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2 Mini DIN plugs 3 Speaker DIN plugs |
Full-sized DIN plugs are 13.2mm in diameter, and are available in patterns with three to fourteen pins. All patterns are commonly available as line versions in male (plug) and female, and as panel-mounting female connectors.
The DIN plug consists of a sheilding metal skirt protecting a number of straight circular pins. The skirt has a spigot to ensure that the plug is inserted with the correct orientation and prevent damage to the pins.
There are seven common patterns, with any number of pins from three to eight. Two different five-pin plugs exist, known as 180 degree and 240 (sometimes called 270) degree after the pin arrangement. There is some limited compatibility, for example a three-pin plug will fit any 180 degree five-pin socket, engaging three of the pins and leaving the other two unconnected, but a five-pin plug will fit some but not all three-pin sockets.
There is a convention for using the 180 degree five pin plug for connecting a stereo tape recorder to a stereo amplifier or preamplifier, using the five pins for the four signal connections plus shield/return. The cord used for this has a plug on each end, and the pins are connected pin for pin, ie pin 1 to pin 1, 2 to 2, etc. A four-channel cord wired in this way is sometimes simply called a DIN cord.
'Mini' DIN plugs are 9.5mm in diameter, and are commonly available in six patterns with any number of pins from three to eight. Their construction is similar to the older, larger DIN plug.
A polarised two-pin unshielded plug, designed for connecting a loudspeaker to a power amplifier, was known as a speaker DIN plug. It existed as a panel-mounting female version, and line-mounted male and female versions. The male version had a central flat pin, and circular pin mounted off-centre. It is now mainly found on older equipment, such as 16mm movie projectors.DIN plugs
5 pin 180 degree DIN plugMini DIN plugs
Speaker DIN line socket (left) and plug (right)Speaker DIN plugs