The Challenging world of PSU’s
As far as challenges are concerned, there are a number of challenges within the Power Supply market. These are broadly categorized under the following 3 areas; information, cost and the product. In other words, there are three variables that can impact on which power supply is chosen and how this will affect the overall product design, development and use by the end user.
Aside of the aforementioned, the world of power supplies is constantly growing with more technologies and more varieties, and keeping up with the present growth of the PSU market is a great challenge ahead of us all. However, with a quick guide to highlight what to look out for and consider, these challenges could all be a thing of the past (and if not, get in touch with us anyway).
Information About Power for Your Products
Did you know that choosing the right power supply impacts your product in many ways? Including the longevity of the product, the aesthetic design of your product, the way in which it operates and the way the rest of the product is designed and innovated.
Although most engineers and product designers fully understand this, accessing the right information about the power supply element of product design can sometimes feel like hunting a needle in a haystack. The challenge then becomes not only understanding the most beneficial product, but also knowing the latest industry news in terms of what products are available (or improved).
The most beneficial way for engineers and product designers to overcome this challenge is to speak with somebody who is well versed in what is available in the marketplace and the respective pros and cons of the power supplies.
Challenged by Power Supply Costs
As with all product development, the cost of every element within the product determines more than only the selling price. In many instances, the components used can also impact the brand strategy and positioning within the market place. Together with pricing strategy, this can have a compound effect on the profitability of the product altogether.
Whilst traditionally, there has always been a trade off between cost and quality, new innovations mean that this is less of an issue than it has been in the past. Other considerations to take into account are the output ripple and noise. The cost therefore is not only monetary, but the opportunity cost of one of these parameters being less than desirable. For instance, DC-DC Converters are efficient in terms of output, but the cost of using this product is in switching noise and output ripple.
Understanding the monetary, performance, optimum product and opportunity costs are all important in the product development arena.
The Power Supply Product
Whether the power supply selection is in itself enough or whether the larger integrated circuit needs to be considered, this challenge comes in many guises; first and foremost, performance. Whilst factory testing can prove certain variances and reliability, this may not be predictable enough. Accuracy in the measurements of differences in design changes as well as not being able to control voltage frequencies, could become costly in terms of more engineer design times, but ultimately in the form of customer satisfaction, recalls, returns and brand impact.
However, making use of AC power supplies is a beneficial experiment to make sure that many hypothetical scenarios can be conducted to verify the performance of additional components, such as transformers and actuators. This eradicates problems in the power supply and the product before they go to production.
Overall, the challenge is seen in performance, quality of the product and choosing the right products in isolation and as part of the overall integrated circuit. The most beneficial way for engineers and product designers to overcome any of the challenges outlined is to speak with somebody who is well versed in what is available in the marketplace and the respective pros and cons of the power supplies.
Consistent Change
The world of power supplies is constantly growing with more technologies, innovations and variances to take into consideration. On top of that, consumer demand is also changing. For everyone in the industry, staying on top of the changes in the power supply market is in itself a challenge.
At Power For Your Product, the ethos is simple; to stay current with knowledge and products in the marketplace in order to provide the right solutions at all stages of product design, development and delivery. With over 30 years experience in the industry, contact Jeff with any enquiries or questions about choosing the right power supply, without the challenges of information, cost and product choice impeding your product design.