The shape of your layout decides the connector: straight through is an I connector, a corner is an L, a branch a T and a crossing an X. For a bend that is not 90 degrees there is a flexible one. With 3-phase, watch the side the earth runs on.
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Start with the drawing, not with the parts
Draw the track as it will run on the ceiling, with the dimensions. Every bend and every split in that drawing is a connector, and every straight piece in between is a track. Only when the drawing is right do you order.
Do not forget the ends: every open end of a track gets an end cap, and the power has to come in somewhere through a power connector.
The five connectors
I connector, a straight 16.5 centimeter connector that joins two tracks in one line and passes on all three circuits. Rated up to 16 amps. You can also connect the power to it, so the current enters in the middle of a long track instead of at the end.
L connector for a 90 degree corner, in an inside-corner and an outside-corner version. Which of the two depends on the side the earth conductor is on and the direction you turn the corner.
T connector for a branch, where three tracks meet in a T.
X connector for a crossing of four tracks, for example in the middle of a shop floor where two lines intersect.
Flexible connector, a bendable 24 centimeter connector for an angle that is not 90 degrees, or to continue the track from the ceiling onto a sloping surface.
Why the T connector comes in four versions
This is where orders go wrong. A 3-phase track is not symmetrical: the earth conductor runs along a fixed side of the profile. Turn the track round and the earth is on the wrong side and nothing fits any more.
For a branch, that means the T has to point left or right relative to that earth side. That is why the T connector comes in four variants: left and right, each in two versions.
The same goes for the power connector, which comes in a left and a right version. So before you order, check where the earth conductor is in your track. If you are not sure, send us a sketch of your layout and we will work out which ones you need.
If you want a neat finish
For two tracks butted together in one straight line there is, besides the I connector, the internal coupler. It sits inside the profile, so you see no connector from the outside and the track reads as one continuous line.
If a stretch of track is left with nothing on it, close it off with a cover strip. The open slot disappears behind it, so the track looks calm and no dust gets in.
First the shape, then the spotlights
Only once the track is up do you decide where the spotlights go, because you will move them around afterwards anyway. That is exactly the reason to choose track. How many spotlights can go on it is in How many spotlights can you connect to a track?, and the connection itself is in How do you connect a 3-phase track?
All parts are in 3-phase track lighting.
Which connector do you use for a corner in a track system?
An L connector for a 90 degree corner, in an inside-corner or outside-corner version. For an angle that is not 90 degrees, use the flexible connector, which you bend yourself.
Why does the T connector come in four versions?
Because the earth conductor runs along a fixed side of a 3-phase track. The branch therefore has to point the right way. There is a left and a right version, each in two variants.
What is the difference between an I connector and an internal coupler?
The I connector is a visible 16.5 centimeter connector that you can also connect the power to. The internal coupler sits inside the profile, so from the outside the track stays one continuous line.