A power supplies manufacturers directory including DC power supplies, power converters, ac dc converters, switching power supplies, high voltage power supplies, uninterruptible power supply, switch mode power supply, UPS power supply, custom power supplies, AC power supplies, AC to DC power supplies, uninterrupted power supply and rectifiers.  

Information Page Links:

Featured Power Supply Manufacturers

About Power Supplies

Power Supply Terms

Power Supply Associations

Power Supply Resources

Trade Shows

Featured Power Supply Articles

More Articles

ISO - International Organization
for Standardization

Back

Power Supply Terms

Autoranging Input – A sensing circuit for the input voltage located within the power supply that automatically switches to the necessary voltage range.
 
Breakdown Voltage – The highest AC or DC voltage that may be applied from the input, output and/or chassis of a power supply.
 
Burn-in – Operating a newly manufactured power supply, usually at rated load, for a period of time in order to force early failures or other latent defects of the component before the unit is delivered to a customer.
 
Common-mode Noise – Noise that is typical of DC output and return lines with respect to input ground.
 
Compliance Voltage – The voltage output from a constant current power supply.
 
Cooling – The removal of heat in a power supply by convection, forced air, radiation or liquid. Heat comes from regulation, transformation, filtering and rectification.
 
Cross Regulation – The percent of voltage change at one output of a multiple output power supply resulting from the load change on another output.
 
Current Limiting Circuit – An overload protection circuit, which controls the highest output current of a power supply to safeguard the power supply or the load.
 
Design Life – The projected lifetime of a power supply during which it will run at its stated specifications.
 
Differential Mode Noise – Also referred to as “ripples,” it is the noise measured between the DC output and the output return.
 
Drift – With operating parameters including line, load and ambient temperature held constant, it is the change in output voltage, following a warm-up period, over a certain period of time.
 
Efficiency – The ratio of power in terms of the input power against the output power. Efficiency is measured at full load and nominal line conditions.
 
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) – Also known as “radio-frequency interference (RFI),” it is unwanted high frequency energy conducted through the input or output lines of switching power supplies or radiated through space. EMI is caused by the switching transistors, output rectifiers and zener diodes.
 
Foldback Current Limiting Circuit – A current limiting circuit that, when under overload conditions, will gradually decrease the output current to a specified minimum current level under a direct short circuit.
 
Ground – An electrical connection to earth that has a zero voltage or another conductor connected to earth.
 
Inhibit – The capability of remotely switching off the output power of a power supply.
 
Input Line Filter – A low-pass or band-reject filter used to decrease the noise fed to the supply. Input line filters are located at the input of a power supply and may be external.
 
Isolation Voltage – The highest AC or DC voltage that can be continuously run from a power supply chassis or from input to output.
 
Margining – Altering a power supply output voltage, either higher or lower from its minimal setting, in order to confirm the system performance margin in respect to the supply voltage. Margining is typically done electrically via a system generated control signal.
 
Minimum Load – The least amount of load current or power that needs to be drawn from the power supply in order for the supply to meet its performance specifications.
 
Non-Shutdown Over Voltage Protection – A feature of a converter such that it continues to provide voltage to a load at a set upper limit without turning off and without necessitating a reset when the overvoltage event ceases.
 
Overvoltage Protection – A circuit that either shuts down the power supply or shorts the power supply to ground if an overvoltage condition occurs.
 
Parallel Operation – The connection of the outputs of multiple power supplies with the same output voltage that are designed to share a load. The parallel operation generates a higher output current than would be available from a single supply.
 
Peak Power – The absolute highest output power that a power supply can create without immediate damage. Typically, peak power is much higher than the continuous reliable output capacity and ought to be utilized rarely.
 
Power Fail – A signal from the power supply interface that relays a warning that the input voltage is not sustaining full power regulated output.
 
Reverse Voltage Protection – A protection circuit that prevents damage to the power supply if a reverse voltage is applied at either the output or input terminals.
 
Safety Ground – A conductive path to earth intended to safeguard people from electrical shock by shunting away any dangerous currents that could happen from accident or malfunction.
 
Turn-on Time – Also known as “warm up time,” it is the time a converter needs to start running within specification after proper power has been applied.