Panasonic CB1-P-12V (ACB13101) Automotive Relay — 12V DC, 20A, 5-Pin, 2 pcs

Panasonic · CB Series · 1 Form A (SPST-NO) · 12V DC Coil · Plug-In · In Stock

The Panasonic CB1-P-12V (internal P/N ACB13101) is a compact 1 Form A (SPST-NO) automotive relay from the long-running Panasonic CB series, built for 12V DC switching loads up to 20A at 14V DC. The 5-pin plug-in form factor with an integrated mounting tab drops into standard CB1 relay sockets and is one of the most widely used automotive and 12V DC industrial switching relays on the market. This listing is supplied as a 2-piece pack for bench spares, panel builders, and field service engineers.

1. Key Technical Specifications & Overview

The CB1-P-12V is part of the Panasonic CB family — a workhorse automotive relay designed for millions of operations at moderate DC loads. The 12V DC coil is engineered for direct battery / 12V bus operation in passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, off-highway equipment and battery-backed industrial accessories. The 5-pin layout follows the industry-standard ISO footprint shared with Omron G4Q and similar plug-in automotive relays, which means the CB1-P-12V is a drop-in replacement on existing harness boards designed for that footprint.

2. Application Scenarios — Where It Fits

The CB1-P-12V is purpose-built for 12V DC switching, and the SPST-NO contact form means it acts like a “remote power switch”: energise the coil, the load comes on. It is the same approach used by every modern vehicle for high-current accessories, and is equally at home in industrial control panels that need a rugged 12V DC interposing relay between a PLC output and a heavier DC load.

• Automotive horn & headlight relay — standard fitment on passenger cars, light commercial vehicles and motorcycle headlamp circuits.
• Engine fan motor & radiator fan — 20A continuous rating is well matched to single-fan assemblies.
• Fuel pump interposing — used in classic and aftermarket fuel-pump wiring where the ECU switches a relay coil, not the pump directly.
• A/C compressor clutch & blower control — pairs with thermostat / pressure switch logic for HVAC actuators.
• Electric vehicles, e-bikes and golf carts — any 12V DC accessory rail in 4-wheel and 2-wheel EVs.
• Motorcycle, ATV and agricultural vehicles — vibration-tolerant plug-in relay on a 5-pin socket.
• 12V DC industrial panels — interposing between a Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Mitsubishi or Omron PLC output and a heavier DC solenoid / heater / motor.
• Robotics & CNC cabinets — aux relay for coolant pumps, chip conveyors, light-tower beacons driven from Fanuc, Yaskawa or Schneider controllers.
• Vision & inspection cells — 12V DC rail switching for KEYENCE illumination, sensor power and tower-lamp drivers.

See the full Panasonic relays and PLC parts catalogue, or browse all brands in stock if you are building a mixed-supplier spare-parts list.

3. Integration & Wiring Notes

The 5-pin CB1 footprint is one of the most de-facto standardised automotive relay pin-outs: two coil pins (85 / 86 by ISO convention) and three contact pins (30 common, 87 N.O. output, 87a not used on a 1 Form A variant). Always cross-check the pin-out with the harness-side socket and the load-side current path before energising.

• Coil drive — 12V DC nominal. The CB1 series tolerates the 13.8–14.4V range typical of a running automotive bus without the need for a dropping resistor.
• Snubber / flyback — if the CB1 coil is being driven directly from a PLC transistor output (e.g. an Allen-Bradley MicroLogix or Siemens S7-200 output), fit a flyback diode across the coil (cathode to +12V) to protect the driver.
• Contact polarity — 30 (common) typically connects to +12V battery; 87 (N.O.) feeds the load. Reverse is also valid for many DC loads, but a fuse on 30 is mandatory.
• Socket pairing — pair with a standard CB1 5-pin automotive relay socket with integrated mounting tab. Wire the harness with crimp terminals rated for the load current.
• Cross-reference — on the same 5-pin footprint as the Omron G4Q-211A family of plug-in relays. For a Form C (SPDT) variant in the same Panasonic line, consider the Panasonic CB1-T-12V for 12V DC systems that need a normally-closed contact as well.
• 24V systems — if the bus is 24V DC rather than 12V DC, the matching Panasonic CB1-P-24V is the equivalent 24V DC coil variant in the same Form A footprint.

For panel-level signal levels (4–20 mA, 0–10V) and Modbus register scaling on the upstream PLC side, the free PLC Analog Calculator and Modbus CRC Calculator tools are useful companions.

4. Installation & Commissioning Tips

Plug-in automotive relays are deceptively simple, but most field failures are caused by the socket and harness rather than the relay itself. Treat the relay as a consumable, the wiring as the long-term asset, and the socket as the in-service connection that takes the abuse.

• Mount orientation — CB1-P series relays are designed to be socket-mounted via the integrated tab. Orient the relay with the tab on the side specified by your harness drawing so the cover can be removed without unbolting the socket.
• Socket quality — use a socket with locking tabs and rated for at least 20A continuous. Cheap unsealed sockets are the most common source of voltage drop and intermittent coil-drive failures.
• Fuse on the common (30) pin — always fit an inline fuse rated just above the load current. A failed relay contact will short the bus; a fuse will save the harness.
• Sealed enclosures — for off-highway, agricultural or marine service, mount the socket inside a sealed enclosure to keep moisture and salt spray off the contact pins.
• Pre-commissioning check — with the relay removed, measure coil resistance (should be in the tens-of-ohms range for a 12V DC coil) and confirm there is no continuity between 30 and 87 with the coil de-energised. A stuck-closed relay is a fire risk.
• Spare policy — the 2-piece pack format suits a typical “1 in service, 1 on the shelf” bench spares model for field engineers working on Fanuc and Yaskawa CNC cells, where a single failed relay can stop a machine.
• Diagnostic help — if you cannot see the relay in-circuit, the AI Diagnostic Tool can interpret symptom descriptions and suggest likely relay / socket / wiring causes; for fault-code lookups across Siemens, Mitsubishi and Omron controllers, use the PLC Error Code Database.

5. Procurement, Warranty & Lead Time

KOEED is a multi-brand industrial automation sourcing company, not an OEM subsidiary of Panasonic, Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Mitsubishi, Omron, Fanuc, Schneider, Yaskawa or KEYENCE. We supply the CB1-P-12V (ACB13101) as part of our wider relay and socket coverage for 12V DC systems. Pricing is by RFQ because part cost moves with the panel build quantity and the destination country.

• Quotation turnaround — quotes returned within 24 hours on business days when you send the part list to Moritta@KOEED.COM.
• BOM quotation — you can include the CB1-P-12V alongside PLC, HMI, servo and sensor lines from the other eight KOEED brands on the same RFQ; we quote the lot as one consolidated line item list. Use the Create a Quote form for structured multi-line BOMs.
• Worldwide shipping — DHL / FedEx / UPS options; we ship from our China sourcing base with tracking shared the same day the parcel leaves the warehouse.
• Warranty — standard 12-month warranty on supplied parts against manufacturing defect; warranty does not cover damage from over-current, reverse polarity, or operation outside the published electrical ratings.
• Authenticity — relays are sourced through authorised channels and checked for date / lot code consistency before dispatch; full traceability is provided on request for industrial-automation customers.
• Lead time — small 2-piece pack orders typically ship within 1–3 business days of payment. For larger panel-build quantities, confirm the lot at RFQ time.
• Real-time visibility — you can review recent dispatch records and the sales and delivery photo log to see how KOEED packs and ships relays and small parts to international customers.

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