Status indicator for electronic device

A system for providing electrical connections to an electronic device and visual indications of the status or activity of said device, said system comprising:

• a detachable electrical connector plug having one or more electrical contacts within a translucent body;
• a light source driven by said electronic device, said light source being illuminated to indicate a status or activity of said electronic device;
• a light pipe having first and second ends, said light pipe directing illumination from its first end to its second end, the first end of said light pipe being optically coupled to said light source;
• an electrical receptacle having an interior for receiving said translucent body of said detachable electrical connector plug, said electrical receptacle providing one or more electrical signals between said electronic device and the detachable electrical connector plug when said connector plug body is in place in said interior of said receptacle;
• and wherein
• said second end of said light pipe is optically coupled to said interior of said electrical receptacle to provide illumination from said light pipe to said translucent body of said electrical connector plug when said connector plug is in place in said interior of said receptacle.

A PCMCIA communications card, adapted to be connected to a translucent RJ-type communications plug having at least one contact, the PCMCIA communications card including:

• a receptacle portion having an interior configured to detachably receive part of the translucent RJ-type plug, the plug-receiving receptacle portion including at least one contact wire adapted to engage the at least one contact on the RJ-type plug when the plug is in place within said receptacle portion interior;
• a light source carried by the card, the light source being energizeable in response to a status condition of the communications card;
• and
• a plastic light pipe optically coupling the light source with the interior of the receptacle portion to illuminate the translucent RJ-type plug when the plug is in place in the interior of the receptacle portion.