Sunday, February 15, 2009

Power Pole Colors

Just need to document something that I will integrate to my web site later.

Anderson Powerpole colors for 15-45A connectors.

White - 5v
Blue - 9v
Pink - 12v regulated
Red - 12v nominal (11v-15v)
Violet - 24v
Yellow - 48v

From Wikipedia

For the larger Multipole design, each color is keyed so as to mate only with a like colored connector, and Anderson publishes a list of recommended voltages for each color:

  • 12 V: Yellow
  • 18 V: Orange
  • 24 V: Red
    • Used by Warn for its 12 V winches (should have used yellow multipole)
    • Used by Tripp-Lite for some of its 24 V external UPS battery packs
  • 36 V: Gray
    • Used by Tripp-Lite for some of its 38 V external UPS battery packs
    • Used by APC for some of its 24 V external UPS battery packs (should have used red multipole)
  • 48 V: Blue
    • Used by Tripp-Lite and APC for its 48 V external UPS battery packs
  • 72 V: Green
  • 80 V: Black
  • 96 V: Brown
  • 120 V: Purple
  • 144 V: White

Some manufacturers have ignored this color coding recommendation. One should always test the connection with a voltmeter if unsure. For example, winch manufacturer Warn uses a red housing for its winches, even though they are powered by 12 V DC, not 24 V DC.