Cat7 STP RJ45 plug with metal can, fork ground, and 8-hole load bar
This Cat7 connector is a shielded 8P8C modular plug with a nickel metal housing, a fork-shaped ground tail, two side earth pins, and a separate clear load bar. It is a crimp-on crystal head for S/FTP and STP cable, not a zinc toolless field plug and not a two-piece PROFINET hood with a turquoise manager. Patch-cord plants and system integrators use it when the jacket is individually foiled, the braid must land on a metal can, and the last 13 mm of pairs must stay in a load bar or the 10G channel fails NEXT.
Buyers searching for a Cat7 shielded RJ45 plug, an STP 8P8C connector with load bar, or a metal-can Cat7 modular plug will specify this kit instead of an unshielded Cat5e head. Pair it with Cat7 S/FTP patch cables and Cat7 shielded keystones. For cabinet PROFINET leads use the industrial field hood plug. For MPTL WAPs use a Cat6A toolless field plug.
How the fork tail and side pins complete the shield
Cat7 cable is almost always S/FTP or F/FTP: each pair in foil, plus an overall braid. A plastic plug leaves that braid floating. This plug’s metal can wraps the 8P8C body. The Y-shaped fork at the rear folds onto the braid and jacket so a shielded crimp die closes the earth in the same stroke as the gold blades. Two side pins on the insert wipe the jack shield or the can so the path is not a single drain stuffed under one tab. That is the difference between a “shielded-looking” crystal head and a plug that can pass alien crosstalk on a 10G bundle.
Category 7 (ISO/IEC 11801 Class F) is specified to 600 MHz and is commonly used for 10GBASE-T. The mating face is still the 8P8C modular connector. Category lives in the cable, the plug geometry, and the tested channel. Putting this can on Cat5e UTP does not create a Cat7 link.
Why the load bar is a separate part
The small clear 8-hole piece is the separator. Conductors pass through it so pair twist and spacing hold up to the gold contacts. Skipping it is the usual reason shop-made “Cat7” cords fail return loss. Dress T568A or T568B in the bar, seat the bar in the plug, fold foil and braid onto the fork, then crimp with a Cat6A/Cat7 shielded die that folds the can. A telephone-style tool will not close the fork and will fail shield continuity.
Typical wire is 22–24 AWG solid or stranded, insulation about 1.3–1.45 mm, jacket about 6.5–8.2 mm. Confirm OD so the fork bites jacket and braid together. Gold is commonly 50 µin over nickel on phosphor-bronze 3-prong blades so both solid horizontal and stranded patch wire seat in one crimp.
Where this plug is used
OEM Cat7 patch-cord lines, data-center 10G jumpers, shielded drops in labs and hospitals, industrial Ethernet next to drives, and 4K AV-over-IP tails. The 8P8C nose fits any RJ45 jack; the Cat7 claim only holds on a tested shielded channel. Indoor commercial is the default.
Technical specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Product name | Cat7 shielded RJ45 8P8C modular plug, metal can, fork ground, load bar |
| Interface | RJ45 / 8P8C male, cable-mount crimp |
| Category / class | Cat7 / ISO/IEC 11801 Class F, 600 MHz |
| Data rate | 10GBASE-T on a qualified channel |
| Shielding | Nickel-plated metal can; fork-style braid clamp; two side ground pins |
| Pair management | Separate 8-hole clear load bar |
| Housing | Transparent polycarbonate + metal shield |
| Contacts | 8P8C, gold-plated copper alloy / phosphor bronze |
| Wiring | T568A / T568B |
| Wire range (typical) | 22–24 AWG solid or stranded |
| Cable types | Cat7 / Cat7A / Cat6A S/FTP, F/FTP, STP |
| Termination | IDC crimp; shielded 8P8C die required |
| Kit contents | Shielded plug body + 8-hole load bar |
| Current / voltage class | 1.5 A / 125 VAC typical; PoE / PoE+ capable on a designed channel |
| OEM / ODM | Gold thickness, AWG window, pack quantity, private label |
Send cable construction, AWG, jacket OD, and whether you need a Fluke first article to the engineering desk.
How OEM buyers should write the PO
State: Cat7 STP RJ45 8P8C, metal can, fork ground tail, 8-hole load bar, gold contacts. Do not substitute an unshielded crystal head or a PROFINET screw hood. Those are other SKUs.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as your PROFINET field plug?
No. The PROFINET kit is a screw-together metal hood with an IDC insert and a turquoise manager. This part is a crimp crystal head with a stamped can and a clear 8-hole bar. Do not mix them on one work instruction.
Will it make any cable into Cat7?
No. Use Cat7 or qualified Cat6A shielded cable, this plug, and a shielded jack, then test.
Solid or stranded? A or B?
Gold 8P8C blades take both in the stated AWG window. Pick T568A or T568B per site and do not mix in one channel.
What tool do I need?
A shielded RJ45 crimp tool with a Cat6A/Cat7 die that folds the metal can and the fork tail. Pass-through pliers will not terminate the shield.
Is it PoE safe?
Signal-and-PoE class on 22–23 AWG Cat7 is the usual stack for IEEE 802.3af/at. Confirm bundle size for PoE++.
Can you private-label?
Yes. Inner bags, your part number, and mixed cartons with keystone jacks are standard. Sample packs ship for first-article crimp and test.
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