User:Yak99
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Existing page NEMA connector is in need of a re-write. I've been putting this off for some time. I intend to edit for style first and add citations later.Yak99 (talk) 14:33, 2 July 2011 (UTC)
ANSI/NEMA WD-6 is the standard for alternating current power connectors rated between 125 and 600 volts in North America. Previous editions of the standard were known as ANSI C73, or ASA C73. The current NEMA standard has a different plug configuration for each voltage and phase configuration commonly used in North America, and for each ampere rating. Voltage ratings range from 125 to 600 volts, and ampere ratings range from 15 to 60 amperes. Each configuration is designed to be incompatible with devices of a different rating, although there are a few instances of deliberate overlap.
The current iteration of the ANSI/NEMA standard was mostly developed in the 1960s. Before this decade, the number of non-interchangeable devices available was much smaller. The resulting overlap in usage on different types of circuits caused accidents.