IEC 61076-2-118:2026 is a detail specification within the IEC 61076 series on connectors for electrical and electronic equipment. It addresses circular connectors with bayonet locking in four defined sizes, used for power, signal and data transmission in industrial settings. This page gives testing engineers, procurement specialists and quality managers an interpretive overview of the standard, its scope and its place in the series; the document itself is available only from official IEC sources.
Standard Information
IEC 61076-2-118:2026 specifies circular connectors with bayonet locking in sizes B12, B17, B23 and B40. These connectors serve power, signal and data transmission in industrial applications, and the standard covers both fixed and free connectors in rewirable and non-rewirable versions. It was developed by the IEC technical committee responsible for connectors, and its classification falls under electrical engineering components for electronic equipment. - Designation: IEC 61076-2-118:2026
- Full title: Connectors for electrical and electronic equipment - Product requirements - Part 2-118: Circular connectors - Detail specification for shielded and unshielded, free and fixed connectors with bayonet-locking size B12, B17, B23 and B40, for power, signal and data transmission
- Status: Current
- Publication date: 2026-08-31
- ICS classification: 31, 31.220, 31.220.10
- Technical committee: TC 48/SC 48B
Scope and Application
The standard defines product requirements for circular connectors with bayonet locking in four sizes: B12, B17, B23 and B40. Such connectors are typically used for power, signal and data transmission in industrial applications. The scope extends to the mechanical and functional interface characteristics that a detail specification of this kind normally establishes for a defined connector family. Both halves of the connection are addressed. Fixed connectors, usually mounted on equipment panels or enclosures, and free connectors, typically terminated to cables, fall within the specification. Each category may be either rewirable, allowing field termination and re-termination, or non-rewirable, with factory-set terminations. Shielded and unshielded versions are both covered, as stated in the full title. For buyers and design engineers, this means one document governs the dimensional and product requirements for the entire connector interface, regardless of shielding variant, locking size, or rewiring option selected for a given installation.
Products and Materials Covered
The product families in scope are circular connectors with bayonet coupling in sizes B12, B17, B23 and B40. The four sizes form a graded range within one locking system, allowing installers to match connector size to the number and type of contacts required for a specific power, signal or data circuit. Within each size, the specification applies to two constructions. Rewirable connectors permit the user to attach and replace conductors, which suits maintenance-intensive industrial sites and cable assemblies repaired in the field. Non-rewirable connectors arrive with fixed terminations and are treated as complete units. The ICS classification places the standard under 31.220.10, the category for plugs and socket-outlets, alongside the broader 31.220 group covering electrical and electronic components in general. Readers should note that the specification concerns the connector products themselves rather than the cables, enclosures or equipment into which they are installed.
Testing and Compliance Considerations
A detail specification of this type is normally applied through type testing. An accredited laboratory takes representative samples of the fixed and free connectors, both shielded and unshielded, and evaluates them against the requirements laid down in the specification together with the generic test methods referenced by the series. The resulting type test report documents that a product design meets the stated requirements. Beyond initial type approval, factories and purchasers commonly use the specification for acceptance verification on incoming batches. Here the emphasis shifts from full characterization to confirming that delivered connectors match the qualified design in dimensions, marking and construction. Retesting becomes necessary when the product changes in a way that could affect performance, for example a new contact plating, a modified insulator material or an altered coupling mechanism. A change of manufacturing site may also trigger renewed evaluation. Quality managers should keep test reports, drawings and change records linked so that the documented compliance status remains traceable throughout the product life cycle.
Related Standards and Series Context
The designation itself carries structural information. IEC 61076 is the series number covering connectors for electrical and electronic equipment. The suffix 2-118 identifies a part within that series: the "2" denotes the section addressing circular connectors, and "118" marks this as a detail specification devoted to one specific connector family, here the bayonet-locking B12, B17, B23 and B40 types. A detail specification sits below the generic and sectional specifications in the series hierarchy. The generic documents establish requirements and test methods common to all connector types, while a detail specification applies those frameworks to a precisely defined product. Readers encountering several parts of IEC 61076 can therefore read the part number as a map of scope, from broad to narrow. The year 2026 in the designation indicates the publication date of this edition, 2026-08-31, and the record lists the status as Current. As with all IEC publications, the authoritative text should be obtained from official IEC sources; this overview is interpretive and does not reproduce or replace the document.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does testing to IEC 61076-2-118:2026 typically take, and when is the report delivered?
Turnaround for IEC 61076-2-118:2026 connector testing depends on the scope selected, the number of test sequences required, and laboratory scheduling, as outlined under Testing and Compliance Considerations. Reports are issued after all assessments are completed and results reviewed; exact timelines should be confirmed with the testing laboratory in advance.
What
sample requirements apply when submitting connectors for IEC 61076-2-118:2026 testing?
Sample quantities depend on which products and materials are covered by your submission and the test methods involved, as described under Products and Materials Covered. Connectors should be representative of series production and accompanied by specifications, drawings, and any relevant mating accessories needed to perform the applicable assessments.
How do I select the right method within IEC 61076-2-118:2026, and how do applicability differences matter?
Method selection depends on the connector type, its intended application, and the scope defined in the standard, as covered under Scope and Application and Testing and Compliance Considerations. Different test severities and procedures apply to different connector constructions, so confirm applicability with the laboratory to ensure the correct assessment is performed.