Power Connectors

A power connector is a type of electrical connector used to transmit a considerable amount of power between a power source and a device that runs on that particular form of power. Electric power connections are used in conjunction with electric cords to transfer AC power from a plug to an electrical device.

Power Connectors – Signal and Power Delivery Systems, Inc.

Power connectors typically carry direct current (DC) or low-frequency alternating current (AC) and are used for a wide range of electronics. Some power connectors are relatively simple, such as those used in domestic settings to plug small electrical appliances into a wall outlet or to connect a computer to another device. Typically power connectors are designed to be at the end of a length of cable which is meant to fit into wall sockets.

Often times they are permanently connected to an appliance, such as a lamp or television set, but there are also those that can be manually disconnected, such as ones found in computer monitors. DC power connectors, used to connect devices to battery power sources, are not as common as AC connectors. Power connectors have male and female connections. The male electrical connector fits into the female electrical connector. Male connectors are found at the end of power plugs; they have either two or three pins that fit into the slots in the socket, which is the female connector.

Power connectors can refer to the following: AC power plugs and sockets, which are used to connect and disconnect electrical appliances to the power supply; industrial power plugs, which direct connection for electrical channels of a higher voltage and current than regular household plugs and sockets and can be used for protection from environmental dangers, such as water; DC connectors, which are similar to AC power plugs and sockets; blade connectors, which use a flat conductive blade that is injected into a blade receptacle and functions by means of a single wire; molex connectors, which is the familiar term (taken from a popular brand) for a two-piece pin and socket connector, mostly associated with disc drive connectors; and berg connectors, which is a brand of electrical connectors often utilized in computer hardware.