Types of Power Supplies and how they work!
Types of Power Supplies and how they work!
Basically, there are three major types of power supplies: unregulated, linear regulated, and switching. The other type of power supply circuit is known as the ripple-regulated, which is a hybrid one of the “brute force” and “switching” designs.
Here are the types of Power Supply explained:
Unregulated
The unregulated power supply is the simplest type, comprising a transformer, rectifier, and low-pass filter. These power supplies have a lot of ripple voltage, i.e. rapidly-varying instability and other AC “noise” superimposed on DC power. In the unregulated supply, if the input voltage fluctuates, the output voltage will also vary by a proportional range. The advantage of unregulated supply is that it is simple, cheap, and efficient.
Linear regulated
A linear regulated supply is a “brute force” or unregulated power supply accompanied by a transistor circuit operating in its “active,” mode. It is designed to give a fixed voltage output for varied ranges of input voltages. It drops the excess input voltage to make way for a maximum output voltage to the load. The excess voltage drop results in significant power dissolution in the form of heat.
Switching
A switching regulated power supply is a medium to realize the benefits of both the brute force and the linear regulated designs, which are not only simple, efficient, and cheap, but also give clean and stable output voltage. Switching power supplies work to rectify the inward AC power line voltage into DC. It then re-converts into high-frequency square-wave AC through transistors operated as on/off switches, stepping AC voltage up/down by using a lightweight transformer. This then rectifies the transformer’s AC output into DC and filters for final output. In addition to lighter weight due to the smaller transformer core, switchers have another benefit over the other two designs. This type of power supply is made to be independent of the input voltage, and it can work on any electric power system in the world. These are called “universal” power supplies. Switchers are more complex and tend to generate more high-frequency AC “noise” on the power line. Most switchers also have significant ripple voltage in their outputs. The cheaper have noise and ripple but still provide a stable average output voltage. Expensive switchers are ripple-free with noise as low as for a linear type.
Ripple regulated
A ripple-regulated power supply is an alternative to the linear regulated design scheme. It is a “brute force” power supply constituting of the “front end” of the circuit. A transistor operated strictly in it’s on/off mode transfers DC power to a large capacitor to maintain the output voltage between a low and a high setpoint. The transistor in a ripple regulator that never passes current while in its “active,” or “linear,” mode.
Basically, there are three major types of power supplies: unregulated, linear regulated, and switching. The other type of power supply circuit is known as the ripple-regulated, which is a hybrid one of the “brute force” and “switching” designs.
Here are the types of Power Supply explained:
Unregulated
The unregulated power supply is the simplest type, comprising a transformer, rectifier, and low-pass filter. These power supplies have a lot of ripple voltage, i.e. rapidly-varying instability and other AC “noise” superimposed on DC power. In the unregulated supply, if the input voltage fluctuates, the output voltage will also vary by a proportional range. The advantage of unregulated supply is that it is simple, cheap, and efficient.
Linear regulated
A linear regulated supply is a “brute force” or unregulated power supply accompanied by a transistor circuit operating in its “active,” mode. It is designed to give a fixed voltage output for varied ranges of input voltages. It drops the excess input voltage to make way for a maximum output voltage to the load. The excess voltage drop results in significant power dissolution in the form of heat.
Switching
A switching regulated power supply is a medium to realize the benefits of both the brute force and the linear regulated designs, which are not only simple, efficient, and cheap, but also give clean and stable output voltage. Switching power supplies work to rectify the inward AC power line voltage into DC. It then re-converts into high-frequency square-wave AC through transistors operated as on/off switches, stepping AC voltage up/down by using a lightweight transformer. This then rectifies the transformer’s AC output into DC and filters for final output. In addition to lighter weight due to the smaller transformer core, switchers have another benefit over the other two designs. This type of power supply is made to be independent of the input voltage, and it can work on any electric power system in the world. These are called “universal” power supplies. Switchers are more complex and tend to generate more high-frequency AC “noise” on the power line. Most switchers also have significant ripple voltage in their outputs. The cheaper have noise and ripple but still provide a stable average output voltage. Expensive switchers are ripple-free with noise as low as for a linear type.
Ripple regulated
A ripple-regulated power supply is an alternative to the linear regulated design scheme. It is a “brute force” power supply constituting of the “front end” of the circuit. A transistor operated strictly in it’s on/off mode transfers DC power to a large capacitor to maintain the output voltage between a low and a high setpoint. The transistor in a ripple regulator that never passes current while in its “active,” or “linear,” mode.
