The differentiating factor for the powersupplies required for all grid-connected and many portable applications can frequently come from additional features. For supplies that connect directly to an ac source, power factor correction (PFC) plays an increasingly important role to meet requirements such as EN61000-3-2. Many dc-to-dc converters target point of load (POL) power for critical high-performance processing applications. The intermediate bus architecture (IBA) in applications such as telecom, high performance computers, and servers converts the input power for distribution within the system to POL converters. The recent availability of digital power control units provides engineers additional features and choices for new POL designs. For dc-to-ac inverters, ruggedness provides an essential feature.
Power supply components and alternative power supply components that help original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) achieve their design goals include transformers, gate drivers, and integrated circuits. These components typically have to be easier to use and fit into less space as well as offering more features.
Batteries provide the power source for portable applications. These portable applications continue to increase in all market segments providing untethered use for numerous products. For portable products getting more battery life for a given weight and size is paramount.
This section addresses the trends in power supplies, power supply components, and batteries.