powerCon
powerCON is an
The original and most common version of the powerCON is rated at 20 A. It comes in two deliberately incompatible variants to prevent people connecting two mains supplies together. The type A is blue and used for power sources (power flows out of a blue-ended cable, into a chassis socket). The type B is grey and used for power drains (power flows from a chassis socket into a grey-ended cable). Couplers are available with one chassis socket of each type mounted on the ends of a plastic tube to extend cables.[1]
Later[when?], Neutrik introduced a larger 32 A version of the powerCON. Unlike the 20 A version, the 32 A version comes in only one variant which appears to be intended for use as a source.[2][3]
The main advantages of the powerCON are high current capacity in a small space (smaller than an IEC connector and double the current-carrying capacity) and locking action. The main disadvantages are cost and reliance on a single vendor. Older models are not designed to be connected/disconnected under load (which makes them unsuitable for equipment used by untrained personnel).
At the end of 2020, Neutrik released a re-designed version of the original PowerCON which is capable of connecting/disconnecting under load when mated with the corresponding connectors. Cable connectors with breaking capacity are recognizable due to the '-1' in their article number like NAC3FCA-1. Appliance connectors are recognizable due to the 'XX' added in their article number like NAC3MPXXA.
In January 2011, Neutrik announced a new variant of the connector called the powerCON TRUE1.
References
- ^ [1] PowerCON datasheet
- ^ neutrik.com - Neutrik circular connectors product guide, 2012-07-02
- ^ [2], 2018-03-26 "NAC3MP-HC: power-in"
- ^ "powerCON".
- ^ AG, Neutrik®. "Neutrik". www.neutrik.us.
- ^ "IP65 Test Report".