With the continuous development of science and technology, the application and selection of power supplies more and more, and the more common switching power supply and linear power supply has become the two kinds of power supply we have to distinguish and choose. They have their own characteristics and advantages and disadvantages, this article will explore the advantages and disadvantages of switching power supply and linear power supply from three aspects.

First, the efficiency

Switching power supply relative to linear power supply, in terms of efficiency has obvious advantages, because the switching power supply using high-frequency modulation technology to power conversion, compared to the linear power supply of the double-cycle power conversion, high-frequency modulation will be converted to high-frequency AC power pulse, to achieve a high efficiency power conversion. When the power supply output current is large, the efficiency advantage of the switching power supply is more obvious, because the linear power supply is to control the output current size by adjusting the conduction time of the transistor, and the longer the transistor's conduction time, the more likely to produce heat loss, so the efficiency of the linear power supply decreases with the increase of the output current. Switching power supply is not affected by the size of the current, the efficiency remains basically unchanged.

Second, the cost

Relative to linear power supply, switching power supply is more advantageous in terms of cost. On the one hand, the switching power supply makes the components have been more fully utilized, the design cost is more economical and reasonable, the manufacturing cost is also lower than the linear power supply; on the other hand, the switching power supply does not have an output transformer, so the structure is more simple, while the linear power supply needs an output transformer, so the cost is also relatively high. In the next use and production process, the stability of the switching power supply is also more reliable, the service life is also longer.

Third, the application

In different application scenarios, switching power supply and linear power supply also have their scope of application. For the need for power supply output current, high precision, high ripple, high reliability occasions, linear power supply is more suitable, such as precision measurement, precision instruments, etc., because the linear power supply can do low ripple and high precision stabilization of the output power. However, in the need for output power change frequency is higher, smaller size and weight, high power density occasions, switching power supply is more suitable, such as computers, cell phones, LED lights, electronic vehicles, and so on. Because the switching power supply conversion speed is faster than the linear power supply, the switching frequency of the transistor can be increased to tens of kilohertz or even hundreds of kilohertz, so the switching power supply has a greater advantage in the occasions where the size and weight have strict requirements.

In summary, both switching power supply and linear power supply have their advantages and disadvantages, and will have more obvious applicability according to different application scenarios. At the same time, the switching power supply and linear power supply performance, efficiency, functionality, etc. have been continuously improved and perfected, so we need to fully understand the characteristics of various power supplies when selecting power supplies, and combined with the actual need to choose, in order to achieve more excellent power supply application results.