[sdiy] AC Adaptor weirdness (semi-OT)

[Byron G. Jacquot]

>Hey. This is a little OT since it's about a laptop and not a synth, but I
didn't really have anywhere else to ask. Anyways. There's a laptop I've got,
that's missing the AC adaptor. My plan is to modify a regular Ac adaptor to
do the job, but the problem is is that the AC connector on the laptop isn't
a standard one, and I have had no luck finding into about it. Instead of the
traditional 'round hole with a pin in the middle design, the hole is shaped
like a square with a rounded top, with three small pins aranged in an
upwards pointed triangle. The top pin is labbelled 1, the bottom left
labelled 2, and the bottom right pin labelled three. Anyone think they might
know which is ground, which is positive, and which is negative? 

I just peeked at the supply for my laptop.  The connector is different, so I
can't help you there, but the thing is a small switch mode supply.  It's
rated at 20 Volts DC, 3.5 Amps!  That's quite some current to get from a
regular wall wart adaptor!

Byron Jacquot