AC Plug Pack (wall wart) plugs - suggestions please

As the wise man said, "Unbreakable toys are very useful for breaking other toys." ;"

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs 
Principal Consultant 
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics 
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics 
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510 

http://electrooptical.net 
http://hobbs-eo.com

As I said, I gather you're retired. ;)

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs 
Principal Consultant 
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics 
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics 
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510 

http://electrooptical.net 
http://hobbs-eo.com

I'm retired. An AC plug pack is an usable way for someone to build a bit of basic power kit without the need to worry about electrical code compliance with all of those hideous, sometimes hidden and often changing requirements. In dinosaur days it was possible to do a *fully* approved (industry, academic and government approved) tertiary diploma that legally entitled you to fit a plug onto a power cord or work on an unplugged electrical appliance, but you could not legally do so because the controlling bodies would not issue you the required ticket unless you did a full electricians apprenticeship.

You were fully qualified to teach the apprentices how to do it at a Technical collage, but if you ever tried to do it yourself.....

Such is the stupidity (and closed shop system) that existed in my state at the time. I have no idea what it is now, but at the time it was so stupid, so restrictive and so impossible to work with that just about everyone who could ignored it. No longer an option today when you can be sued for just about anything.

Low voltage AC is more friendly to simple construction methods - perf board, strip board, hideous home made PCBs brawn by hand. etc. Easier to find components in small quantities, easier to trouble shoot and debug etc. And no switching noise to unexpectedly stick it's nose in where it is not wanted.

Wall warts, bricks, etc. are a cheap way for manufacturers (here) to "inherit" the agency approvals (from the wall wart vendors) instead of doing their own testing and certification.

If you're looking for "hobbyist quantities" and not pressed for cost/price, there are many options that you can pursue.

For example, electric wheelchairs/scooters/mobility aids use XLR connectors to handle the increased current capacity (it's not uncommon for a charger to deliver 8-10A) as well as making the mating of the connector a bit easier (mechanically keyed, large, visible, etc. so folks living with one -- or more! -- handicap aren't also penalized trying to mate some silly connector that comes in umpteen different combinations of ID & OD & polarity & voltage & ampacity.

There are many miniDIN connectors (often flimsy) as well as other heftier circular connectors (some with mechanical fasteners to ensure they stay mated).

You can also find molded connectors -- OTS and custom -- that can suit your needs... once you've specified them! :>

[I really like connectors that can be mated "blind"... but that sorely limits your selections]

Should be cheap, safe and multisource as well, since power over over ethernet uses a 48 volt rail...

Chris

A transformer has the 120/240 problem. We buy universal-input DC-out warts with the full international plug set. There are some really weird ones.

Just put one of these first-thing:

d

tage

" and

to be

tage, 30 or 32v. And always make your warts output ac so psu polarity doesn 't matter. Another is to add overvoltage protection. Another is to have the dc socket insde the appliance case. Another is to put the whole wart insid e the appliance with just a mains connector user accessible. etc etc.

d

tway there is a real plus. If you design for ac in it can run off correct P SUs, wrong polarity & old iron lumps. That was really the motivation behind said approach.

If you mean old iron lump ones, I think there were occasional ones that aut oswitched.

igh ESR low C.

erters/922?k=srh05

a nice option if budget is generous. Appreciated by some users.

NT

I knew one Polish EE. He worked for Square D, and he told the worst jokes. Mostly about the 'Polish Mafia'. "You do whata I say, or I shoot my family!" is not funny. Neither was the one about burning his lips trying to blow up a city bus.

--
Never piss off an Engineer! 

They don't get mad. 

They don't get even. 

They go for over unity! ;-)

Switchcraft "mini DIN" plugs

Of course you're paying more for these than a common coaxial-pin DC plugs. But for professional products, for use in field, the added cost can be justified. Cheers, Rich S.

So, it's a bi-polar joke? :)