It's April 1 Somewhere

There are two types of IEC connectors. The high current ones (typically used for kettles here) have a ridge in the socket and keyway in the plug so that you can’t put a low current plug in a high current device.

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Assuming they aren’t a cord with a power-brick or some other weird cord, all IEC style power cords are the same (well obviously for the same country/style). The only difference is wire gauge (i.e. power handling capacity). So in looking at the silhouette cameo 3, that uses an AC adapter which is the cord and power-supply. That is a whole different issue than just an IEC power cord. I imagine any 14 or 12 gauge power cable is pretty much the same as any other (well the one on my X-Carve I replaced with a high-chemical resistant 12-guage one in case I spilled cutting oil on it) other than insulation and which country plug is on the end…

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This sounds like home user/consumer level machines that are running on DC power, thus using an inline AC/DC adapter brick, which very well can cause issues if the brick isn’t rated for enough power for the device to operate.

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Yes, the ones we killed did have an inline power brick. Phzzzzzzzt! KaPow!

(Don’t worry, if it’s not an issue, the PTB will simply chuckle and ignore me. They’ve had lots of time to practice by now.) :smile:

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That is shocking, there are standards for these things and the Glowforge is compliant so all was good but I’m really shocked that a digital cutter was not compliant. Was it an adapter cord with the power supply built into the cord?

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I see what you did there !!!

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Actually to fry the device the way bigger issue is what voltage they operate on rather than current capacity. The big issue is if one device ran on 12V while another ran on 5V. Plugging the 12 into the 5 would likely fry it (unless there is over voltage protection). Some devices assume wide ranges (like an arduino can take a very wide range of voltages) while the raspberry pi does not as it is always USB powered, which is a very narrow voltage range [essentially 5v)].

Of course you can overwhelm those regulators, which in industrial settings you have to account for, but in consumer level stuff it generally fries. I’ve certainly slagged a few arduinos and raspberry pis, while driving a big stepper motor at higher than 12V and accidentally crossing leads between motor power and shield power (large puff of smoke)

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Your noticing has been noted. :wink:

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Your note about noticing was noticed and … well… noted. :sunglasses:

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Pretty much being the key. Some power cords are marked by their manufacturer for compliance to certain standards, like IEC 60601, so manufacturers like us are forced to buy them for our marked products. I don’t know enough to know if there are any differences between one that is marked to a standard and one that is not, but I highly doubt it matters for the glowforge. The price isn’t even that much higher.

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Wait… ! So you’re saying the red cord has no special abilities???

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Congratulations! Glad it’s not just an April Fools thing. Trying hard not to be jealous :smile:

DC coaxial/barrel connectors are typically different sizes depending upon voltage and a 12V connector wouldn’t (errr… shouldn’t) fit into a device designed for another voltage. However that is not an internationally standardized practice, in fact the only standardization exists via the EIAJ (Japan) and other manufacturers seem to do whatever they want.

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yeah, that’s the keyword… been there, done that… :open_mouth:

These are standard IEC power cords, not voltage adapters, so the cutter problem shouldn’t be an issue.

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Whew! Thanks Dan! :slightly_smiling_face:

But they do operate better with red colored ones. Just ask @jkopel.

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Happy Birthday @wesleyjames ! :dizzy::sparkles::boom::crown::balloon:

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Happy Birthday!

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I hear it is your Birthday. Hope you have a happy one. :grin:

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