Computer Power Supplies

Computer power supplies convert alternating current (AC) line to direct current (DC) line, needed by the computer. Power supply style, DC output, AC input, features, and environmental parameters are all important specifications to consider when searching for computer power supplies.

Choices for power supply style for computer power supplies include ATX, FlexATX, microATX, AT, LPX, NLX, SFX, and TFX.  There are a variety of computer motherboard styles and cases available.  Most case styles have a corresponding power supply type. Common choices for DC output voltage include +/- 3.3 V, +/- 5 V, +/- 12 V, +/- 15 V, +/- 24 V, and +/- 48 V.  The number of outputs, DC output current, and power are also important to consider.  The DC output current is the output current corresponding to the primary DC voltage output.  The DC output power is the output power of the device.  AC inputs include input voltage and input frequency.  Choices for input voltage include 115 VAC and 230 VAC.  Input frequencies for computer power supplies can be 50 Hz, 60 Hz, or 400 Hz. 

Common features for computer power supplies include fan cooled, integral heat sink, overcurrent protection, overvoltage protection, power factor correction, remote on/off switches, short circuit protection, and water cooled.  Fan cooled power supplies have integral fans for cooling.  Power supplies with a heat sink have an integral heat sink for cooling.  Overcurrent protection is internal circuitry that limits or shuts down the current output in an overcurrent condition.  Overvoltage protection is internal circuitry that limits or shuts down the voltage output in an overvoltage condition. When present, it is most usually found on the primary output.  Power factor correction corrects the phase difference between voltage and current in order to optimize power output.  A remote on/off switch allows the computer power supply to be controlled remotely.  Short circuit protection is useful in the event of a short circuit on the load may include electronic current limiting and thermal resets with automatic recovery.  Computer power supplies that are water cooled are cooled to maintain stability.

• DC Power Supply Reliability (.pdf)
  One of the most widely used figures of merit when comparing the reliability of industrial DC power supplies is MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures). A power supply with a higher MTBF number stated on the...
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• Finding Immunity to Voltage Sags (.pdf)
  One of the most frequent power quality disturbances is not a complete loss of power but rather a short loss of line voltage. Known as 'voltage sag', this often underestimated and overlooked event...
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• SCP-X Extreme Environment Power Supply (.pdf)
  While the use of distributed I/O control is increasing on industrial machinery, the technology of supplying field power to machine controls has lagged a little behind the technology curve. A new...
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Part Numbers for Computer Power Supplies