With over 110 years of electronics industry standardization, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is the world’s leading organization for the preparation and publication of international standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies. IEC’s “electrotechnology” provides a platform to companies, industries, and governments for developing the required international standards for powering electronics.
IEC-60320 refers to a set of standards regarding appliance and interconnection couplers for connecting power supply cords to electrical appliances up to 250 volts. This is quite contrary to plugs and adapters, which have their own proprietary configurations.
Below is a chart listing the common IEC-60320 connectors, including their nicknames and applications:
|
Female Connector/ Outlet
|
Male Plug/ Inlet
|
Diagram
|
Nickname
|
Applications
|
Amperage
|
|
C5
|
C6
|
 |
Cloverleaf/Mickey Mouse
|
Switch-mode power supplies for laptops
|
2.5
|
|
C7
|
C8
|
 |
Figure 8/Shotgun
|
Domestic audio, video, radio equipment, electric razors
|
2.5
|
|
C13
|
C14
|
 |
Barn
|
The most common of the IEC-60320 series, used in the back of PCs, jumper cables for networking, computing, and other peripherals
|
10/15
|
|
C15
|
C16
|
 |
High-temperature settings (hot condition), including computer networking
|
10/15
|
|
|
C17
|
C18
|
 |
Appliances, video game consoles, high-end audio/video equipment, and medical devices in healthcare environments
|
10/15
|
|
|
C19
|
C20
|
 |
Enterprise-class servers and datacenter rack-mounted power distribution units, including UPS and PDUs
|
16/20
|
Have you ever connected a power cord to a PC? The CPU contains an inlet with pins, designed to mate with a female connector on a power cord (the side with holes) for connection. Also note all IEC-60320 connectors (female) are odd numbers, while (male) plugs are even. For a comprehensive listing of all IEC-60320 connector inlet/outlets, including temperature ratings, reference our IEC-60320 chart. This resource should not only provide you with a useful guide to the IEC standards, it also gives a better idea of the plugs powering your common electronic items, such as jumper cords for various electrical solutions. Quail offers all power cords with IEC-60320 connectors in domestic and international configurations.
If you have any questions regarding electrical power cord connectors, contact our sales staff by email or telephone: 800.669.8090. So the next time you think of Mickey Mouse, don’t just think of the Disney character. Think Quail Electronics as your complete power cord solution.