A commonly asked question of our tech support team is for help figuring out the power cable needed for a specific application. We are often met with confusion by the customer when we ask what type of connection they are looking for. NEMA 5-15P, C13, C7, and other terms are not widely known. We’ve put together some brief descriptions and pictures of power cables we carry at CableWholesale. We hope this will be a useful sheet to help people identify what kind of power cable they need:
Common Power Cords (NEMA 120V 15A)
NEMA 1-15P: Two-prong plug.- The Non-polarized version has two equal straight blades.
- The Polarized version features 2 blades with one being wider.
NEMA 1-15R: Two-prong receptacle.- ‘receptacle’ connectors would have holes that would accept a plug with prongs to be inserted.
NEMA 5-15P: Three-prong plug.- Features 2 straight blades with a third round or U-shaped ground pin. The ground pin is longer than the two blades which ensures the device is grounded before the power is connected.
NEMA 5-15R: Three-prong receptacle.- This will be what you would typically see in your home (USA & Canada) as a power outlet or on the female end of a power extension cord. You would also see this as the receptacles on a surge strip.
Laptop
C7: Figure Eight.- Non-Polarized connector featuring a ‘figure 8’ shape with two holes.
- Although we list as a notebook power cord, the C7 connection is used in many devices.
C7PW: Polarized connector.- Has basically the same shape as C7, but instead of rounded ‘figure 8’ style, one of the sides is flat, allowing the connector to only be inserted one way.
C5: Three-pin connector.- Typically connects a laptop power brick to a wall outlet.
- Polarized connector. The shape of the connector prevents shocks. Sometimes called a ‘Mickey Mouse’ cable due to the resemblance to a certain cartoon character’s silhouette. Also called “cloverleaf.”
Computer/Monitor
C13: Three slot connectors.- Features a dog-ear shape and the three slots are in a staggered vertical orientation.
C14: Three prong inlet receptacle.- Features the same dog-ear shape as the c13 with 3 blades in a staggered vertical position.
Server/Appliance
C19: Three-slot connector.- Used in Enterprise-class servers and data center rack-mounted PDUs.
- Rectangular with four rounded corners, and three staggered blades in the same orientation (horizontal).
C20: Three-prong Inlet receptacle.- Rectangular with four rounded corners, and three staggered slots in a recessed receptacle (horizontal).
Similar to the c7pw connection, what’s a connection that is instead of a figure 8 with two circular sides has two flat square sides called? Can’t see it in your chart.
Hi KP, I am so sorry, but this is not a power connection that we offer. It sounds as though this might be a proprietary connection specific to your device. What is the device you are connecting? We may be able to help in your search.
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