Have we ever found that our laptop does not charge, either because the external power supply has been broken or because the plug of it is broken. That is why you have the problem that you have, we have made you a quick guide of the different types of plug that are on the market.
Laptops use coaxial connectors or pins to connect their power supply or power adapter, unfortunately not all are the same and it is sometimes difficult to find a replacement for a broken one.
Why are there so many different types of plugs and power adapters?
The type of plug informs us of the electrical specifications used by the laptop, so it is a way to repair the electrical part of the laptop to give this information. That is, thanks to knowing the type of connector you can find a replacement for the power adapter.
However, let’s not forget that certain brands use proprietary connectors, so we recommend that you check the specifications of the power adapter and the plug before changing the power adapter of your laptop.
How are the plug types different?
There are two parameters that are necessary to find a power adapter with the right plug for our laptop, these are the outer diameter of the plug (OD) and the inner diameter of the plug (ID), both measured in millimeters. So if you are looking for a power adapter for your laptop, the first thing you will have to do is look for these two parameters.
Keep in mind that the part that we connect to our laptop to charge its battery, or simply give it power, is only half of the connector, the “male” part of it “, while the” female “part is the one that is found on the plate, the union of both what it does is power our laptop.
Its entire power system is designed from the specifications of the pair of connectors and the fact of changing them for those of another type would mean that the system would stop working completely, since all the power distribution starts from the connection of the laptop to the current, you would even find that the battery would not charge well.
Plug Types
First of all, we have to bear in mind that the electricity distribution rules are the same all over the world, that is, the plugs and switches are not the same in all the countries of the world. So to start there are different standards depending on the region in which you are.
In general, three types of plug are used:
- The IEC 60130-10 standard of 1971.
- The EIAJ connectors, famous for the yellow ring that identifies them, which is designed to avoid sudden cable pulls.
- German standard DIN 45323
If we do not take into account the proprietary standards of each manufacturer.
IEC 60130-10 type
The IEC 60310 standard was defined in 1971, the sizes of these types of connector are as follows:
| Connector | OD | ID |
| IEC 60130-10 Type A | 5.5 mm | 2.1 mm |
| IEC 60130-10 Type A | 5.5 mm | 2.5 mm |
| IEC 60130-10 Type B | 6 mm | 2.1 mm |
| IEC 60130-10 Type B | 6 mm | 2.5 mm |
| IEC 60130-10 Type C | 3.8 mm | 1.1 mm |
| IEC 60130-10 Type D | 6.3 mm | 3.1 mm |
| IEC 60130-10 Type E | 3.4 mm | 1.3 mm |
As a note, Type A sometimes have a small screw to fix the connector in its place.
EIAJ type
The Japanese EIAJ standard, better known as EIAJ RC-5320A , is the standard used by Japanese companies. So if your laptop is of a Japanese brand then you have many numbers that the connector is one of the EIAJ type.
| Connector | Minimum Voltage | Voltage | Amperage | OD | ID |
| EIAJ-01 | 0 V | 3.15 V | 2 A | 2.35 mm | 0.7 mm |
| EIAJ-02 | 3.15 V | 6.3 V | 2 A | 4 mm | 1.7 mm |
| EIAJ-03 | 6.3 V | 10.5 V | 2 A | 4.75 mm | 1.7 mm |
| EIAJ-04 | 10.5 V | 13.5 V | 2 A | 5.5 mm | 3.3 mm |
| EIAJ-05 | 13.5 V | 18 V | 2 A | 6.5 mm | 4.4 mm |
As you can see, this standard has defined what voltage and amperage are, this means that we can know how much energy is being supplied to
Other types of laptop plug
In some cases, manufacturers use proprietary plug types, whose external and internal diameters do not correspond to the standard diameters. If the connector of your laptop when connecting does not meet the specifications of the standard then bad luck and you will have to ask the manufacturer.
However, there is a type of plug that is not within the IEC 60130-10 and EIAJ standards, but that is not proprietary and is used in a large number of portable computers. This connector is called Kobiconn 6014-E and its specifications are as follows:
| Connector | Voltage | Amperage | OD | ID |
| Kobicon 6014-E | 18 V | 5 | 6.5 mm | 3.4 mm |
If we are going to the proprietary connectors, we can find for example the following types:
| Connector | Voltage | Amperage | OD | ID |
| Lenovo | 42 V | 2 A | 8 mm | 5.5 mm |
Of the following types we do not know the voltage and amperage specifications.
| Connector | OD | ID |
| Samsung | 5.5 mm | 3.3 mm |
| Hewlett-Packard | 7.4 mm | 5 mm |
| Dell | 7.4 mm | 5 mm |