The electric energy is not normally used in the form in which it was produced or distributed.

Practically all electronic systems require some form of energy conversion. A device that transfers electric energy from a given source to a given load using electronic circuits is referred to as Power Supply (although "power converter" is a more accurate term for such a device). A typical application of a DC power supply unit (PSU) is to convert utility AC voltage into regulated DC voltages required for electronic equipment. What is SMPS? Nowadays in most PSU the energy flow is controlled with semiconductors that are continuously switching on and off with high frequency. Such devices are referred to as switch mode power supplies or SMPS.

They offer greater efficiency compared with linear supplies because a switch can control energy flow with low losses: when a switch is on, it has low voltage drop and will pass any current imposed on it; when it is off, it blocks the flow of current. As the result, in such a switch the power dissipation which is the product of voltage and current, can be relatively low in both states. Switching mode units are also smaller in size and lighter in weight due to the reduced size of passive components and lower heat generation. The industry trend toward miniaturization, advancements in semiconductor technology, as well as various energy efficiency regulations have made "switcher" the dominant type of PSU across practically the full spectrum of applications. Most of the PSU manufactured today for AC input applications include a PFC front end. In general, SMPS can be classified into four types according to the form of input and output voltages: AC to DC (also called off-line DC power supply), DC to DC (voltage or current converter), AC to AC (frequency changer or cycloconverter), and DC to AC (inverter). The field of engineering that deals with the design and analysis of power conversion circuits and devices is called power electronics, although power supply design is a true cross-disciplinary task. This site is the power electronics information guide. Here you will find tutorials, tools, reviews, schematics, and other free online resources on all aspects of switching power supply design and selection, information on other energy conversion devices, as well as basic electrical engineering and electronics reference.

Electricity from the grid is transmitted in the form of poorly regulated AC, while electronic circuits normally require a stabilized DC. That's why most equipment needs some form of power conversion. Technically speaking, a

power supply

unit (PSU) is a device that transfers electric energy from a source to a load and in the process changes its characteristics to meet specific requirements. A typical application of power supplies is to convert a utility's AC voltage into regulated DC voltage(s) required for an electronics and to provide safety isolation from the mains. Depending on the mode of operation of power semiconductors, PSU can be linear or switching (SMPS). SMPS stands for switch mode PSU. In such a supply, power handling electronic components are continuously switching on and off with high frequency in order to provide the transfer of electric energy via energy storage components (inductors and capacitors). By varying duty cycle, frequency or a relative phase of these transitions the average value of output voltage or current is controlled. The frequency range of a commercial SMPS varies typically from 50 kHz to several MHz.

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FIND DC POWER SUP Below is a circuit diagram of a typical off-line SMPS. Here is how this circuit PRODUCTS BY SPE

works. AC voltage supplied via an input connector, first passes through fuses and a line filter. Then it is rectified by a full-wave bridge rectifier. The rectified voltage is next applied to the PFC (power factor correction) preregulator followed by output DC-DC converter(s). Note that except for computer power supply connectors, input and output connectors and pinouts are not standardized and are left up to the manufacturers.

F1 and F2 shown on the left of the circuit diagram are input fuses. A fuse is a safety device designed to physically open the circuit when the current being drawn through it exceeds its rating for a certain period of time. The fusing time depends on the degree of overload. Due to this time delay, fuses will not always pr components from a catastrophic failure caused by some abnormal conditions. Their main purpose i line from overloading and overheating, prevent tripping of an external circuit breaker and prevent a that may be triggered by components that failed into short circuit.

The lowpass EMI filter is designed to reduce high frequency currents getting from PSU into the AC level. This is necessary to prevent the PSU from causing interference on the other devices connect wiring. There is a number of standards (such as EN55022 for Information Technology equipment) t maximum level of EMI caused by PSU. The filter is followed by the bridge rectifier- a circuit that converts bipolar AC voltage to unipolar pul four diodes in a bridge arrangement to provide the same polarity of output voltage for both polaritie Electronic manufacturers often place these four diodes in one package with 4 leads, which sells as

The rectified input voltage is next applied to the PFC preregulator which increases power factor (PF) and in the process usually boosts voltage to 370-400 VDC. There are also designs where "boost" voltage follows the peak of input AC voltage, or where a buck is used instead of a boost. PF in general is the ratio between watts and volt-amps. A PFC preregulator controls input AC current so that it is in phase with mains AC voltage and its waveform repeats the input voltage waveform. Without this, the input current would be delivered to the SMPS in short high peak pulses, which have a high harmonic content. The current harmonics do not supply any real power to the load, but cause additional heating in the wiring and distribution equipment. They also reduce the maximum amount of electricity that can be taken from a standard wall outlet, since home circuit breakers are rated by current rather than by watts. There are various regulations that limit the input current harmonic content, such as EN61000-3-2

(for equipment connected to public low voltage distribution systems) or DO-160 (for airborne equipment). To meet these harmonics requirements you can use PF correction techniques: a PSU with a high PF draws a nearly sinusoidal current from the input (at a sinusoidal input voltage), which results in low harmonic content. Currently there are no mandatory international standards that specifically regulate the power factor of electronic equipment, but there are various national and industry standards as well as voluntary incentive programs. For example, 80 PLUS and Energy Star programs require computer PSU to demonstrate PF>0.9 at rated load. PF as well as current harmonics can be measured with commercially available power analyzers or special instrumentation grade AC voltage sources. These standards also specify minumum efficiency of certain devices. The efficiency of a PSU is the ratio between the values of output and input wattage: Efficiency=Pout/Pin. To measure Pin you would need a true wattmeter: since any real device has PF<1, you cannot just multiply input volts and amps. A typical commercially available power meter can display both Pin and PF. To measure Pout for a DC output you will need a voltmeter and an ammeter. There are two main types of power factor correction circuits- active and passive. Below is a block-diagram of a typical active PFC converter.

The downstream DC-DC converter runs off PFC output, generates a set of DC voltages required for the load, and normally also provides input-to-output isolation. There are a number of topologies utilized in a DC-DC converter. In isolated

offline SMPS the most popular are full bridge, half-bridge, forward and flyback. Most low-voltage non-isolated DC-DC converters use buck regulators (single or interleaved multiphase). There is a large variety of regulator ICs suitable for each of these topologies.The selection of the right topology and controller depends on specific requirements for the PSU (including cost and time factors). Finally, the housekeeping supply provides bias for all control circuitry and may also provide a separate stand-by voltage (SBV) which remains active even when the PSU is shut down for any reason. In today's computer power supplies a 5VDC SBV is a standard feature. If you want to learn more about SMPS PSU design, you may start with Unitrode seminar manuals, where you can find a comprehensive collection of power supply design tutorials and guides, and an application note on power supply basics.