Pin input configuration

Have a rechargeable 12V ni-cad air pump- SIDEWINDER Pro - (2 speed) Need to adapt a charger Unit has a 3 pin input - any info on the pin configuration please.? 12-0-12 or 12-12-0 Or 0-12-12

by Bazmc2
June 18, 2021

If it is a rechargeable air pump, it probably runs on DC. If you get three wires, you are probably looking at the AC side of an AC/DC adaptor. Is it a 120V or 220V, I assume both models exists, mainly if it is an international company who made it (and it is the cas for the Side Winder air pumps). As for the DC, it can be 12V (car plug) and 5V (USB), or other. But again, if you have three wires, it is quite probably expecting AC, not DC. You have the initial packaging? or visible markings on the pump about voltages, amp, etc?

by vanderghast
June 19, 2021

1 Answer

Answer by Bazmc2

Thanks for your input really appreciate it Sorry no packing no charger - Made in China and I do know it had a car charger.(cig lighter) So I assume 12V DC input is possible, so with a DC input why 3 pins ?

+1 vote
by Bazmc2
June 19, 2021

If it is really a DC model, ( sometimes, Chineese sellers don't really know what they are selling, which contributes to the bad reputation they can have), I suspect that a third cable is somekind of DATA wire ( or a collection of very thin data wires, all packed together into a single one ). But I fail to see what purpose would be in mind to send data to an air blower ! And it is mentinoned that this is a pin, not a wire, which make a sophisticated set of data wires (plural) a high probability. Alternatively, it can be a useless wire, electrically, but just to be sure of the right polarity (given the supplied cable by the company) since reverse polarity, for DC, is generally not a very good treatment that we can do to our device.

So, in short, it can be a seller mistake, having send an AC instead of a DC, or it can be a DC with a single wire for some data communication (against over heating, over pressure, whatever), or even a kind of polarity protection for DC, ... or something else. Since the Side Winder air pump may come in different models, it would be really hard to be sure, imho.

by vanderghast
June 21, 2021

Thank you so much

by Bazmc2
June 21, 2021

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