14 ms·

Digital Museum of Plugs and Sockets

91 points by bschne 4y ago

nayuki 4y ago
I wish we could move to a universal AC mains socket standard so that we don't have to stress over travel adapters. Using IEC 60320 sockets (like for computers and kettles) would be great ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60320 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60320 ). Failing that, my second choice would be the Australian socket (also used in China) ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AS/NZS_3112 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AS/NZS_3112 ). I wouldn't prefer continental European sockets because while the hot and neutral pins are somewhat standardized, the ground pin and overall shape are wildly different per country (e.g. https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/EuropePlugsSockets.html https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/EuropePlugsSockets.html ). I also wouldn't prefer the British socket because it's too big. North American plugs have safety problems due to easily accessible live pins.
- teraflop 4y ago
  Standardizing outlets is a tempting idea, but there are a lot of 120V devices that are not designed to tolerate 240V and would create extreme safety hazards if they were plugged into the wrong voltage. So I think you would need to design a new system with at least two different kinds of outlets, and three different kinds of plugs: one for 120V only, one for 240V only, and one for "universal" devices (like switched-mode power supplies) that can be plugged into either. And of course, once you replace all the outlets with the new standards, everybody would need to get the appropriate adapters for their old devices.
  - russdill 4y ago
    I think you'd just make the sockets and plugs keyed. A 120v only plug can only plug in a 120v outlet. A dual voltage plug can plug into either socket. Bonus points for providing some simple signal that indicates the voltage for dumb appliances like hair dryers. The other option would just be to require all appliances to be dual voltage. This would add several dollars to many devices but they cost would go down over time. It's academic anyway, a switchover isn't happening any time soon. The only way I can see it happening is if we switch to a system similar to EV charging where all connections are negotiated. Nothing is hot until required and anything operating over current can be immediately identified and disabled. Appliances could even limit their consumption to a lower setting if insufficient capacity was available on their circuit. Such a change could occur due to future regulation and hopefully at a time where the cost of the technology has gone down significantly.
- asddubs 4y ago
  standardizing plugs is more important than sockets. the schuko plug works in a lot of countries across different socket systems.
  - Akronymus 4y ago
    The shuko os such a good plug design.
    - ars 4y ago
      No it is not. It's way too big and it has a fuse inside the plug because of historical copper shortages during war. If I were designing a global plug it would not be based on that. I like the layout of Switzerland, but it needs to be smaller - there's no need for that much space around the plug. Something the size of a US plug, with the Switzerland layout, and shielded prongs instead of a recessed outlet.
      - gattilorenz 4y ago
        > it has a fuse inside the plug because of historical copper shortages during war That’s the UK plug, Shuko doesn’t have a fuse I still prefer the Italian plug design due to compact size tho
        asddubs 4y ago
        the italian plug is nice, and you can rotate it 180°. Some people don't like that because it makes it ambiguous which lead is neutral, but IMO in the real world you can't rely on stuff like that anyway because as long as it works both ways, people will wire outlets inconsistently
        gattilorenz 4y ago
        I agree about relying on rotation and not trusting sockets. The only thing I dislike is that there are actually two sizes, with different current ratings, and while most receptacles will accept both, some (or some extension cord) won’t. This is a safety feature, sure, but still annoying. The Shuko plugs are also ok, easier to insert without looking, but very bulky. It’s in theory nice that they have “bent” (i.e. the cable protrudes at a 90 deg angle) and “straight” plugs, but in practice in most cases you can’t choose which plug to use where.
AugustusDefi 4y ago
Frankly I've never understood why there isnt a 3 prong standard with a cam lock function across the globe.
louwrentius 4y ago
Just want to say: wat een leuk idee!
rwmj 4y ago
I remember my grandmother's house in the 1980s still used "old British standard" (BS 546) plugs and sockets: https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/OldBritish1.html https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/OldBritish1.html (15A ones I think)
- midasuni 4y ago
  They crop up fairly regularly in hotels - lamps for example are often plugged in via some bs546 socket
  - cranekam 4y ago
    My house (UK), built in 2006, has these plugs for lamps in various rooms. I'm not sure but I assume they're on the lighting circuit (5A) and the plugs don't have a built-in fuse.
zwieback 4y ago
Just in the US we have a crazy amount of standard plugs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEMA_connector#/media/File:NEMA_simplified_pins.svg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEMA_connector#/media/File:NEM... and this isn't a theoretical thing, in our lab we routinely use about 10 different plugs for 120 and 240
- Thrymr 4y ago
  Indeed, the digital museum page on NEMA plugs says "The variety in plug and socket standards is unsurpassed". https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/NorthAm1.html https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/NorthAm1.html
- axiolite 4y ago
  The US electrical code uses several different receptacles to ensure devices will only be plugged into a circuit that can sustain its power requirements. The lower voltage 120V commonly used in the US does necessitate a doubling of the number of receptacles needed (NEMA-5 vs NEMA-6), versus 230v countries which run all their appliances on a higher standard voltage in the first place. Then you have historical plugs that don't entirely go away like NEMA-1.
larusso 4y ago
I stumbled upon this side a couple of month ago while searching for pictures for Euro plugs. I’ve this specialized corners of the internet.
marcodiego 4y ago
One thing: my TV uses direct current, so does my computer, monitor, sound system, phone charger, all my LED lights... most electronic devices are DC now. The only appliances still using AC are the higher powered ones or those which have a motor. This means: we have numerous converters on our devices. We are paying the price for them and not all of them are specially efficient or durable. It is time to standardize a multi voltage DC connector so I can connect all my electronic devices directly to mains without the need of any converter. My LED lamps would be significantly less expensive, more durable and (maybe) more efficient if they didn't have to house a small converter inside the fake bulb. Sometimes you have to replace the "power board" of your TV... it shouldn't even exist if we had a standard for DC mains. It is time to pressure power distributors to provide huge powerful converters just like they do with transformers, This way we could have quality cheap DC inside our homes without any of these numerous redundant dubious quality converters we need today.
- mmastrac 4y ago
  I've gone back and forth in my life on this. I think we need parallel AC and DC so we can support loads that are inductive. Send 48V in parallel with 110V AC and invent a socket that gives you either one
- tesseract 4y ago
  Long distance (including room-to-room) distribution of low voltage DC power is inefficient due to I^2*R losses in wiring unless impractically large wire sizes are used. There may be some marginal efficiency gains to be had with high voltage DC supply and DC-DC converters in electronic devices (this architecture is used in some datacenters) but house-wide distribution of say 5V is impractical. Even within a system the size of a desktop PC, the architecture that has been determined to maximize efficiency and cost savings is an AC-to-12VDC power supply box, feeding additional DC-DC converters that produce the necessary logic supply voltages (~1.2V) as physically close to the actual load as possible.
  - Thrymr 4y ago
    A standard DC plug that could be installed on an AC line with efficient converters and no zero-load power draw would be nice. Unfortunately the closest thing we have to a standard DC power plug is USB-A.
scarecrowbob 4y ago
Reading the comments, maybe this isn't a popular opinion, but I use a lot of different ac power connectors (mostly as a sound provider) and I am glad there are several form factors to choose among. Not everything I own needs to be Neutrik Powercon... IEC works well for plenty of things, as do the locking IEC connectors. And sometimes you really need to run a 50A3φ extension cord-- which has quite different requirements than the NEMA 5-15 connectors which are common in the place I live. There are several options for that kind of power; portable 3phase distros are not cheap, but they are much better than, say, running the sound and lights for stage off a bunch of daisy chained power strips :D There are so many different usage conditions for power that wishing for fewer options triggers my Chesterton's Fence warning light.
Lammy 4y ago
I love the oldschool imagemap for navigation: https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/Overview.html https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/Overview.html
dexzod 4y ago
I never understood why US uses a wider pin on two prong plugs for the hot wire. Browsing the web site I got the idea that no one in the world cares about polarity, both pins are the same size. This is a huge usability issue for people with weak eyesight or when plugging in something in a tight area such as behind a couch or bed.
- mwint 4y ago
  Because there’s a bunch of legacy wiring out there that doesn’t have a ground wire, only hot/neutral. So if you’re designing an appliance that has to work with these two-prong outlets, especially if it has a metal housing, you want to know which wire is the “shock your customer” one and which is the “probably don’t shock the customer” one.
- gumby 4y ago
  Because often devices have their metal shell grounded, especially older lamps and radios, but also toasters and the like. Plug it in the wrong way and the metal shell is hot. Nowadays a lot of devices are made of plastic and / or are DC powered so it doesn’t matter as much.
- linsomniac 4y ago
  There was a time when ground pins were not common, and "double insulated" devices were not as common as today. Some of those devices grounded the chassis to the neutral in the receptacle. The only device I know that I've encountered which fit this was the oscilloscope in my high school physics lab. If you plugged it in the wrong way (which could happen but I don't recall how that was possible), and you touched the metal body of the scope, you'd get a little zap out of it.
- ars 4y ago
  The wider pin is on the neutral not the hot. Everyone cares about polarity - when you have a 3 prong plug, then the ground forces the orientation of hot vs neutral, and the two prongs are the same size.
  - gattilorenz 4y ago
frereubu 4y ago
I got so entranced by this site for some reason that by the time I snapped out of it I thought "I bet HN would like this"... only to remember that this is where I'd clicked from to get to it.
- StrictDabbler 4y ago
  Wasn't this a key puzzle in Space Quest IV?
tyingq 4y ago
Reminded me of kind of an interesting sub-niche. The US military has lots of people overseas, and they pay to move a fairly big amount of people's stuff if the service member and their family are moving there. So, there was this cottage industry of huge transformers so that these folks could run their US 110v/60Hz appliances on (mostly) 220V/50Hz mains. Things like microwave ovens, blenders, toasters, vacuum cleaners and so on. They were typically oversized and when you turned them on there was an audible hum and dimming of all the nearby lights for both you and your apartment neighbors. They were also often fairly sketchy steel or aluminum boxes without manufacturing labels. I suspect there were probably some dangerous ones.

91 points by bschne 4y ago

I wish we could move to a universal AC mains socket standard so that we don't have to stress over travel adapters. Using IEC 60320 sockets (like for computers and kettles) would be great ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60320 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60320 ). Failing that, my second choice would be the Australian socket (also used in China) ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AS/NZS_3112 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AS/NZS_3112 ). I wouldn't prefer continental European sockets because while the hot and neutral pins are somewhat standardized, the ground pin and overall shape are wildly different per country (e.g. https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/EuropePlugsSockets.html https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/EuropePlugsSockets.html ). I also wouldn't prefer the British socket because it's too big. North American plugs have safety problems due to easily accessible live pins.

teraflop 4y ago
Standardizing outlets is a tempting idea, but there are a lot of 120V devices that are not designed to tolerate 240V and would create extreme safety hazards if they were plugged into the wrong voltage. So I think you would need to design a new system with at least two different kinds of outlets, and three different kinds of plugs: one for 120V only, one for 240V only, and one for "universal" devices (like switched-mode power supplies) that can be plugged into either. And of course, once you replace all the outlets with the new standards, everybody would need to get the appropriate adapters for their old devices.
- russdill 4y ago
  I think you'd just make the sockets and plugs keyed. A 120v only plug can only plug in a 120v outlet. A dual voltage plug can plug into either socket. Bonus points for providing some simple signal that indicates the voltage for dumb appliances like hair dryers. The other option would just be to require all appliances to be dual voltage. This would add several dollars to many devices but they cost would go down over time. It's academic anyway, a switchover isn't happening any time soon. The only way I can see it happening is if we switch to a system similar to EV charging where all connections are negotiated. Nothing is hot until required and anything operating over current can be immediately identified and disabled. Appliances could even limit their consumption to a lower setting if insufficient capacity was available on their circuit. Such a change could occur due to future regulation and hopefully at a time where the cost of the technology has gone down significantly.
asddubs 4y ago
standardizing plugs is more important than sockets. the schuko plug works in a lot of countries across different socket systems.
- Akronymus 4y ago
  The shuko os such a good plug design.
  - ars 4y ago
    No it is not. It's way too big and it has a fuse inside the plug because of historical copper shortages during war. If I were designing a global plug it would not be based on that. I like the layout of Switzerland, but it needs to be smaller - there's no need for that much space around the plug. Something the size of a US plug, with the Switzerland layout, and shielded prongs instead of a recessed outlet.
    - gattilorenz 4y ago
      > it has a fuse inside the plug because of historical copper shortages during war That’s the UK plug, Shuko doesn’t have a fuse I still prefer the Italian plug design due to compact size tho
      - asddubs 4y ago
        the italian plug is nice, and you can rotate it 180°. Some people don't like that because it makes it ambiguous which lead is neutral, but IMO in the real world you can't rely on stuff like that anyway because as long as it works both ways, people will wire outlets inconsistently
        gattilorenz 4y ago
        I agree about relying on rotation and not trusting sockets. The only thing I dislike is that there are actually two sizes, with different current ratings, and while most receptacles will accept both, some (or some extension cord) won’t. This is a safety feature, sure, but still annoying. The Shuko plugs are also ok, easier to insert without looking, but very bulky. It’s in theory nice that they have “bent” (i.e. the cable protrudes at a 90 deg angle) and “straight” plugs, but in practice in most cases you can’t choose which plug to use where.

AugustusDefi 4y ago

Frankly I've never understood why there isnt a 3 prong standard with a cam lock function across the globe.

louwrentius 4y ago

Just want to say: wat een leuk idee!

rwmj 4y ago

I remember my grandmother's house in the 1980s still used "old British standard" (BS 546) plugs and sockets: https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/OldBritish1.html https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/OldBritish1.html (15A ones I think)

midasuni 4y ago
They crop up fairly regularly in hotels - lamps for example are often plugged in via some bs546 socket
- cranekam 4y ago
  My house (UK), built in 2006, has these plugs for lamps in various rooms. I'm not sure but I assume they're on the lighting circuit (5A) and the plugs don't have a built-in fuse.

zwieback 4y ago

Just in the US we have a crazy amount of standard plugs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEMA_connector#/media/File:NEMA_simplified_pins.svg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEMA_connector#/media/File:NEM... and this isn't a theoretical thing, in our lab we routinely use about 10 different plugs for 120 and 240

Thrymr 4y ago
Indeed, the digital museum page on NEMA plugs says "The variety in plug and socket standards is unsurpassed". https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/NorthAm1.html https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/NorthAm1.html
axiolite 4y ago
The US electrical code uses several different receptacles to ensure devices will only be plugged into a circuit that can sustain its power requirements. The lower voltage 120V commonly used in the US does necessitate a doubling of the number of receptacles needed (NEMA-5 vs NEMA-6), versus 230v countries which run all their appliances on a higher standard voltage in the first place. Then you have historical plugs that don't entirely go away like NEMA-1.

larusso 4y ago

I stumbled upon this side a couple of month ago while searching for pictures for Euro plugs. I’ve this specialized corners of the internet.

marcodiego 4y ago

One thing: my TV uses direct current, so does my computer, monitor, sound system, phone charger, all my LED lights... most electronic devices are DC now. The only appliances still using AC are the higher powered ones or those which have a motor. This means: we have numerous converters on our devices. We are paying the price for them and not all of them are specially efficient or durable. It is time to standardize a multi voltage DC connector so I can connect all my electronic devices directly to mains without the need of any converter. My LED lamps would be significantly less expensive, more durable and (maybe) more efficient if they didn't have to house a small converter inside the fake bulb. Sometimes you have to replace the "power board" of your TV... it shouldn't even exist if we had a standard for DC mains. It is time to pressure power distributors to provide huge powerful converters just like they do with transformers, This way we could have quality cheap DC inside our homes without any of these numerous redundant dubious quality converters we need today.

mmastrac 4y ago
I've gone back and forth in my life on this. I think we need parallel AC and DC so we can support loads that are inductive. Send 48V in parallel with 110V AC and invent a socket that gives you either one
tesseract 4y ago
Long distance (including room-to-room) distribution of low voltage DC power is inefficient due to I^2*R losses in wiring unless impractically large wire sizes are used. There may be some marginal efficiency gains to be had with high voltage DC supply and DC-DC converters in electronic devices (this architecture is used in some datacenters) but house-wide distribution of say 5V is impractical. Even within a system the size of a desktop PC, the architecture that has been determined to maximize efficiency and cost savings is an AC-to-12VDC power supply box, feeding additional DC-DC converters that produce the necessary logic supply voltages (~1.2V) as physically close to the actual load as possible.
- Thrymr 4y ago
  A standard DC plug that could be installed on an AC line with efficient converters and no zero-load power draw would be nice. Unfortunately the closest thing we have to a standard DC power plug is USB-A.

scarecrowbob 4y ago

Reading the comments, maybe this isn't a popular opinion, but I use a lot of different ac power connectors (mostly as a sound provider) and I am glad there are several form factors to choose among. Not everything I own needs to be Neutrik Powercon... IEC works well for plenty of things, as do the locking IEC connectors. And sometimes you really need to run a 50A3φ extension cord-- which has quite different requirements than the NEMA 5-15 connectors which are common in the place I live. There are several options for that kind of power; portable 3phase distros are not cheap, but they are much better than, say, running the sound and lights for stage off a bunch of daisy chained power strips :D There are so many different usage conditions for power that wishing for fewer options triggers my Chesterton's Fence warning light.

Lammy 4y ago

I love the oldschool imagemap for navigation: https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/Overview.html https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/Overview.html

dexzod 4y ago

I never understood why US uses a wider pin on two prong plugs for the hot wire. Browsing the web site I got the idea that no one in the world cares about polarity, both pins are the same size. This is a huge usability issue for people with weak eyesight or when plugging in something in a tight area such as behind a couch or bed.

mwint 4y ago
Because there’s a bunch of legacy wiring out there that doesn’t have a ground wire, only hot/neutral. So if you’re designing an appliance that has to work with these two-prong outlets, especially if it has a metal housing, you want to know which wire is the “shock your customer” one and which is the “probably don’t shock the customer” one.
gumby 4y ago
Because often devices have their metal shell grounded, especially older lamps and radios, but also toasters and the like. Plug it in the wrong way and the metal shell is hot. Nowadays a lot of devices are made of plastic and / or are DC powered so it doesn’t matter as much.
linsomniac 4y ago
There was a time when ground pins were not common, and "double insulated" devices were not as common as today. Some of those devices grounded the chassis to the neutral in the receptacle. The only device I know that I've encountered which fit this was the oscilloscope in my high school physics lab. If you plugged it in the wrong way (which could happen but I don't recall how that was possible), and you touched the metal body of the scope, you'd get a little zap out of it.
ars 4y ago
The wider pin is on the neutral not the hot. Everyone cares about polarity - when you have a 3 prong plug, then the ground forces the orientation of hot vs neutral, and the two prongs are the same size.
- gattilorenz 4y ago

frereubu 4y ago

I got so entranced by this site for some reason that by the time I snapped out of it I thought "I bet HN would like this"... only to remember that this is where I'd clicked from to get to it.

StrictDabbler 4y ago
Wasn't this a key puzzle in Space Quest IV?

tyingq 4y ago

Reminded me of kind of an interesting sub-niche. The US military has lots of people overseas, and they pay to move a fairly big amount of people's stuff if the service member and their family are moving there. So, there was this cottage industry of huge transformers so that these folks could run their US 110v/60Hz appliances on (mostly) 220V/50Hz mains. Things like microwave ovens, blenders, toasters, vacuum cleaners and so on. They were typically oversized and when you turned them on there was an audible hum and dimming of all the nearby lights for both you and your apartment neighbors. They were also often fairly sketchy steel or aluminum boxes without manufacturing labels. I suspect there were probably some dangerous ones.