SWITCHMODE Power Supply Reference Manual and Design Guide

What Everyone Should Know About Switching
Power Supplies
By: Marty Brown
Introduction
Efficient conversion of electrical power is becoming
a primary concern to companies and to society as a whole.
Switching power supplies offer not only higher
efficiencies but also offer greater flexibility to the
designer. Recent advances in semiconductor, magnetic
and passive technologies make the switching power
supply an ever more popular choice in the power
conversion arena today.
This Guide is designed to give the prospective designer
an overview of all the issues involved in designing
switchmode power supplies. It describes the basic
operation of the more popular topologies of switching
power supplies, their relevant parameters, provides circuit
design tips, and information on how to select the most
appropriate semiconductor and passive components. This
Guide lists the ON Semiconductor components expressly
built for use in switching power supplies.