GOST 7396
Encyclopedia
GOST 7396 is a series of Soviet and later Russian standards that specify basic dimensions and safety requirements for power plugs and sockets used in Russia
and other former Soviet Republics
, as well as for export to markets that use American or British plugs.
Many official standards in Eastern Europe
are virtually identical to the Schuko standard. One of the protocols governing the reunification of Germany
required that the DIN and VDE standards would prevail without exception, so the former East Germany had to conform to the Schuko standard. Most other Eastern European countries use the Schuko standard internally but, prior to its collapse, they exported large volumes of appliances to the Soviet Union
with the Soviet standard plug installed. Because of that, many of the Russian plugs found their way into other Eastern European countries. One peculiarity of the Soviet standard is the use of an ungrounded plug with 4.0 mm diameter pins for 6 A and a corresponding socket that would not accept the 4.8 mm diameter pins of devices that could draw as much as 16 A. Another is that sockets that in other places would be supplied with 16 A may have been wired for only 10 A during the Soviet era.
The series includes the following standards:
(Type D) 3 pin unfused plugs of 2 A, 5 A, and 15 A, while the B 2 plug is the same as the BS 1363
(Type G) fused plug.
C 1 - 2 pin ungrounded 6 A and 16 A (Type C)
C 2 - CEE 7/4 Schuko 16 A (Type F)
C 3 - CEE 7/5 French 16 A (Type E)
C 4 - CEE 7/7 16 A (Type E/F)
C 5 - CEE 7/16 Europlug 2.5 A (Type C)
C 6 - CEE 7/17 16 A (Type C)
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and other former Soviet Republics
Post-Soviet states
The post-Soviet states, also commonly known as the Former Soviet Union or former Soviet republics, are the 15 independent states that split off from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in its dissolution in December 1991...
, as well as for export to markets that use American or British plugs.
Many official standards in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
are virtually identical to the Schuko standard. One of the protocols governing the reunification of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
required that the DIN and VDE standards would prevail without exception, so the former East Germany had to conform to the Schuko standard. Most other Eastern European countries use the Schuko standard internally but, prior to its collapse, they exported large volumes of appliances to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
with the Soviet standard plug installed. Because of that, many of the Russian plugs found their way into other Eastern European countries. One peculiarity of the Soviet standard is the use of an ungrounded plug with 4.0 mm diameter pins for 6 A and a corresponding socket that would not accept the 4.8 mm diameter pins of devices that could draw as much as 16 A. Another is that sockets that in other places would be supplied with 16 A may have been wired for only 10 A during the Soviet era.
The series includes the following standards:
- GOST 7396.1-89 Plugs and Socket-Outlets for Household and Similar Purposes - Basic Dimensions
- GOST 7396.2-91 Plugs and Socket-Outlets for Household and Similar Purposes - Particular Requirements for Fused Plugs - General Technical Specifications
Group A
Group A connectors consist of the non-locking NEMA connectors (Types A and B), which are defined for the assistance of exporters. Thus for example, an A 5-15 plug is the standard NEMA 5-15 household grounded plug used in North America.Group B
Group B connectors are also defined for the assistance of exporters to countries that use connectors based on British standards. The B 1 series defines the BS 546BS 546
BS 546 is a pre-Second World War British Standard for domestic AC power plugs and sockets that is also the precursor of current Indian and South African plug standards. This plug is also used in Singapore to a limited extent...
(Type D) 3 pin unfused plugs of 2 A, 5 A, and 15 A, while the B 2 plug is the same as the BS 1363
BS 1363
BS 1363 is a British Standard which specifies the most common type of single-phase AC power plugs and sockets that are used in the United Kingdom. Distinctive characteristics of the system are shutters on the line and neutral socket holes, and a fuse in the plug...
(Type G) fused plug.
Group C
Group C connectors are various CEE 7 plugs used in continental Europe, with allowances made for various Soviet era plugs that are compatible with them. Note that in Soviet-era construction the 16 A versions may be supplied with only a 10 A service.C 1 - 2 pin ungrounded 6 A and 16 A (Type C)
- Both varieties of this connector use two pins with centers spaced 19.0 mm apart. The 6 A variety has pins on the plug with a 4.0 mm diameter with the corresponding socket holes having a diameter of 4.5 mm. The corresponding dimensions on the 16 A are 4.8 mm and 5.5 mm respectively. Thus a 6 A plug fits into both varieties of this socket, but the 16 A plug does not fit into the 6 A socket. The 16 A socket will accept all group C plugs, but does not provide grounding.
C 2 - CEE 7/4 Schuko 16 A (Type F)
- This is the standard SchukoSchuko"Schuko" is the colloquial name for a system of AC power plugs and sockets that is defined as "CEE 7/4". A Schuko plug features two round pins of 4.8 mm diameter for the live and neutral contacts, plus two flat contact areas on the top and bottom side of the plug for protective earth...
connector used in much of continental Europe. The Schuko plug will fit into the 16 A variety of the C 1 socket, but will not be grounded.
C 3 - CEE 7/5 French 16 A (Type E)
- This is the standard connector found in France, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. The plug will fit into the 16 A variety of the C 1 socket, but will not be grounded.
C 4 - CEE 7/7 16 A (Type E/F)
- This is the compromise plug designed to be accepted and to be grounded in both the Schuko and French sockets. The plug will fit into the 16 A variety of the C 1 socket, but will not be grounded.
C 5 - CEE 7/16 Europlug 2.5 A (Type C)
- The standard EuroplugEuroplugThe Europlug is a flat, two-pole domestic AC power plug that is generally supplied moulded on the end of an appliance's flex or a power cord, designed for voltages up to 250 V and currents up to 2.5 A...
is defined here, as is a version of the C 6 (CEE 7/17) plug, but with 4.0 mm diameter pins. The standard allows for the use of devices that draw as much as 6 A with these round variants.
C 6 - CEE 7/17 16 A (Type C)
- The standard CEE 7/17 ungrounded plug with 4.8 mm diameter pins is defined here. Note that the GOST standard defines a variant with 4.0 mm diameter pins for use with devices of 6 A or less, which it classifies as a variant shape of the C 5 plug.
Compatibility Table Plugs C 1 C 2 C 3 C 4 C 5 C 6 6 A 16 A Sockets C 1 6 A Y N N N N Y N C 1 16 A Y Y Y Y Y Y Y C 2 N N Y N Y Y Y C 3 N N N Y Y Y Y
See also
- GOST standardsGOSTGOST refers to a set of technical standards maintained by the Euro-Asian Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification , a regional standards organization operating under the auspices of the Commonwealth of Independent States .All sorts of regulated standards are included, with examples...
- Domestic AC power plugs and socketsDomestic AC power plugs and socketsAC power plugs and sockets are devices for removably connecting electrically operated devices to the power supply. Electrical plugs and sockets differ by country in rating, shape, size and type of connectors...
- SchukoSchuko"Schuko" is the colloquial name for a system of AC power plugs and sockets that is defined as "CEE 7/4". A Schuko plug features two round pins of 4.8 mm diameter for the live and neutral contacts, plus two flat contact areas on the top and bottom side of the plug for protective earth...
- EuroplugEuroplugThe Europlug is a flat, two-pole domestic AC power plug that is generally supplied moulded on the end of an appliance's flex or a power cord, designed for voltages up to 250 V and currents up to 2.5 A...