A power supply is a hardware component that supplies power to

an electrical device. It receives power from an electrical outlet and

converts the current from AC (alternating current) to DC (direct
current), which is what the computer requires. It also regulates the
voltage to an adequate amount, which allows the computer to run
smoothly without overheating. The power supply an integral part of
any computer and must function correctly for the rest of the
components to work.

You can locate the power supply on a system unit by simply finding the
input where the power cord is plugged in. Without opening your
computer, this is typically the only part of the power supply you will
see. If you were to remove the power supply, it would look like a metal
box with a fan inside and some cables attached to it. Of course, you
should never have to remove the power supply, so it's best to leave it
in the case.

While most computers have internal power supplies, many electronic

devices use external ones. For example, some monitors and external
hard drives have power supplies that reside outside the main unit.
These power supplies are connected directly to the cable that plugs
into the wall. They often include another cable that connects the
device to the power supply. Some power supplies, often called "AC
adaptors," are connected directly to the plug (which can make them
difficult to plug in where space is limited). Both of these designs allow
the main device to be smaller or sleeker by moving the power supply
outside the unit.

Since the power supply is the first place an electronic device receives
electricity, it is also the most vulnerable to power surges and spikes.
Therefore, power supplies are designed to handle fluctuations in
electrical current and still provide a regulated or consistent power
output. Some include fuses that will blow if the surge is too great,
protecting the rest of the equipment. After all, it is much cheaper to
replace a power supply than an entire computer. Still, it is wise to
connect all electronics to a surge protector or UPS to keep them from
being damaged by electrical surges.
 How it Works

Any bench supply consists of a transformer with a secondary of

about 18 volts AC, a rectifier block and a filter capacitor. With no load,
the DC voltage across the terminals of the filter are going to be 18 to
30 volts. Under load the voltage will sag due to the impedance of the
secondary of the power transformer. If it sags too far, the supply will
loose regulation and it will pass 120 Hertz ripple (hum) to whatever
you are powering with it. Since the voltage across the filter capacitor
can vary wildly as the load changes we need a method of regulating
the voltage. The work of regulation is done by the pass transistors (Q2
to Q5). They in turn are controlled by the 723 regulator. Lets look at
the 723 in a little more detail now. Note that it has its own filter power
supply made up from diodes D1-D4 and filter capacitor C2. The 723
has its own internal highly regulated voltage reference supply (pin 6).
Internally the 723 compares this reference voltage to the output of the
power supply. Voltage adjustment pot RV1 sets the ratio of the
reference voltage to the output of the supply. This sets the output
voltage.

The output of the 723 is pin 10. This voltage drives the base of Q1. Q1
acts as a simple amplifier to increase the current available to drive the
current hungry bases of the pass transistors. As the load increases on
our power supply, the voltage from the wiper of RV1 drops as well.
When this occurs the 723 increases the voltage from pin 10 driving the
pass transistors harder through Q1. The more base current through the
pass transistors, the higher the output voltage. Thus we have
regulation, the 723 continuously changing its output voltage to meet
the minute changes in load on the supply. Remember, the 723 does
the thinking, the pass transistors do the work!

How to convert AC to DC

STEP 1: Decide what you need to power with DC voltage

How critical is the DC input voltage to the device or circuit you need to
power? Most electronics circuits or devices you purchase have voltage
protection built into the circuit. If the circuit requires a 6VDC input, the
acceptable range may actually be 5 to 8 volts DC. Check with the
manufacturer's specifications for the input voltage.

If you are designing your own circuit and you want to save money and
time by not including voltage protection on your board you will have to
purchase a more expensive power supply to compensate.

STEP 2: Determine the maximum load that your circuit will require to
operate.

The power rating of the AC to DC power supply must exceed the

maximum DC power consumption of the circuit. Calculate the total
load (current) of the components on your circuit by determining the
maximum load rating for each item such as motors, servos, resistors,
lights, etc. If you are purchasing a pre-manufactured circuit or
electronic device, the DC load in Amps will be identified. To calculate
the current use Ohm's law I=V/R (where current equals voltage divided
by resistance).

STEP 3: Determine the type of power supply you want to use, first
based on the physical type.

There are four main physical types of AC to DC power supplies. The

physical types include individual circuit boards, brick-type switching
power supplies, wall plugs, and power cords with an AC to DC adapter
box (type used for laptop computers). If you want to keep the
electronics in one box then use either circuit boards or brick-type
switching power supplies. If you have a smaller electronic device or
you need to keep the heat produced from the power supply away from
the electronic components use either wall plug or a power cord with an
AC to DC adapter box. Select the physical type of power supply desired
for your project, based on these criteria, and on price and availability.

STEP 4: Select the power supply output type from the decision making
from steps 1-4 and consider the overall power accuracy you need for
your electronics device.

There are several different AC to DC power supply output types

including unfiltered (linear), filtered (linear), and regulated (switching).

Unfiltered power supplies are the least expensive but can also result in
variable power output. Some circuits have regulation built into the
design but others do not. Filtered power supplies are better since they
are designed to remove some of the high frequency noise from the
power output. Both of these types of power supplies are linear and will
have a voltage rating. Be careful because the voltage rating is fully
loaded. If the circuit is not using the full current, then the voltage can
increase to a much higher value.

Switching power supplies are better since an IC uses pulse width

modulation to regulate the output voltage. Brick type switching power
supplies are usually have even better output than wall plug and cord
with transformer switching power supplies. The brick type switching
power supplies will regulate the output voltage under varying loads
very well.

If you follow these steps you will be able to successfully convert AC to

DC power to use with your electronic project or device.

Voltage Regulation
Ideally, the output of most power supplies should be a constant
voltage. Unfortunately, this is difficult to achieve. There are two factors
that can cause the output voltage to change. First, the ac line voltage
is not constant. The so-called 115 volts ac can vary from about 105
volts ac to 125 volts ac. This means that the peak ac voltage to which
the rectifier responds can vary from about 148 volts to 177 volts. The
ac line voltage alone can be responsible for nearly a 20 percent
change in the dc output voltage. The second factor that can change
the dc output voltage is a change in the load resistance. In complex
electronic equipment, the load can change as circuits are switched in
and out. In a television receiver, the load on a particular power supply
may depend on the brightness of the screen, the control settings, or
even the channel selected.

These variations in load resistance tend to change the applied dc

voltage because the power supply has a fixed internal resistance. If the
load resistance decreases, the internal resistance of the power supply
drops more voltage. This causes a decrease in the voltage across the
load.

Many circuits are designed to operate with a particular supply voltage.

When the supply voltage changes, the operation of the circuit may be
adversely affected. Consequently, some types of equipment must have
power supplies that produce the same output voltage regardless of
changes in the load resistance or changes in the ac line voltage. This
constant output voltage may be achieved by adding a circuit called the
VOLTAGE REGULATOR at the output of the filter. There are many
different types of regulators in use today and to discuss all of them
would be beyond the scope of this chapter.