Talk:DC connector

Tamiya connector info dubious
The large "Tamiya" connectors are in fact Molex connectors. I've yet to find a reference for the manufacturer of the small ones.

I don't know where this statement:

Tamiya connectors are useful because they do not come undone easily, and are therefore child-safe, hence their use in remote-controlled cars and the like.

came from, but I find it highly dubious. The primary characteristic of this sort of Molex connector is that it is very cheap. They are just insulated enough for use inside an enclosure, but certainly not enough for applications where the connectors are directly accessible by young children. Pstemari (talk) 21:35, 15 October 2011 (UTC)

Needs more work & standards
This page still needs work. I think what is there is helpful and accurate, just obviously incomplete. DIN standards should be added, and also a description of the generic DC plugs especially the 2.0 and 2.5mm pin sizes. And some photos. Sony at one stage had a well-defined convention of their own, four sizes used for 3V, 6V, 9V and 12V I think, but this may have been obsoleted by the "universal" power supplies they now offer. Andrewa 17:33, 27 Sep 2003 (UTC)


 * I can't find the DIN standard (it can be bought from their website) or the Sony convention, but I've added something on generic plugs. I'll add some photos in time, apart from that I think it's all from me on the subject for now at least. Andrewa 00:56, 29 Sep 2003 (UTC)


 * I believe the "Sony standard" you recall is still around--it's the EIAJ standard, that has five different connector sizes for voltage ranges centered around those you describe, plus one for 15-18V. I've added additional details on these connectors to the page.

It should be noted that there may be some rounding errors in some of the plug dimensions. I have contacted one manufacturer recently that assured me that one of the plugs they offered (that is not on this list) was equivelant to the RadioShack adaptaplug Size H. This is not the case at all, and it may be that some of the dimensions are reported as slightly different values by different manufacturers.

has a few sizes not yet included on this page.

I have heard hearsay that Brother (maker of label makers, etc.) got frustrated with the confusion over barrel connector sizes that they specified their own set of about 5 connectors for use on their products. Some of these may be sizes already included on this page but not marked as such, or they may be entirely absent from it. ______________________________________________________________________

The English and metric numbers for cyllindrical connectors don't match. 5.5 mm ≠ .22". I have a connector which measures .22 outside, and that is 5.59 mm. I have another which is .216", and that is 5.49 mm. I'm guessing that some manufacturers are still using inch specs and others are using metric specs. --Onerock (talk) 18:26, 19 October 2011 (UTC)

Caravan plugs
I intend to add a section on 12 volt caravan plugs. I have seen them called Edison plugs  so I think they are of US origin but they are used in the UK. Does anyone have more information? Biscuittin (talk) 22:30, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
 * An "Edison plug" is better known as a NEMA 1-15 or NEMA 5-15 plug. In the US such plugs and receptacles are used for 120V mains power. --Tothwolf (talk) 23:59, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
 * I don't think it's identical to either of these. It is polarized (because one pin is wider than the other) but there is no grounding pin. Biscuittin (talk) 18:57, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
 * I'm not sure that it is identical either. It does look similar to a polarised NEMA 1-15, which has only two poles without a ground connection. (see: Cord.agr.jpg) It could be that these type of connectors really shouldn't be called "Edison plugs". Do you have a link for a dimensional drawing for these type of connectors? --Tothwolf (talk) 01:04, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
 * I don't have a drawing but I've measured one of my own plugs. The pins are at 1/2" centres, the wide pin (marked N) is 5/16" wide and the narrow pin (marked L) is 1/4" wide.  The plug is marked 12V 15A.  I like these plugs because they are sturdily built, unlike some DC plugs I've seen.  I'm puzzled by the markings.  As they are meant for DC, I'd expect them to be marked - and + rather than N and L. Biscuittin (talk) 21:34, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
 * Those dimensions match a polarized NEMA 1-15 exactly. Roger (talk) 22:16, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
 * The 'L' and 'N' markings also make sense if this connector was originally intended for 110V-120V mains power use. A polarised NEMA 1-15 would have a 1/4" wide Line blade and a 5/16" Neutral blade. Perhaps these connectors were repurposed for 12V applications due to the physical differences between a NEMA 1-15 and other mains plugs such as the BS 1363 (or even BS 546) which are intended for 220V-240V use? --Tothwolf (talk) 03:02, 25 October 2010 (UTC)
 * That makes sense for UK use. However, it could lead to fried equipment for US visitors to the UK and vice-versa. Biscuittin (talk) 09:36, 25 October 2010 (UTC)
 * You might have a point, although I would tend to think the likelihood of that happening for the most part would be fairly small. It would be less likely that equipment made for 12V DC in the UK would be taken to the US, but much more likely 100-120V AC mains powered equipment from Canada, US, Japan, etc would be imported to the UK. In the case of 100-120V AC mains powered equipment using NEMA 1-15 plugs being imported to the UK and connected to 12V DC, damage to the equipment would be rather unlikely. A larger mains powered appliance such as a kettle or iron might have a low enough resistance across the heating element to blow the 12V DC accessory fuse, but the appliance itself wouldn't be harmed. For smaller appliances such as a radio (that uses a linear power supply with a mains transformer) or a gaming console (which today usually use some form of switched-mode power supply), 12V DC isn't likely to harm the appliance or its power supply, but the appliance certainly isn't going to function. I think the case of 12V DC UK made equipment being taken to Canada, US, Japan, etc, would be more concerning, as the equipment would indeed be damaged if it were connected to 100-120V AC mains power. It would quite likely also pose a shock or electrocution hazard as it would not have been designed to be connected to mains voltage (for example, it would not be double insulated). --Tothwolf (talk) 03:55, 5 November 2010 (UTC)

Kycon power connector engraving
The article says that the Kycon power connecctors "can usually be identified by an engraved symbol on the backs of the plug, consisting of two wide arrows pointing in opposite directions, but parallel to each other, or sometimes one wide arrow inside a box, pointing towards the end of the male connector". That sounds to me as a standard I/O port / connector engraving, and not a specific trait of the Kycon connectors. My hypothesis is, as these connectors are so similar to mini-DINs, they use the same jackets and thereby, the same engravings. I think this information is misleading, shouldn't we delete it? Txpalacios (talk) 20:10, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

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