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| PSU | |
|---|---|
| Name | Power supply unit |
| Caption | Modular power supply for a desktop computer |
| Type | Electrical device |
| Invented | 20th century |
| Inventor | Various |
| Used by | Intel, AMD, NVIDIA, IBM, Dell |
PSU
A power supply unit converts electrical energy between sources and loads, providing regulated voltages, current limiting, and protection features for electronic systems. Widely used across computing, telecommunications, industrial control, aerospace, and consumer electronics, units range from compact modules for Raspberry Pi and Arduino projects to large rack-mount supplies for Amazon Web Services data centers. Designs reflect trade-offs among efficiency, noise, size, and cost driven by standards from organizations such as IEEE, IEC, and Underwriters Laboratories.
A power supply unit provides controlled electrical power to a device by transforming, rectifying, filtering, and regulating input from mains, batteries, or renewable sources into one or more usable outputs for components like CPU, GPU, FPGA, SSD, and motherboard subsystems. Units can be enclosed modules used in systems by Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Apple, and Cisco Systems or open-frame converters integrated by companies such as Texas Instruments, Analog Devices, and STMicroelectronics. Core functions include voltage regulation, inrush limiting, overcurrent protection, and thermal management required by platforms including Server farms operated by Google, Microsoft Azure, and Facebook.
Types include linear supplies used historically in Bell Labs equipment, switching supplies such as buck, boost, buck-boost, and flyback converters common in Dell EMC and Oracle servers, and specialized high-voltage supplies for CERN accelerators and NASA spacecraft. Variants encompass uninterruptible power supplies employed by American Electric Power, battery-backed designs for Tesla energy storage, modular supplies in Supermicro chassis, and programmable laboratory units from Keysight Technologies and Rohde & Schwarz. Other formats are external laptop bricks used by Lenovo ThinkPad and MacBook lines, and medical-grade supplies certified for Food and Drug Administration regulated devices.
Key specifications include input voltage range e.g., 100–240 V AC for international compatibility with standards like IEC 60950, output rails such as +12 V, +5 V, and +3.3 V used by Intel Core platforms, maximum current ratings for components like NVIDIA GeForce GPUs, ripple and noise metrics referenced in datasheets from Micron Technology and Samsung Electronics, transient response required by PCI Express and USB4 protocols, and efficiency ratings following 80 PLUS certification tiers adopted by Energy Star. Thermal design considers airflow in enclosures from Supermicro, fan control algorithms used in Noctua cooling, and electromagnetic compatibility complying with FCC and CE directives. Control methods span analog linear regulators used in legacy Motorola systems to pulse-width modulation controllers from Infineon Technologies.
Supplies power desktop PCs for ASUS, MSI, and Gigabyte gaming rigs; supports server blades in data centers run by Equinix and Digital Realty; powers telecom equipment from Ericsson and Nokia; energizes instrumentation at facilities like Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; and provides battery charging for Tesla Model S and Nissan Leaf vehicles. Small form-factor converters are embedded in medical devices certified by FDA and CE, industrial drives for Siemens programmable logic controllers, avionics modules for Boeing and Airbus, and power conditioning gear used at Rockefeller University laboratories. Laboratory programmable units enable researchers at MIT, Stanford University, and Caltech to simulate transient loads for component qualification.
Reliability metrics include mean time between failures used by NASA for spaceflight components, thermal shutdown thresholds applied by Intel in server provisioning, and failover arrangements used in AT&T central offices. Safety standards and certifications include UL 62368-1, IEC 61000 electromagnetic compatibility series, and safety approvals required by European Commission medical device directives. Protections commonly implemented are overvoltage and overcurrent circuits specified in datasheets from Texas Instruments, short-circuit protection strategies found in products by Vicor Corporation, and isolation requirements for mains-connected supplies used in Siemens industrial control systems.
Major manufacturers and suppliers include Corsair, Seasonic, EVGA, Antec, FSP Group, Cooler Master, Mean Well, Delta Electronics, and Flextronics supplying consumer, industrial, and OEM markets. Component vendors such as STMicroelectronics, Infineon Technologies, Analog Devices, Microchip Technology, and On Semiconductor provide controllers, MOSFETs, and diodes integral to designs used by Lenovo and HP Inc.. Contract manufacturers like Foxconn and Pegatron integrate supplies into consumer electronics assembled for Sony, Samsung, and LG Electronics.
Regulatory drivers include energy-efficiency programs from Department of Energy (United States), EU Ecodesign Directive, and labeling schemes like ENERGY STAR that impact design choices and component selection. Environmental considerations involve reduction of hazardous substances compliant with RoHS and REACH regulations enforced by the European Chemicals Agency, end-of-life recycling managed under directives affecting manufacturers like Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics, and lifecycle carbon accounting adopted by hyperscalers such as Google and Microsoft Azure. Noise and thermal emissions are constrained in products used in hospital environments and military systems procured by Department of Defense (United States).
Category:Electrical power supplies