Abstract: The effects of four electrical parameters-current, frequency, duty cycle, and the ratio of positive to negative pulses on the performance of micro-arc oxidation coatings on 2A12 aluminum alloy were systematically investigated using orthogonal experiments. SEM, XRD, and Gamry1010E electrochemical workstation were employed to analyze coating morphology, phase composition, dynamic polarization curves, and electrochemical impedance characteristics. The results show that for corrosion resistance of coating, the primary-to-secondary influence sequence of parameters is: frequency＞ positive-negative pulse ratio＞duty cycle＞current; for coating morphology, the sequence is frequency＞current＞duty cycle＞ positive-negative pulse ratio. Based on optimization targets of corrosion resistance, coating morphology and other objectives, it is determined that a dense, low-porosity coating with excellent corrosion resistance and other properties can be prepared using the following parameter ranges: frequency of 200 Hz, duty cycle of 80%, current of 10 A-15 A, and positive-negative pulse ratio of 3∶1-5∶1. Electrical parameters determine the microstructure and comprehensive properties of the coating by regulating the energy magnitude, distribution density, and action duration of micro-arc discharges.