Intelligent Power Supply

Power supply designers must create systems that offer higher efficiency, more power density and advanced communications. They must also reduce their R&D time and cost, and go to market quickly.

Smart power supplies provide a solution for these challenges. They are programmable, providing digital information about internal temperature, fan operation, logged power-on hours and a myriad of other attributes.

Control

Whether it’s power-factor correction, electromagnetic interference (EMI) filtering or backup battery storage, optimizing high-power switching is much more than simply turning a FET or IGBT on and off. That’s why intelligent power modules incorporate a sophisticated mix of on-chip MCU features and external devices to provide efficient control, monitoring and communication with the rest of your power-switching circuit.

A simple pulse-width modulation (PWM) controller can drive MOSFET current control outputs to optimize power transfer while conserving energy for the system’s other functions. In addition, some MCUs have built-in analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters that can sense temperatures, manage voltages to external analog peripherals, or trigger an interrupt when conditions warrant attention.

An intelligent power supply should also be able to remotely monitor and command the system that it powers, without extensive software development on the part of the integrator. The IPS should be able to report digital information describing all operating parameters, including input voltage, output voltage and current, internal temperature, fan operation, logged power-on hours and a myriad of other attributes.

For example, a production-ready reference design from Silanna Semiconductor provides an intelligent power supply that is capable of fast charger control to minimize the total time required for lead-acid or lithium batteries to reach a full charge state. It also supports multiple charging curves to suit the battery type and use case of each application. This is an important capability for emergency backup systems such as fire and security alarms, emergency responder communications repeaters or emergency lighting.

Monitoring

For an intelligent power supply to be truly smart, it must have both control and monitoring capabilities. It should be fully programmable, permitting easy local and remote command of output voltage, current, internal temperature, fan operation, logged power-on hours and a host of other attributes that reflect its general health.

In addition, the intelligent power supply should also monitor its own performance, logging and reporting all operating parameters to an external system for both diagnostics and maintenance purposes. It should be able to communicate with systems using standard protocols like RS-485, MODBUS, BACnet and EtherCAT. It should have both an Microwave sensor manufacturers analog and digital interface for control, with features such as voltage supervision for reset generation, tracking, sequencing and trimming.

The ability to monitor power at the rack PDU level is crucial in data centers where critical servers require constant monitoring to ensure that they are functioning at an optimal level. IO-Link-capable intelligent power supplies offer multiple metering points at the circuit breaker, inlet and outlet level to deliver more complete visibility of white space power consumption.

Intelligent power supplies can be integrated directly into fire alarm control panels to provide backup DC power for appliances and other devices in case of a loss of mains power. For example, the new Telemetrics PS-RM2-48 is a multi-function “intelligent” power module that provides 6 A of notification power expander capability, while also delivering auxiliary power for constant, resettable or door holder power to fire alarm devices from System Sensor, Gentex and AMSECO. It does all this without the need for a separate power panel or AC extension cords that could pose a safety hazard to personnel.

Communication

In the past, power supplies were designed using analog ICs that had fixed functionality to provide regulated power. Today, smart power supply designs incorporate programmable microcontrollers that enable designers to add valuable communication and control features. These capabilities help reduce system complexity and improve performance, reliability, and scalability.

In addition to regulating the output voltage and current, intelligent power supplies can also communicate important information with other devices on the network. This can be used to inform maintenance teams about a fault or other issue that needs attention. For example, an intelligent power supply can signal that it’s running too hot or that its internal temperature has exceeded a preset limit. This allows the user to identify and fix issues quickly before they become worse.

Another key feature of intelligent power supplies is their ability to support a variety of communication protocols. This can include IO-Link, Ethernet IP, CAN, ProfiNET and Modbus, among others. Using these interfaces enables continuous communication between the intelligent power supply and the application, which can reduce downtime.

For example, IO-Link-capable power supplies with DC OK, overcurrent and switch-off with saving messages can help users to locate and fix faults without the need for manual intervention. This can reduce downtime and save energy costs. This is especially important in intralogistics conveyor systems where energy savings can have a significant impact on profitability.

Reliability

The power supply is the unsung hero that keeps your robots humming along day and night, executing their tasks with unerring precision. It’s not just about avoiding the inconvenience of power outages and lost productivity; consistent, high-performance operation directly translates to reliable, low-cost production.

An intelligent power supply is able to detect when a fault condition occurs and immediately switch to backup power to ensure continued system operation. In addition, it can monitor the status of critical components and report on any changes. This allows the IPS to keep operating, unlike non-intelligent supplies that would shut down in order to protect themselves from overheating and other issues.

When evaluating a power supply, it’s important to understand the difference between its MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) Intelligent power supply and its reliability. MTBF measures the amount of time the power supply functions without failing, and it typically follows a bathtub curve. Power supplies with a long MTBF have a long service life and high reliability.

To achieve these impressive numbers, a power supply must be designed with reliable, stable output voltage, efficient cooling, and resistance to environmental conditions such as dust and moisture. It also must perform reliably under a range of temperatures from the sweltering heat of an industrial environment to the freezing temperature of a cold storage warehouse. An intelligent power supply can handle these challenges, ensuring constant, consistent performance even in the harshest environments.