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, including wall plug in versions with interchangeable plug plates, which can be shipped as a package or purchased individually. Customizations are possible with any DC barrel needed to mate perfectly with your device.
Pico Electronics, Inc.
Pelham, NY | 800-431-1064Pico Electronics specializes in power supplies, AC to DC power supplies, DC to DC converters, transformers, conductors and more. Ever since our founding in 1967, our company has been offering high-quality customer service and support for all our products. We continue to pursue innovative solutions through miniaturization, and pride ourselves in being a big name in the field of small components.
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. If you require something else, Quail Electronics can manufacture a custom cord to meet your specific needs. Call us today for your product needs.
Samlex America®
Burnaby, BC | 800-561-5885Samlex America® manufactures power supply products that benefit commercial, consumer and industrial needs. Among our product line are AC to DC power supplies, AC/DC converters, battery chargers, DC/DC converters, switching power supplies, voltage regulators and many other products.
Tri-Mag, Inc.
Milwaukee, WI | 414-649-4200Tri-Mag manufactures standard and custom uninterruptible switching power supplies, DC to DC converters, EMI/RFI filters and rack mounts. We are UL registered, ISO 9001:2000, ENISO 9001:2000, BS EN ISO 9001:2000 and ANSI/ASQ Q9001:2000 certified.
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.