Pixel Pigtail Identification: xConnect, Mconnect, Ray-Wu and LOR/DIY

A connector is easiest to identify when you look at the end that actually makes contact. Start with the family, count the contacts, and confirm where that cable belongs in your display. Then choose the matching pigtail, extension, adapter, or cap.

This reference covers the connector options in our pixel and cable range. For the electrical checks and first test, use our Pixel Connector Compatibility Guide.

Take three useful photos before ordering

  1. Straight into the connector: show every metal pin or socket and the plastic key. Keep the key in a clearly identified position.
  2. From the side: include the threaded collar, connector body, and the cable entering it.
  3. The product label: include the pixel name, voltage, wire count, and any input/output arrow. Photograph both ends when you need an adapter.

A ruler beside the body can help distinguish similar sizes. Do not force two connectors together to find out whether they match. Threads that begin to engage are not proof that the contacts or wiring agree.

Find your connector family

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Family or option Where to start What to verify
Three-wire xConnect EVO orders with the xConnect/EasyPlug option; check the supplied EVO Dome connection. Three contacts, matching key and threads, and the correct input/output end.
EVO+ four-wire connection EVO+ uses dual data and has its own four-wire connection arrangement. Use the input adapter and extension arrangement documented for that strand. A three-core cable cannot carry four separate conductors.
Mconnect Kraken Flex, EVO Lux Dome, and EVO orders selected with M-Connect; Mconnect Pro Series cable options. The exact product generation, contact count, and supplied connector. Check any adapter separately.
Ray-Wu / 13.5 mm Ray-Wu pigtail and extension options, plus the Ray-to-xConnect adapter. Match the named family and contact layout. Buying from a particular vendor does not identify the connector.
LOR / DIY options Selected pigtails and caps use this combined label. Our adapter listing distinguishes LOR 15 mm and DIY 15 mm. Establish which wiring convention your actual equipment uses before selecting the adapter.

Use the exact option on your order and the connector in your hand together. Our current EVO range includes xConnect/EasyPlug and M-Connect choices. Custom builds and different product generations can have different ends. An EasyPlug name in a listing should be checked against that listing's specified mating family; it is not a substitute for identifying the actual connector.

Male, female, input, and output mean different things

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Term What you are identifying
Male contact A projecting metal pin.
Female contact A recessed metal socket that receives a pin.
Collar or nut The part that secures the connection. Its position does not define the metal contact's gender.
Input / output The intended direction through the product. Follow the pixel's data arrow or documented DI/DO marking.

A protective shell can make the male-contact end look like the outer half of a socket. Identify the metal contacts first. Also record the job: “controller output” or “pixel input” is more useful than a photograph described only as “the female end.”

Our three-pin pigtail listing includes female bare-wire leads for controller builds. Choose the family that mates with your strand's input, then connect the bare wires according to the controller labels and verified cable pinout.

Generic side view of a male metal pin and female socket; not a connector-family pinout
Generic side view of metal contacts. This explains pin versus socket terminology; it is not a connector-family pinout. Open the diagram at full size to see the labels clearly.

A pinout needs a viewing direction

When using a pinout drawing, check whether it shows the mating face or the cable-entry side. Turning the connector around reverses the apparent left and right positions. Match the key, contact gender, contact count, and viewing direction before following a diagram.

Wire colors and jacket stripes are also product-specific. A mark that identifies positive on one cable may identify something else on another. The connector body does not tell you the operating voltage.

The identified Mattos flat three-core cable

For the specific Mattos black flat cable with the white-dot marking described in our power and wiring reference:

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Conductor marking Function on this cable
White-dotted outside conductor +12V positive
Center conductor Data
Plain outside conductor DC negative / ground

This table identifies the conductors of that cable. It does not assign left/right positions to an unknown connector, and it does not apply to every striped cable or four-wire product.

Compare actual Mattos connector photos

These are photographs from our product galleries. Open a photo to inspect it at full size, then compare the contact face, key and side of your own connector. Choose the exact product option before ordering; a connector family can appear on different cable styles.

Original Mattos photograph comparing the threaded xConnect connector on the left with the Mconnect connector on the right.
xConnect is pictured on the left; Mconnect is on the right. Compare the connector body and coupling style. The blue collar shown is a photographed example, not a universal identification rule. View the source product.
Mconnect pigtail ends showing three recessed sockets and three projecting metal pins with the keyed connector shape.
Mconnect contact faces from our pigtail listing. Count the contacts and compare the key before selecting a cable. This picture identifies the physical connection; it does not specify a pinout. View the source product.
A threaded three-pin pigtail pair showing projecting pins on the left and recessed sockets on the right.
A threaded three-pin pair from our pigtail range. The metal contacts define pin versus socket; the outer nut does not. Our listing carries several connector families, so match the selected variant as well as the picture. Wire colors in this photograph are not a universal wiring guide. View the source product.
Original product photo of the selected xConnect to Ray adapter, with a different connector at each end.
The xConnect-to-Ray adapter shown in that selected product option. Confirm which end must mate with the controller and which must mate with the lights. An adapter does not change the supply voltage or the pixel protocol. View the source product.
Original EVO+ pixel close-up showing its molded body and four parallel black insulated conductors.
EVO+ four-wire strand detail. The four-conductor ribbon is visible at the pixel body; the input adapter and connector mating face are not shown. This bagged EVO+ listing specifies an included three-wire-to-four-wire xConnect adapter. Match your exact product and adapter; do not substitute a generic three-core extension for a four-conductor section. View the source product.

Choose the complete matching route

Your selected lights Controller and extension starting point What to confirm
EVO with xConnect / EasyPlug selected An xConnect MD1500 controller and xConnect extension. Three-wire, 12V arrangement; actual strand input, correct polarity and configured pixel protocol.
EVO with M-Connect selected An Mconnect MD1500 controller and Mconnect Pro Series extension. The selected order option, contact layout and actual supplied ends. EVO is available with more than one connector.
Kraken Flex with its listed Mconnect connection An Mconnect MD1500 controller and matching Mconnect extension. Actual node count, connector generation, intended brightness and cable length.
EVO+ four-wire strand The product's documented input adapter and matching extension arrangement. The EVO+ listing specifies a three-wire-to-four-wire xConnect input adapter. Keep the four-wire portion intact as required; a generic three-core extension is not a four-conductor substitute.
Existing Ray-Wu, LOR or DIY equipment The specifically named matching pigtail or adapter. The actual wiring convention and connection direction. The combined LOR/DIY label is not proof that every older setup has the same pinout.

For a ready-to-run Baldrick, identify the connector on the enclosure's output lead and the one at the strand's input. Use our Baldrick setup guides for the configuration steps, then prove the complete connection before installing it outdoors.

Choose the correct output cap

Our pixel output end caps are supplied as 10 caps for unused outputs. Select the matching xConnect/EasyPlug, Ray-Wu/13.5 mm, LOR/DIY, or Mconnect option. Match the actual output you are covering rather than ordering by an assumed male/female rule.

Inspect the mating surfaces and seal before fitting the cap. A cap closes an unused end; it does not repair a damaged connector or make a submerged installation acceptable.

Make your next order easy

Write one line for each connection: from device → to device; voltage; connector family; contact count; required length. Keep a clear photo beside that note. For example, an existing three-wire xConnect controller output feeding an xConnect EVO input calls for a matching extension, with its length and load checked for the project.

If the identification is still uncertain, send the three photos and your order number to Support@MattosDesigns.com. Tell us which end is on the controller and which is on the lights. We can help you select the right part before you wire it.