Patent ID: 7811119

Claim:
A patch cord comprising: a plurality of signal wires; two control wires; a first connector adapted to connect the signal and control wires with a first communication device, said first connector comprising a plug that terminates the signal wires and two parallel contact plates extended in a mating direction and separated by an insulator layer, said plates terminate said two control wires; the contact plates and plug configured to connect with different connectors of the first communication device; and a second connector adapted to connect only the signal wires of the signal and control wires with a second communication device, wherein the second connector includes: an indicator light, control circuitry configured to control the indicator light, a pogo switch assembly wherein the pogo switch assembly changes states when a pogo pin is pushed into the pogo switch assembly; detection circuitry configured to detect whether the second connector is plugged into the second communication device via the pogo switch assembly changing states, and identification (ID) circuitry configured to provide a unique ID number of the patch cord to the first communication device through the first connector, wherein the control circuitry, the indicator light, the detection circuitry, and the ID circuitry are connected to the at least one control wire but not to the signal wires.