The word 'connector' has 2 common meanings:
1. It can refer to one the ends of, for example, a cable with two plugs (possibly different). The plug is denoted the "connector". This is the sense in which Modelica uses the language keyword connector
, such as for a Pin
:
connector Pin "Pin of an electrical component"
SI.ElectricPotential v "Potential at the pin";
flow SI.Current i "Current flowing into the pin";
end Pin;
Note that while a connection in Modelica can be made between 2 connectors using connect
, the connection does not have any properties that otherwise influence the system. It is not like an unshielded cable with some resistance, loss etc.
2. Then there is the sense of a "connector" as something that can connect between two devices, such as a cable with two plugs on its ends; that entire thing is denoted the 'connector', because it connects two things. This is the sense in which it is used in Unified Modeling Language (UML®) (at least in UML2.5.1) and in Systems Modeling Language v1 (SysML®) (at least in SysML1.6), where a Connector
is connected between 2 Ports of Properties, each of which acts as a ConnectorEnd
. Note that a UML /SysML Connector may carry some additional rich attributes, it may be typed, it may even be typed by an AssociationBlock, and/or it may have a Stereotypes applied (which may carry tagged values for metadata).
One can "connect" one device to another device by making a "connection" using one "connector end" to the 1st device and another "connection" using a separate "connected" connector end to make a "connection" to the 2nd device to form ultimately a "connection" between the two devices.
To avoid a hangover, just make it clear in which sense you are using the term 'connector'.