Foolproof power supply interfaces

[dwight]

Here is my idea. Not perfect but something that can be done to help.


It might be a good idea to put color codes like on a resistor on the connector plug.

You know, green for 5 gold for + center pin and silver for - center pin.

No gold or silver band would be for AC.

Brown Red Gold would be 12VDC + on center pin.

Dwight


________________________________
From: cctalk <cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org> on behalf of Fred Cisin via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 6, 2018 3:02:47 PM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: Re: Foolproof power supply interfaces

On Tue, 6 Feb 2018, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:
> But I do have a couple of wall-wart powered devices with either no
> indication of polarity (why the hell did someone get the bright idea of
> making inner conductor negative?) or voltage/current required.
> It's a good thing that I've labeled them as such.   Very often, the
> "wart" bears some manufacturer ID (if any) that isn't related to the
> brand of equipment that it's powering.
>> I've got my "big box o' warts" that range from 3VDC to 24VAC.  I'm not
> sure of what many of them were intended to power at this point.

That's what a Brother P-Touch is good for.
Every wall wart should be labelled with the device that it is intended
for, to reunite when separated.
Also, every one should be labelled with voltage, amperage, AC/DC,
polarity, and even plug dimensions (5.5 x 2.5 looks a lot like 5.5 x 2.1!)
"Connectable" P-touch can be sent an icon for polarity, if anybody doesn't
understand "tip"/"ring"

There was a New Yorker cartoon, where the man with massive shelving units
full of wall warts tells his son that someday they will all be his.