Electrical Tools, Calculators, and Charts
Cable Sizing and Length
Ensure the proper cable size given acceptable loss, voltage, and amps. Or determine how far a particular cable can be run given acceptable loss, voltage, and amps.
Conduit Fill
Calculate the percent of area inside of a conduit that can be taken up by cables.
Electrical Education
Selector Switch Diagram
A selector switch is a mechanical control device that enables switching between a minimum of two electrical circuits. It is common in applications where there is more than one control…
Three Phase Voltage
Three-phase voltage refers to power supply using three separate conductors carrying the same voltage, but in different phases. Moreover, any equipment that is connected to all three phases would experience…
Corner Grounded Delta
A corner grounded delta system is a three-phase delta service with one phase having the ground connection. This configuration goes by several names including grounded leg/phase service, end-grounded delta system,…
Aluminum vs Copper Wiring
The comparison between aluminum vs copper wiring is always on the front burner when it comes to electrical design. Although they are both good conductors, copper usually has the upper…
How to Size a Wire for 600 Amp Service
Selecting the appropriate wire size is critical for the safety and efficiency of any electrical system. For a 600-amp service, the appropriate wire size would be 1,500 kcmil-gauge. However, there…
120V vs 220V
120V and 220V are both standard power supply voltages. Supply from any of these systems has unique features that make one suitable for an application over the other. Although the…
50Hz vs 60Hz
Power supply standards vary with countries/regions, especially when it comes to voltage and frequency. In the case of frequency, the 50Hz vs 60Hz are both valid supply standards. In this…
Shunt Trip Breaker Wiring
Proper wiring of a shunt trip breaker is necessary for it to perform its role of protecting all downstream devices in its circuit. Although it performs the same function as…
Single-phase vs Three-phase
Single-phase and three-phase configurations are currently the most common AC power supply systems in use. Because each system has advantages over the other in certain applications, it is necessary to…
Service Factor – Application, vs. Power Factor
There is a lot of misunderstanding about the service factor concept in the industry. Some take it to be solely a periodical excursion into overload conditions, while others consider it…
2-Phase vs 3-Phase
2-phase and 3-phase electricity are common configurations of transmitting power from one location to another. Although they are both alternating current systems, each of them have features that are suitable…
208V Three Phase – Configuration and Color Codes
208 V three-phase provides standard voltage for light commercial applications. It can power industrial equipment such as data centers, server racks, and control panels. Further applications include air compressors, pumps,…
Conductive Metals – Examples and Uses
Many industries, including electronics, aerospace, and telecommunications, rely heavily on conductive metals. Some metals are more conductive than others, although most metals do conduct heat and electricity to some extent….
Stress Cones
Stress cones conduct heat and electricity to spread voltage across a wire, preventing electrical surges and fires. In this article, you will learn how stress cones work, how to install…
460V Three Phase – Configuration, Wiring Diagram, vs. 480V
460V three phase is a common electrical specification for running industrial equipment. In this article, you will learn about the 460V three phase, review its wiring configurations, and compare the…
Power Dissipation – Process, Formula, Applications
Power dissipation refers to the process by which an electrical or electronic device loses or wastes energy via heat production while performing its primary action. Moreover, it is important to…
NEMA 4X vs NEMA 12 – Overview, Applications, Differences
NEMA 4X and NEMA 12 characterize degrees of protection in line with specifications from the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. In this article, you will learn about the NEMA vs IEC…
Quiescent Current – Calculation, Formula, vs. Other Types
Quiescent current is a very important parameter in battery-powered applications. This particularly holds true for products that are often on standby. In this article, you will learn the meaning of…
Line vs Load – Practical Implications, How to Differentiate, GFCI
In electrical terms, line refers to the wires that supply electricity to a device. Such a device could be a switch or panel that receives power into a building from…
208V vs 220V – Differences, Connection Types, vs. 240V
208V and 220V are both standard voltages for power supply. As power demands from clients vary, so do the application of these standard voltage levels. In this article, you will…
Motor Rotation – Directions, Relevance, and Reversal
In a magnetic field, a coil of wire that carries current experiences a force that causes rotation. This is the governing principle of electric motors, which scientists refer to as…
PLC Cabinet – Types, Layout, Wiring, and Components
PLC is short for Programmable Logic Controller. PLC cabinet refers to the housing that contains a control system, which automates various industrial processes. In addition, the cabinet protects its components…
Germanium Transistor – History, Purpose, and Pin-Out
As civilization grows bigger, technological developments get smaller in size. The discovery of the germanium transistor ushered in a new age of computing. Its technology would become the building blocks…
Copper Wire
Copper is one of the most versatile and commonly used materials. Copper has a wide range of uses, some of these uses are power transmission lines, electrical wiring, and spark…
Power Cables
Power cables connect equipment to a power supply, allowing energization and proper functioning. They are used extensively in facilities and plants for lighting, power and control circuits installed in the…
Raceways
A raceway is an enclosed electrical conduit that forms a pathway for electrical wiring. Raceways protect the wires and cables from physical threats. In this article, you will learn about…
PLC: Programmable Logic Controller
Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) are industrial computers that have been adapted to run industrial and manufacturing processes. They are the brains of industrial process, giving orders and passing information to…
Control Wiring
Control wiring is a physical mode of communication between control devices used to transmit commands. Sometimes referred to as the nervous system of the control system, control wiring connects all…
Instrumentation
Instrumentation is the collective term for instruments that are used for indicating, measuring, and recording physical quantities in systems. Instrumentation gives engineers and operators insight into system behavior and allows…
Control Panel Enclosures
In engineered equipment, the term enclosure may mean several different things. There are electrical enclosures, also known as electrical “houses”, that contain large critical equipment such as variable frequency drives…