Portable generator having a detachable panel

An interconnecting cord for use with a portable generator having an internal combustion engine to power a device that generates electrical power, the portable generator having a wiring harness connected to the engine and generator and ending in a first multi-pin connector having at least one pin in electrical communication with the engine or starter to provide a signal effecting the starting, stopping or idle of the engine, the cord comprising:

• a multi-wire electrical cord having multi-pin connectors at each end with one of the electrical cord connectors configured to mate with the multi-pin connector on the portable generator, the cord having at least one hot wire, a ground wire, a neutral wire each connected to a separate pin on the cord's multi-pin connectors, the cord having an additional wire connected to a pin on the cord's multi-pin connectors which pin is located to mate with the at least one pin on the generator's connector that is in electrical communication with the engine or starter.

A detachable panel for use with a portable generator having an internal combustion engine to power a device that generates electrical power, the portable generator having a wiring harness connected to the engine and generator with a multi-pin connector connected to the wiring harness, the detachable panel comprising:

• a housing having a front and back and enclosing wires and at least one circuit breaker in electrical communication with at least one electrical outlet on the housing and in further electrical communication with a multi-pin connector configured to mate with the multi-pin connector of the portable generator to provide electrical power to the outlet;
• at least one of an engine control device or a generator monitoring device connected to the housing, the engine control device configured to send an electrical signal through a pin in the panel's multi-pin connector to alter the engine speed, and the generator monitoring device comprising circuitry in the panel configured to monitor at least one pin of the panel's multi-pin connector to determine and display a signal representative of the voltage, amperage or Hertz associated with that pin.