The many types of electrical power converters have many types of uses. Some converters are large, such as the ones that manage the conversion of high voltage loads of electricity from the power plant into usable voltages in your wall outlet. Some converters are small, like the one built into your laptop charger that makes electricity from the wall usable for charging a lithium battery. All converters accomplish the same purpose, however, of making electricity efficiently usable. If you are looking for a converter, learn about the different types before you start to shop.
Alternating Current / Direct Current
Energy supplied from the power plant and accessible through your wall outlets is called alternating current (AC) because alternating electrons flow in both direction along the conductive material. For many electronics and appliances around the home, however, a lower voltage, direct current (DC), in which electrons only flow in one direction is needed. While some appliances have a built-in power converter to manage the switch from AC to DC, many do not and a separate external converter must be used.
Direct Current / Direct Current
All types of batteries supply DC power, and in many cases, this voltage of this power needs to be altered before it gets used. Since batteries are capable of output at only one voltage level, a DC/DC power converter is needed to transform a high voltage direct current to a voltage level that is acceptable and safe for its desired usage. Within the realm of DC/DC converters, you have the choice between isolated and non-isolated types. Isolated converters have a barrier between their input and output in the form of a high frequency transformer. This transformer allows for not only the voltage level to be changed, but also the charge (positive or negative) of the current. Non-isolated converters are simpler and less expensive to produce, but lack this added control from the transformer.
CyPower supplies both industrial and residential clients with a wide variety of power converters for every application. They supply the industry’s top manufacturers and are manufacturer certified for every item they sell. Visit to view their easy-to-navigate online catalog.
