A power supply unit (sometimes abbreviated power supply or PSU) is a device that supplies electrical power to a device or group of devices. The term is most commonly applied to units that are integrated with the devices they supply, such as computers and household electronics, and never to devices supplying, conditioning or otherwise supporting an electric utility grid. (For large-scale power supplies, see electricity generation.)
A power supply (or in some cases just a transformer) that is built into the top of a plug is known as a wall wart, power brick, or just power adapter.
The range of different types of power supply is very broad, since widely differing design criteria affect each application.
As well as the usual requirements of cost, reliability, weight and size, constraints that commonly affect power supplies are the amount of power they can supply, how long they can supply it for without needing some kind of refueling or recharging, how stable their output voltage or current is under varying load conditions, and whether they provide continuous power or pulses.
Generators or alternators (particularly useful in vehicles of all shapes and sizes, where the engine has rotational power to spare, or in semi-portable units containing an internal combustion engine and a generator)
More specialised power supplies might be based upon:
Many people say that the term "power supply" should be reserved for those devices that convert some other form of energy into electricity (such as solar power and fuel cells and generators). A more accurate term for devices that convert one form of electric power into another form of electric power (such as transformers and linear regulators) is power converter.
In a personal computer (PC), the powersupply is the metal box usually found in a corner of the case.
Powersupplies, often referred to as "switching powersupplies", use switcher technology to convert the AC input to lower DCvoltages.
The powersupply also has a circuit that supplies 5 volts, called VSB for "standby voltage" even when it is officially "off", so that the button will work.
A powersupply (sometimes known as a powersupply unit or PSU) is a device or system that supplieselectrical or other types of energy to an output load or group of loads.
Constraints that commonly affect powersupplies are the amount of power they can supply, how long they can supply it for without needing some kind of refueling or recharging, how stable their output voltage or current is under varying load conditions, and whether they provide continuous power or pulses.
ATXpowersupplies also are designed to turn on and off using a signal from the motherboard (PS-ON wire), and provide support for modern functions such as the Standby mode of many computers.
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