A power connector is an electrical connector designed to carry a significant amount of electrical power, usually as DC or low-frequency AC. Some types of RF connector may also carry large amounts of power, but are considered as a separate category. Connectors carrying small amounts of power are known as signal connectors.
Types
- AC power plugs:
- Mains power plugs, principally used for connecting equipment to wall outlets. See that article for information about mains electricity plugs around the world as well as information for travellers.
- Industrial power plugs, used for larger equipment than normal mains plugs.
- DC plugs
- Mains inlet connectors, designed to attach a power cable to an appliance, of which the IEC connector (see image below) is the most common
- Battery connectors
- Lucar connectors
- Terminals
- Terminal blocks
- Industrial power connectors, of which one of the most common types is
- Personal computer power supply connectors
- four pin hard disk drive (HDD) connectors, also used for powering CD-ROM drives, burners etc
- smaller four pin floppy disk drive (FDD) connectors, also used by some hard drives, and carrying the same power supplies as the HDD connectors
- AT motherboard connectors consisting of two in-line connectors
- ATX motherboard connectors which have now obsoleted the older AT-style connectors
- serial ATA (SATA) power connectors