assignment

TAE Plug pin assignment:

TAE plug view from front onto the contacts

+--------+
| +----+ |
| |    | |
| *4  3* |
| |    | |
| *5  2* |
| |    | |
| *6  1* |
| |    | |
| +----+ |
+--------+
   | |   
   | |   
   | |

The assignment for the TAE socket is therefore (view upon the socket):

W  E

b  b2

a  a2

TAE means Telekommunikations-Anschluß-Einheit (telecommunication connection unit). There are two different codings of the plugs available. I.e. the plugs with a certain coding can only be plugged into a socket with the same coding. The pin assignment is however the same for both versions. Is the plastic nose at position 1 you have a so called F-plug. Is the nose at position 3 you have a so called N-plug. "F" stands for "Fernsprechen" (phoning) and "N" stands for "Nichtfernsprechen" (not phoning).

"F" coding is for normal telephones
"N" is for all additional equipment like fax, answering machines and modems.

ISDN telephones: The NTBA of a ISDN installation is mostly connected with the same plug to the incoming line. This is not described here.

Connection of a single TAE Socket

LINE
Input
| |     ^ ^ LINE continuation
V V     | |
O O O O O O
1 2 3 4 5 6

The line is connected to contacts 1 and 2. Only one telephone or unit can be plugged in. If no telephone is plugged in, the line is switched to contacts 5 and 6 (continuation). By this mechanism it is possible to connect several sockets in sequence. If a telephone is plugged into one of the sockets, all sockets after the plugging position are disconnected.

At contacts 2 and 3 and additional bell can be connected. Contact 4 is only used for telephone communication systems. It is used to access the external line. However, this is described in the handbook of these systems.

Connection of a double TAE Socket

LINE
Input
|  |        ^  ^ LINE continuation
V  V        |  |
O  O  O  O  O  O
1  2  3  4  5  6
+--------------+
|   FF-Socket  |
|              |
+--------------+
O  O  O  O  O  O
6  5  4  3  2  1
            ^  ^
            |  | 2nd LINE Input

The upper contact row is always for the left socket. The lower contact row is always for the right socket. This double socket is available as a FF and as a NF version. The wireing is done always the same, no matter which kind of coding the sockets have. The following ways of wireing can be performed:

- two external lines e.g. for two telephones or one telephone and one fax. The external line is conneted to contact 1 and 2 of the upper contact row. This line can then be continued via contact 5 and 6 to further TAE sockets. The second external line is connected to contact 1 and 2 of the lower contact row.

- one external line for one additional unit (fax, modem, answering machine) and one telephone. The additional unit uses the left socket, the telephone or any other unit uses the right socket. The external linehas to be connected to contact 1 and 2 of the upper contact row. If an unit is plugged into the left socket, the unit will automatically switch the line to contact 5 and 6, if it is in idle mode, and a second unit can be used in the second socket. Note, that this only works for units which are complying to the official German standard. For imported units (e.g. from Japan or USA) this usually does not work and a crossover has to be installed from contact 1 to contact 5 and from 2 to 6 inside the TAE plug of the unit in the left socket. A telephone should only be using the last i.e. right socket.

The Wire Colors for Telephones are:

German units (not for very old telephones!):
1 - white
2 - brown
3 - green (not needed)
4 - yellow (not needed)

Imported units:
1 - red
2 - green