Which connectors does DVI Screw Lock Cable use?

One end is DVI-D or DVI-I, single or dual link, straight or right-angle and the other end is DVI-D or DVI-I, or DVI to a panel-mount feed-through.

What jacket material does DVI Screw Lock Cable use?

The jacket is PVC as standard, PUR on request.

DVI Screw Lock Cable, DVI-D and DVI-I Single or Dual Link

Last updated: 13 September 2026

Overview

A DVI screw lock cable is usually bought because a machine that works is not going to be upgraded this decade. The controller is fine, the display is fine, and the original lead has been flexed at the connector until one of the screened pairs went open. The difficulty is that DVI is not one connector – it is a family sharing a shell and differing in which contacts are actually fitted, and getting that wrong produces a cable that cannot be plugged in at all. We build to the variant on each end: DVI-D or DVI-I, single or dual link, straight or right-angle, with both jackscrews doing the retaining.

Identify the connector before you order

Look at the socket on each device, not at the label printed on the old cable – the label is frequently wrong, and the overmolding hides the contact layout anyway. The giveaway is the flat blade on one side of the connector and the four pins that sit around it.

Variant	What the face looks like	Carries	Mates with
DVI-D	Flat blade with pin rows, no pins around it	Digital only	DVI-D and DVI-I sockets
DVI-A	Four pins around the blade, no digital pin rows	Analog only (VGA signaling)	DVI-A and DVI-I sockets
DVI-I	Flat blade plus the four pins around it	Both digital and analog	DVI-I sockets; needs an adapter for DVI-D or VGA

The practical trap: a DVI-I plug has more contacts than a DVI-D socket has holes, so it will not go in. A DVI-D plug fits a DVI-I socket mechanically but carries no analog signal, so it will not drive an analog display through a passive adapter. Check both ends, not one.

Single link or dual link: count the pins

Dual link adds a second set of differential pairs alongside the first, which is what supports the higher pixel clocks a large or fast display needs. A single-link cable in a dual-link application gives a reduced mode or no picture; a dual-link cable in a single-link application simply has contacts that go nowhere, which is harmless but costs more. If you are matching an existing installation, the pin population on the old connector tells us the answer.

Contact group	Single link	Dual link	What it carries
Data pair 0 – 2	Fitted	Fitted	The three primary TMDS differential pairs
Data pair 3 – 5	Absent	Fitted	The second set, doubling the available bandwidth
Clock pair	Fitted	Fitted	Pixel clock reference for the link
Analog RGB	DVI-I only	DVI-I only	The four pins around the blade, VGA signaling
Display data channel	Fitted	Fitted	Identification and control between source and display
+5 V and ground	Fitted	Fitted	Power and return for the link

The physical difference is visible on the face: a dual-link connector has both rows of the blade fully populated, while a single-link connector leaves a gap where the second set would be. Count the pins, or photograph the port.

Where DVI meets HDMI, and where it stops

DVI-D and HDMI use the same signaling method for the video, which is why a simple passive adapter between them works in one direction – from an HDMI source into a DVI-D display – and why the picture arrives without any conversion. It stops at audio, because DVI carries no audio channel, and it stops at anything that relies on content protection or on the HDMI control channel. For a legacy industrial PC driving an older display none of that matters. It matters the moment somebody tries to feed a consumer monitor with protected content, and in that case an active converter is the answer rather than a passive adapter.

Why the screws matter here

DVI shells were threaded from the start, and on an industrial PC mounted in a cabinet door or a vision station bolted to a frame those two screws are what stop the plug working loose. A DVI plug is heavy relative to its contacts, and the leverage of a stiff cable hanging off it is enough to break contact on its own over time. Do the screws up and the load is carried by the shell; leave them finger-tight on a machine that vibrates and you are back to intermittent dropouts that look like a driver fault.

Key specifications

Connector A	DVI-D or DVI-I, single or dual link, straight or right-angle
Connector B	DVI-D or DVI-I, or DVI to a panel-mount feed-through
Interface	DVI digital and integrated variants – confirm the fitted contacts
Retention	Two jackscrews clamping to the mating panel threads
Link configuration	Single link or dual link – must be specified at order
Conductors	Screened TMDS differential pairs plus analog cores on DVI-I
Shielding	Individual pair screening plus overall braid – confirm per build
Jacket	PVC as standard, PUR on request
Application	Legacy industrial PCs, machine-vision frame grabbers, older medical displays
Length	Made to order

Typical applications for this DVI screw lock cable

Legacy industrial PCs and operator consoles with DVI-only outputs
Machine-vision frame grabbers and camera-link capture stations
Older medical and laboratory displays still in daily service
Test and measurement benches with DVI capture hardware
Digital signage and control-room screens fed from older sources

What to send us

Which variant at each end: DVI-D, DVI-I or DVI-A, single or dual link.
Length, and whether the cable is routed through a machine or behind a bench.
Straight or right-angle, and the exit direction.
Whether the run passes near drives, contactors or power cabling.
A photograph of both ports if you are not certain of the variant.
Quantity, and whether this is a prototype or a production order.

Workmanship and testing

IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 3 sets the workmanship bar here, backed by an ISO 9001 quality system and a 32 to 12 AWG termination range. Nothing is packed until continuity and pinout have been verified. Where an ingress rating is specified, seal checking on the batch is available.

Custom builds and ordering

Prototypes run from 5 pcs with a 3 working day turnaround; volume orders start at MOQ 500 pcs and ship 14 working days after sample sign-off. If the build needs tooling we do not already hold, add roughly 10 working days. OEM and ODM orders ship under your part number and labeling, and material certificates and first-article reports are available on request.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I tell DVI-D from DVI-I?

Look at the flat blade. If there are four pins sitting around it, it is DVI-I and carries analog as well. If the blade has no pins around it, it is DVI-D and digital only.

Will a dual-link cable work in a single-link port?

Mechanically the plug may not fit a single-link socket, because the extra contacts have nowhere to go. If it does fit, the extra pairs simply go unused.

Can I connect DVI to HDMI with a simple adapter?

Digital video, yes – the signaling is compatible and no conversion is needed. Audio, content protection and the HDMI control channel do not pass through, so for those you need an active converter.

Why did my original cable fail at the plug?

On a rigid, heavy connector the flexing concentrates where the cable enters the overmold. A molded strain relief sized to the cable and a shell that is screwed down rather than left hanging is what prevents it.