The facts
- Maker: SSEMCO.
- Locks at: the PDU outlet.
- Needs on the PDU side: a P-Lock-ready PDU outlet (latch slots inside the outlet face for the tabs).
- Needs on the equipment side: nothing; the connector is a standard C13 / C15 / C19.
- How it holds: Two spring tabs, the P-shaped clips on either side of the plug head, click into the latch slots of a P-Lock-ready outlet as the plug seats; pull on the cord and the tabs bear on the outlet, not the pins. On a plain outlet with no latch slots the plug seats and carries current like any C14 or C20, but has nothing to catch. The connector at the equipment end is standard and locks nothing.
- How to release: Pinch both tabs on the plug head and pull.
- Published retention: Up to 120 N (about 27 lbf) withdrawing force (SSEMCO, P-Lock C14 / C13 product page).
- Plugs: C14, C20. Connectors: C13, C15, C19.
What it is
P-Lock is a plug-side mechanism made by SSEMCO. The plug head carries two spring tabs, the P-shaped clips, one each side, that click into the latch slots of a P-Lock-ready outlet as the plug goes home. Pull on the cord and the tabs bear on the outlet instead of the pins, so the cord stays put through a cable-management tidy, a neighbouring cord being pulled, or a technician's elbow. SSEMCO publishes a withdrawing force of up to 120 N (about 27 lbf). The connector at the equipment end is a standard C13, C15 or C19 and locks nothing; that is by design, because the PDU end is where most accidental unplugs happen.
What it fits
Any PDU whose outlets carry the latch slots. The PDU makers say so in their own words: Server Technology's lockable, HDOT and HDOT Cx outlets; every Raritan PX PDU with C13 / C19 outlets (Raritan sells the same plug as SecureLock); Vertiv / Geist's high-retention and Combination C13/C19 outlets; Eaton G4 PDUs with P-Lock C13, C19 or C39 outlets; and GELU. On a plain outlet with nothing to catch, the plug seats and works like an ordinary cord; it does not lock. On a V-Lock outlet (APC AP8000, Panduit G5) it seats but does not lock either; that outlet takes V-Lock. If you are not sure what your PDU has, the Lock Finder asks, and the compatibility table names every brand with its source.
Release
Press both tabs on the plug head at once and pull. The tabs sit on the wide faces of the plug, so a full hand works; on a densely loaded PDU where fingers cannot reach, choose P-Lite, whose recessed head keeps the release reachable.
When to choose something else
- The equipment end must lock too: Dual-Lock (P-Lock plug plus an S-Lock connector).
- Only the equipment end matters and the PDU is anything at all: A-Lock or S-Lock.
- APC AP8000 or Panduit SmartZone G5 PDUs: V-Lock.
- Plain outlets at both ends: Z-Lock+ (or the remaining Z-Lock stock).
Ordering notes
Pick the plug by the outlet (C14 for a C13 outlet, C20 for a C19 outlet), the connector by the equipment inlet, then length and colour. Red and blue are the usual A/B feed pair; here is why. Every cord on this site is built and shipped by World Cord Sets in Connecticut.