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                                                           Exhibit 10.1

                       CONNECTIVITY PRODUCTS INCORPORATED

                                 FIRST AMENDMENT
                                       TO
                              AMENDED AND RESTATED
                    REVOLVING CREDIT AND TERM LOAN AGREEMENT


      This FIRST AMENDMENT (this "Amendment"), dated as of August 26, 1996, is
among CONNECTIVITY PRODUCTS INCORPORATED, a Delaware corporation (the
"Borrower"), NBD BANK as Administrative Agent (the "Administrative Agent"), THE
FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF BOSTON as Documentation Agent (the "Documentation Agent",
and together with the Administrative Agent, the "Co-Agents") for the lending
institutions (the "Banks") listed on Schedule 1 to the Credit Agreement (as
hereinafter defined) and the Banks.

      WHEREAS, the Borrower, the Banks and the Co-Agents are parties to that
certain Amended and Restated Revolving Credit and Term Loan Agreement, dated as
of May 31, 1996 (the "Credit Agreement"), pursuant to which the Banks, upon
certain terms and conditions, have made loans to and may issue letters of credit
for the benefit of the Borrower; and

      WHEREAS, the Borrower had requested that the Banks agree, and the Banks
have agreed, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, to
make certain changes to the Credit Agreement;

      NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

      SECTION 1. DEFINED TERMS. Capitalized terms which are used herein without
definition and which are defined in the Credit Agreement shall have the same
meanings herein as in the Credit Agreement.

      SECTION 2. AMENDMENT OF CREDIT AGREEMENT. Section 27 of the Credit
Agreement is hereby amended by deleting the second sentence of such Section 27
and restating it in its entirety as follows:

      Notwithstanding the foregoing, the principal amount of the Loans may not
      be decreased (other than as permitted by the terms of this Agreement), the
      maturity of or any scheduled principal payment date or Interest Payment
      Date or date for payment of any Reimbursement Obligation may not be
      extended, and the rate of interest on the Notes (other than interest
      accruing pursuant to Section 6.11 following the effective date of any
      waiver by the Majority Banks of the Default or Event of Default relating
      thereto), the amount of the Commitments of the Banks, and the amount of
      commitment fee or Letter of Credit Fees hereunder may not be changed
      without the written consent of the Borrower and the written consent of
      each Bank affected thereby; the definition of Majority Banks may not be
      amended, and none of the Guaranties nor all or substantially all of the
      assets of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries may be released, without
      the written consent of all of the Banks; the
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      amount of the Agents' fee and Section 16 may not be amended without the
      written consent of the Administrative Agent; and any Letter of Credit Fees
      payable for the Issuing Bank's account may not be amended without the
      written consent of the Issuing Bank.

      SECTION 3. CONDITIONS TO EFFECTIVENESS. The effectiveness of this
Amendment shall be subject to receipt by the Administrative Agent of this
Amendment executed by each of the Borrower, the Banks and the Co-Agents.

      SECTION 4. AFFIRMATION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE BORROWER. The Borrower
hereby ratifies and confirms all of its Obligations to the Banks and the
Co-Agents, including, without limitation the Loans, and the Borrower hereby
affirms its absolute and unconditional promise to pay to the Banks the Loans and
all other amounts due under the Credit Agreement as amended hereby.

      SECTION 5. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. The Borrower hereby represents
and warrants to the Co-Agents and the Banks as follows:

            (a) Representation and Warranties in the Credit Agreement. The
      representations and warranties of the Borrower contained in the Credit
      Agreement were true and correct in all material respects as of the date
      when made and continue to be true and correct in all material respects on
      the date hereof, except to the extent of changes resulting from
      transactions or events contemplated by the Credit Agreement and the other
      Loan Documents and changes occurring in the ordinary course of business
      that singly or in the aggregate are not materially adverse to the
      Borrower, or to the extent that such representations and warranties relate
      expressly to an earlier date.

            (b) Authority, Etc. The execution and delivery by the Borrower of
      this Amendment and the performance by the Borrower of all of its
      agreements and obligations under the Credit Agreement as amended hereby
      are within the corporate authority of the Borrower and have been duly
      authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Borrower.

            (c) Enforceability of Obligations. This Amendment and the Credit
      Agreement as amended hereby constitute the legal, valid and binding
      obligations of the Borrower, enforceable against the Borrower in
      accordance with their terms, except as enforceability is limited by
      bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws relating
      to or affecting generally the enforcement of, creditors' rights and except
      to the extent that availability of the remedy of specific performance or
      injunctive relief is subject to the discretion of the court before which
      any proceeding therefor may be brought.

            (d)   No Default.  No Default or Event of Default has occurred
      and is continuing, and no Default or Event of Default will exist after
      execution and delivery of this Amendment.
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      SECTION 6. NO OTHER AMENDMENTS OR WAIVERS. Except as expressly provided in
this Amendment, all of the terms and conditions of the Credit Agreement and the
other Loan Documents remain in full force and effect.

      SECTION 7. EXPENSES. Pursuant to Section 17 of the Credit Agreement, all
costs and expenses incurred or sustained by the Co-Agents in connection with
this Amendment, including the fees and disbursements of legal counsel for the
Co-Agents in producing, reproducing and negotiating the Amendment, will be for
the account of the Borrower whether or not the transactions contemplated by this
Amendment are consummated.

      SECTION 8. EXECUTION IN COUNTERPARTS. This Amendment may be executed in
any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but which
together shall constitute one instrument.

      SECTION 9. MISCELLANEOUS. THIS AMENDMENT SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE A CONTRACT
UNDER THE LAWS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS AND SHALL FOR ALL PURPOSES
BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH AND GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF
MASSACHUSETTS (EXCLUDING THE LAWS APPLICABLE TO CONFLICTS OR CHOICE OF LAW). The
captions in this Amendment are for convenience of reference only and shall not
define or limit the provisions hereof.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this First Amendment
as a document under seal as of the date first above written.

                                    CONNECTIVITY PRODUCTS
                                    INCORPORATED

                                    By:   /s/  Gregory C. Kowert
                                       -----------------------------------------
                                       Name: Gregory C. Kowert
                                       Title: Senior Vice President, Finance
                                              and Chief Financial Officer

                                    NBD BANK, individually and as
                                    Administrative Agent

                                    By:   /s/  Erik W. Bakker
                                       -----------------------------------------
                                       Erik W. Bakker, Vice President

                                    THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK
                                    OF BOSTON, individually
                                    and as Documentation Agent

                                    By:   /s/  G. Christopher Miller
                                       -----------------------------------------
                                       G. Christopher Miller, Vice President