Whether you are looking for a replacement power supply for your cable modem, or need a power supply for a new product and left it for last, there are ways to expand your possibilities.
For replacement purposes, most devices specify a range of input voltage it will accept. These can be shown as 9 - 12 Vdc, or 4 - 6 Vdc for example. It will usually specify a current requirement too. For example, 0.4 - 0.6 A, which may also be shown as 400 - 600 mA. This information means you have the flexibility to use a power supply with an output voltage from 4 - 6 Vdc with an output current from 0.4 - 0.6 Amp. This give you many options beyond perhaps the 5 Vdc 0.5 Amp power supply the unit came with.
As the majority of external power supplies used and produced today are regulated, this too yields extra options for that last minute prototype unit the power supply was never specified for.
The product you are working on has internal point of load devices that generate 5 Vdc and 3.3 Vdc from a 12 Vdc internal bus. You calculate that the nominal 12 Vdc current you require will be 1.7 Amps. So you want a 2.5 Amp unit to allow for a 50% cushion.
Now since we know that most external power supplies are regulated, your task is to find a 12 Vdc external power supply rated at 2.5 A, or greater. This gives you many other choices. Your minimum power rated unit would be 30 Watts (12 Vdc x 2.5 Amp), but you can also use a 40, 50, 60, or 100W unit which are all generally available units.
So a little fact finding up front can yield many options for a replacement power supply. Knowing your minimum power requirement for a prototype unit will add additional options for that last minute need.
Read More Knowledgebase Articles on power supplies at peaktopeakpower.com
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