Most electrical engineers believe they have a good understanding of power supplies because they are relatively simple, single-function DC devices designed to output controlled voltages. However, there is much more to power supplies than this description would suggest. Although a power supplyís specifications describe its performance adequately for most applications, specifying every possible aspect of its performance (or any instrumentís, for that matter) would be far too costly in terms of both money and time.
Although a review of a power supplyís specifications should always be a part of the selection process, other characteristics should also be taken into consideration. From a userís perspective, whatís important is understanding a supplyís power envelope to ensure it will be able to deliver power at the voltage and current parameters needed for a specific application.
Click to read the rest of this article on EDN.