This paper presents the effect of winding configuration on the kVA rating of a wye-connected autotransformer applied to a 12-pulse rectifier. To describe the winding configuration of the wye-connected autotransformer, position and proportional parameters are defined and their quantitative relation is calculated. The voltages across and currents through the windings are measured under different winding connections. Consequently, a relation between the kVA rating and position parameter is established in accordance with the analysis, and the optimal winding configuration is obtained on the basis of this relation. A wye-connected autotransformer with the least equivalent kVA rating and simplest winding configuration is designed and applied to the 12-pulse rectifier. Simulations and experiments are conducted to validate the theoretical analysis.