POWER PLAY

摘要

Ever since manufacturers of electronic equipment, devices, and instruments mastered the production of safe and reliable products, they've been constantly pushing for increased efficiency. The demand for energy-efficient programmable power supplies and loads has taken on heightened importance over the past decade as more and more vendors pursue "green" initiatives-not just because it's good for the environment, but because it's good for business. Application industries such as Mil/Aero, automotive, commercial, medical, and renewable energy require smaller and smaller form factors in programmable power supplies and loads while wanting better interface options, a widerselection of power-conversion products-all while minimizing ripple and distortion. It's no easy task for vendors of such products. "Renewable energy and power efficiency remain a hot topic for end-users," EA Elektro-Automatik North American general manager Eric Turner told Evaluation Engineering in February. "The 'Green' initiative means a supply's efficiency has become an important factor in selecting a power supply and especially loads. Power supplies include active power factor conversion (PFC) front end coupled with high-efficiencyamplifiers, are driving the most efficient programmable power supplies in history."