A smart cable apparatus includes resources that provide for additional functionality such as cable authentication and cable identification. The cable apparatus can be configured for coupling an electronic device such as a media player to other electronic devices such as media player accessories. The cable apparatus includes one or more processing components that can be integrated as part of the cable apparatus. The one or more processing components can be configured to identify the type of signal the cable apparatus is intended to carry, and to communicate that information to the electronic device to which it is connected. The one or more processing components can also be configured to process authentication inquires to indicate whether the cable apparatus is an authorized accessory for the electronic device.