Power supply 4 pole connectors, plugs and sockets - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: akis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 24, 2014, 12:32:49 pm
content: My son's new laptop uses a power adaptor with a very short lead and the adaptor is a huge brick. Almost anywhere we try to use the laptop, the kitchen table, breakfast table, dining room table, desks, the cable is a stretch and we have to place the huge brick adaptor (230 W) on the table near the laptop. This is very inconvenient. Even if we use a long mains lead it does not solve the problem of having the adaptor very close to the laptop.I would like to extend the lead and was trying to find a male and female socket/plug to make an extension. However it is proving very hard. The lead ends in a female plug which is like this, but femalehttp://www.farnell.com/cad/1343760.pdfThe laptop has a male socket on it.I have not been successful in finding the right plugs/socket/connectors in order to make an extension lead.Short of cutting the existing lead and extending it this way, would anyone know where/how to get these weird connectors from?

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 24, 2014, 04:34:13 pm
content: Why not just cut the cable and insert an extension in between?

author: akis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 24, 2014, 07:06:52 pm
content: That's what I said "short of cutting the lead...." :-)

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 24, 2014, 08:33:48 pm
content: Perhaps the make/model of the laptop, or better yet, some photos of the connectors on the PSU and laptop as well, would help members link the correct connectors so you can make you're own extension cable for the output side.Cutting the cable and extending it there would be the easiest way to go of course, but may also be the only way to go if the connectors can't be located in anything other than 1k+ MOQ's once correctly identified (hopefully not the case).

author: akis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 24, 2014, 09:01:55 pm
content: Just took these pictures. The laptop is a Clevo something or other. It was custom made and they do not have any extension leads. The make of the PSU is Chikony maybe I could contact them if all else fails.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 24, 2014, 10:42:21 pm
content: Looks like a KyconKPPX-4P(male), and aKPJX-CM-4S(female) will get you what you need (Kycon's site; last 2 connectors on the bottom).KPPX assy. instructions.Farnell offers a MulticompPM4490002-A05(male equivalent), but not seeing the female equivalent (cable assy. type).

author: akis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 25, 2014, 01:01:04 am
content: Unfortunately these are the opposite of what I need. I need the socket male and the plug female. Can't seem to find them anywhere.

author: akis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 12:46:53 pm
content: Can anyone help with this? I am looking for the female plug, 4 pins, slightly offset.

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 05:19:28 pm
content: I don't understand why you don't just cut the lead and solder in the extra length required using a similar gauge, tidying it all up with some heatshrink? That's a no-brainer to me. I mean, 5-20 minutes work at the most, depending on your soldering skills and equipment

author: akis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 08:06:52 pm
content: Correct but I would be voiding the warranty and both laptops are less than a year old (and they have 3 years warranty). If I could just make an extension lead I would not have to mutilate the adaptor by chopping its output lead. Basically if I can find the necessary connectors I can then make the extension leads, and was thinking, before I take the cutters to it, have I really exhausted all possible places where they might sell such connectors? I will now write to the guys who sold me the laptop to see if they can suggest something.

author: ElektronikLabor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 08:22:04 pm
content: That's a very special connector; I don't think you could easily find a suitable counterpart for it.

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 08:34:46 pm
content: Those are ALMOST "custom" connectors.The chances of finding mating male and female, CABLE END connectors to make an extension cable fall somewhere between slim and none.If you want to avoid voiding the warranty, then buy a "replacement" power brick and splice the extension into IT.I fear any other potential "solution" is not really practical.

author: SL4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2014, 10:51:00 pm
content: The shell & strain relief look like Mini-DIN, but I've never seen the heavier power pins like that before - they may exist somewhere.Try this google for images - then follow links...Mini-DIN 4 power

author: akis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2014, 11:11:06 pm
content: Nothing... I think it is easier to find the Holy Grail.

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 18, 2014, 07:21:33 pm
content: Quote from: akis on December 17, 2014, 11:11:06 pm...or not treat this laptops PSU and the absurd 36 month warranty that goes with it as some kind of penance you have to live with until the ordeal is over. Take off your hair shirt, modify the lead, live a little. It might feel really naughty and dangerous, criminal even. Perhaps celebrate your sticking it "to the man" with an extra sugar in your cup of tea and taste that sense of satisfaction. Throw caution to the wind. You only live once!Just don't come back and blame me in a few years for encouraging your facial tattoos, nose rings, ear gauges, crystal meth addiction, and your wife leaving you..

author: loneoceans
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2014, 10:30:43 pm
content: http://www.sears.com/navepoint-5-pin-mini-m-f-25-foot/p-SPM11041235030?redirectType=SRDTOr similar, should be easy to find.

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2014, 10:40:43 pm
content: How about these?http://www.ebay.com/itm/1pc-DIN-Plug-Male-Plug-Cable-Connector-4-Pin-With-Plastic-Handle-/290971264325http://www.ebay.com/itm/1pcs-4-PIN-DIN-Female-Jack-Cable-Connector-4-Pin-With-Plastic-Handle-/300959817909

author: ajb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2014, 10:42:44 pm
content: Quote from: loneoceans on December 19, 2014, 10:30:43 pmIt's not a standard 4-pin DIN cable. Same shell, I think, but the pins are much larger. The Kycon part linked earlier looks right except for the genders being wrong. I'd look to see if other manufacturers have crosses for those part numbers.

author: akis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2014, 11:13:32 pm
content: None of those. Way out.However the supply is made by Chicony who also have a European office in the Czech Republic. I have not found an email address but if these guys make them for sure they will know where the parts come from.

author: akis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2015, 03:07:04 pm
content: Quote from: Macbeth on December 18, 2014, 07:21:33 pmIn the end writing to the suppliers elicited no replies, or "we can repair it for you or you can buy a new PSU for £55 + shipping + VAT" so in the end I took the wire cutters to it and extended the lead. That was a few months ago now.The PSU is quite hefty: 19.5V DC @ 11.8A ! The cable has 4 cores simply to carry the current, I used an extension 10A, OFC, speaker cable, thought it was an overkill and only used 2 cores, and when the graphics card is on, now the cable gets hot !Of course the fact that I used a 4m extension cable does not help matters... Anyway it is all good now.

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2015, 03:56:32 pm
content: Could it be using 2 cores as sense wires to make sure it gets full voltage at the output?

author: akis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2015, 04:09:12 pm
content: Sorry, I have reread my post, and I have made a mistake : the cable only has one core and one screen around it, but both very, very thick and heavy duty. It is the connector that has 4 pins to spread the current obviously 2 pins were not enough.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 15, 2015, 03:15:05 am
content: At least it doesn't use those damn awful "barrel" connectors!!it seems they are specially designed to break!

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2015, 04:32:03 pm
content: Buy a replacement power brick, cut the lead on that and extend it, that way you have the original power brick intact if you have to make a warranty claim.

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2015, 04:42:05 pm
content: Is it one of these. A microphone plug as used on CB radios and many brands of soldering irons.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-4-5-6-8-Pins-Microphone-Chassis-Sockets-Plugs-Male-Female-CB-Ham-Radio-/231359930831?var=&hash=item35de2061cf:m:mTX8ahsP3iD6U8AKD5DvjuQ

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2015, 04:50:24 pm
content: With a 230W power brick, its highly probable that the power lead is carrying something like 10A, (which is consistent with the specs of the linked connector if the pins are paralleled in pairs - 7.5A/pin @ 20V, 5A/pin @30V) and adding more lead length is likely to cause excessive voltage drop unless you use a far far heavier gauge cable.IMHO you are going to have to live with the downside of trying to get desktop class performance in a laptop, one of which is being on a short tether to a house-brick sized PSU. To fix the problem would require a custom PSU with sense wires going right up to the laptop plug to compensate for the voltage drop, and would probably cost a significant part of the value of the laptop.

author: akis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2015, 05:55:20 pm
content: Quote from: G7PSK on December 16, 2015, 04:42:05 pmUnfortunately it is notThe "bottom" pair of pins are closer together than the top pair !But I have cut the leads and made extensions anyway.Quote from: Ian.M on December 16, 2015, 04:50:24 pmWell, the PSU gives out 19.5V but the 4S battery gives out "nominal" 14.8V (min 12V or so, max 16.8V). That means even if I drop a volt or two on the cable I am still over than the highest charged battery possible (actually unhealthily charged).But yes, I made a mistake and used a thinner cable and it gets hot sometimes. That was a mistake, but the system works for over half a year now so it's all good.

author: lastNick
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 04, 2017, 01:42:15 pm
content: Maybe this topic is a dead horse but since I found it while searching for this type of connector I will provide my other findings:The connector is named KPPX-4P and is produced by KYCON. You can find the data sheet here:http://www.kycon.com/Pub_Eng_Draw/KPPX-4P.PDF. The mating socket to this connector should be KYCON KPJX-CM-4S according to page 3 the data sheet of my MEAN WELL power supplyhttp://www.mouser.com/ds/2/260/gst160a-spec-606091.pdfImportant Hint: Pin assignment isNOTstandardized! I replaced an EDAC EA11351A by a MEAN WELL GST160A12-R7B and had to adjust the pin assignment of the MEAN WELL to make it usable.Best Michael bad english improved[EDIT^2] hint added

author: kb0nly
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 04, 2018, 08:55:00 pm
content: You are correct lastNick, HOWEVER... Your power supply and connectors that you linked to are the opposite gender.I came across this post because i too am trying to find this connector. Its the same as the Kycon KPPX series but the gender is reversed. On the MeanWell supplies the cable has the Male Pins, and on the device it connects to is the Female Socket. But some devices are showing up that have the plug on the power supply as the Female, and the device is the Male.One example... Makerbot Replicator 2x has the same plug as the OP's laptop. The power supply is the Female and the Printer is the Male. From what i can tell they did this so that the power supply no longer has exposed pins with power on them, i've seen quite a few people touch that connector to something or drop it and have it short out and arc across the pins because they didnt unplug the supply first from the mains.I have been on a quest for almost a year now to find a source of these but gave up. Would still like to find them but its looking like its impossible. So what i have been doing on these is buying either new jacks to put on the PCB, aka the Mightyboard, in the printer to swap the gender to match the MeanWell supply or butchering cables, but at $80-$100 for the MeanWell supply its not a cheap item to be chopping up.If anyone ever comes across a source for a KPPX-4 plug that is the female sockets let me know. I emailed Kycon and they did actually reply, apparently its a KPPX-4S, S for Socket, but when they linked me to the part it was the PCB mounted socket not the cable mounted plug. So i reiterated to them i need the plug as a female and then communication went dead with them. So i don't think Kycon made these. Probably can find a whole box of them in a Shenzen market somewhere but not online!

author: kb0nly
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 04, 2018, 09:29:35 pm
content: One last note...You can sorta make one custom...If you buy a KPPX-4P, which is the male connector found on the MeanWell supplies, and a KPJX-CM-4S which is the cable mounted female jack, and then swap the internal pieces you can make a KPPX-4P Female plug. The KPJX has a shroud around it and is intended to be used as an inline connector to mate with the KPPX so it cannot plug into a device with the male PCB mounted jack, but the internal piece with the sockets is a molded plastic part that will fit in the metal shell inside the KPPX. Its expensive as you have to buy both connectors at around $5-6 each but it works.