I haven't been able to find an authoritative identification of the active and neutral pins on these ubiquitous connectors.
Examining all the "kettle cords" from the pooter and other hardware here only furthers the view that some manufacturers don't know/care if there is a specific pin assignment (other than earth).
Does anyone have a definitive answer?
"who where"
** Any IEC lead on sale or supplied with equipment in Australia is required to have type approval and be labelled to show that such approval has been obtained. Both plugs and the cable itself are labelled with a number - prefixed by a letter indicating which state granted the approval ( N, Q, V, S, W etc).If you look as the IEC female from the end view and with the earth pin upwards, Active should be on the right.
I have one Chinese IEC cable (came with my Rigol digital CRO ) that has no Australian approval - but still follows this convention.
The same convention applies in the UK and the EU but I am not sure about the USA.
.... Phil
Same convention as Australian general purpose outlets.(power points)
Most EU countries have symmetrical power plugs and they can be plugged in both ways, you get live and neutral changing depending on how you plug it in.
Tom
who where brought next idea :
Why do you need to know?
Even if there is a Standard you cannot rely on it as any outlet could be wrong. No device should be built such that the polarity is important.
-- John G
I have a variac with a C14-style inlet and a C13-style outlet. The internal cabling intrinsically "assumes" that a particular inlet pin is the neutral, being the common (aka cold end) of the core winding.
If it turns out to be the active, apart from the outlet being "incorrect", the load equipment's circuitry (neutral) is no longer at the expected potential.
Indeed, but this exists. A double-pole switch following the inlet recptacle doesn't avoid the issue mentioned above.
who where presented the following explanation :
More fool you or it. Assume makes an ass of you.
If the load equipment feels badly about the neutral being at the wrong potential then the load equipment was designed by somone who should not be let design things.
No it does not, and how many devices have a double pole switch which any way has no effect when turned on.
-- John G
"John Git"
** Active neutral reversal makes a Variac a dangerous piece of bench gear to have around.Shame a f****it like you has not found that out the hard way.
** Maybe so.But such pieces of gear exist - particularly 120 volt US market appliances of a few decades ago.
Shame a f****it like you has not found that out the hard way.
** Until you open it up on the work bench - then it is.Shame a f****it like you has not found that out the hard way.
.... Phil
*I* don't assume. The existing internal wiring is the way it is.
And you *assume* that all load equipment isn't in that category?
Of course it has no effect when turned on - s**te! Talk of stating the blindingly obvious. All it does is avoid the situation of a switched neutral and live guts in the variac leading to a potentially hazardous situation with unknown load equipment. I don't know what you would use a variac for, but I use them servicing equipment which is presented for service because it is FAULTY. Faulty load and a single pole switch in the neutral is an accident waiting to happen. I avoid those situations.
Which is all getting away from the original question - is there a prescribed pinout for these connectors. It seems there may only be a "convention".
"who where"
** The learned folk who make up the various wiring rules and ponder deeply on " conventions " for plug and socket sets do not give a * flying f*ck * about the welfare of anyone who choses to work on the insides of electrical or electronic equipment while it is STILL being powered from the AC supply !!!!!We are basically in the same category are circus trapeze artists without a net and one eyed motorcycle riders.
Expendable.............
Laws for self perseveration:
.... Phil
There must be a very solid "convention" for this. I checked the male sockets I have from various manufacturers and they all have L, N and E moulded into the rear of the socket next to the appropriate pins. USA moulded power cords I have checked are made to correctly connect active to the L pin of the male socket.
-- Regards, Chas. (To email me, replace "xxx" with letters tango papa golf.)
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