The Power-Supply Conundrum: Make or Buy? (.PDF Download)

For many if not most electronic engineers, the power supply of your product isn’t your primary focus. Your priority concerns are the features, specifications, capabilities, cost, and performance of that product. Nonetheless, all designs need a power supply.

At some point you must get around to specifying your power needs and deciding how to meet them. The big decision is whether you make the power supply yourself or buy one? That choice has become easier over the years: These days, buying an off-the-shelf power supply is an increasingly good decision. Here’s a look at this perpetual power-design dilemma.