Anderson Powerpole

Anderson Powerpole 15/30/45 Amp housings and contacts (front view)
Cutaway view of housing (side view)

The Anderson Powerpole is a family of electrical connectors by Anderson Power Products (APP),[1] although plug compatible connectors are now available from alternate sources. Specific variants of this series of connectors have become de facto standards for conveying "higher power" direct current (DC) electrical power, although these standards are inconsistent and sometimes ignored.

Overview

Powerpole connectors are physically and electrically hermaphroditic, thus avoiding the need to worry about which end is the plug and which the socket, or which end has the correct polarity. This is in contrast to the physically but not electrically hermaphroditic 2-wire trailer plug.

Powerpole connectors are available with current ratings up to 180 Amp. The size most commonly used is the 15 / 30 / 45 ampere variety. These sizes all use the same plastic housing in multiple colors, differing only in the metal contact inserted into the housing (selected based on the ampacity and wire size).[1]

Larger Powerpole connectors (the SB/Multipole series) with 2 or 3 contacts in one molded housing are commonly used in various industrial settings, including as a battery connection for some UPS devices, removable vehicle winches, many electric forklifts, and other electric powered vehicles.

Competitors

Some of Anderson's earlier patents have expired, thus other manufacturers have released plug-compatible connectors, such as "AMP Power Series" by Tyco / TE Connectivity, Sermos, Lightspeed.[2]

Patents

The Powerpole connector was designed and patented by "Albert & J M Anderson Mfg Comp", then more recently as "Anderson Power Products".

Anderson company patents
Patent Number Patent Year Filing Year Patent Title Notes
US2838739 A [3]
1958
1953
 Electrical connector Earlier related concepts
US3091746 A [4]
1963
1960
 Electrical connector  
US3259870 A [5]
1966
1963
 Electrical connector Primary powerpole patent
US7153152 B1 [6]
2006
1997
 Electrical connector with planar contact engaging surface PP75 connector
WO2004051681 A2 [7]
2004
2003
 Finger proof, keyed power connector and methods thereof  
WO2005059969 A2 [8]
2005
2004
 A wire to board connector and methods thereof  
USD604246 S1 [9]
2009
2008
 Electrical connector  

Color

For the larger multipole design, which is available in up to 700 A sizes, each color is physically keyed so as to mate only with a like colored connector, and Anderson published a list of recommended voltage for each color:

Anderson Powerpole color code chart [10]
Anderson
color 		Anderson
voltage 		Alternate non-standard voltage uses
Yellow
12 V
 Some APC brand 24 V internal UPS battery packs.
Orange
18 V
  
Red
24 V
 Amateur radio[11][12] and Warn winches at 12 V (13.8 V) for automotive use.
Some model railroads at 12 V.[13][14] Some robots, such as FIRST Robotics Competition.[15][16]
Some Tripp Lite brand 24 V external UPS battery packs. Sometimes used by outdoor enthusiasts for 12 V (13.8 V) battery charging, especially with photovoltaic panels.
Grey
36 V
 Some 12 V (13.8 V) automotive use in Australia, such as caravan and camper battery charging, pumps, solar power systems.[17]
Frequently used by outdoor enthusiasts for 12 V (13.8 V) battery systems.[18]
Some APC brand 24 V external UPS battery packs. Some Tripp Lite brand 38 V external UPS battery packs.
Some Lees brand 36v forklift traction battery connections.
Blue
48 V
 Some APC and Tripp Lite brand 48 V external UPS battery packs.
Green
72 V
  
Black
80 V
 Ground for amateur radio, winches, model railroads, robotics.
Brown
96 V
  
Violet
120 V
  
White
144 V
  
Pink
n/a
  

De facto standards

Amateur radio

The Powerpole connector has been adopted by some segments of the Amateur Radio (Ham Radio) community as their standard 12-volt DC power connector for everything from radios to accessories.[12] Two notable groups are Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES).[11] It is more expensive than the older de facto standards of the 2-wire trailer plug and the Molex connector, but provides a more reliable electrical connection (both mechanically and electrically), and is easier to adapt to a wider range of wire gauges.[19]

Amateur radio equipment is based on 12-volt DC automotive voltage, which is also called 13.8 volt DC. A lead–acid battery with six-cells used as an automotive battery voltage will vary depending on various electrical loads in a vehicle. Without loads the battery will float at 11.7–12.8 volts, and while charging from an alternator the voltage will increase to 13.8–14.4 volts DC.

For use in amateur radio, the community has adopted a standard polarity for assembling pairs of Powerpole connectors. The standard is red positive and black negative. When viewed from the contact side, a mnemonic for remembering the arrangement for the positive connector is: "Red Right — Tongue Top".

Model railways

In model railways, the NTRAK Modular Railroading Society adopted the PowerPole PP30 as a recommend practice in 2005. and as a standard in 2011. The use of the older Cinch-Jones connector has been deprecated, but is still permitted on legacy modules. However, the owner of a module with Cinch-Jones plugs is now required to provide adapter cables to the newer standard.[13] North Raleigh Model Railroad Club (NRMRC) also uses Anderson Powerpole connectors.[14] Free-mo modular standard adopted Powerpole as the new connector standard as of 01 July 2015, with a 1-year transition period to convert existing Jones connectors.[20]

Robotics

The connectors are used by some robot builders, including the FIRST Robotics Competition and R2-D2 Builders Club.[15][16]

Radio control

The connectors are used by radio control (R/C) hobbyist clubs.[2]

Data centers

Buildings such as data centers are starting to be designed for 380 V DC power distribution, as a way of improving electrical efficiency.[21] DC power distribution has resulted in the need to standardize a Low Voltage (LV) connector with an integral ground conductor, which is safe for use by untrained personnel. The tendency of DC connectors to spark when disconnected from an inductive load requires the connector's insulating housing to contain the plasma arc, in addition to normal requirements such as preventing accidental finger contact. Examples of such connectors are the Anderson Powerpole Pak connectors[22] and the SDG (Saf-D-Grid) connector,[23] designed with the form factor of an IEC C15 connector.

See also

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Anderson Powerpole.
Official
Amateur Radio connector standards
Model Railroad connector standards
Robotics connector standards
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