DC Connector - Other DC Connectors

Other DC Connectors

• Fly RC magazine describes most or all of the connectors used by RC users.
• There are a number of similar design PC board power connectors, including Molex Mini-Fit SR, Molex Mini-fit jr., MOLEX MICROFIT and Molex SABRE connectors, and AMP DUAC connectors that look similar to each other.
• Some plugs with three, four, five or more pins are also called DC plugs. These were common on vacuum tube equipment and continue to be used where several voltages are supplied. On vacuum tube equipment the pins are normally on the equipment side of the join for safety reasons.
• Many mobile phones use DC connectors that are unique to the manufacturer, or even a specific phone. In the interest of improved interoperability of phone battery chargers, major manufacturers have agreed to standardize on the micro-USB connector for new phone chargers from 2010.
• Many manufacturers make special-purpose DC power connectors for battery packs, instruments, medical equipment, communications equipment and other devices.
• Power Pack (PP) series of batteries such as the PP3 nine-volt battery have circular and hexagonal terminals which mate with a "snap" connector with physically identical (but opposite-polarity) terminals.

In Australia, a T-configuration Clipsal 402/32 socket is used for DC power outlets, such as in stand-alone power systems (SAPS) or on boats, in order to prevent accidental connections of 12 V appliances into 240 V socket-outlets. For this use, the horizontal slot is on top and is positive. This is also used for temporary equipment in emergency vehicles. In Victoria the top of the T is taken to look like a minus sign, and is therefore negative. Outside Victoria the vertical pin is meant to be earth/chassis ground, consistent with Australian Standards for Type I 240 volt outlets; therefore, the top of the T is positive on a negative-earth vehicle. Older positive-earth vehicles are still in service, so actual polarity at the outlet can be random.