Power Supply

Power supply is a reference to a source of electrical power. A device or system that supplies electrical or other types of energy to an output load or group of loads is called a power supply unit or PSU. The term is most commonly applied to electrical energy supplies, less often to mechanical ones, and rarely to others.

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Managed Ethernet Switch Rides 3U CompactPCI Attracted by its ubiquity and longevity, the military is growing ever more fond of Ethernet. And switched Ethernet is becoming asRead More...

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Serial ATA Stakes out Territory as Next-Gen Storage Interface

Over the past several years, serial interconnect schemes have been steadily pushing aside parallel buses, and that trend has impacted the memory and storage realm just as it has everyRead More...

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What's the Computer Inside?

When I participate in any kind of press meeting or briefing, I’m the guy who always asks a question–or many questions. I ask questions to satisfy my naturally curious nature, but alsoRead More...

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Stand-Alone Rugged Boxes Come into their Own

Technology developments that reduce complexity and enhance usability are always a welcome addition to military applications. That need is being fueled by the increasing availability ofRead More...

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Case Study: Helicopter Cockpit Audio/Video System

Reducing Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) has become the mantra of a variety of today’s military design efforts. Such was the case when Orchid Technologies was selected to develop aRead More...

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System, Board and Panel Innovations Fuel Rugged Display Demands

Leveraging cutting-edge graphics chips developed for the demanding gaming market, military graphics subsystems are now able to offer complex video and graphics functionality in highlyRead More...

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3U VPX SBC Sports Freescale MPC 8640D Processor There have been only a handful of SBC vendors so far that have rolled out VPX products. The ones that jumped on board haveRead More...

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Qseven-Based Carrier/SBC Duo Rolls The Qseven connector scheme leads the way on the notion of combining a variety of I/O technologies onto one connection. Supporting that standard,Read More...

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Switched Ethernet Broadens its Reach in Land, Sea and Air

Once relegated only to command and control systems in the military, Ethernet is now gaining traction in numerous other military applications. As a result, Ethernet switch boards areRead More...

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3U cPCI Board and Rack Family Satisfies Extreme Thermal Needs CompactPCI, particularly in its 3U flavor, is no longer the new kid on the block in the military market. It’s paidRead More...

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Advanced Low-Power PMC Supports Dual Graphics Heads A blend of graphics and video performance is vital for advanced sensor fusion, image/frame capture and recording inRead More...

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Tiny SMD Fuse Approved for Space Applications Reliability and ruggedness take on a whole new meaning for electronics used in space applications. There’s no repair truckRead More...

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20-Inch 2U Chassis for Trenton 32 Gbyte Boards The days when military system developers did everything themselves are long gone. They’d much rather find building blocks to pieceRead More...

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Controller Adds Graphics to StackableUSB USB for years went underutilized in military embedded applications. That’s starting to change as uses from the technology presentRead More...

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Many Factors Drive Uninterruptible Power Supply Choice

The process of finding, selecting and qualifying commercial off-the-shelf Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPSs) for military applications can be an exercise in frustration.Read More...

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The Inside Track

ITT Awarded JTRS Support Contract ITT has been awarded a $22.9 million contract for Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio Systems (SINCGARS) Software In-Service Support (SwISS)Read More...

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BGA Adapters Adapt 0.50 mm Devices to 1.00 mm Boards Keeping up with and mitigating the impact of component obsolescence is a constant challenge in the military industry. ICs oftenRead More...

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SSPC Advancements Enhance Vehicle Power System Designs

Developers of electrical power management and distribution systems for current and future force ground vehicles face several challenges. As new applications increase the number andRead More...

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Modular Approach Wins for VME Power Systems

Military electronics continue to push the performance envelope in all directions. With each new system design come the same challenges: more processing power, tighter specs and shorterRead More...

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Meeting MIL-STD-810 for Batteries Presents Challenges

The military standard MIL-STD-810, "Department of Defense Test Method Standard for Environmental Engineering Considerations and Laboratory Tests" specifies the equipment'sRead More...

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Rugged Stand-Alone Box System Roundup

Rugged System Features Military Connectors The stand-alone rugged box trend has touched nearly every corner of the military embedded computer market. ADLINK Technology, for its part,Read More...

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VME SBC Serves Up Low Power Core 2 Duo The Core 2 Duo has become among the most prevalent CPUs in new embedded computer designs in the past couple of years. Its mix of performance andRead More...

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Small UAV Tap the Rich Variety of Embedded Options

UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) were originally developed to take the soldier out of harm's way and have come a long way since the days of "large" surveillance drones like the PredatorRead More...

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Rugged Boards Push the Performance/Power Envelope

Compute-density has become the watchword in many segments of military system design. More and more programs are pushing for as much computer processing muscle as can possibility fitRead More...

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1kW Power Supplies Have Ultra-Low-Profile

1 kW Power Supplies Have Ultra-Low Profile The military market was late to the game embracing distributed power architectures, but now it’s all in. Supporting that need, TDK-LambdaRead More...

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REDI VITA 48.5 Power Supply Delivers 800W

REDI VITA 48.5 Power Supply Delivers 800W VITA 48 “Ruggedized Enhanced Design Implementation” (REDI) standard for 3U and 6U x 160 mm embedded modules creates a unified mechanicalRead More...

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2W DC/DC Converter Pair Boast Miniature Packages

2W DC/DC Converter Pair Boast Miniature Packages SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) has become a top priority in many of today’s military designs. Helping with that, Martek Power hasRead More...

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30 Amp POL DC Power Converter Offers Tunable Loop Feature

30 Amp POL DC Power Converter Offers Tunable Loop Feature Gone are the days when power conversion devices forced system designers to reserve large amounts of board space forRead More...

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Intelligent Power Switches for Harsh 24V Vehicle Systems

Intelligent Power Switches for Harsh 24V  Vehicle Systems Engineers face a major hurdle designing vehicle junction boxes that meet tough new performance standards underRead More...

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Case Study: Li-Ion Polymer Battery Approach Meets Mobile Military Needs

Due to IEDs, RPGs and the penetrating power of the AK47, the military is installing a higher level of armor on vehicles to offer as much protection for the soldier as possible. ThisRead More...

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Power Supplies and Converters Tackle SWaP Issues

In tandem with the military's drive toward greater compute density, there's a growing demand to reduced size, weight and power (SWaP) of system electronics. And the two go hand inRead More...

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Slot-Card Systems Vie with Rugged Box Solutions

There’s no doubt that there has been a change occurring in the military embedded computing industry over the past five years or so. At the heart of that change is the risingRead More...

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The Inside Track

  Aonix Java VM Used on Modernized Guided Missile Cruiser USS Bunker Hill Development tools supplier Atego has announced the successful deployment of its industry-leading Aonix PERCRead More...

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Role of the Military Battery: Lightening the Load

There are a number of advantages to having a battery with a higher energy density—for the soldiers on the ground and the unmanned aerial vehicles overhead during any mission. HigherRead More...

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DC/DC Modules Feature 25W Output in Compact Size

Power supply makers continue to push the barriers of power density and squeeze more power into smaller spaces. Martek Power UK announces a significant addition to its PowertronRead More...

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Transitions and New Realities Shake Up U.S. Manned Space Program

Here we are again at a crossroads of National manned space policy—the most significant since the transition from the Apollo/Saturn to the Space Shuttle. The Space Shuttle program isRead More...

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EMI Filter Targets Distributed Power Systems

Military system designers were not first in line to embrace distributed power approaches. But now there’s no choice given the voltage and power levels of today’s chips. VPT hasRead More...

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Rugged Sensor Interface Supports Remote Data Acquisition

The multifunction I/O trend has been particularly useful for military applications, where reduced system size is such a priority. North Atlantic Industries (NAI) has announced theRead More...

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Power over Ethernet Compact Vision System

A new compact vision system is based on the Intel Core2 Duo P8400 processor. The EOS-1000 from Adlink Technology provides four independent Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports withRead More...

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8051-Based ASP Family with Integrated Programmable Logic

The 8-bit 8051 microcontroller is still a popular solution for very small low-power military devices. The last trend toward application services platforms (ASPs) adds new flexibilityRead More...

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Energy-Efficient Processor Family Targets 1-Watt Video-Enabled Devices

Small electronic devices are in the mix of the most advanced military devices under development. A product family of energy-efficient embedded processors provides a small form factorRead More...