Power supply

How it is used

Used in design and in the lab. You set the voltage and the current limit on a bench power supply, and choose a power supply for a product by output voltage, current, efficiency and certification. Often shortened to PSU; a switching power supply is called an SMPS.

Example sentences

1. Set the power supply to 12 V with a 500 mA current limit before you connect the board.

2. The power supply goes into protection mode every time the motor starts.

Common collocations

• bench power supply
• switching power supply
• current limit
• power supply unit
• redundant power supply

Related terms

• voltage regulatorA circuit or IC that keeps its output voltage constant even when the input voltage or the load changes. It can be linear, such as an LDO, or switching, such as a buck converter.
• DCShort for direct current: current that flows in one direction only, usually at a steady value. Batteries, solar panels and most electronic circuits work with DC.
• transformerA device that transfers AC power from one winding to another through a shared magnetic core, usually to step the voltage up or down. It does not work with DC.
• rectifierA circuit or device that converts AC into DC, usually with diodes. A bridge rectifier uses four diodes so that both halves of the AC waveform are used.
• multimeterA handheld or bench instrument that measures voltage, current and resistance, and often continuity, capacitance and frequency as well. It is the most basic tool for electrical testing.

More terms: Measurement and Test Equipment

• oscilloscope
• sensor
• troubleshoot
• probe
• calibration
• continuity