Power supplies for electronic products is often broadly split into line-frequency and switching power supplies. A line-frequency supply can be quite a rather straightforward style and design, nevertheless it gets more and more bulky and large for high-current equipment as a result of requirement for large mains-frequency transformers and heat-sinked electronic regulation circuitry. Traditional line-frequency power supplies are frequently called "linear," but that is a misnomer because the conversion process from Ac current to Dc is naturally non-linear once the rectifiers feed within capacitive reservoirs.

DC power supply

An Ac centric not regulated power supply commonly utilizes a transformer to change the voltage from your wall plug to another, nowadays generally lower, voltage. If it is utilized to produce Direct current, a rectifier is needed to transform AC voltage to a pulsating direct voltage, and then a filter, including several capacitors, resistors, and sometimes inductors, to remove almost all of the pulsation. A small outstanding unwanted alternating voltage component at mains or twice mains power frequency ripple-is unavoidably superimposed on the direct output voltage.

For items like charging batteries the ripple seriously isn't a difficulty, and the most basic unregulated mains-powered DC power supply circuit consists of a little transformer driving an effective diod, that's in series with a common resistor.

Ahead of the arrival of solid-state electronics, equipment used valves which in turn required high voltages; power supplies used step-up transformers, rectifiers, and filters to create one or two direct voltages of some hundreds of volts, as well as a low alternating voltage for filaments.

AC power supply

An AC power supply typically takes the voltage from your wall outlet and decreases it to the preferred voltage In addition to lowering the voltage certain filtering may take place.

Linear regulated power supply

The voltage generated by an unregulated power supply will change according to the load as well as on variations within the AC supply voltage. For critical electronics applications a linear regulator are often used to set the voltage to a exact value, stabilized against imbalances in input voltage and stress. The regulator additionally significantly cuts down on the ripple and noise within the output dc. These Linear regulators often provide current limiting, defending the power supply and attached circuit from overcurrent.

Adjustable linear power supplies are typical research laboratory and support shop test hardware, allowing the output voltage to be altered over a range. One example is, a bench power supply used by circuit manufacturers may be adjustable up to 30 volts and up to 5 amperes output. Some can be driven through another signal, for instance, for applications needing a pulsed output.