POWER ELECTRONICS / SMPS POWER SUPPLY
CALCULATORS and REFERENCE INFORMATION

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Power electronics

is the technology that deals with conversion of electrical energy by electronic circuits. The device that perform such conversion is referred to as power supply. Power electronics originated about a century ago with the application of grid-controlled gas-filled tubes for power control. The subsequent development of SCR, bipolar transistors and FETs revolutionized the industry and resulted in rapid expansion of power electronic applications.

Most modern power supplies (except for linear amplifiers) are of switching type. The control of energy flow in a switched mode power supply (SMPS) is performed with power semiconductors that are continuously switching on and off with frequencies that are much higher then AC line frequency. These semiconductor switches are embedded in a network of inductors and capacitors, which store energy and transfer it from the input to the output. When a power semiconductor device acts as a switch, it is possible to control large amounts of power with a relatively low power dissipation in the switching device.

This site is a power supply/ power electronics information resource. Here you can find electronics calculators, reference information, industry news, as well as engineering career resources.