--- url: https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/pages/glossary/ title: "Glossary: lighting track and housing terms | JIN HAOTAI" description: "Definitions of the terms used in lighting track specifications: 2-, 3- and 4-wire track, live end, coupler, driver box, adapter, housing kit, GU10 / MR16 /…" language: en markdown: https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/pages/glossary/index.md --- # Glossary of track and housing terms. The words a track specification runs on — defined once, the way they are used on this site. Each term has its own anchor, so a definition can be cited directly from a quotation or a drawing review. Definitions describe how these terms are used on this site and in the published product data. No electrical ratings, dimensions or performance figures are given here — those belong to the specification of each model. Track rail Also written: track profile, lighting track, rail The extruded aluminium profile that carries track luminaires and accessories. It is supplied in fixed lengths and cut and joined on site with the connectors listed for that profile. [See Lighting Track System →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/lighting-track-system/) Single-circuit track Also written: 1-circuit track A rail whose conductors all switch together: everything on the rail is controlled as one group. Published here in 2-wire and 3-wire profiles. [See Lighting Track System →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/lighting-track-system/) Multi-circuit track A rail carrying more than one separately switchable circuit, so different groups of luminaires on the same rail can be switched independently. Published here as the 4-wire, 3-circuit range. [See Lighting Track System →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/lighting-track-system/) 2-wire track A single-circuit rail with two conductors, used where one switched group is enough. Published here as the F0230 / F0210 family with its matched adapters. [See Lighting Track System →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/lighting-track-system/) 3-wire track A single-circuit rail with an additional conductor, most often used to carry an earth or a second function. Published here as the F0340 / F0350 / RE310 family with its matched adapters. [See Lighting Track System →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/lighting-track-system/) 4-wire track Also written: 4-wire 3-circuit track, 3-circuit track A rail with four conductors arranged as three switchable circuits, so three lighting groups can be controlled on one rail. Published here as the F0430 / F0440 / R0410 / R0420 / RE410 family with its matched adapters and driver boxes. [See Lighting Track System →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/lighting-track-system/) Track adapter Also written: adaptor, track coupler head The interface that connects a luminaire, driver box or accessory to the rail and picks up its conductors. It is matched to the rail by circuit configuration and mechanical profile. [See Accessories →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/accessories/) Driver box The enclosure that houses the LED driver for a track luminaire and carries the adapter interface to the rail. The housing kits published here are quoted with their driver box. [See Accessories →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/accessories/) Live end Also written: live end cup, power feed The connector that feeds power into the rail from the supply and closes that end of the profile. Listed among the standard connectors of each track model. [See Lighting Track System →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/lighting-track-system/) End cap The cover that closes an unused end of a track profile. Listed among the standard connectors of each track model. [See Lighting Track System →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/lighting-track-system/) Straight connector Also written: coupler, track coupler The connector that joins two lengths of rail end to end in a straight run, carrying the conductors across the joint. [See Lighting Track System →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/lighting-track-system/) Mini straight connector A shorter straight connector used where a standard coupler would not fit the available space in the run. [See Lighting Track System →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/lighting-track-system/) L, T and X connectors Corner, three-way and four-way connectors that turn a run through 90°, branch it or cross it, so a rail layout can follow the ceiling rather than the other way round. [See Lighting Track System →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/lighting-track-system/) Flexible connector A connector with a bendable body, published here as hard and soft flexible types, used to join rail lengths at an angle or around an obstacle. [See Lighting Track System →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/lighting-track-system/) Long clamp A clamping part listed with the standard connectors of the track ranges, used to fix or support the rail along its length. [See Lighting Track System →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/lighting-track-system/) Suspension kit The parts that hang a rail below the ceiling instead of fixing it directly to it. Listed among the standard connectors of each track model. [See Lighting Track System →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/lighting-track-system/) Track light housing The aluminium body of a track luminaire, supplied as a kit with its driver box and lens or holder so a finished luminaire can be assembled without buying body, driver and optics from separate sources. [See LED Track Light Housing →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/led-track-light-housing/) Housing kit The published contents of a housing reference: aluminium housing plus driver box plus lens with holder. Exact kit contents are listed per model on its product page. [See LED Track Light Housing →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/led-track-light-housing/) CNC machining Also written: lathe aluminium, CNC Cutting a housing body from aluminium bar or billet on a lathe or machining centre. Published here for the KT001–KT004 housing references. [See LED Track Light Housing →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/led-track-light-housing/) Die casting Casting the body in a steel mould by injecting molten aluminium under pressure. Suited to higher quantities once the tool exists. Published here for several housing and downlight references. [See LED Track Light Housing →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/led-track-light-housing/) Cold forging Forming the body by pressing aluminium at room temperature. Published here for the KT006 and KT009 housing references. [See LED Track Light Housing →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/led-track-light-housing/) Powder coating A dry finishing process that sprays electrostatically charged powder onto the aluminium and cures it, published here as the surface finish of most housing references. Standard housing colours are black and white; other finishes are confirmed per programme. [See LED Track Light Housing →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/led-track-light-housing/) GU10 housing A ceiling or track housing that takes a replaceable GU10 lamp, so the lamp can be changed without replacing the housing. The lamp itself is not part of the housing kit. [See GU10 Light Housing →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/led-ceiling-lights/) MR16 housing A housing that takes an MR16 (GU5.3) low-voltage lamp rather than a mains GU10 lamp. Published here in the same references as the GU10 housings. [See GU10 Light Housing →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/led-ceiling-lights/) GX53 housing A housing that takes a flat GX53 lamp, published here as the TX / CX / RX ceiling references. [See GU10 Light Housing →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/led-ceiling-lights/) 48V magnetic track Also written: magnetic track system, low-voltage magnetic track A low-voltage track platform at 48V in which luminaire modules attach magnetically to the rail instead of with a mechanical adapter, so modules can be repositioned as a layout changes. Published here as the M0110 / M0120 / M0140 / M0170 rails and their modules. [See Magnetic Track System →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/magnetic-track-system/) Magnetic module A luminaire or lighting module that attaches to a magnetic track rail: spot, grille, linear grille or linear flood types are published here. [See Magnetic Track System →](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/collections/magnetic-track-system/) IES file A photometric file describing a luminaire’s light distribution, used in lighting design software. For the finished track luminaire range it is published on our main site; those files are preliminary optical design models, not LM-79 measurements. LM-79 The IES test standard for measuring the photometric and electrical performance of a complete LED luminaire. It is named here only to state that the published IES files are design models rather than LM-79 measurements. Minimum order quantity (MOQ) Also written: MOQ The smallest quantity accepted for a reference, counted per size. Published minimums are stated on the company facts page and the FAQs page. Ageing test Running a finished assembly under power for a period before packing, so early failures are caught in the factory rather than at the customer. The published quality-control description covers 100% ageing test. OEM and ODM OEM: parts manufactured to the customer’s specification and brand. ODM: the manufacturer develops the design and the customer brands it. Published here for appearance, compatible components, surface finish, labels and packaging. Looking for a term that is not here? Ask — and read the [selection guides](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/pages/guides/) and the [company facts page](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/pages/company-facts/) for the figures behind a specification. [Ask a technical question](https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/pages/contact-us/) [victoria@fshaotai.cn](mailto:victoria@fshaotai.cn) --- Source: JIN HAOTAI — Foshan Jin Haotai Lighting Accessories Co., Ltd., Foshan, China. Site summary for AI systems: https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/llms.txt · Full corpus: https://www.jhtlightaccessories.com/llms-full.txt Contact: victoria@fshaotai.cn