Why are these available? Years ago I mistakingly ordered a couple of sets and can see no purpose other than offering up a chance to make a big mistake? That said, faston connectors fit the otherwise dangerous male pins on the cord which is coming in handy at the moment as I troubleshoot a piece of gear but is there a valid argument for their existence that I'm not aware of?
Obviously they are for mains outputs on equipment. For example, switched mains outputs for computer monitors on old-fashioned desktop computers.
More unusual, DIY example: the local radio station here used to have computers in a building that we could only access on appointment. If the computer would hang, we could not broadcast on the cable radio and television. I built an apparatus that you could use to remotely cut the power to the computer for 30 seconds by calling a secret telephone number and entering a code. Its outputs had this type of connector.
More unusual, DIY example: the local radio station here used to have computers in a building that we could only access on appointment. If the computer would hang, we could not broadcast on the cable radio and television. I built an apparatus that you could use to remotely cut the power to the computer for 30 seconds by calling a secret telephone number and entering a code. Its outputs had this type of connector.
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It's just a panel mount IEC power outlet.
Some equipment has convienence power outlets that use these instead of the standard outlet.
Although, their use doesn't seem to be very common.
Some equipment has convienence power outlets that use these instead of the standard outlet.
Although, their use doesn't seem to be very common.
Even with the pins shrouded, these cord sets bear a striking resemblance to the old "suicide cords' we'd make to back-feed power through a wall outlet.
As Marcel said, they were common on older desktop computers. I have some taken from older ATX PSU's when scrapping. The interconnecting cable had a 'normal' IEC plug on the other end to fit into the standard style IEC socket on the monitor, so really it wasn't so dangerous. AFAIK they weren't supposed to be used as an input, with a mains plug on the other end. I'm surprised you have such a cable!
These are used in rack mount PDU's. Mainly for rack mount servers. A 19" rack mount pdu will have a minimum of 8 of those sockets an RJ45 network connection and a breaker switch. Vertical ones can be 3-phase and support up to 60A distributed over 20 to 30 sockets or so. See companies like Eaton or Digital Loggers.
Was definitely standard practice to have daisy chained switched mains outlets from an integrated amp, so the amp's switch turns off other equipment (often turntables which don't usually have mains switches of their own).
These IEC sockets must only be used as outlets, never inlets, you are expected to know this if handling electrical equipment. i.e. every mains lead must be plug one end and socket the other.
As others have said, desktop computers. There was always one on a sun "pizza boxes". The pizza box was under the monitor, the pizza box was plugged into the wall, and then the monitor on top of the pizza box had a short cord to the usually 19" monitor. I used sun's for over a decade at work and even bought them when I started my biz. They were standard in my industry. Crazy money too. I think I paid 13 grand for my first one and that was with I think 60% off in the sun developer program.