Low Noise Power Supply For Sensitive Electronic Applications

Low noise power supply represents one of the latest innovations in the field of sensitive electronics. The potential of low noise supply is wide-ranging, affecting industries as diverse as medical equipment and high-end audio systems.

Traditionally, engineers relied on complex workarounds and additional equipment like filters to achieve low noise power. Today, the solution is as simple as choosing the right low noise power supply.

Noise From Power Supplies Causes Countless Problems

With nearly all municipal and industrial power sources providing alternating current, sensitive equipment that requires a direct current needs a converter that doesn’t introduce additional problems.

Power supplies typically induce a frequency into the direct current from the alternating current. In day-to-day operations, this isn’t a considerable issue, but sensitive devices suffer from the noise found in everything but a low noise power supply.

The frequency leftover from the alternating current is called ripple, and it’s a major problem in certain applications.  Engineers can try to get around ripple by implementing line regulation into devices, but this creates further issues that must be solved.

The entire engineering process starts a cascade of problems that can only be avoided by stopping ripple at the source with a low noise power supply.

The problem of ripple noise has been understood for some time, and many alternative solutions have been proposed. Methods like increasing gain and using larger capacitors have seen use to some extent, but these require significant changes to the overall design. Moreover, ripple is seldom the only problem.

Random noise, from a variety of sources, is always present and must be addressed. A low noise power supply handles both of these problems through a single solution.

Low Noise Power Supply Is More Easily Integrated Than Filtering

The longstanding problem of noise in signals has led to the development of a variety of filtering methods and technologies. These techniques often apply to power supplies as well.

One such example is increasing output capacitance. Unfortunately, this introduces concerns for both equivalent series inductance and resistance. There is no shortage of second-hand effects from potential solutions, so the low noise power supply dramatically simplifies this task.

One of the simplest methods for reducing output noise is incorporating a filter capacitor and series inductor into the device. This combination is best suited to reducing high-frequency noise and accomplishes this with negligible loss.

Like other filtering methods, it introduces more issues compared with a low noise power supply that must be addressed in the design. The configuration will suffer from destabilization due to resonant frequencies.

The feedback error signal for many power supply circuits relies on equivalent resistance. This reduces the viability of another common filtering method. With low equivalent series resistance and inductance, a capacitor is an effective filter.

This reduces the equivalent series resistance to the point that it can destabilize the power supply. Using a low noise power supply avoids this feedback error signal issue.

The previously mentioned alternatives to a low noise power supply are among the most viable, with other options requiring even more extensive workarounds and design considerations. A low noise power supply simplifies sensitive electronics design significantly.

The Latest Developments Go Into Low Noise Power Supply

The transition from alternating current to direct current involves switching elements that eliminate the original current frequency. In many power supplies, hard switching is used.

This produces a noise when the raising and lowering edges of the waveform cross each other. In order to eliminate this noise, a low noise power supply uses a new technology known as “soft switching.”

Soft switching techniques allow a low noise power supply to reduce noise and the associated problems of radiated emissions, conducted emissions, current leakage, and common-mode noise. These improvements make low noise power supplies the obvious choice for delicate electronic devices.

Some of the most prominent applications requiring the absolute minimum noise in their power supplies are medical imaging and inspection systems for electronics manufacturing.

The waveform of hard switching can be thought of as trapezoidal with harsh edges. A low noise power supply uses soft switching to produce a sinusoidal waveform. This eliminates the sharpness of the raising and lowering edges, reducing noise as a consequence. Efficiency is also increased through soft switching, as noise generation represents a loss.

Incorporating a soft-switching low noise power supply into any design serves to solve a host of problems without introducing further complications.

They provide solutions for conducted emissions, radiated emissions, common-mode noise, and ripple. They are truly an all-in-one solution for noise in sensitive electronics.

Let Low Noise Power Supply Simplify Design Considerations

Among the most prominent issues in power supply design is common-mode noise. It occurs due to a voltage between the power supply itself and the ground. It is not an easy problem to pin down.

Common mode noise produces radiated emissions that are unacceptable in sensitive applications. While there are some physical means to prevent the problem, decreasing loop area or shortening cables, a low noise power supply solves the problem along with many others.

Radiated emissions arise from a variety of sources both inside and outside any device. Designing devices to account for these emissions internally is prohibitively complex in many cases, with a low noise power supply being the only truly viable option to sufficiently reduce radiated emissions.

The emissions cause interference and other problems with sensitive equipment and can reduce the effectiveness of their operation.

There are more than just radiated emissions to worry about, with conducted emissions causing significant concern as well. While regulatory requirements cover conducted emissions for many devices, certain fields require precision far beyond those standards.

A low noise power supply is the only readily available option to reduce conducted emissions in these cases. Equipment producing conducted emissions can affect other equipment on the same grid with low-frequency noise that can have wide-ranging effects.

Many filters also cause leakage current that can, in some cases, present a significant safety issue. Leakage current can cause electric shocks, leading to damaged equipment and potentially serious injury.

With a low noise power supply, these concerns are assuaged by one simple addition to any device. With the multitude of problems solved with such a simple change, low noise power supplies are the top choice for any sensitive electronic applications.