Function of Power Cord Connected to In-Device Transformer and Repurposing Possibility

 I'm fairly new to design/ Building,  and researching internet isn't giving me the answers I need. 
This power cord is connected to an in device transformer? What exactly is it doing? Can I repurpose it for a project of my own? I looked up it's numbers but it seems my education is failing me 


I reverse engineer any and all electronics,  because I'm not exactly the richest person so I harvest and repurpose components.  

Hi Ian-Yes- the power cord can be repurposed for other uses, BUT- please remember that the voltage coming out of a wall outlet can be LETHAL (and it will hurt the whole time you're dying).  Please don't connect anything to a wall outlet until you are absolutely certain you know what you're doing.I think it would be best if you try to find a local group of people who are interested in Electronics so you can discuss ideas.  Look for a "Makers" group in your area.  If you can't find one, see if there's an Amateur Radio group.  Being in the midst of a bunch of like-minded people to discuss projects and ideas can be very helpful.BTW- The power cord in the picture feeds the mains voltage into the primary winding of the transformer where the voltage is stepped down a lower (safer) AC voltage in the secondary winding.  The little circuit board on the transformer probably contains rectifiers which convert the AC voltage to DC.-Rick   

Hello Ian,If you want to re-purpose the transformer, I'd suggest that you measure the voltage coming out of the circuit board (the red and black wires) with the power cord plugged into the wall. That will give you a good idea of what the transformer is likely to be good for.

Ian... very good advice above, especially the safety comments from Rick.  The power cord goes straight into the transformer for that reason - it is connected to the primary winding and for safety reasons, doing it this way does not expose the mains wiring for you to touch and attempt to kill yourself.Testing transformers....do this with it unplugged from the wall, obviously.  With a multimeter, measure the resistance of the primary (ie on the plug pins in this case).  You should get a reading of anything from the high tens of ohms to 1KOhm or more, most likely a few hundred ohms.  Measuring on the secondary (the two wires coming out of the transformer going onto the small circuit board) you should get anything from near zero ohms up to a few tens of ohms - most likely a few ohms.  If either of these readings are very high (over 10Kohms, more likely a meg or more - the winding is open circuit.  You will reluctantly have to throw the transformer away.  You should also measure the resistance from both windings to the case of the transformer - again you want a very high resistance, especially on the primary.Next measure between ONE wire of the secondary and ONE wire of the primary.  You should get a very high reading - a megohm or more.  This indicates that the insulation between the windings is goodSo far so good.  now plug the transformer in and measure the AC voltage on those secondary wires going onto the circuit board.  Be careful here - you don't want to short them inadvertently, and makes sure you are not touching any metal parts or wires (hole only the insulated part of your meter probes.  You should get anything form 3 to 25 volts from a normal wall wart - again usually in the middle of that range.  if that's ok, leave the transformer on with no load for  bit and see if it gets hot.  If it does it may have a shorted turn somewhere, in which case the bin is the right destination.  (maybe unsolder the circuit board in case somethings shorted on there.  You can also measure the DC voltage on the black and red wires - should be around the AC voltage you measures, maybe a bit higher.You can cut the power cord to re-use either the cord or the transformer BUT don't do this unless you know what you are doing. And UNPLUG IT first!!> "I reverse engineer any and all electronics,  because I'm not exactly the richest person so I harvest and repurpose components",  I've been doing that since I was about 12 (now 61.)  It's nice to know someone is carrying on the tradition!You might like my article here: https://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1320904Cheers / David

Thank you guys for the info. 
Normally I don't mess with wall plugs. Playing with my life I don't mess around with, but when necessary i shut off power to the house first.  Always wear the right gear to work as well, tho i need some sturdy gloves, that don't restrict dexterity, can't seem to find decent ones anywhere