Electrical Engineering Stack Exchange
Electrical Engineering Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [plug]

222 questions
38
votes
8 answers

Add a passive hardware token using a 3.5mm jack

I have a box that I made for my niece, which allows her to exchange voice messages with me. It is powered by a Raspberry Pi and features two buttons, a LED, a microphone and a speaker. Now, for Christmas I want my niece to be able to exchange these…
Besi
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17
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3 answers

What type of plug is this?

I'm seeking to buy this type of plug but can't find it anywhere. I tried asking at my local electronics shops, googled the images and consulted the data sheet of the appliance it came with. (12V input on an Indel B fridge.) Any pointers would be…
Jen
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15
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5 answers

Why do we still use cable for a lot of forms of data transmission?

Like many people I'm often annoyed by ugly cable clutter, especially when it's long distance. In my opinion it would be ideal if cables could be eliminated altogether, so that you'd just have two corresponding plugs without the cable, which you…
user9878
12
votes
4 answers

Mains Plug Soldering Wires

So I have a few extension leads all are 13A rated but the cable length is too short just 1 metre. It would be cheaper for me to rewire them than buying new extension leads. I bought a reel of the correct cable rated for 13A and have rewired one.…
Dave1UK
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10
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1 answer

Why is earth pin absent in phone chargers plugs but present in laptop ac plugs?

Both mobile phones and laptop get dc voltage from ac source for charging.These chargers have transformer for isolation and rectifier + filter if i am not wrong.I guess the amount of output dc and charging current may vary. Why do modern mobile…
Gopi
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10
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2 answers

Are countries that use 2-pin plugs less safe than countries that use 3-pin plugs given that the earth is missing?

Will there be occasions when using 2-pin plugs is safer than 3-pin plugs? Is it accurate to say that 3-pin plugs are always safer given the presence of earth?
user768421
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3 answers

Are Micro A USB plugs actually ever used?

Wikipedia states: An OTG product must have a single Micro-AB receptacle and no other USB receptacles. An OTG cable has a micro-A plug on one end, and a Micro-B plug on the other end Micro-A is apparently similar to the standard Micro-B plug, but…
Timmmm
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9
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4 answers

What are those plugs called, and who is the manufacturer?

These are called "Zwerg-Stecker" and "Zwerg-Kupplung" respectively in German, but I've never seen them anywhere else. It basically translates to "dwarf plug" and "dwarf socket". It is a 2.6mm mini banana plug system, I remember seeing them on some…
polemon
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9
votes
2 answers

Why do some power plugs have holes in them?

I've just learned that electrical chargers with pins with holes in them are illegal in Australia. Here's what I'm talking about (ignore the one second from the left): What's the purpose of these holes?
Matt Lyons-Wood
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8
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5 answers

Why do EU electrical sockets/plugs have two pins for grounding?

Inside a plug there is one grounding wire, while the socket has two grounding pins. I know that the wire splits into two, but why? As the wiring inside the wall is supposed to be the same between different types, I assume it is just a design…
appwizcpl
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8
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1 answer

Do TRS connectors short adjacent contacts during insertion?

I would imagine with everything wiping past each other during insertion, that the following can happen briefly: <== plug T R S / \ / \ / T R S jack Is this just something that systems that allow hot-plugging have to accommodate? Is…
Rob Starling
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7
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6 answers

How to solder wires on to this power barrel plug?

I got this power barrel plug. http://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/en/PP3-002A/CP3-1000-ND/992136 It doesn't have any hole for me to put a wire through. The wire just goes into the hole for approximately 0.5cm. How am I suppose to solder this? I…
tuzzer
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7
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3 answers

Does it matter which way you plug stuff into the wall socket

I have a european socket and if you saw one you will know that you can plug stuff either way. But american sockets can only be plugged in only one way. So does it matter which way its plugged it because it works no matter what. I heard somewhere…
theraginggamer
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5 answers

Aren't non-polarized plugs a little dangerous? Why still use them?

Sorry if there is an answer for this kind of question somewhere. I can't find it anywhere. Take a look at obvious toaster example: If you live in Europe and have non-polarized plug and a toaster (a bad one without double-pole turn off) - you have a…
user50786
5
votes
1 answer

Turning on electric devices by plugging them in rather than pressing their on/off button

Weird question, I hope it has its place here: is it true that electric devices like washing machines, computer and so on, should be (1) plugged in, and then (2) turned on, rather than the contrary? In other words, is it OK to have an electric device…
drake035
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