A power supply is a device that supplies electrical energy to one or more electric loads.

The term is most

commonly applied to devices that convert one form of electrical energy to another, though it may also
refer to devices that convert another form of energy (e.g., mechanical, chemical, solar) to electrical
energy. A regulated power supply is one that controls the output voltage or current to a specific value;
the controlled value is held nearly constant despite variations in either load current or the voltage
supplied by the power supply's energy source.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantage of this method is greater efficiency because the switching transistor
dissipates little power when it is outside of its active region (i.e., when the transistor acts like a
switch and either has a negligible voltage drop across it or a negligible current through it). Other
advantages include smaller size and lighter weight (from the elimination of low frequency
transformers which have a high weight) and lower heat generation due to higher efficiency.
Disadvantages include greater complexity, the generation of high-amplitude, high-frequency
energy that the low-pass filter must block to avoid electromagnetic interference (EMI), and a
ripple voltage at the switching frequency and the harmonic frequencies thereof.

Very low cost SMPSs may couple electrical switching noise back onto the mains power line,
causing interference with A/V equipment connected to the same phase. Non-power-factor-
corrected SMPSs also cause harmonic distortion.

[edit] Classification

SMPSs can be classified into four types according to the input and output waveforms:

 AC in, DC out: rectifier, off-line converter input stage

 DC in, DC out: voltage converter, or current converter, or DC to DC converter
 AC in, AC out: frequency changer, cycloconverter, transformer, phase converter
 DC in, AC out: inverter