DC power supplies accept an input power and output the desired form of DC power. Common types of DC power supplies include linear power supplies, switching power supplies, DC-DC converters, and silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) type power supplies.
Linear power supplies accept AC inputs and provide one or more DC outputs for a wide variety of computer and industrial applications. They use an active element (normally a power transistor) operating in its linear region to generate a desired voltage.
Power supplies are devices that produce AC or DC power. This grouping includes current sources, DC power supplies, AC-DC adapters, DC-DC converters, AC power sources, and DC-AC inverters.
Switching power supplies are DC sources that use a switching element (normally a power transistor) to generate the desired voltage. Switching power supplies are also called switch-mode products or switching mode power supplies (SMPS).
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