It is the opposite of DC, or direct current, and the electricity reverses direction back and fourth at regular intervals, generally multiple times per second. This alternation is measured in Hertz; in the United States and many other countries, AC power is generated at 60 Hertz, meaning the current alternates 60 times in a second. Read More…
Leading Manufacturers
MEGA Electronics, Inc.
New Brunswick, NJ | 732-249-2656MEGA manufactures AC/DC ITE and medical (60601-1 4th ed) power supplies in wall plug in, desk top and open frame packages up to 800W. Designed to get the job done at a reasonable price, supplies carry multiple approvals to make it possible to ship one supply globally.
Quail Electronics, Inc.
Livermore, CA | 800-669-8090At Quail Electronics, we are your power cord specialists. Our power supplies consist of green dot cords, high voltage cords, North American and international cords, specialty cords, plus adapters, plugs and strips.
Wago Corp.
Germantown, WI | 262-255-6222For over 60 years, Wago has specialized in long lasting power supplies. We offer AC power supplies, DC power supplies, AC to DC converters, uninterruptible power supply (UPS), AC to DC power supplies & high voltage power supplies. With quality customer service & technical support, we have thousands of power supplies for thousands of applications.
Cobra Wire & Cable
Hatboro, PA | 215-674-8773Cobra Wire & Cable produces the highest quality and widest variety of flexible power cable products -- in stock and ready to ship. Whether your application is Marine OEM or aftermarket, uninterruptible power supply, central office power, alternative energy or data centers, Cobra has the cable and hardware to match your electrical application.
Polytron Devices, Inc
Dover, NJ | 973-345-5885A cutting-edge power supply manufacturer, Polytron Devices products are sold worldwide. Choose from uninterruptible power supplies, DC power supplies, AC to DC converters, & more. Our linear power modules, switching power supplies, & DC/DC converters are tested to exacting standards for computer, telecommunications & many other industrial and commercial applications. In business since 1969.
AC Power Supply - Triad MagneticsMost power plants generate AC electricity rather than DC electricity. Power lines, held up by telephone poles that are connected to every residential building and most commercial, carry high voltages of AC power. However, the higher the voltage, the more insulation it requires. Most alternating power is converted inside buildings because many appliances only run on DC power, including printers, laptops, battery chargers and desktop computers.
Other electrical devices found in the home, like lamps, radios, fans, televisions and small appliances run off the electricity directly from the wall outlets, which is the AC power. In industrial applications, devices and machinery like generators, dynamotors, inverters and transformers all use AC power to operate. AC current can also be used in telecommunications to convey information instead of electricity. They are used in radio and telephone lines.
The wavelength of AC power is always a sine wave, which exhibits smooth, repetitive oscillation. The rate of changing direction is called the frequency, which is measured in Hertz. 50 Hertz, for example, refers to the number of back and fourth cycles each second. The frequency of the wave can be increased or decreased dramatically by a transformer, which increases the frequency when the wave must travel great distances.
AC power supplies generally have adjustable output settings for component response testing at different voltages, currents and frequencies, since each application requires different amounts of each because of many different factors, such as distance traveled and maximum voltage. These are also used in testing motors and other electrical equipment whose input valves may vary. AC power comes from a variety of configurations, including bench top, DIN rail, rack mounted and cabinet styles.