What Can You Expect from the New Generation of Power Supplies? (.PDF Download)

Bench power supplies come in all shapes and sizes. Some fall into the general-purpose category, and others are very application-specific. Some only have a single output, while others offer multiple outputs.  

Because today’s designs place higher demands on the systems that power them, newer-generation bench power supplies are packed with very useful features that help engineers address those problems much earlier in the design process. This includes controlling multiple power-supply voltage sequences, measuring wide dynamic ranges of current, and varying the speed of the power-supply voltage to reflect real circuit characteristics. 

Underlying all of this, bench power supplies need to be easy to use, deliver clean and stable dc power, and protect themselves and the development board (or DUT). It’s not uncommon for bench power supplies to also be used in automated systems, so modern I/O connectivity might be another important consideration.

This article delves into problems that the new generation of power supplies (Fig. 1) can uniquely solve, and factors to consider when specifying or purchasing a power supply.