A power cord adapter is basically an electronic piece of equipment that fabricates a particular unswerving current from the main power supply. In other words, it converts the AC current to DC power to produce a specific output. It is generally referred to as an AC power adapter. All the portable gadgets, especially laptops, use direct current (also known as DC current). The adapter also serves the purpose of recharging the batteries of these portable devices. The main difference between the AC and the DC currents is that the direct current has a unique direction of flow as compared to the alternating current (AC current), which keeps changing its direction of flow when travelling form a high voltage point to a lower voltage point. Due to this fact, running the portable devices like the laptops on Ac current is highly risky to the appliances and can cause the gadget to break down and there is a possibility of even fire hazards. This is where the job of an adaptor starts. It not only produces direct current to the devices but also checks sudden changes in the voltage supply to the devices. The methodology followed by the adapter to produce the right amount of current is as follows:
i) It primarily converts the higher voltage to the required value, which is generally lower than that of the mains voltage.
ii) The next process involved is the conversion of the alternating current voltage into the direct current voltage that is required for the appliance. This process is termed as rectification.
iii) The third step involved is the process of modulation in which the adaptor smoothens any kind of eddies in the input voltage signal.
The common name by which many of us refer to the adaptors is “charger”. The usual mobile phone battery chargers or the laptop battery chargers are actually nothing but adaptors. There are many kinds of adaptors for different purposes. Few of them are:
Automobile and Aircraft Power Adapters
These kinds of adaptors are a specific design of the usual power adaptor which accept the direct current voltage of a high value and produce the output direct current voltage of a required value basing upon the appliance. However, in place of the usual plug for the socket, these adapters have a particular cable-line that is connected to the cigar lighter. The cigarette igniter produces direct current voltage of about 12V and this is converted to a different voltage value by the adaptor. Such a type of a power adapter can be used in all vehicles which have with similar sockets, including boats and heavy-vehicles. The aircraft adaptors also have the same principle mechanism of working.
Universal Power Adapters
Designed in accordance with all the main power supplies around the world, a universal power adapter is devised to be capable of accepting an input alternating voltage in the range of 100 – 240 V with the frequency varying in between 50 and 60 Hz. It is aptly called a universal power supply adaptor. Gadgets like laptops are generally designed to a variety of stipulations and the power utilization fluctuates accordingly. This is the reason why the makers of these universal power adapters provide an assortment of connecting sockets, thereby; permitting the adapter to be linked to a wide range of laptops. The connecting tips assisting detecting the right voltage value required to be supplied to the gadget.
The splendor regarding purchasing a universal power adapter for your notebook is that when you make your mind up on upgrading to a new one, you will already have a standby power cord. In other words, your power adaptor will guarantee to bring down the risks of your laptop getting short-circuited.